verbranden

Today's Project: Peanut Sauce

So I'm trying to cook more at home and eat out less, for many reasons. To save some money, to generally eat healthier and 'cause I'm starting to get kinda tired of the usual places we eat. Yesterday's rice pudding was sort of a barometer to see how this would go. I figured if I managed to fuck up something as simple as that, my whole plan was doomed to failure. And since the pudding turned out so well, I figured today I might as well try my hand at something that I've been wanting to make for a long time. Peanut sauce! It will be the perfect way to spice up my otherwise ordinary stir fry of rice noodles, tofu, broccoli and cauliflower. Somehow, when my husband buys the ingredients, we end up with fewer varieties of vegetable. THIS IS SUSPICIOUS.

Google gave me two recipes that I want to try, so I started with an incredibly simple one. Only peanut butter, water, soy sauce, sugar and a lime. It turned out well and it was super fast, which is good for a work day meal. I think I'm gonna use less sugar next time, I don't like it quite so sweet.

Ultimately though, I want to end up making this:

Ingredients:

* 1 cup fresh-tasting dry roasted peanuts, unsalted
* 1/3 cup water
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 tsp. dark soy sauce
* 2 tsp. sesame oil
* 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
* 2 Tbsp. fish sauce (If vegetarian, use vegetarian fish sauce or regular soy sauce)
* 1/2 tsp. tamarind paste OR 1/2 Tbsp. lime juice
* 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, OR 1 tsp. Thai chili sauce (more or less to taste)
* 1/3 cup coconut milk

Instructions are simple enough, put everything into a blender and go.

I need to buy a blender

So this weekend, Hylke and I got the two shelves put together and unpacked the last of the books. Our apartment is finally clear of all the boxes that have been sitting around since I, uh, moved in a year and a half ago. XD

To celebrate the fact that we now have room, we bought this couch. It should be arriving in three weeks, and we can't wait.