Light Spicy Peanut Sauce with Chives

I always joke that I could probably eat packing peanuts if they were coated with spicy peanut sauce. At least most people assume I'm joking. It's one of my favorite sauces, but usually it's so high in calories I have to pass it up and make something more bathing suit friendly. In my Junior League and Devon Horse Show volunteer days, we often had committee meetings at dinnertime, right after work, and when they were at my house, spicy peanut noodles with chicken were the most requested menu item. That was also when I had the metabolism of a hummingbird, and the rich noodles didn't stick to my waist. Now sadly, I eat them guiltily, knowing that I'll be running an extra mile and trimming something else off my plate to make up for indulging.

While I was lolling abed this morning in that lovely half awake stage before the alarm, considering how to use up the last of the chicken we'd smoked in the Big Green Egg this past weekend, and briefly I considered sesame noodles with smoked chicken. But the I realized I had to weigh-in at Weight Watchers on Thursday and those sesame noodles were going to be a no-go. Peanut noodles,.....hmmm, no better, but then I remembered the jar of peanut butter powder lurking in my smoothie cabinet.(Yes, I keep most of my non-perishable smoothie ingredients in the same cabinet. It makes my morning routine go smother) It's defatted and has far fewer calories. I've actually never reconstituted it into anything spreadable, but as a part of a recipe? I decided to give it a go. 

So before 7 AM this morning I was busy stirring up this peanut sauce and had some for lunch today. With the smoked chicken, some shirataki noodles, and a bunch of slivered carrots, onions, bell pepper and broccoli. Wonderful! Get yourself some powdered peanut butter and give it a try. Your tastebuds and your scale will both be happy. This may be light in calories, but it's got all the flavor of the real thing. 

Note: the most commonly available powdered peanut butter brands are Just Great Stuff Organic Powdered Peanut Butter, which I use, or a product called PB2. Usually it's in the natural foods section at the supermarket.

Light Spicy Peanut Sauce with Chives, light on calories, not on flavor!

Light Spicy Peanut Sauce with Chives

Serves 4

4T powdered peanut butter
2T rice vinegar
2 tsp Thai fish sauce
1 tsp. dark sesame oil
1 T Cholula hot sauce
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed to a paste
1T wheat-free tamari soy sauce
2T minced fresh chives
(1-2 T water or vegetable stock, if needed)
1T minced cilantro, optional

1. Mix all the ingredients up to the chives in a small bowl with a whisk.  Stir in the chives, and the water or stock if the sauce is thicker than a vinaigrette dressing. Stir in the cilantro if using and serve over noodles, fish, chicken, steamed vegetables, or eat sneakily with a spoon.