Decadent-tasting peanut sauce adds flavor and excitement to baked tofu and steamed vegetables in this low-fat version of a classic Thai restaurant dish.
We were in Phoenix our last night in Arizona and really should have eaten at Green. We’d planned to, actually, but after D and I made the executive decision to eat lunch at an Ethiopian restaurant, E complained that we never let her decide where to eat. So, reluctantly–and playing up Green’s great qualities–I presented the options to her, gathered from the very helpful VegGuide site, and she surprised us by choosing Thai Basil.
We can’t get good Thai food in Jackson–the one supposedly Thai restaurant uses “tofu” (and probably vegetables) out of a can–so we all look forward to eating at Thai restaurants on vacation. We specify that we want our meals cooked vegetarian, with no fish sauce. Thai Basil came highly recommended for its vegan options, and we were pleased with the extensive menu and quick service.
The food, for the most part, wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t very good, either. E’s Pad Thai was tasty, but the noodles were almost too tough to chew through, and my Massamun Curry (the dish I almost always order) was so bland that it was virtually tasteless.
The only dish that was really interesting was the one D ordered, named (and I’m relying on memory here) something like Rama’s Favorite: fried tofu on a bed of vegetables covered in peanut sauce. Though it was super-sweet and not spicy at all, it had a good flavor and was the dish we all chose as our favorite.
Like food lovers do, we discussed the dish in detail afterward, and D and I both agreed that it could be made much more delicious if it were less sweet, more spicy, and not swimming in oil. I decided to try my hand at recreating it (or rather improving it) while the memory was still fresh in my mind, so a couple of nights ago, I put this dish together.
I’m happy to report that both D and I liked it much better than the restaurant’s version (E was away, so we were able to let loose with the chili sauce). It’s definitely not fat-free, but it’s probably the lowest-fat version of Thai peanut sauce that you’ll find, so save it for special occasions; it’s definitely on the “Good Enough to Serve to Guests” list!
Tofu and Vegetables with Lower-Fat Thai Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
- 14 ounces extra-firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (gluten-free version, if necessary)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable broth
- 2 carrots
- 2 medium zucchini
- 1 pound broccoli
- 12 basil leaves (or to taste)
- 4 tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter (see notes below)
- 1/2-3/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup soymilk (or other non-dairy milk)
- 1/8 teaspoon coconut extract (or use lite coconut milk instead of soymilk & extract)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1-2 teaspoons Asian chili sauce (start with less and add more as needed)
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
Instructions
- Cut the tofu into about 8 slices; then cut each slice into 4 triangles. Combine about 1 tablespoon soy sauce with 1 tablespoon vegetable broth, dip the tofu in it, coating all sides with marinade, and allow to soak while you preheat the oven to 400F. When the oven is hot, put the tofu triangles onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone mat and bake for 15 minutes; turn the tofu over and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven.
- While the tofu is baking, prepare the vegetables and sauce. Slice the carrots on the diagonal, halve the zucchini lengthwise and cut into half-moons. Chop the broccoli into medium-sized florets. (Other vegetables may be used; aim for about 2-3 pounds total.) Place the vegetables into a large steamer and steam until tender-crisp. (Actually, stop just a little before you think they’re done; they will continue to cook in the residual heat.) During the last minute of steaming, toss the basil leaves on top of the vegetables and steam just long enough to wilt.
- To make the sauce, heat the peanut butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in 1/2 cup vegetable broth. Add the soymilk, coconut extract, soy sauce, chili sauce, and agave nectar, and heat until bubbly. If the mixture seems too thick, add a little more vegetable broth. Add the lime juice just before removing from the heat and serving.
- To assemble, place 1/4 of the vegetables on each plate. Top with 1/4 of the tofu and drizzle with 1/4 of the sauce. Garnish with fresh Thai basil if desired.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
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SusanV
These are the comments posted before the blog was moved to WordPress:
M. said…
You can read my mind! Just half an hour ago I was looking for peanut sauce recipes online, thinking that’s where I try peanut butter next – and then I see this on Twitter. Will definitely be trying it. Veggie satay is one of my favorite dishes and I like gado gado too.
11:50 AM, June 05, 2008
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Rachel said…
This looks amazing! I love the idea of a lower fat peanut sauce.
12:20 PM, June 05, 2008
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Middle Kid said…
Next time you’re in the area, you need to go to Malee’s Thai Bistro in Scottsdale or Phoenix. They have a wonderful Tom Yum soup that they gladly make vegan. They also make great vegan sushi. Greens is a fun place to eat, but it is by no means low fat. My kids call it their version of MacDonalds. Greens has a lot of fake meats, but it is fun to be able to order anything off the menu! Mandala tea room is another good vegan place to eat, also in Scottsdale. If you ever come to Phoenix again, you’ll have to contact me.
12:45 PM, June 05, 2008
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Nasreen said…
You really should have gone to Green! It is vegan indulgence. It’s my favorite place to eat in the Valley. The Vegetarian House is my second favorite, all Asian inspired faux things including eel! Thai Basil has nothing on those two! You shouldn’t have been so secretive about your trip to Az.
1:03 PM, June 05, 2008
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Milo said…
Susan,
Are you familiar with PB2? It’s a virtually fat free peanut butter made by separating the oil from the peanut, leaving a peanut butter powder. You can then use that powder to sprinkle into oatmeal or a smoothie, or add a little water to make peanut butter that’s only 50 calories per 2 tablespoons! I have bought 4 jars of PB2 and am very satisfied with this product. If you’re interested, you can order here: http://www.bellplantation.com
I’m going to make this recipe with PB2 and report back with my results.
1:25 PM, June 05, 2008
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Chris said…
Looks great!
There seem to be a lot more vegan options in the Phoenix area now than when we lived there 7-8 years ago. I think the Ethiopian restaurant we used to frequent was called Lalibela in Tempe. We really missed it until we got an Ethiopian restaurant here a couple years ago but now I just read that our local place is closing so we’ll be deprived again 🙁
1:45 PM, June 05, 2008
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Amber Shea said…
I use PB2 too! It’s really a great find. When you mix it with water to make a ‘paste,’ it’s identical in taste to peanut butter, just slightly less smooth in texture. Smoothness doesn’t matter, though, when you’re blending it with other liquids anyway! I highly recommend it.
Ironically enough I ate a dish nearly identical to this for dinner last night at a restaurant…I’m sure mine wasn’t low-fat, though! =/
1:46 PM, June 05, 2008
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Bianca said…
That looks great! I love peanut sauce. And it’s awesome that you were able to make it healthier and more tasty than the restaurant version.
2:48 PM, June 05, 2008
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OpenID kindkitchen said…
I ate at Thai Basil once and didn’t care for it either. Next time you are coming through AZ, let me know and I will lead you in the right yummy food direction :]
11:12 PM, June 05, 2008
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Anonymous said…
I’d like to add to the PB2 discussion –
PB2 doesn’t have the good nutrients that peanut butter does! They’re all removed after processing – even though peanut butter contains fat, remember that natural peanut butter contains all good fats! Using it in moderation is very healthy. I use the kind that contains ground peanuts only, no salt, like they have in the grinding machines in Whole Foods’ bulk section.
11:22 PM, June 05, 2008
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A-kay said…
I am writing this comment after a dinner of the tofu and vegetables in low fat Thai peanut sauce – have just one word for it – AMAZING! Hope you don’t mind me writing about this in my blog 🙂
11:38 PM, June 05, 2008
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Heather said…
Do you know the nutritional stats for the peanut sauce alone?
Thanks so much for this recipe!
12:02 AM, June 06, 2008
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SusanV said…
Heather, here’s the info on the peanut sauce alone:
Per serving: 119 Calories (kcal); 8g Total Fat; (57% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 323mg Sodium; 1g Fiber.
7:10 AM, June 06, 2008
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melissa said…
omg this looks amazing! peanut satay sauce is one of my favourites of all time, and I’m currently trying to convince my boyfriend that tofu CAN be tasty. And then, on top of all that, to see you’ve used agave nectar?? I’m in love!
9:47 AM, June 06, 2008
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Animal-Friendly said…
Oh that looks so delicious! I’ve never had good Thai food, so I really want to try this recipe!
10:12 AM, June 06, 2008
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Colleen said…
Hey Susan,
It is probably a good thing you didn’t tell us that you were coming to town – we all would have descended on you ;o). I live right down the street from Thai Basil and I love it but I order everything very, very, spicy. If you look at your server and impress upon them that you are not afraid of spicy you will get spicy. Unfortunately, the neighborhood selects for white-bread asian food eaters.
Everyone should try the lemon grass “chicken” at the veg house and I personally take a stay-hot thermos like container to take home the house soup. Down the street from Green is the Udupi Cafe which has a wonderful lunch buffet that is all vegan except the desert and a couple of condiments. Everything is marked too. If you like Indian chow (and I suspect most devotees of this blog do) it is a great lunch experience. I used to go to Green but as has been noted before it is way to fat for me unless I get a rice bowl or a salad and why would I go out for that?
Chris, Lalibela is still going strong (also down the street from me) and if your local Ethiopian place is to be no more you should call Lalibela as they have a line of packaged food they sell at some local food stores. They used to sell at the coop before it went down. Anyway, they can tell you where you can pick up their food close to you. It won’t be as good as eating on site but it might help you deal with your loss…
Susan, I have been reading Veganomicon and I have to say that it really reminds me of the original Joy of Cooking. I have an early edition of J of C and sometimes I read it just to get lines like “What to do with left over champagne, should you find yourself in this deplorable condition”. I really think that when they updated it they took out the best part. Veganomicon has great food (far more whole food oriented than V with a V) and clear directions but what I like most is the chat. Joy of Cooking for the new millennium.
Will try the dish tomorrow. Looks / sounds wonderful.
11:41 AM, June 06, 2008
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ClaudiaWR said…
Looks great for a no-fuss meal that pleases! Will definitely try your peanut sauce recipe.
6:12 PM, June 06, 2008
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CulinaryQuest said…
I’m not vegan or vegetarian, but it’s something I’ve gained a big interest in, and I’ve been learning a lot about it. I love some of these recipes you have and I’ll be trying them in the future! Thanks so much for posting this, it looks fantastic!
–From a new food . 🙂
10:18 PM, June 06, 2008
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SoupRecipe said…
Hi, your blog is nice…I like your blog…
Wanna exchange link? My blog is about soup recipe, please leave me a msg if you want exchange link with me. Thank you.
2:39 AM, June 07, 2008
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Jackie said…
Sounds so tasty plus being lower fat is a real plus, thanks for the recipe.
6:23 AM, June 07, 2008
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jessy said…
this looks amazing! dan and i have been looking for a recipe like this – thank you, Susan! we’re going to give this one a try! 🙂
9:31 AM, June 07, 2008
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Bonnie said…
Beautiful dish! I’d love to try it sometime, broccoli with peanut sauce sounds so good…
3:51 PM, June 07, 2008
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Megan said…
Man! You really should have gone to Green! It’s my favorite vegan restaurant. Plus the staff is super nice. Next time you come here for a visit, you MUST go!! 🙂
11:28 PM, June 07, 2008
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tj said…
yum!! This is one of my favorite dishes, both to make at home, and when eating at our favorite thai place… They call it Tofu Ramrong. Haha, but our version of this is anything but fat free… peanut butter and coconut milk heaven… maybe i’ll give this version a try…
7:51 AM, June 08, 2008
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Nae said…
I made this last night for a ton of people, and it was a huge hit! Instead of coconut extract/soy milk, I used almond milk. It gave the season a nice, nutty taste! Thanks so much
8:23 AM, June 09, 2008
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eleanor said…
that’s too bad you couldn’t go to green! it really is great. tsoynamis 🙂 sooo goooood. or should i say soy good
we go to thai basil fairly often, and it might not be the best in the world, but overall i like it. thai basil tofu is def. my fav there
next time you’re here, there’s also the center bistro in downtown tempe, which isn’t vegan (they have some fish/chicken dishes) but most of the menu is either vegan or can be made vegan with an alteration or 2 and they’re really good with labeling. it’s a nice place to go if you’re with an omni and need to compromise. i have way more recs, but since your trip is over, i’ll save them..
and by the way, i made a tabouli recipe i got off your blog last nice, delicious!!
11:33 AM, June 09, 2008
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hannesofie said…
Looks fabulous! I love Thai food, but mostly end up doing a curry, when I have to make it myself – love peanut sauce, though, so I’ll definitely give this a try!
12:57 PM, June 09, 2008
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zobars said…
First time on your blog and this recipe sounds and looks too good and I will try it out very soon. I found your blog thru Food-n-more blog. I wish I would have found it sooner. My vegan friend would love your recipes too.
12:44 AM, June 10, 2008
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KathyF said…
Thai food that’s not spicy?! What’s the point?
2:42 AM, June 12, 2008
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Adele said…
Last night I made your “Strawberry whip”, it was a refreshing surprise for our dessert. I topped it with crumbled walnuts, cinnamon, and a small scoop of vanilla soy ice cream, Mmmmm.
Thank you, I read your posts often and enjoy your dairy free, meat free dishes!
8:00 AM, June 12, 2008
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Courtney said…
Hey Susan
Completely unrelated to this post, but I am curious…what did you decide to make at your upcoming famous chef debut in CA??? You are going to do great! If only CA were not so far away from MN…
Courtney
4:58 PM, June 12, 2008
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SusanV said…
Hi Courtney,
I’ve been remaking recipes this week, trying to figure out how many I can do in the time allotted. So far, I will probably make:
International Quinoa Salad
Mac and Cheeze
Banana Coffee Cake
and probably Skillet Gardener’s Pie
I may have room for one more, maybe a soup, but I haven’t decided which one yet. I’m still taking suggestions! (And still so nervous that I’m making myself sick!)
5:06 PM, June 12, 2008
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Vegan Princess said…
Mmmm when I saw this recipe my mom and I just had to make it! We also added sauteed mushrooms and onions then added sugar snap peas and yellow bell pepper to the steamed veggies. Light coconut milk works perfectly with the freshly ground peanut butter from WF.
Thanks a lot!
9:59 PM, June 12, 2008
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Jul said…
Yum! I can’t wait to try this recipe. I am in love with peanut sauce these days.
4:20 PM, June 13, 2008
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Candi said…
We love peanut sauce here…and the idea of a lower-fat version is great! The dish looks awesome!
7:24 PM, June 13, 2008
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Courtney said…
Susan
You are going to do great! Those sound like excellent choices…I am sure you will be the hit of the conference! Good luck!
Courtney
3:13 PM, June 14, 2008
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Anonymous said…
This was sooo amazingly delicious. My 18 month old devoured it and my little sister who is NOT vegan (and thinks tofu is “nasty”) ate 2 helpings. Thanks for the great recipe!
7:16 PM, June 14, 2008
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nr said…
Last night my boyfriend and I couldn’t figure out what to have for dinner. After looking at a bunch of take-out menus and arguing for a couple of hours, I remembered that I’d seen this recipe on your site a few days ago. We had all the ingredients so we gave it a shot.
It was AMAZING! And so easy to make. We were both so happy that we’d made dinner instead of ordering. Also, I love that you put the nutritional information and WW points.
Thanks!
11:45 AM, June 15, 2008
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Pam said…
My kids and I made this two days ago and loved it. Another great keeper from my favorite food blog. Thank you!
1:24 PM, June 16, 2008
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Johnna Knows Good Food said…
This looks dee-lish!
2:33 PM, June 17, 2008
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Frozen Drinks said…
WoW, a delicious tofu recipe, looks like I need to learn how to cut the tofu as I never cook tofu before…
Hmm…, it’s also a little bit difficult for me to find the Asian Chili Sauce as well at my local area.
Thanks for the recipe, Susan.
1:28 PM, June 18, 2008
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eatme_delicious said…
Ooo this looks so good! I love peanut sauce but rarely make it because it can be pretty fattening so I’m thrilled to see your version!
7:36 PM, June 18, 2008
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NAUY said…
I just made this for dinner tonight. It was excellent. This is one of the better homemade peanut sauces that I’ve made. Thanks for the great recipe.
7:41 PM, July 26, 2008
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Amy said…
Delicious! I love the idea of using soymilk and coconut extract for coconut milk. Its lower fat and I’m not left trying to figure out what to do with the other half can of coconut milk. I also added spinach to the steamed vegetables when I added the basil.
1:12 PM, September 04, 2008
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Mona said…
Delicious! I made the sauce with 2 T peanut butter, 1/4 c. veggie broth, 1 1/2 T. coconut powder (didn’t have any extract!), 1/2 t. lime juice, the spicy sauce, and 1/2 T. soy sauce. Since the coconut powder was sweetened I didn’t add any additional sweetener, it was great, thanks!
2:49 PM, September 27, 2008
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Anonymous said…
Susan, that lower-fat peanut sauce was out of this world! I just made this recipe and seriously I could have finished the sauce all by myself. I will definitely make this again and again. Thank you for another delicious and healthy dinner! Tomorrow I’m making your banana-date-walnut muffins:)
– Elisabeth
11:04 AM, February 20, 2009
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Bad Wolf said…
Eek! I gave a link for your gluten-free tag to someone looking for gluten-free recipes for a vegetarian who was coming to dinner. A little later I decided to look through to see what all there was to choose from and I saw this recipe for Thai Peanut Sauce which caught my eye because I love to take coleslaw cabbabe and put Peanut Sauce on it instead of the usual dressing.
But soy sauce is not gluten-free. Tamari is but soy sauce is made with wheat so if soy sauce is in the recipe then it shouldn’t be under the “gluten-free” tag or Tamari should be the specified ingredient instead of the Soy Sauce.
Sorry to be picky but those who are intolerant would have an issue (physically) with it and those who are trying to be accommodating to them probably wouldn’t know that about soy sauce just as omnis don’t think about worcestershire sauce not being vegetarian.
4:29 PM, February 28, 2009
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SusanV said…
I get what you’re saying, Bad Wolf (love the name, BTW), which is why I have a note in two separate places on the page that advises people to check packages to make sure the ingredients are actually gluten-free. Soy sauce isn’t the only ingredient that’s problematic; things that you’d think were gluten-free, like oatmeal, often are contaminated with gluten. Rather than specify “gluten-free soy sauce” and “gluten-free oats” every time I use them as ingredients, I have those disclaimers on the blog. I’ll try to get better about labeling tricky ingredients, but realistically, there’s always going to be something that I’ll miss.
4:43 PM, February 28, 2009
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Jason said…
Susan,
I’ll be trying this soon for my Thai girlfriend and her friends. They have a dish like this at the Thai place in my town; they call it Swimming Rama. The Thai people I know say they have never seen it, but they really want to try it. I’ll report back.
2:00 PM, March 14, 2009
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Watercolor said…
Oh yay!!! A peanut sauce recipe without fish sauce!!! I really dislike fish sauce! Thank you!!
10:45 PM, May 07, 2009
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Charlotte K. said…
Hello, Susan!
Long-time lurker, first post 🙂 I just wanted to thank you so much for your blog. I’ve been a veggie for 12 years and find I often make the same tried-and-true recipes over and over. Your site really inspires me to sample new dishes and I’m happy to report that all the recipes I’ve created from your blog have been a big hit! I made this one last night with lite coconut milk and it was delish. I love making tofu this way, too–it comes out nice and crispy from the oven.
Thank you also from my bf. He is a big fan (and resident guinea pig!).
Best wishes,
Charlotte
3:08 PM, July 17, 2009
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D said…
This looks amazing, and I can’t wait to try it. I wish that when I photographed food it came out so well! Any tips?
11:56 PM, July 22, 2009
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Anonymous said…
How does a dish with almost HALF (45%) calories from fat fit in this “Fat Free” Kitchen?
I am sure it tastes great though!
12:23 PM, August 04, 2009
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Bad Wolf said…
In regards to the most recent “Anonymous” comment, the last lines of the post before the recipe states:
It’s definitely not fat-free, but it’s probably the lowest-fat version of Thai peanut sauce that you’ll find, so save it for special occasions; it’s definitely on the “Good Enough to Serve to Guests” list!
But it might also help to consider the title of this particular blog post does say “Lower-Fat Thai Peanut Sauce” so less sauce will mean less fat (but then peanuts also have a lot of good nutrients which are usually only found in fatty foods and plant-based fats are treated differently in the body than animal-based fats).
Since a lower fat diet still clocks in at about 30% fat and the fact that for each gram of fat there is more than twice the calories than in a carb or protein gram, then to consider by weight fruits and vegetables are the lowest in fats and therefore calories, by adding a bit of fat to a lot of produce the fat to calorie ratio is going to seem skewed.
Adding a delicious salad of deep greens with a light citrus dressing, finishing with a fruit-based dessert to the overall meal (not just the dish) can bring the whole quite low on the fat index.
~~
SusanV, I’ve been meaning to get back to thank you for your kind comments on my name choice.
And to thank you for considering the soy sauce issue. I knew you had gluten disclaimers on the site and I had seen them but truthfully I had to do a “Find” function search to be able to see them this time which was after your response.
Also, I checked out the sauce aisle in the store near me and saw that the basic soy sauces are on a different shelf than the wheat-free Tamari sauce which is more of a soy sauce than those containing wheat. I personally have never much liked soy sauce until I discovered Tamari a couple years ago when my daughter was having gluten issues. I think it’s much richer with a better flavor profile. I can even buy it in bulk so I don’t have excess packaging or even recycling to deal with (just reusing).
As to oatmeal, I understand Bob’s Red Mill is making one. Maybe one way to address the gluten-free problems on the site is to have a post about the various ingredients with links to some gluten-free sites for more information and then refer to that post in future recipes when it could be problematic. Just an idea. Only because you do such a great job that people who are looking for recipes to make for their gluten-intolerant friends, family and co-workers are getting referred to your contributions.
Do love your recipes (I made the squash lasagna with black bean filling a few weeks ago freezing the leftovers which I just took out today for lunch tomorrow — so very good I can almost hardly wait for winter to come again).
Best of luck to you on the VegNews readers’ choice awards. I voted for you. 🙂
6:59 PM, August 06, 2009
parsnipsandsprockets
This sauce is great as a base on Thai pizza!! I made some dough as usual but used grape seed oil instead of olive oil as it has a lighter taste. Then slathered the peanut sauce on top and threw on some veggies. It was fantastic! This is the best peanut sauce recipe I've tried!
melissa
Yummm… I just tried this sauce for the first time tonight, and I loved it! I used light coconut milk, tamari, and omitted the sugar. My family and I loved the dish! Thank you for always sharing such delicious recipes!
J in Phoenix
This is just the recipe I have been searching for! A peanut sauce that is spicy and not too sweet/oily. My husband has fallen head over heals for the spicy peanut sauce served on various dishes at the very GREEN restaurant in PHX that you mentioned in this article(GREEN is our fave restaurant ever, dislodging our favorite Thai restaurant Pink Pepper (NW PHX)from the number one ranking) Hopefully this recipe will satisfy his peanut sauce cravings at home when we move away from PHX this spring! Thanks so much! -J
Anonymous
The dish is called Pra Ram.
Keri
i made this recipe last week but used baby corns and sugar snap peas, served over brown rice. it was absolutely delicious! i plan to use this peanut sauce in other recipes and as a dipping sauce. yum!
Kellyzkool
I can’t wait to make this! I just ate something similar out at a local Thai restaurant. They give you a nice big plate of plain steamed vegetables and tofu triangles, with the peanut sauce for dipping. I control my fat and sodium by dipping only a little bit of sauce with the tofu. The sauce was so good I wondered if Susan would have a recipe for it and here it is!
dawn
I made this dish tonight, using slightly different vegetables (yellow bell pepper, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, broccoli, green onion, and carrots). My husband and I both REALLY enjoyed it! The tofu was perfect, as was the peanut sauce.
I felt the only tricky part was not over-cooking the vegetables (since my mixture varied in cooking times), so I just steamed everything but the broccoli for 5 minutes and then added it in and continued steaming for about 5 more minutes. I served it on a bed of cooked brown rice spaghetti pasta, with the sauce on top … DELICIOUS.
Thank you SO much for sharing this! The recipe is so adaptable that we will use it regularly from now on.
April H
I’m making this tonight – I think I’m adding some eggplant to mine, though…
Joe Snow
Hello, I used this recipe for my latest post on redundantvegan.blogspot.com, and paired it with spicy peanut rice and citrus collards. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. I’ll definitely be making this again!
Vicky
Sounds delicious! I just came across your website today and have bookmarked tons of recipes to try. I have been interested in doing a vegan cleanse or at the very least trying to incorporate more vegan meals in my weekly menu so this site is absolutely perfect and it looks have you have some fantastic recipes!
Lynne Glasspool
I haven’t tried this yet, but am making it tonight. My family really enjoyed the p’nut butter stir fry you make while camping. Is there an easy way to find specific recipes? Going through the Recipe Index is a pain in the neck, and for some reason I have a hard time keeping things in my recipe box. Is there an alphabetical index that I have missed. By the way, I LOVE this site. It is the only one of it’s kind.
Ginger Meier
Made this for dinner tonight. It is easy and quick to make. Very good. Love the sauce. Definitely a keeper.
Tesha Bair
I’m currently living in Thailand, and I made the peanut sauce from this recipe for get-together at my house. I used the variation with coconut milk instead of soymilk and coconut extract. I served it to my Thai friends, and they absolutely loved it! That must mean it’s authentic!
Kate
This is one of my favorite recipes lately. So tasty and so easy. One lazy-change I make is to make the sauce in a glass measuring cup in the microwave – heat on full power for a couple minutes, stopping to whisk vigorously every 30 s or so. I add about a Tbsp of cornstarch for a thicker sauce. At about 1.5-2 min, the sauce magically sets up, and after whisking is perfectly smooth. I actually do this for most cornstarch sauces these days. Between the lack of having to sautee any aromatics, and not having to fry the tofu, it’s a nice change of pace from a “regular” stir-fry. Plus it’s just so gosh darn tasty. Coconut extract is my new best friend. Thanks!
Lindsey Lou
Mmmm.. we just made a version of peanut sauce last night to go with veggie spring rolls. It was a no-cook version that I blended in our Nutribullet with cilantro. I suppose the soy milk + coconut extract is lower in fat than lite coconut milk? If so, I should probably try that next time instead.
C.J.
I just started using powdered peanut (butter) – It’s delicious, and has less fat that raw peanuts or peanut butter. FYI
Theresa Glenn
Hi
i just subscribed to your site. I am looki g forward to making the Tofu Thai Peanut Sauce recipe. It stayes 12 Bay leaves I am wondering is tmis fresh Bay leaves or Dried?
Thanks so much for your help.
Theresa
Susan Voisin
It’s 12 fresh basil leaves, not bay leaves.
Ayelet Hines
This recipe was easy and delicious. Thanks for sharing! I pretty much have eyes for no other food blog.
Ellen
Your recipe calls for chili sauce. When I click on the chili sauce link, I am directed to chili garlic sauce from Amazon. Two different sauces. Just curious which sauce you used.
Susan Voisin
I use chili-garlic sauce, but you can use any chili sauce you like, including sambal olek, the most common one.
Joe
Hi Susan,
I am on the Ornish Reversal Diet. Love your recipes and know how to modify them to make them Ornish Friendly.
My request is that you tag recipes that are Ornish Reversal Friendly.
That is vegan and fat-free (not just oil free) recipes. No meat, no seafood; no-fat dairy is in. No-Fat Milk and Yogurt are in. The only exception is soy products. Tofu, Tempeh and various popular soy-based products. Still, the rule is to eat less than 10% of your daily calories in fat. No seeds or nuts, as a rule. The Reversal Diet is the most restrictive Ornish Plan. No refined anything…. Whole Grains. Wheat is okay. That is a personal health choice.
My request would make many Ornish friendly recipe hunters very happy!
Many thanks,
Joe
Nichole
Thanks for posting this! Also, thanks for the peanut flour suggestion.
I just boiled raw peanuts instead before I saw that (and didn’t add sweeteners in recipe). Presumably the flour is made in part by boiling peanuts too instead of roasting them, and that seems to increase the resveratrol, hence anti-oxidant properties.
I’m not sure, but I think a ROS scavenger like lemon juice (or lime juice) helps in that cycle too, at least in preventing further lipid oxidation in the peanuts.
Delicious healthy recipe!
Marisa
I have been searching for a peanut recipe that would be delicious and smooth but not too fat. I did and internet search, saw your recipe come up and thought, of course Susan has a recipe=). Susan, you did not disappoint. My husband and my youngest son both thought it was better than a restaurant.
Thank you for posting such great recipes!