Grilled Vegetables with Peanut Sauce
My daughter loves going to Thai restaurants. Her favorite thing to eat are the gyozas and chicken satay. She can really pack away a number of skewers- if I let her. What she doesn’t like is the peanut sauce- very strange! For me it’s the peanut sauce that is the interesting part- like the rest of Thai cuisine- it really assaults your palette. Sweet, salty, sour and spice happening at the same time. I think that is why I love the cuisine so much. I love anything that has the peanut sauce. I usually make a whole lot and keep in my fridge. It is very versatile- it is a great dipping sauce; it goes really well in cold noodles with shrimp and vegetables; it makes a delicious salad dressing- the sky is the limit! One of my favorite things to eat in the summer months is grilled vegetables. I like to grill all sorts of different veggies and serve them with different marinades. This particular one is my favorite way to eat them. The creamy peanut sauce goes really well with the smoky grilled vegetables. In this case I used red peppers, zucchini and a japanese eggplant. I loved the combination of all the veggies- the peppers bring a subtle sweetness; the zucchini is creamy and the eggplant is like a sponge- absorbing all the peanut goodness! I made this with the shrimp fried rice but the dish goes really well with burgers, hot dogs and steaks.
If your kids like peanut sauce, this dish is a great way to give them vegetables- especially if they are grilled- I feel grilling and roasting brings out the natural sweetness of everything. In our case, I gave Sia the vegetables without the peanut sauce- I think she is a bit strange- but then I can’t really complain, she is a very good eater and loves food!
- 2 red peppers, cut into 2 inch squares
- 2 small zucchini, cut into 2 inch rounds
- 1 japanese eggplant, cut into 2 inch rounds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup peanut sauce
Peanut Sauce
- 1/3 cup peanut butter, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons warm water
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
- Salt to taste
Blend everything together till a smooth paste is achieved.
Coat the vegetables with the oil and sprinkle salt and pepper. Grill till the vegetables are soft and golden brown. Place the vegetables in a bowl and add one cup of peanut sauce. Mix well and serve as a side dish.
