For some reason I want either bland food…or set-your-face-on-fire hot food when I’m pregnant.  This recipe is the latter, but you can tame the spice to fit your flavor.

Most recipes are prefaced with a lot of yada-yada, so I’m just going to dive in:

Zee Peanut Sauce

First off, I’m an eye-baller.  Me and measuring go together like marshmallows and ketchup.  So I’m going to give you some approximations and let you taste your way through your sauce.

In a saucepan, heat:

Unsalted Vegetable Stock  -that’s your base.  If you’re cooking for one, I’d say about 3/4c will do ya.  But you’re the boss.

Natural Peanut Butter (my dude makes ours) -go for 2-3 tablespoons.

Chinese Five Spice Mix -you may find it in the Asian food aisle or in the seasoning/baking section.  Give it a few good dashes. Doesn’t it smell good?!

Lower-Sodium Tamari Sauce -it’s basically interchangeable with soy sauce.  Go for the lower-sodium version.

Chili Sauce/Paste -like the kind with the rooster on it.  Aaaaaawh, I love me a few spoonfuls of that in there.  But this is where all your spice comes from, so add as you please -or leave it out entirely.

Lime Juice -either fresh squeezed or from the bottle (ahem, that’s how I roll) a small dose of this gives it a fun kick and extra dimension.

Now, to pile your plate:

Rice -I like to make a 1/2+1/2 mix of jasmine and brown rice.  Cook ‘er up and pile what you’d like on your plate.

Veggies -have fun with them!  I only had peas and shelled edamame in the freezer, so I steamed those up and piled them on top of the rice.

Toppings -Pour the sauce on top of the veggies+rice, then snip up some fresh cilantro and grate a carrot.  Sprinkle them on top and BAM!  You’ve got a dish that’ll make the family fight over who gets the leftovers.