I made this the other night to go with some Shrimp Summer Rolls (blog to come shortly!). It was super easy and super yummy, but it made A LOT, so if you just need a little, I would half it.
Peanut Sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter (I used crunchy and it was super yummy, but use what you have)
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced (I used jarred garlic and put a little of the garlic juice in too)
1 teaspoon chile-garlic paste (so I went and bought this, but after I opened it, I realized it's really close to sriracha sauce, so if you have that, don't buy this!)
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup water
Mix everything together until smooth. I found it easiest to use a whisk to get it smooth.
Serve on anything and everything. Like I said, I put it on summer rolls, but you can also use it for chicken or beef satay, thin it out and use it as a salad dressing or marinade, use it to top noodles, or even for a stir-fry. Use your imagination!
And... don't be afraid that you won't use the ingredients you have to buy to make this again. All of them are pretty common ingredients in Asian cooking that you'll definitely use over and over if you like experimenting with different foods!
And... (promise this is the last thing), if you have an Asian/ethnic grocery store or market in your neighborhood, CHECK IT OUT! There's one right around the corner from me called Dong-A-Supermarket, and it's filled with all sorts of strange things I've never heard of and will never eat, but it's also filled with all sorts of treasures that you can't get anywhere else, and they're all SUPER cheap (6 limes for $1! please!). BTW and I went there one evening and spent 2 hours wandering the aisles just taking it all in. Go out and explore your neighborhood, I promise you won't regret it :)
