Blanched asparagus, steamed broccoli, poached chicken thighs, spring onions, sesame and nigella seeds and chilli. But most importantly a creamy peanut butter sauce. In all honesty, this is a leftover mingle, brought together by this really special thick sauce adapted from the book "Run fast, eat slow" by Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky. However it immediately assumed a position in my favourite recipe list.
For the peanut butter sauce, in a small pot over medium heat add:
Coconut or vegetable oil, 1 tbsp
Onion, diced, 1 medium pc
Garlic, 3 cloves, roughly cut
Salt, pinch
and cook stirring occasionally for a few minutes to release the aromas and soften the vegetables. Be careful not to colour them though. Add:
Coconut cream, 1 can
Peanut butter, 1/2 cup
Soy sauce, 1,5 tbsp
Sugar, any kind, 0,5 tbsp
Sriracha, or other spice sauce, to taste
Use a whisk to create a smooth uniform sauce while on the heat, and leave on heat until it reaches boiling point. Then remove and add:
Lime juice, 1 tbsp
Taste and adjust acidity and salt.
The rest of the ingredients were prepared independently for different recipes. They were all placed in a bowl and mixed with the right amount of the sauce. Enough to coat everything generously, but still keep it "dry". The sauce can be overwhelming in a large quantities, because it is quite sweet, so use it with restraint:
Asparagus: Blanch for a few minutes, I like mine crunchy so 5-8 minutes is enough. Place in an ice bath immediately. Cut in small pieces.
Broccoli: Cut the base of the big stem so that it can sit on it and place in a colander above boiling water to steam. Again I like mine crunchy so 8-10 minutes.
Chicken: I was making chicken stock, and used the meat form the thighs which were shredded.
Spring Onion, very thinly cut
Chilli, in thin strips
Sesame Seeds
Nigela Seeds