Sweet and Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

The first thought that comes to mind when we think of peanuts is Planters and “Mr. Peanut”. Did you know that Mr. Peanut, the mascot for Planters was created by a 14 year old boy? It really was!

In 1916, the Planters’ company held a contest where the winning design would become the icon for their brand of peanuts. A young man named Antonio Gentile submitted his sketch of an anthropomorphic peanut. His arms and legs were crossed and he titled his creation: “Mr. Peanut”.

Later on a graphic artist added the monocle, top hat, white gloves and the cane. These additions made a statement to the public. That Planters peanuts were in a class all of their own.

So what did Antonio win?

He won the grand prize…a whole $5.

Now we will prepare to make a sweet and spicy peanut sauce. This is a flavorful dipping sauce for meats. With all the get-togethers for football games and Saturday afternoon family gatherings this is a nice change to spice up lunch or dinner.

Use the grill, hibachi or broiler to cook up some meat. The choice is yours. Then cut the meat into strips or make thin inch sections that can be bite sized. Place the meat pieces on skewers or toothpicks. Then have everyone dip their portions into the dipping sauce for an exciting new taste.

So let’s make Antonio and Mr. Peanut proud by making this sweet and spicy peanut dipping sauce recipe on National Peanut Butter Day!

Ingredients:

• ½:
  1. Chop the onion and mince the garlic very fine. Add them to a medium sized sauce pan with the oil.
  2. Sauté the onion and garlic pieces; over a medium heat until they become translucent. Be careful they do not burn.
  3. Once the garlic and onions are done, lower the flame to simmer.
  4. Then add the rest of the ingredients into the sauce pan.
  5. Stir it up with a spoon and allow mixture to cook for about 5 minutes. (The peanut butter this sauce has a tendency to burn quickly.) Make sure that you stir frequently.
  6. Once all the sugar and spices blend into the peanut butter and the peanut butter heats to a creamy texture the sauce is done.
  7. Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl and you are ready to start dipping.
  8. Enjoy!

  Suggestions:

  • Also serve a tray of fresh, raw vegetables at the table. They dip perfectly into the peanut sauce.

  Substitution:

  • If coconut milk is not available at the local SuperValu store in Winona there is one trick that you can do with coconut extract and still prepare this recipe. Mix together 1/3 cup of milk with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch in a small sauce pan. Then heat the mixture on high until it boils. Once it starts to boil watch the pot carefully because the milk will thicken. Once thickened, remove from stove and transfer to a small bowl. Now stir in 2 teaspoons of coconut extract and set aside till you are ready to add the ‘coconut milk’ to the recipe.

  Note:

  • Canned coconut milk will separate in the can. The cream will rise to the top. If using canned coconut milk, remove the cream and use just the coconut milk. Coconut milk is thin and watery. If there is not enough of the coconut milk in the can when you measure just add water to yield the desired amount.

  Reference:

  • www.examiner.com/cooking-in-jackson/beverly-mucha
  • www.examiner.com/home-and-living-in-jackson/beverly-mucha
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