Cooking with Peanuts

Did you know that March is National Peanut Month? Neither did we, but we thought we'd seize the opportunity to present recipes featuring this versatile ingredient.

Growing up, we learned to love peanuts because they gave us creamy or crunchy peanut butter for our PB&J sandwiches (usually with the crusts cut off). Sometimes we'd have a handful of nuts as a snack. These days, peanuts are featured in Thai sauces and noodle dishes and they're still a welcome bar snack, especially when you get to crush the shell and toss it on the floor.

Peanuts are actually legumes, so they're closer relatives of beans than other nuts. And, if you're not allergic, they're very healthy because they're a great source of protein, niacin, the B-Vitamins and antioxidants. As you may have learned in history class, George Washington Carver came up with over 300 different uses for the peanut (even though he didn't create peanut butter- the Aztecs came up with it a long, long time ago). So, get creative with peanuts and have a blast!

To help you assemble recipes elevating the humble peanut, we fired up the FoodPair search engine and found a handful of great recipes from across the Web.

Whole-Wheat Peanut Butter Waffles
Start the day off right with peanut waffles.
Ingredients: egg, sugar, peanut butter, baking powder, vegetable oil, milk, kosher salt, whole wheat flour, cooking spray


Boiled Peanuts
Peanuts are great for a healthy & delicious snack.
Ingredients: water, kosher salt, raw peanut, smoked paprika

Soba Noodle Salad
This Japanese salad is a great combo of sweet and tangy.
Ingredients: basil, garlic, jalapeno, lime, mango, mint, peanut, sugar, red bell pepper, soba noodles, salt, sesame oil, lime juice, rice vinegar, lime zest

Pad Thai
What's not to love about this delicious Thai classic?
Ingredients: cilantro, lime, shrimp, egg, scallion, shallot, peanut, sugar, bean sprouts, vegetable oil, oyster sauce, red chile pepper, fish sauce, rice noodles

Deluxe Peanut Butter Sandwiches
It's about time to elevate the classic PB&J.
Ingredients in this recipe: banana, peanut butter, orange marmalade, whole wheat bread

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Sundae
Peanuts add crunch and complexity to desserts.
Ingredients: chocolate, cream, peanut, peanut butter, light corn syrup, vanilla ice cream


Let's get cooking!

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