Spicy Peanut Dressing

Here’s a tasty, spicy dressing for use on noodles, in rice bowls, or even for use as a coleslaw or salad dressing.  It has an Indonesian influence and is a very versatile dressing.  It takes its influence from Gado Gado Salad – which is one of my all-time favorite salads.  This dressing does not have the sour element – from lime and tamarind – but uses lemon and ginger instead.  Gado Gado also contains shrimp paste, and this one does not.  This sauce, however, can be whipped up in about 5 minutes, making it perfect for adding to a quick lunchtime salad, or on marinated tofu with rice for supper.

It’s so rare nowadays that I will pick up a dressing from the store.  Making your own is so quick and simple, as long as you keep some store cupboard ingredients handy.  Most people have some kind of nut butter in their pantry, along with soy sauce and sugar.  Add some garlic, lemon and heat – via either fresh chilies or a paste – and your sauce is ready to go.

I use Tamari in this recipe, but feel free to use regular soy sauce if you are not allergic to wheat.