Peanut Butter Cups

I can think of a million uses for "Reese's" peanut butter cups.   One of them?  Crushed in ice cream!!  (Who hasn't gotten a Reese's Blizzard from Dairy Queen at least ONCE in their life?). I have many fond memories of my grandmother who LOVED eating them (not to mention a number of other very close relatives and family friends).

I have been thinking about making these for so long and now I'm really not sure why it took me so long to actually do it!  They're SO simple to make, very tasty, and easy for getting little kids involved.  :)

Why not make your own "Reese's" Peant Butter Cups and toss them on some vanilla ice cream, or just to have as a simple dessert?  Make these as minis to pack in school lunches or to make "thumb print" cookies with!  I'm pretty sure the options are endless!

Peanut Butter Cups

1 bag chocolate chips (use your favorite kind!)
peanut butter (I like to use natural with no-added sugar, but use what you have or prefer to eat!)

Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.  In two bowls, divide the chocolate chips into 1/4 of the bag in one bowl and 3/4 of the chocolate chips in the other.  In the microwave, melt the smaller bowl of chocolate chips (just a tip for melting chocolate in the microwave - do it in slow increments, about 30 seconds, then in 15 second segments, mixing the chocolate each time so you don't over melt them and burn the chocolate - it really doesn't taste good if you do!!!).

Pour the chocolate evenly into the bottom of each cupcake liner, just covering the bottoms of each so there is a thick enough later at the bottom.  Allow to harden (you may want to put it in the fridge to harden - this will take about 15 minutes).

Next, spoon about 1 tbs of peanut butter in the center of each cupcake liner, trying your best to leave a little bit of an edge for the chocolate to spill over (to create a sort of "seal").  You may decide that you want even more, so I'll leave that up to you!

Lastly, melt the second bowl of chocolate (the larger one).  Once melted, pour the chocolate over each blob of peanut butter so all the peanut butter is covered.  Allow the chocolate to hard and serve!


Beware!  If you use natural peanut butter, you might want to have a napkin on hand (or a spare sink... it gets really messy, but totally worth the chocolate-peanut "butteryness" that covers everything!)

Pad Thai

This weekend I had the great pleasure of witnessing the marriage of two wonderful people: a great friend from my Master's at Rice and her boyfriend/fiance of four-ish years.  It was an amazing ceremony and such a fun time to hangout with some friends.

I have been spending my weekend at my awesome friend Chloe's!!  (my Mango Curry friend!!)  We both love Asian food (and she even wants to be Asian!).  In any case, we brainstormed for quite a long time about what to make tonight (as, of course, with the wedding taking place last night, we didn't have to worry about dinner).  After going through all the options... rice, pasta, potato, bread.... beef, chicken, pork, lamb... (no tofu, please!)... we settled on Pad Thai.

I really, REALLY must be honest.  I don't really like Pad Thai very much!  Maybe it's because I haven't had good Pad Thai?  I don't know...  Maybe there was never enough peanut flavor, or enough lime, or too many noodles with not enough other stuff?  I'm not sure, but I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I LOVE peanut sauce!!!!  I could drown anything in peanut sauce and enjoy it.  So, with that being said, I guess I have made my "own" version of what I think Pad Thai should be, with all the things that are traditionally included!  :)

Peanut Sauce
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbs sesame oil
2 tsp fish sauce
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
zest of one lime
juice of two limes (large)
1 can coconut milk (full fat!)

In a medium sauce pan, combine peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, lime zest, and lime juice and stir.  On medium-low heat, begin to simmer sauce, stirring to bring all the ingredients together.  Pour in coconut milk and stir again.  Once fully combined, turn heat down to simmer, stirring occasionally until using.

Pad Thai
3 lbs sliced chicken (tofu, or other meat)
1/4 tbs oil
6 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 14 oz box/bag rice noodles
bean sprouts (about 2 cups)
1 cup green cabbage (sliced thinly, about 2 cups)
green onion (one bunch)
cilantro
shredded carrot
crush peanuts
fresh lime
peanut sauce

Prepare rice noodles as instructed on package.

In a skillet, over medium heat, heat oil and add chicken.  Toss in garlic, a dash of salt, and stir.  Spoon about 1/4 cup peanut sauce over chicken, stir, and continue to cook.  Once chicken has fully cooked, about 5-6 minutes, add in about 1 cup cabbage, 1 cup bean sprouts, and about 2 tsp thinly sliced green onions and allow to tenderize for about 1 minute.  Turn heat to simmer until serving.

On serving plate, top the rice noodles with peanut sauce, chicken and veggies, and any of the other toppings you desire (shredded carrots, cilantro, green onions, crushed peanuts, fresh lime, or even more cabbage and bean sprouts!).  Serve!

This makes approximately six servings.