Three No-Cook Blender Peanut Sauces

EASIER

VEGETARIAN

GLUTEN-FREE

Makes 1¼ to 1⅔ cups per batch, enough for 8 ounces dried pasta or 12 ounces fresh pasta

These three sauces are incredibly versatile. Use them to sauce cooked noodles, as a dressing for shredded chicken salad, as a dip for grilled shrimp or cut-up vegetables, as a sauce for kebabs off the grill, or even as a spread with ham or turkey sandwiches.

Spicy and Crunchy Peanut-Sesame Sauce

MAKES ABOUT 1¼ CUPS

½ cup natural-style creamy peanut butter

3 tablespoons vegetable broth

3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce (gluten-free if that is a concern)

2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (gluten-free if that is a concern)

2 teaspoons granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon Sriracha, Texas Pete, or other hot red chile sauce

Coconut and Peanut Sauce

MAKES ABOUT 1½ CUPS

⅔ cup natural-style creamy peanut butter

¼ cup regular or low-fat coconut milk

¼ cup vegetable broth

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 small shallot, minced

1 small fresh jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and minced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Creamy Peanut Sauce

MAKES ABOUT 1⅔ CUPS

¾ cup (6 ounces) silken firm tofu

½ cup natural-style creamy peanut butter

3 tablespoons soy sauce (gluten-free if that is a concern)

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger

2 teaspoons granulated white sugar

1. For any sauce, put all the ingredients in a large blender, cover, and blend until smooth, stopping the machine at least once to scrape down the inside of the canister.

2. Pour and scrape the sauce into a small container, seal, and store in the fridge for up to 1 week.

• Depending on your mood, make just one or all of the variations detailed in the ingredient list. Store them separately in covered containers.

• Don’t want to dirty another container? Simply store the sauce in the covered blender canister in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

• If the sauce separates in the fridge, whisk it back to uniformity before using. If it thickens too much, whisk in water in 1-tablespoon increments until it has the right consistency.

• Of course, these sauces are gluten-free if you are careful about certain ingredients—and then only if you put them over gluten-free noodles!

To make your own nut butter: Place about 1 pound raw, shelled nuts—that is, pecans, walnuts, skinned hazelnuts, almonds, or pistachios, as well as any nut pretenders like cashews or peanuts—in a large food processor. Cover and process until creamy and smooth, scraping down the interior of the bowl often while waiting patiently for the mixture to break down and emulsify, anywhere from 12 to 18 minutes depending on the oil content of the nuts.

There are distinct phases to a nut butter as it processes: After a minute or so, the mixture will look like a dry, loose sand; next, that sand begins to clump; then the clumps turn oily, almost like sticky cookie batter; and finally, the released oils emulsify the mixture into a creamy paste. Stop the processor at least once during each phase to scrape down the bowl—or anytime the mixture clumps to the side or bottom of the bowl and is not actively mixing with the blades.

For a deeper flavor, toast the nuts before processing: Scatter them on a large baking sheet and roast in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant. However, nut butters made with toasted nuts are in general a little grainier and even drier than nut butters made with raw nuts.

Finally, one caution: Without professional rollers and grinders, a homemade nut butter will never be as creamy as a commercial jar. There will always be flecks and specks of nuts in the paste.