Tag: trader joe’s

Food, Vegan Recipes

Bok Choy, “Beef” and Rice in Thai Almond Butter Sauce

Crystal Fleming

Finished product

One of my Twitter followers recently humble-bragged about making her own peanut sauce from scratch.  I was mystified, but she made it sound easy.  So, without looking up a recipe, I decided to try my hand at something similar and even more exotic  — almond butter sauce.  

I’ve never been a huge fan of peanut butter, but I fell in love with almond butter when I began my veganish journey three months ago.  Not only is it packed full of protein, but it also has a lovely, mild taste. Anyway, this was the first time I used it in a cooked dish — usually I add it to my lettuce wraps.

Anatomy of a Dish: Almond butter, EVOO, Trader Joe's "Beefless" strips (seitan), cilantro, almond butter, red onion, garlic, lemon, vinaiger and Braggs amino acids
Anatomy of a Dish: Almond butter, EVOO, Trader Joe’s “Beefless” strips (seitan), cilantro, red onion, garlic, lemon, vinegar and Braggs amino acids

This dish – which, if I say so myself, belongs in the pantheon of vegan masterpieces – turned out to be absolutely divine. Right up there with the amazing mushroom risotto in cashew/dijon cream sauce, sprinkled with sweet potatoes and leeks that I had at Blossom yesterday.  I had a lot of fun making it and even more fun eating it.

So, here’s the low down:

Ingredients

*note, these measurements and directions are approximations. I generally do not follow recipies when I cook.. I simply intuit – and taste – as I go along. So use this as a template but do your own thing.

  • 1 baby bok choy
  • 1 package of Trader Joe’s “Beefless” strips (seitan)
  • 1 package of Trader Joe’s Brown Rice, Red Rice & Black Barley Medley
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 1/4 handful of cilantro
  • 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 2-3 table spoons of almond butter
  • 1/4 cup cocnut milk
  • Braggs’ aminos
  • sea salt
  • EVOO

Chop up the garlic and toss it into a large sauce pan primed with 3 tablespoons of EVOO over medium heat. Chop the red onion and cilantro and add both to the garlic.  When that gets going, throw in the seitan and spray the whole lot with copious amounts of Braggs aminos.  Sprinkle in some sea salt.  Stir frequently and add more EVOO as neccessary.

Pretty bok choy

When the seitan is cooked thoroughly, add the almond butter,coconut milk, apple cider vinegar and 1/4 cup of the water. Stir and reduce to a low heat. While that’s simmering, chop of the baby bok choy and grill it separately in EVOO over medium heat.  Squeeze the lemon over the bok choy and spice with sea salt.  I like my bok choy nicely grilled, so I let it go for about 10 minutes.  Stir frequently.  Add the remaining water to the almond butter sauce and reduce to low heat.

Microwave the rice medley according to the box instructions.  Layer it with the sauce, seitan and bok choy. Savor. And thank me later.

Yum