Though peanuts are not actually a nut, that doesn't make them any less delicious. Americans consume about 700 million pounds of peanut butter per year, about 3 pounds of peanut butter per person per year. A spoonful here and there is a great thing to fill us up just as a handful of peanuts can be. Let's see the health benefits of peanuts.
- Peanuts help prevent heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels just like walnuts and almonds are known to do
- Among nuts, peanuts are second only to almonds when it comes to protein count. This helps you feel fuller and makes it easier to lose weight
- Peanuts are a low-glycemic food which keeps blood sugar levels steady. This can help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes
- Peanuts also, for older people, can help lower the risk of stomach cancer
Recipes:
Stir-Fried Chicken and Peanuts (marthastewart.com)
- 1/3 cup Soy Sauce
- 3 tablespoons Shoaxing Cooking Wine or Dry Sherry
- 1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar or White Vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
- 1 whole boneless, skinless Chicken Breast
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Peanut Oil or Vegetable Oil
- 3/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted Peanuts
- 2 whole Scallions
- 4 whole dried Chinese Red Peppers
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, wine, vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil. Dice the chicken and toss it in the marinade.
Heat a wok or skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the oil. Lightly fry the peanuts for about 1 minute and remove. Add the scallions, red peppers, and garlic. Stir-fry for about 20 seconds.
Just before adding to the pan, coat the chicken in the cornstarch. Fry until the chicken is just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes (depending on the pan and the heat). Return the peanuts to the pan and mix thoroughly to combine with the chicken. Serve immediately with white rice.
Homemade Peanut Butter (loveandlemons.com)
- 3 cups Dry Roasted & Salted or Unsalted Peanuts
- Sea Salt to taste, if using unsalted peanuts
Place the peanuts in a medium food processor.* Process until very smooth, stopping every 30 seconds to 1 minute to scape down the sides of the bowl, as necessary, and to give the food processor's motor a break. The mixture will be chunky at first. Then, it'll thicken into a ball, and finally, it will become creamy and smooth. The whole process should take about 8 to 10 minutes.
Boiled Peanut Chaat (foodandwine.com)
- 12 cups Water
- 3 cups Shelled Raw Peanuts
- 1 piece fresh Ginger
- 1/2 Serano Chile
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 3 tablespoons fresh Lemon Juice
- 2 1/2 tablespoons Kosher Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- 2 tablespoons Peanut Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 8 fresh Curry Leaves
- 1 cup salted dry-roasted Peanuts
- 1 small Red Onion, finely chopped
- 2 Plum Tomatoes
- 1/2 English Cucumber
- 1/3 cup loosely packed Cilantro Leaves
- 5 tablespoons fresh Lime Juice
- 1/4 cup loosely packed Mint Leaves
- 1 Serrano Chile
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Chaat Masala
- 1 teaspoon Honey
- 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Bring 12 cups water, raw peanuts, ginger, serrano half, garlic, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons salt, and turmeric to a boil in a Dutch oven over high. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and gently boil until peanuts are tender, but not mushy, about 3 hours and 30 minutes. Drain peanut mixture; discard ginger, serrano half, and garlic. Place peanuts in a large bowl; set aside to let cool.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add cumin seeds and curry leaves; stir until seeds and leaves crackle and become very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add dry-roasted peanuts; toss to coat, and remove from heat.
Add roasted peanut mixture, onion, tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro, lime juice, mint, chopped serrano, chaat masala, honey, cayenne, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to boiled peanuts; toss to coat. Serve immediately.
