Vegetarians and peanut butter are a great and timeless love story. We met as little kids, played together, hung out at lunch, and gradually it blossomed into a lifelong relationship. Sure, along the way we might have briefly dated almond butter or flirted with hummus, but when we really needed someone in our corner, it was good old peanut butter.
Peanut butter is marriage material, really. Easy to own, low maintenance, and of course, affordable, peanut butter has a permanent place in 70% of American homes. What other high-protein food is so easy to keep on the shelf, and so easy to eat?
Peanut butter is always perfect for a sandwich, and you probably made your first pbj as soon as you could be trusted with a butter knife. But peanut butter is way more versatile than that. It’s long been a solid staple in places like Africa, where peanut, or “groundnut” stew is a lifesaver for hungry people. Peanuts abound in delicious Asian cuisines, like the spicy peanut sauces of Thai cooking, or Creamy tangy Chinese noodles. Mexican moles often toss in some peanuts, as well, blending the sweet, rich butter with spices for a deliciously complex sauce.
Well, if your mouth waters thinking of peanut butter sauce slathered spring rolls or peanutty mole over rice, you are in luck. The Southern Peanut Growers are running a recipe contest, and the top ten recipes will get you free peanut butter for a year.
Yes, that’s right, you come up with a savory main course, one with fewer than 10 ingredients that takes less than an hour to make, and enter it in the contest. For every recipe entered, they give a jar of peanut butter to someone less fortunate. The people at pblovers.com will select the top ten recipes, and the top three recipes will be prepared, photographed, then rated on facebook, so other peanut lovers will do the voting. If your recipe is in the top 10, you score 12 jars of peanut butter heaven, delivered to your doorstep. If you win, you get a $200 gift card.
Peanut butter is so much more than just sandwiches or cookies. Strut your stuff in the kitchen and help some hungry people get some healthy food, and maybe you will be a winner!