New uses for common ingredients...

Peanut butter is something found in almost every American household, unless there is an allergy involved. Here are a couple of new and interesting ways to eat your peanut butter:

• Substitute 3 tablespoons of peanut butter (creamy or chunky will do) for one egg as a binder for meatballs with an Asian flare.
• Use 1 to 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter to add body to a brothy Asian soup.
• Stir 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter into a broth-based pan sauce for pork or chicken in place of dairy butter to finish the sauce and add richness.

Ground red pepper is often labeled as cayenne, but whatever the name, it will add a fiery kick to all kinds of dishes, from Cajun to Indian. Check it out:

• Give desserts such as cake or bread pudding a Mexican flair, drizzle chocolate sauce laced with 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of ground red pepper.
• Stir a dash or up to 1/4 teaspoon into tropical fruit salad for complex flavor.
• Sprinkle a light dusting over vanilla ice cream; the creaminess rounds out the pepper!

Look for more tips like these to come...

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