Sesame Ginger Peanut Sauce

A few weeks ago a local university emailed out that they were looking for families to host students for dinner. Aaron and I jumped on the chance to meet some new people looking for a home-cooked meal, and the experience did not disappoint. Our guests were a freshman from California and a graduate student from India and we had a wonderful time getting to know them. We did a make-your-own stir fry with separate components of rice, veggies, tofu, chicken, garnishes, and two sauces, one of them being this one. I generally love peanut-based sauces but the best thing about this sauce was that our Indian guest told us it was a lot like a sauce his mom makes. When he said "I'm tasting home right now," I almost melted. So whether or not this sauce tastes like home to you, I hope you find it tasty!

Sesame Ginger Peanut Sauce (makes 1 1/2 cups)

1/3 cup tahini

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 Tbls. fresh grated ginger

1 tsp. sesame oil

2 tsp. rice vinegar

1 Tbls. Bragg's liquid aminos/soy sauce/tamari

2 Tbls. mirin

1/4 cup water

1 Tbls. lime juice

Combine the tahini and peanut butter and microwave for 30 seconds. This will make it easier to combine the rest of the ingredients.

Whisk in the rest of the ingredients and use however you want. Refrigerate if not using using right away.

Maple Cherry Almond Overnight Oats

About a month ago my friend Ilana texted me this recipe for overnight oats. It was my first foray into this new food trend, despite my friend and co-worker Sarah trying to get me on the overnight oat bandwagon for a while, and I was instantly hooked. If you haven't tried them before, overnight oats "cook" by soaking in liquid overnight, and are eaten cold. They have since become my go-to breakfast, especially since mornings have recently become a lot busier in our house! No need to worry about Aaron stealing them as he doesn't like them, and affectionately refers to them as "left behind oats" and "forgotten oats." I also heard him once talking to our child and referring to them as "Mama's weird oats." At any rate, I made this version that's a bit more decadent and am excited to share it!

Maple Cherry Almond Overnight Oats (serves 1)

1/2 cup oats

1/3-1/2 cup non-dairy milk (depending on how juicy you like your oats)

2 Tbls. almond butter

2-3 Tbls. chopped toasted almonds

1-2 Tbls. pure maple syrup

1 cup fresh or frozen cherries, pitted

1 tsp. brown sugar

Heat the cherries and brown sugar over medium heat.

Keep stirring until they are reduced and syrupy, about 10 minutes.

Refrigerate overnight.

Meanwhile, combine the oats, milk, almond butter, and maple syrup.

Refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, layer 1/3 of the oat mixture, 1/3 of the cherry mixture, and 1/3 of the almonds. Enjoy!