Peanut-free satay sauce

So I consider myself a food lover –I’ll try nearly anything- with the exception of anything containing peanuts. See, I am allergic to those damn legumes and for the most part I haven’t really minded too much. However, one aspect to my allergy that drives me nuts is the fact that I need to avoid Thai food which many people claim is the best ethnic cuisine around.

One way around this which I discovered over spring break was that I could substitute anything that had peanuts in it for other nuts. Eureka! I now share with you, a recipe for a satay sauce that I made which my friends absolutely adored and which brought me to the discovery of one of my new favorite foods.

This recipe is originally courtesy of Darlene Schmidt, About.com Guide. I have made tweaks which make the recipe peanut-free. Enjoy!

• 1 cup fresh-tasting dry roasted unsalted mixture of walnuts,  macadamias, and almonds
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce, depending on desired saltiness/flavor - Vegetarians substitute 1.5 -2.5 Tbsp. regular soy sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. Thai chili sauce (more or less to taste)
• 1/3 cup coconut milk
• Optional: 1-2 whole chilies (I used a Serrano and a jalapeno)

Simply add the nuts to a food processor or blender and pulverize to a fine powder then add the rest of the ingredients. Taste test. Add more fish sauce (or soy sauce) if not salty enough, or more cayenne if not spicy enough. If too salty, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice. If you'd prefer it sweeter, add a little more sugar.

It’s that simple. Add to fresh grilled meat, veggies, or tofu or use it as a dipping sauce. It’s incredibly delicious and I was thrilled to be able to add this to my go-to list of sauces to make.