Almond Butter Curry Sauce with Veggies

A few weeks ago, I was on the way home from a party and starving. I knew I didn’t have any food at home and the grocery was closed, so I felt a little desperate. I stopped by a late-night Thai place near my house to grab some take out. I got the Rama sans chicken – a yummy peanut sauce over some steamed broccoli. I knew I might be taking a risk (in terms of my tummy), but thought I’d be ok by just getting some veggies and a little sauce.

But then the next day, I woke up and I felt aw-ful. A cross between a hangover and the flu (and no, I didn’t drink at the party). My head hurt and I felt all head-coldy. Ugh. The craziest part is that this was exactly how I used to feel a few mornings a week, when I ate takeout Thai all the time. Back then I blamed it on my cats and my dusty apartment. But the dusty apartment is long gone, so I now know it was probably the dang Thai food. I want to issue a formal apology to my furry buds, Coco and Greta. It wasn’t you.

I have no idea what was in that sauce and I sorta don’t want to know. But guess what? I still love Thai food and especially that dish. So I decided to try to make it myself. And I have to say, it turned out just how I wanted! And I didn’t stop with broccoli, I added some kale. That’s what I love about this dish – pretty much any veggie will go with the sauce.

I also wanted to get a little fancy with the presentation by making a pretty quinoa mound, which would work great with rice too. I  just took a small bowl and pressed a cup of quinoa firmly into the bottom. Then I placed my plate on top and carefully flipped it over. Just because I made this at home doesn’t mean it can’t look like it came from a restaurant. Right?

{ Almond Butter Curry Sauce with Veggies } 

1/2 cup almond butter
1 tablespoon tamari
Juice of small lime (or 1/2 of a large one)
1 1/2 teaspoons red curry paste
1 tablespoon veggie broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon real maple syrup
1 bunch of broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 bunch of kale (or veggies of your choice), chopped

Start steaming your veggies and making your quinoa, rice, or noodles while you make your sauce.

For the sauce, put all ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend. Pour your sauce into a small sauce pan on low heat to warm the sauce (not too long, so it doesn’t over-thicken). Add a little water if the sauce gets too thick.

Top your quinoa or rice with your steamed veggies and pour on the sauce. Enjoy!

OPP Tips:
The second time I made this, I actually tossed my sauce into the steamed veggies and coated them. I actually might have liked it better. Not as pretty looking, but just as tasty.

What’s your favorite takeout dish? Let me know in the comments, I would love try and recreate it OPP-style.