Peanut sauce for timely dishes

Recipes

• Asian Hummus and Grilled-Vegetable Sandwiches
• Rice Bowl with Sauced Beef
• Peanut-Coconut Soup with Shrimp
• Oodles of Noodles Salad

In today's cyberspace-paced world, ingredients evolve from gourmet to everyday practically overnight. One marvelously convenient product that has recently proliferated in supermarkets is Asian peanut sauce, a blend of ground peanuts, chilies, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce. Traditionally, it's the seasoning sauce for satays ― grilled skewered bits of pork or chicken ― but it adapts to many quick dishes.

Try several brands of peanut sauce to find the one you like best (they vary considerably in flavor and texture depending on the manufacturer). Then make it a staple, ready for quick meals.