I developed this spicy peanut sauce for two reasons. I realized how so many people, and my girls, LOVE peanut butter and it's amazing on the Chinese Chicken salad. Growing up in South Africa, my lunches consisted of baked savory pies or savory sandwiches although I always tried to substitute them for a bottle of coke and biltong!  So, I didn't grow up with PB&J and never developed a love for the peanut buttter and jelly combination. Quite frankly, I am more partial to peanut butter and honey!  

I started to appreciate the peanut flavor in savory dishes when I was first exposed to Thai food.  The peanuts, especially when blended into a paste, added a creaminess and richness to the dish.  When I first tasted the peanut flavor in a salad dressing, I was hooked.  Although some recipes call for blending peanuts, I find that using peanut butter is easier to ensure the smoothness.  I believe a good spicy peanut sauce recipe is one where the proportions are just right. There needs to be the right combination and balance of salt, sweet, acid and spicy which makes this recipe very tasty and interesting.  This particular dressing can be used as a dipping sauce for dumplings, pot-stickers, hot-pot, shabu shabu and any meat sate. Enjoy and let me know what you think in the comment section!

Tips:

Peanut butter comes in various combinations. When choosing a peanut butter, pay attention to the ingredient label.  There are the less expensive peanut butters with added fillers.  I prefer to get a "clean label"  peanut butter that has no salt and no sugar added.  You can always add those according to your taste afterwards.