Tag Archives: peanuts

Peanut Crunch Asian Edamame Quinoa Salad, Packed with Plant Protein

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Peanut Crunch Asian Edamame Quinoa Salad is a meal that is as vibrant and colorful as it is nutritious -the perfect balance of flavor, texture, and good, clean fuel for your body. At just 193 calories per serving, it’s a smart choice for healthy eating without sacrificing taste. Plus, it’s packed with plant protein and more that 20% of your daily fiber needs to keep you satisfied throughout the day.

PLANT PROTEIN TRIO

I love it when a plant-based salad, like this Peanut Edamame Quinoa, boasts an impressive protein content—11 grams per serving—thanks to the dynamic trio of quinoa, edamame, and peanuts. Quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids your body needs, making it a fantastic plant-based option. Edamame, or young soybeans, is another excellent protein source, rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients. And let’s not forget the peanuts! While they add a satisfying crunch, they also contribute a dose of protein and healthy fats, balancing flavor and nutrition. Together, these three ingredients make this salad a powerhouse for muscle repair, energy, and overall health.

FRESH VEGGIE INGREDIENTS

In addition to quinoa and edamame, this peanut crunch salad recipe is loaded with fresh, colorful vegetables that bring both crunch and a wealth of vitamins and minerals.

  • Carrots: A vibrant source of beta-carotene, which supports healthy vision and skin.
  • Cucumber: Hydrating and refreshing, cucumbers add a light crunch and are rich in vitamin K.
  • Celery: Crisp and fibrous, celery is a low-calorie addition packed with antioxidants.
  • Red Onion: Adds a zesty kick while providing vitamin C and beneficial compounds that support heart health.

These ingredients don’t just make the Asian Edamame Quinoa Salad look stunning and taste so crispy fresh, they also provide essential nutrients to keep you feeling your best. If you don’t like one of these ingredients, omit or swap – this recipe is forgiving. For example, you could do green onion instead of red onion, zucchini instead of carrot, or red bell peppers instead of or in addition to the carrots!

LOW-FAT PEANUT DRESSING

I’m all about moderation, that’s why the tangy peanut dressing uses peanut butter powder to capture the nutty flavor and creaminess without the extra fat and calories that using regular peanut butter would. This smart swap keeps the Asian peanut dressing with peanut butter powder recipe irresistibly tasty while lowering the total fat content to just 5 grams per serving  — and you still get to use chopped Spanish peanut in the salad toss.

MEAL PREPPING QUINOA SALAD

This salad isn’t just delicious—it’s practical too as are basically all high-protein quinoa salads. It stays fresh and crisp in an air-tight container (these are great, reusable meal prep containers) for up to 4-5 days in the fridge, making it a perfect option for meal prep. Whip up a batch at the start of the week and enjoy it as a grab-and-go lunch or an easy dinner side. Since it’s best served cold, it’s ideal for a brown-bag lunch, an on-the-go meal, or even a quick eat-at-your-desk solution. No reheating required—just open your container and dig in! If you’d like to make it heartier, add pre-cooked protein options like grilled shrimp, chopped chicken breast or salmon bites.

So flavorful and satisfying for lunch, dinner or meal prep! Peanut Crunch Asian Edamame Quinoa Salad is a colorful, vegetable-packed powerhouse of nutrition with only 193 calories, 11g plant protein, and over 20% of your daily fiber needs per serving.
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Peanut Crunch Asian Edamame Quinoa Salad
Prep Time
15 mins
Total Time
15 mins
 

Vibrant, colorful, and fun to eat! This Peanut Crunch Asian Edamame Quinoa Salad is a nutrient-packed powerhouse with only 193 calories, 11g protein, and over 20% of your daily fiber needs per serving. It's great for meal prep!

Course: entree salad, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian, meal prep, pot luck
Keyword: edamame, peanut butter powder, peanuts, quinoa
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 193 kcal
Ingredients
  • 2 cups COOKED Quinoa
  • 1 cup chopped cucumber
  • 1 cup shelled edamame soybeans
  • 1/3 cup chopped red onion
  • 1/3 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup julienned carrots
  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/3 cup chopped roasted Spanish peanuts
  • For Dressing:
  • 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp ginger paste or fresh grated
  • 2 tsp ginger paste or fresh minced
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 2 Tbsp coconut aminos or soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
  • ¼ cup peanut butter powder like Pbfit
Instructions
  1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions to yield 2 cups cooked.
  2. Let quinoa cool to at least room temperature.
  3. In large bowl, toss together all salad ingredients.
  4. In small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients (alternately, you can shake up salad ingredients in a mason jar).
  5. Drizzle dressing over salad; stir well to distribute evenly.
  6. Best serve cold, in my opinion. Leftovers stay fresh covered in fridge for 4-5 days.
Recipe Notes

Spicy Sweet Ancho Roasted Spanish Peanuts in Air Fryer (or Oven)

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Summer’s here I’m snacking on peanuts more than ever. Recipes like these Spicy Sweet Ancho Roasted Spanish Peanuts make a quick, easy and economical snack that will curb the hangries and keep the whole family filled up on road trips, hikes, long days at the park and more.

Get your hot peanuts here! Raw Spanish peanuts are roasted in air fryer or oven after being coated with butter, sugar (or alternative), salt and a mildly spicy chile powder. An easy, economical and low-carb snack.

This sweet savory peanut recipe uses raw Spanish peanuts – make sure you are using RAW nuts, not those already roasted and salted. Raw Spanish peanuts are typically a great deal compared to other nut options and can be ordered in large bags* or you can pick up from the bulk bins in the exact amount you want at your market. *If you have more raw peanuts than you will use right away, keep remaining raw Spanish peanuts in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer for up to 6 months, to ensure freshness.

Get your hot peanuts here! Raw Spanish peanuts are roasted in air fryer or oven after being coated with butter, sugar (or alternative), salt and a mildly spicy chile powder. An easy, economical and low-carb snack.

I used Ancho Chile Powder for a mildly spicy, sweet vibe – but feel free to sub another spice like a hotter chile powder or cinnamon even pumpkin pie spice! This is YOUR snack!

When prepping for the Ancho Roasted Peanuts recipe, all you may wonder if you need to remove the red skin from the Spanish peanuts. No, that’s no necessary!  In fact, peanut skins have an abundant amount of natural antioxidants and a high content of dietary fiber, so I always leave them on!

I made this spiced Spanish peanut recipe in a large, oven-style air fryer. If using a smaller, drawer-style air fryer you will need to do in two batches. Also, you can roast red skin peanuts, including this recipe, in a traditional oven. The details are in the recipe card below.

This roasted red skin peanut recipe makes about two cups, serving eight (about ¼ cup per each). Leftovers store great, just keep in an air-tight bag for a month or so – if they last that long! Also, check out my Heavenly Cinnamon Honey Roasted Peanuts based on a recipe from my Cooking for One for Dummies book.

Get your hot peanuts here! Raw Spanish peanuts are roasted in air fryer or oven after being coated with butter, sugar (or alternative), salt and a mildly spicy chile powder. An easy, economical and low-carb snack that sustains -- perfect for hikes, road trips, post workout and more!

Post contains Amazon affiliate links. Visit my Amazon store for more products I love to use in my recipes.

Get your hot peanuts here! Raw Spanish peanuts are roasted in air fryer or oven after being coated with butter, sugar (or alternative), salt and a mildly spicy chile powder. An easy, economical and low-carb snack that sustains -- perfect for hikes, road trips, post workout and more!
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Spicy Sweet Ancho Spanish Peanuts Roasted in Air Fryer
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
13 mins
Total Time
18 mins
 

Get your hot peanuts here! Raw Spanish peanuts are roasted in air fryer or oven after being coated with butter, sugar (or alternative), salt and a mildly spicy chile powder. An easy, economical and low-carb snack that sustains — perfect for hikes, road trips, post workout and more!

Course: Snack
Cuisine: Southwestern
Keyword: ancho, low carb, peanuts, snack
Servings: 8 1/4 cup servings
Ingredients
  • 2 cups raw Spanish peanuts red skin still on
  • 2 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1 tbsp sugar or equivalent low-carb granulated sweetener
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ancho chile powder or can use another type of chile powder or spice like cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, etc.
Instructions
  1. In medium bowl, stir sugar, salt, and chile powder until combined.
  2. Add peanuts (leave skins on), stir until coated. Pour out onto air fryer tray lline with parchment paper for easier clean up.
  3. Air fry at 300F degrees for 5 minutes, stir around with spatula. Then air fry at 350F degrees for an additional 8 minutes (so 13 min. combined).
  4. Or, roast in 350F degree oven on a rimmed baking sheet, for about 15 minutes (stirring up every 5 minutes).
  5. If desired, while still warm you can sprinkle with a little more sugar and salt. So yummy warm. If you have leftovers, let cook and store in a zip-top bag.

Heavenly Cinnamon Honey Roasted Peanuts for One

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Nuts, nuts, get your hot peanuts here! Heavenly Cinnamon Honey Roasted Peanuts is a quick and easy snack recipe from my Cooking for One for Dummies cookbook that will satiate and satisfy those salty-sweet cravings.

This honey-roasted peanut recipe is so much better than store-bought varieties, so fresh and warm and addictive – nothing like the smell of hot nuts in the air-fryer or oven. plus ready in under 10 minutes to snack on whenever the craving hits!  I like the fact that the recipe is a single serve portion, so I don’t mindless snack on more than I intended.

Cinnamon Honey-Roasted Peanuts for One are a quick and easy snack, so much better than store-bought.

Just a few simple ingredients, like melted butter and honey, are mixed up with raw Spanish peanuts. (Note: use raw peanuts for the best result). Spanish peanuts (aka: redskin peanuts) are a great source of protein and fiber, plus they also have resveratrol, a plant compound shown to regulate blood sugar.

After coating the peanuts in the honey butter mixture, just roast ‘em up in an oven or air fryer (I really love my oven-style air fryer) Then, while still warm, they are tossed with a mixture of sugar, cinnamon and salt. My original recipe calls for sugar, today I made them with a granulated sugar substitute (in a 1:1 measure equivalency) and they turned out great. The purpose of the sugar-cinnamon-salt coating is to add a bit more flavor, add texture and keep them from being too sticky.

The portion size is pretty generous on this honey-roasted peanuts for one (1/2 cup), so if you have leftovers, they will stay fresh for a few days in an air-tight container or baggie. On the flip side, if you want a bigger batch, this is an easy, no-fail recipe to multiply up – no need to change any cooking time, just make sure peanuts are spread out in a single layer.

5 from 5 votes
Treat yourself to a single-serve batch of honey-roasted peanuts dusted in cinnamon -- all for you, you don't have to share (although, it's a generous portion, if you'd like too). This all-American snack satisfies those salty-sweet cravings, offers protein and fiber and tastes so much better than store-bought -- made in only 10 minutes!
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Heavenly Cinnamon Honey Roasted Peanuts
Prep Time
2 mins
Cook Time
8 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 

Treat yourself to a single-serve batch of honey-roasted peanuts dusted in cinnamon — all for you, you don't have to share (although, it's a generous portion, if you'd like too). This all-American snack satisfies those salty-sweet cravings, offers protein and fiber and tastes so much better than store-bought — made in only 10 minutes!

Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fryer, honey, peanuts, walnuts
Servings: 1 serving
Calories: 395 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 tsp butter melted
  • 1 tsp honey
  • ½ cup raw Spanish peanuts also called redskin
  • 2 tsp sugar or granulated sugar substitute 1:1 measure equivalency
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat air-fryer or oven to 325F.
  2. Stir honey into melted butter. Pour peanuts; stir until evenly coated and then spread out on small rimmed baking sheet lined with foil, parchment or a silicone baking sheet (to make clean up easier).
  3. Air fry for 5-6 minutes or bake for 8-10 minutes, stirring up halfway through. Watch closely near the end, as sugared nuts will start burning fast once they reach the “tipping point.”
  4. Remove from heat. In small bowl, stir together sugar (or sugar substitute, cinnamon and salt); sprinkle over peanuts while still warm; toss to coat. Let cool a couple minutes before eating.
Recipe Notes

Thai Something New – Recipe & CrossFit Games Open

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Even though I’ve shared my recipe for Thai Chicken Noodles in the past, it may be new to you! Spicy and super-speedy to make, this globally-inspired recipe is one of my husband’s favorite meals! He always eats his heaping plateful with chopsticks for the “full immersion” experience. I’m not quite as dexterous so I just scarf it down with a fork – that way I’ll be the first back to the stovetop for seconds.  I’m competitive like that! What a fun surprise when a friend Facebooked me to say this healthy recipe was featured in the current issue of Taste of Home magazine.

Thai Chicken Spaghettti

Look who’s in the February issue of “Taste of Home” magazine!

Really, it’s quite a nutritious meal, made with ground white meat chicken breast and whole grain noodles. The veggies include sliced red bell peppers and julienned carrots (hmm, the original also includes red onion) – I like to buy the carrots already “matchstick” cut to save time.  Oh, and there’s Sriracha sauce, natch  —  I’ve been using this now oh-so trendy red chile sauce (aka, what my kids call Thai ketchup) for years.

Thai Chicken Noodles Recipe

Thai Peanut Chicken Noodles by Jennifer Fisher

  • ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
  • ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • ¼  cup reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 4 tsp. Sriracha Asian hot chili sauce
  • ¼ cup dried red pepper flakes
  • 12 ounces uncooked multigrain spaghetti noodles
  • 1 lb lean ground chicken breast
  • 1 ½ cups julienned carrots
  • 1 medium sweet red pepper, sliced thinly
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ½ cup chopped unsalted peanuts
  • 4 green onions, chopped

In a small bowl, whisk the first six ingredients until blended. Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain.

Meanwhile, in large skillet, cook chicken, carrots, pepper and garlic over medium heat 6 – 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, breaking up chicken into crumbles; drain.

Stir in peanut butter mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 3 -5 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve with spaghetti. Top with peanuts and green onions. Serves 6.

crossfit rowing

Now, here’s where the crazy “try something new” comes in – I signed up for the 2014 CrossFit Games Open . For the last three years, I’ve been doing a little CrossFit here and there (BVM CrossFit), to make me stronger as a runner, not exactly to be a more competitive in the sport of CrossFit.  CrossFit is “functional fitness,” after all, and my function in life is to run – run races, run errands, run myself ragged!

I have dramatically improved my strength, especially my core and upper body. My back no longer hurts when I run a marathon. I’ve challenged myself in ways I never thought I would, and probably no one would believe it to be true of little ole me unless they saw it with their own eyes (hello rope climbing, pull up marathons and sled pulling) But, as for the legs, they are sort of scrawny and built for distance more than deadlifts.  Workouts (err, make that WODS) with lots of Squats, Thrusters and other heavy lifting that demand hefty lower body strength have been a literal pain in the rear for me.  What I have in endurance and bodyweight skills, I lack in strength. That doesn’t keep me from trying, but it does keep me from moving for a few days sometimes!

crossfit how do you stack up

Now, don’t get excited — you’re NOT going to see me on TV in the CF Games, not even in the Master’s Division. The Open is just for anyone crazy motivated enough to take on the workouts; the top scorers move on to regional’s and then those winners advance to the much hoopla-d finals.  I am just hoping to push my limits and see how the dust settles out around after the 5 Open workouts that start later in February. To be able to finish the workouts as Rx’d would be a win for me! According to the infographic above, just being average will be quite an achievement, forget about those top three beasts . . . . . I’m in a lot of trouble here people! At least there is a week to recover between workouts! Keep you posted.

So, is anyone else out there crazy enough to have signed up for the CrossFit Games Open?  How’d it go?

Noodle Night! Thai Chicken Peanut Pasta Recipe

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Speedy, spicy, and super yummy; this peanuty chicken pasta dish fuses the flavors of Thai food with plain old spaghetti noodles. It’s already nutritious, but substitute with whole grain pasta to be even healthier!  I’ve been making this Thai Chicken Peanut Pasta dish forever; it’s one of my husband’s favorite quick, weeknight meals. Until recently, the creation has always been in my head; I’d just do a little of this and a little of that. But, I’ve had a recent query to feature it in a publication, so I decided to measure everything out and take a proper picture. I’ll keep you posted on that news.  But, until then, enjoy the sneak peek!

Thai Chicken Peanut Pasta Recipe

  • 1 tablespoon olive oli
  • 1 pound ground chicken breast
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 1/2 cups julienned carrots
  • 1 medium red onion chopped
  • 2 tablespoons Srirachai Sauce (the red “Rooster” sauce)
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon (more or less to taste) dried red pepper flakes
  • 12 ounces dried spaghetti noodles
  • 4 green onions chopped with tops
  • 1/2 cup chopped peanuts

In large skillet, cook ground chicken breast over medium-high heat for 10 – 15 minutes or until lightly browned; drain grease if any. Add garlic and carrots and red onion to skillet and continue cooking mixture several more minutes over medium heat, taking care not to over-cook.

At the same time that chicken and pepper stir fry is cooking, begin preparing noodles and sauce. Cook noodles to manufacturer’s directions; drain and set aside. In medium bowl, whisk together, Sriracha sauce, soy sauce, broth, lemon juice, peanut butter and red pepper flakes.

Over medium heat, pour sauce into skillet with chicken and pepper mixture and let simmer for 3-5 minutes until heated through. To serve, place a mound of warm noodles in an individual low pasta-style bowl and top with a portion of the chicken mixture. Top with chopped green onions and peanuts. Yield: serves 6

Notes: Sriracha sauce is a Thai condiment made of hot chilies; typically found on Asian aisle in supermarket.