May 31st, 2012
Spicy Peanut Butter Napa
Another unphotogenic dish...
I am not really a cabbage kind of girl. I do like the [very] occasional coleslaw as a necessary topping for pulled pork sandwiches and recently I have gotten into brussels sprouts or baby bok choy sautéed with various sauces, especially Spicy Peanut Butter Sauce.
But napa cabbage is one cabbage I really enjoy, and have for a couple years. I like to put napa in my udon noodles, yakisoba, stir fries, and miso soup. I have even used it to make Colcannon, which I preferred to Colcannon made with regular cabbage (as opposed to kale).
The Grump is an anti-cabbage kind of guy. Whenever I make brussels sprouts or baby bok choy he refuses to touch them. Even though he likes spicy peanut sauce, he wouldn’t go near this Spicy Peanut Butter Napa. As much as he teases me about the foods I don’t like, he’s very truculent about cabbage! But then, he does have the nickname for a reason…
Grumpy husband aside, I really liked this side dish. It has a nice combination of flavors, which makes it interesting, and it can be as spicy or mild as you want it to be. I had it along side Soba Noodles in Toasted Sesame Sauce, but I think it would be good with any Asian-inspired meal.
It was so good, in fact, I just might have some Spicy Peanut Butter Napa with lunch tomorrow! 
Spicy Peanut Butter Napa
- 1 tsp sesame or peanut oil
- 1 c chopped Napa cabbage
- 3 tbsp peanut butter
- ½ tsp chili-garlic sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Dash of ground ginger
- 1 tbsp chopped peanuts
- Heat oil in small skillet until it thins and glides around the pan easily.
- Sauté napa until it begins to wilt.
- Meanwhile, mix all other ingredients except peanuts together in a small bowl.
- When Napa is wilted, toss it with the sauce and heat through. Sprinkle with peanuts and serve.
Napa cabbage is disgusting. It’s not that I don’t like any type of cabbage, they just make me sick, physically, and I don’t know why.