SUNSHINE SAUCE

MAKES 2/3 cup (720 ml) It didn’t seem like a big deal to me to give up peanuts until I remembered the decadent deliciousness that is peanut sauce. Veggies dipped in peanut sauce. Grilled chicken satay dipped in peanut sauce. Shredded beef is wrapped in a butter lettuce leaf with diced red onion and drizzled with peanut sauce. You get the idea. Then Sunbutter entered my life with its creamy, nutty-flavored goodness, and I got creative. INGREDIENTS • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lime juice • 1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon (5 ml)) • 1/2 teaspoon (10 ml) crushed red pepper flakes • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) coconut aminos • 1/4 teaspoon (20 ml) powdered ginger • 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar • 1/4 cup (960 ml) sunflower seed butter (no sugar added) • dash ground cayenne pepper (optional) • 1/4 cup (960 ml) coconut milk This sauce never met a raw veggie it didn’t like. DIRECTIONS 1. Place all the ingredients except the coconut milk in the bowl of a food processor and whirl until well blended. 2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber scraper, then add the coconut milk. Process it until it’s blended and smooth. Store it covered in the fridge. You know how you could do that? Try almond butter in place of the sunflower seed butter.

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Sunshine sauce is the peanut-sauce stand-in that paleo kitchens have been waiting for — creamy sunflower seed butter blended with lime, ginger, garlic, and coconut aminos. Coconut milk smooths it into a pourable, nutty sauce that never met a raw vegetable it didn't like. Two minutes in the food processor and you have satay-level flavor without the peanuts.

Pro Tips

• Blend everything except the coconut milk first, then scrape down the bowl before adding the milk. That order gives you a smooth, even sauce with no nut-butter lumps.
• Use sunflower seed butter with no sugar added. Sweetened versions push the sauce from savory to cloying and throw off the lime-ginger balance.
• The cayenne is optional but recommended — even a dash gives the sauce the gentle warmth that makes it habit-forming.
• Almond butter works as a straight swap for the sunflower butter if that is what you have on hand.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I serve with sunshine sauce?

Raw vegetables, grilled chicken satay, or shredded beef wrapped in butter lettuce with diced red onion — the recipe's favorite trio.

How long does this sauce keep in the fridge?

About a week covered in the fridge. Stir it before using, as the oils can separate slightly as it sits.

Is this sauce nut-free?

Yes as written — sunflower seed butter replaces peanuts entirely. Swap to almond butter and it becomes a nut-based sauce again.

How much sauce does this recipe make?

About 2/3 cup — plenty for dipping, drizzling, and dressing a full meal.

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