Maple Almond Butter Dressing

Recipe adapted from fooduzzi.com.  [Recipe makes (2) servings of dressing, or a little under a half cup].

If you're like us, it's easy sometimes to get used to the same "default dishes".  For example, if we make Buddha bowls, we typically make the peanut sauce from its post.  If we make a stir fry, we usually make a soy sauce-based sauce (or simply just liquid aminos and/or sweet chili sauce).  They're all great options, but constantly repeating the same dishes not only gets boring, but also rules out trying new flavors before even giving them a chance.

We stumbled several posts from a new food blog and noticed that almond butter was used quite a bit.  Since we usually have a jar on hand, we figured, why not give one of them a try?

After building an Asian-inspired Buddha bowl, we drizzled a healthy amount of maple almond butter dressing on top, and became hooked on the new flavor combination!  As the name implies, it's largely just almond butter and maple syrup, but we added a little bit of sweet chili sauce and toasted sesame oil to continue with the Asian theme.  At first you might wonder how maple syrup can be part of a savory dish, but trust, us, it totally works (and is needed in our opinion to balance everything out).

On a side note for this recipe, we enjoyed the dish with crispy marinated tofu bites, thanks to our newest addition to the kitchen appliance family: the air fryer!  We've been on the fence for months now about whether or not to get one, and after joining the club, are so pleased with it so far.  It's so nice to know that we no longer need an oven for small tasks (which is especially awesome in the summer), and can get legit-crunchy snacks without having to pan fry in oil.

How many of you have an air fryer?  Do you have any must-try recipes?

[Side note:  In addition to the crispy marinated tofu bites and maple almond butter dressing, our bowl consisted of barley (cooked in broth for more flavor), carrot peels, scallions, pickled ginger, julienned nori, and smoked sesame seeds].

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons natural almond butter (sugar and salt-free)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Water to thin (if needed)

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the almond butter, maple syrup, sweet chili sauce, and oils in a small bowl.  Whisk until fully homogeneous.  Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper, and whisk in water until you get the consistency you're going for.