Spicy Peanut Sauce

Makes about  1 1/2 cups of sauce

This is my all-time favorite peanut dipping sauce.  It's thick!  It's dark!  It's spicy!  Marsha Calegari serves it as an accompaniment to an assortment of  raw and partially cooked vegetables.  It's become a traditional dish at her annual Christmas tree trimming party, but it's great all year round.

Ingredients:

bunch of fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup smooth peanut butter *
1 TBS sesame oil
1/2 cup Kikkoman soy sauce + 1 TBS
2 1/2 TBS sugar
6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 TBS hot chili sauce **
1 TBS rice vinegar
 

*   Marsha prefers unsalted natural smooth peanut butter.

** Marsha uses May Lin brand Red Hunan Chili Sauce imported from China,  but any Chinese-style chili sauce is fine.

Preparation:

• First place the cilantro leaves in the bowl of a food processor and then add all the other ingredients on top of the cilantro in the order listed above.
   
•  Process until smooth.
   
• Serve with a platter of any raw or partially cooked vegetables of your choice (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, green onions, etc.)

The sauce can be made several hours in advance. 

Left over sauce can be diluted with hot water and served over hot or cold Chinese noodles.