By Dana Jacobi - Peanuts have been a cocktail or bar snack for decades, and are often referred to as almost a joke, as in "that's worth peanuts."

Washington, D.C. - American Institute for Cancer Research - infoZine -Turned into a smooth sandwich spread, peanuts have long been a school-lunch panacea for fussy kids. But for ages, health- and diet-conscious adults have avoided peanuts because of their high-fat content.

Fortunately, we have since learned that peanuts contain many health benefits. They contain healthful monounsaturated fat, which does not raise cholesterol levels, as well as a health-protective phytochemical called resveratrol, which helps protect us against serious chronic health problems like cancer and heart disease. Finally, peanuts are beginning to get respect.

Eating peanuts as a snack is easy, but stopping at the recommended handful (an ounce to one and one-half ounces) is challenging for most of us. One way of avoiding mindless snacking on peanuts is to use them as a garnish - a sprinkling of chopped peanuts on salads, for example - or using them as one more ingredient to add to stir-fries.

Cooking with peanuts is another easy way to enjoy them without overdoing the quantity. In Asian cooking, a peanut-based sauce is frequently used for noodles or entrées.

You can expand your culinary peanut repertoire with the following African dish. Peanut butter enhances the flavor of its spicy tomato sauce and adds creamy texture. African dishes have lots of heat, but feel free to modify or even omit the chile pepper.


Featured infoZine Recipe

African Chicken Stew