The Peanut Butter Boy

Fresh Mozz, Tomato and Basil Omelet

Nick — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 11:02:39 +0000

The summer growing season is quickly approaching. It’s time to start planning ideas for the first few tomatoes and fresh basil from your garden – and a pizza omelet is the best way to do it! Just get some eggs and fresh mozzarella and you’re ready to go. The flavors are very subtle but delicious, especially with a pinch of salt. It’s just like eating a tomato and basil pizza with an egg on top, only without the carbs. But if you’re feeling carb deprived, serve this with a side of toast and peanut butter on top. Because remember, peanut butter makes everything taste better.

Ingredients:Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

2 eggs or 4 egg whites
8-10 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 (1/4″ thick) slices fresh mozzarella cheese (THIS, not this)
pinch of kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat a small skillet over high heat. Mix together the eggs and tomatoes in a small bowl. Once the pan is hot, reduce the heat to medium and pour in the egg mixture. As the omelet cooks, lift the edges up and tilt the pan so the uncooked portion flows underneath the omelet. Once the eggs are mostly set, toss on the fresh basil and flip over.

2. Layer the cheese on half of the omelet and fold the omelet in half. Cook until the bottom gets browned and flip over to cook the other side. Serve with a pinch of kosher salt and pepper on top.

Spinach, Squash and Pine Nut Lasagna

Nick — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 10:51:03 +0000

Let’s try something different – this recipe doesn’t even have peanut butter in it! Although it sounds like peanut butter would go really well in this recipe, considering there are pine nuts in it. Or at least there should be, but I forgot them. We got the idea for this recipe while strolling through the gourmet market in Grand Central Station in Manhattan. If you haven’t gone, you must. There is an excellent assortment of gourmet food shops – one of which was selling butternut squash, spinach and pine nut lasagna. Rather then shell out $6 a piece, we decided to make it. And now we both like this version of lasagna better than the traditional meat and red sauce kind. Plus, my wife did 95% of the work (a rare occurrence), which makes the whole thing even tastier! It also proves you can’t even screw up this recipe =]

Ingredients:Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

2 lbs cooked, pureed butternut squash and/or pumpkin (any ratio)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
9 gluten-free lasagna noodles or thin-sliced zucchini
2 boxes of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed dry)
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese (any kind)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 1/2 grated fresh Mutz (a.k.a Mozzarella)*
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted (optional, since I forgot them)

Sauce
3 Tbsp butter or substitute
3 Tbsp corn starch
2 1/2 cups skim milk
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
2 shakes of nutmeg

* Note – It’s much easier to grate fresh Mozzarella if you put it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes beforehand (or overnight).

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the squash/pumpkin, garlic and cayenne in a bowl. Combine the spinach, cottage cheese and half of the Parmesan cheese in another bowl. Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions, but subtract 2-3 minutes from the cooking time.

2. For the sauce, mix the corn starch in a bowl with a small amount of milk. Once mixed, stir in the rest of the milk. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan until it begins to melt, then add the corn starch and milk. Whisk continually until the milk begins to boil. Add the salt, pepper, cayenne and nutmeg. Lower heat and cook until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes.

3. Using a 9×13 baking dish, pour 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom, followed by 3 lasagna noodles, 1/2 of the squash mixture, 1/2 of the spinach mixture and 1/2 of the pine nuts (if using). Repeat, then top with a final layer of lasagna noodles, sauce, Mozzarella and remaining Parmesan cheese.

4. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the sides are bubbling and the cheese on top is lightly browned.

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Mousse

Nick — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 10:35:23 +0000

By popular demand, I’ve decided to post my favorite mousse recipe. I’ve actually promised this recipe to several people for a while now, but never got around to making it myself. You’ll never guess what the main ingredient is. Go ahead, guess – I’ll wait…

Did you guess ricotta cheese? Or yogurt? Wrong. You’ll have to read on for the answer. What I will tell you is that the next iteration of this will be a chocolate peanut butter mousse.

Ingredients:Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

2 cups no-salt added cottage cheese (or ricotta cheese)
1 1/3 cups cooked pumpkin puree (canned is fine)
1/4 cup honey
3-4T peanut butter
1t vanilla
2t cinnamon

Instructions:

Throw it all in a blender and process until super creamy. Add extra honey to sweeten to taste. Chill and serve in small dishes. Top with whipped cream (I forgot to).

Additional Info:

I love this dish, it’s so easy and it tastes great. Depending on the brand of ricotta, the taste and texture can vary, so try several different ones until you find your favorite. It also tastes great without the peanut butter but I don’t recommend it =). Although every time I make it, I make it in two batches: one plain, one experimental. This peanut butter one was the latest experiment that went over well. By the way, this would make a wonderful pie filling. In fact, if you used a healthy pie crust like from my Triple Chocolate & Peanut Butter Pie, you’d have a mighty healthy and tasty pie on your hands.

Sweet Potato and Yam Casserole

Nick — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 10:26:57 +0000

If you want to be praised and heralded for bringing the best dish at Thanksgiving, then make this casserole. The dish is inspired by Elisabeth’s Tia Herlinda who made a stellar sweet potato casserole one year. My favorite way to eat this dish is actually the next day, cold, straight from fridge. Speaking of sweet potatoes – do you know the difference between sweet potatoes and yams? I thought the orange colored ones were yams and the white ones were sweet potatoes. Well I was wrong, and Google and Wikipedia actually added to the confusion. For those curious, the definitive answer can be found here: The Sweet Potato vs Yam Debate.

Ingredients:Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

3 medium yams, sweet potatoes or Korean yams (our favorite – purple skin, white inside)
1/2 (12oz) bag fresh cranberries, rinsed
1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
1/2 cup maple syrup (sugar free works well)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Dice the sweet potatoes and yams into bite-sized chunks. Spray a large glass baking dish with cooking spray and add the sweet potatoes. If it’s more than 2 layers thick, use a second baking dish.

2. Place the peanut butter and syrup in a small bowl and mix well. If the mixture is still thick, microwave for 20 seconds. Using a knife, drizzle the peanut butter mixture on top of the sweet potatoes. Then sprinkle the cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the cranberries and top with an extra drizzle of maple syrup.

3. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45-60 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender.

Additional Info:

Want to complement this dish with the perfect dessert? Then make this year, Pecan Pie & Peanut Butter Pudding:

Smoked Peanut Butter Burger

Nick — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 10:08:50 +0000

I recently saw an old Food Network episode in which Guy Fieri visits a diner and tries the special peanut butter burger. The cook said it wasn’t for everyone (I beg to differ) and apparently it wasn’t for Guy. But clearly this needs to be tested by the Peanut Butter Boy. I also stumbled upon some smoked salt I wanted to try. Smoked salt is apparently hard to find and very expensive, but the stuff is incredibly fragrant and flavor-packed. Too impatient to try them separately, I combined them into one ridiculous burger. How was it? Well, as I like to say, the proof is in the peanut butter:

Ingredients:Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

1/4 lb lean ground beef or turkey breast
2 slices soft whole grain bread (or lettuce/cabbage leaves)
1 slice american or cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp peanut butter
handful shredded cabbage
smoked salt or regular salt, pepper (to taste)
ketchup

Instructions:

1. Spray a small pan with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot toss the burger in and sprinkle smoked or regular salt and pepper on top. Spray more cooking spray on top. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.

2. Flip the burger and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, depending on how you like it done. Shake some more salt and pepper on top. This is a good time to toast the bread, if desired. Place the cheese on top of the burger and let it melt.

3. When the toast and is done, spread the peanut butter onto one slice of bread and place the finished burger on top. Top with shredded cabbage. Spread ketchup on the other slice of bread and place on top. Cut in half for maximum manipulability.

4. Demonstrate to any nearby onlookers that you have put peanut butter on your hamburger and fully intend to eat it. Upon receiving a look of disgust, proceed to take a large bite and you’ll probably surprise yourself when you groan in delight.

Overall Impressions:

Bread – Nice and toasty.
Peanut Butter – Added a delightful creamy texture and salty flavor.
Burger – Lean and meaty.
Smoked salt – Very fragrant while cooking, but I hardly tasted it. Next time I’ll use more (I only used a pinch).
Cheese – The flavor was mostly overpowered by everything else, but the texture of melted cheese is always a welcome addition.
Cabbage – A great replacement for lettuce! Adds a great crunch and a hint of sweetness.
Ketchup – Didn’t overpower or clash with the peanut butter like I thought it would. Complemented the burger as a whole and added some moisture.

Overall – I will definitely make this again! Next time, I’ll use more peanut butter and try ground turkey (poultry tends to go better with peanut butter). The quantity of smoked salt needs to be increased to be noticed, but I would probably stick to garlic salt next time.

Peanut Butter Reviews – Part 13

Nick — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 10:07:51 +0000

I can’t believe this is the 13th peanut butter review. Considering each review consists of at least 3 varieties, that’s a lot of peanut butter! But I guess it’s only fitting for the Peanut Butter Boy. This time around, I have a special treat for you – this review consists of a unique peanut butter brand that is difficult to find (for now!).

Reviews:

My Better Butter Maple Pumpkin

= 80%

My Better Butter is a peanut-based spread that uses healthy additions (such as fresh pumpkin or bananas) to inject flavor while decreasing the calories by about 50%. Because of this, all of these flavors need to be refrigerated. This one in particular reminds me of Thanksgiving, which despite being a few months past, doesn’t make it any less enticing. The texture is close to pumpkin puree but a bit thicker, perhaps closer to frosting – and it doesn’t taste all that different from frosting either! The ingredients are peanuts, pumpkin, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, all spice, nutmeg, and sea salt. It’s sweet without being overly so, and despite being cold when eaten out of the fridge, it still makes you feel warm and cozy inside. As such, this flavor is great on toast or a bagel. And I imagine this would make one killer pumpkin pie!

My Better Butter Honey Nut Banana

= 75%

The name sounds delicious. The aroma is enticing. The flavor doesn’t disappoint. While I was sampling this flavor, I thought it would make the perfect Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread, but the flavor is already so much like banana bread that I feared the flavor would be wasted in the bread. A smooth consistency makes it go down easily and the texture is similar to the green wasabi paste you get in Japanese restaurants. Great to eat by itself but it’s the perfect flavor to use for Peanut Butter Cereal.

My Better Butter Nutty Chocolate Chip

= 85%

The texture of this one is similar to Nutella but a bit thicker. It’s not very spreadable (at least when it’s cold), but the flavor more than makes up for it. It’s a rich, thick chocolate peanut butter that kicks it up a notch by adding chocolate chips. The other two flavors were exactly as their names suggest, but I feel this one deserves more credit. Without those chocolate chips it would be just another chocolate peanut butter, but with them it’s a different story. I think this flavor should be called “Double Chocolate Chip” because it kinda tastes like you’re eating double chocolate chip cookie dough. Great for a Peanut Butter Hot Dog if you can get it to spread.

Sweet Potato Crepes

Nick — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:44:51 +0000

The most important question on a Sunday morning is: pancakes or crepes? Neither answer is wrong yet both choices have their merits. For today, I’m going to recommend crepes. Should you disagree, then please refer to the World’s Best Pancake recipe instead. These crepes require very few ingredients and are very easy to make. If you don’t have the listed flours, then all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour will work fine. Don’t forget the peanut butter! What do you prefer: Pancakes or Crepes?

Ingredients:Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

3/4 cup sweet potato flour (can substitute any other flour)
1/4 cup peanut flour / PB2 (or any other flour, if you must)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs or 1/2 cup egg substitute
1 cup of milk
Pinch of kosher salt

Directions:

1. Place all of the items in a blender or food processor until it becomes a creamy batter.

2. Preheat a nonstick skillet on medium heat. Spray with nonstick spray. Hold the skillet at an angle and use the other hand to add 3-4 tablespoons of crepe batter. Tilt and swirl the skillet in a circular motion until the batter is evenly spread over the pan. Cook the crepe until the outer edges begin to brown and loosen from the skillet (about 2-3 minutes.   Flip the crepe over and cook for about 30 more seconds.

3. Flip the crepe onto a plate. Fill with desired ingredients, then fold in half and roll up.

Classic – spread butter down the middle, roll up and top with syrup.

Peanut Butter Boy Special – spread peanut butter down the middle, top with sliced bananas, roll up and top with syrup.

Apple Pie – spread apple pie peanut butter down the middle, top with cinnamon-sugar caramelized apples, roll up and top with syrup.

4. Refrigerate leftover batter for up to 5 days, but make sure to whisk it very well before cooking since the sweet potato flour (more-so than other flours) will settle.

Sea Salt & Cocoa Nib Dark Chocolate Bar

Nick — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:41:30 +0000

A lot of people love chocolate, but I really love chocolate. Every day I consume a substantial amount of dark chocolate with each cup of tea and coffee. I prefer my chocolate in rectangular prism form (bar), not in fancy little cubes or spheres. Flavored bars are acceptable, but it has to be a simple flavor like ginger, cocoa nib, almond or sea salt. But dark chocolate bars are already pretty expensive and the fancy flavors are even more expensive. For Christmas I got a 16oz bag of cocoa nibs but didn’t know what to do with them – I love them in chocolate bars but they’re a little too bitter by themselves. So I did what any self-respecting chocolate fiend would do – make his own chocolate! Using Trader Joe’s bargain-priced but high-quality Pound Plus chooclate bar, this batch of fancy chocolate turned out to be incredibly cheap and better tasting than any brand I’ve had.

Ingredients:Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

1 lb dark chocolate (Trader Joe’s 72% Pound Plus bar)
1/2 – 3/4 cup cocoa nibs
~1 Tbsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Break up the dark chocolate into chunks and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate on MEDIUM heat (e.g. power level 5 out of 10) for 5 minutes. Stir the chocolate when there are 3 minutes remaining, then again when there are 2 minutes remaining, then every 30 seconds until the chocolate is just melted. Don’t overheat the chocolate or it will burn. If there are only a few solid chunks left, just keep stirring and the chocolate will melt on its own.

2. Add the cocoa nibs to the bowl and stir well. Pour the chocolate onto a rimmed baking sheet.

Note: The larger the baking sheet, the thinner the chocolate will be. I used a 12″x16″ baking sheet and didn’t fill the entire sheet, but the cocoa nibs prevented the chocolate from spreading too much anyways.

3. Let the chocolate cool at room temperature for 20 minutes then sprinkle the sea salt on top, as little or as much as you like. Now let the chocolate cool completely. I found that it’s best to let the chocolate set at a temperature between 50 and 60 degrees. If you’re house is too warm, it will take forever to cool (but it will set nicely). If you put it in the fridge it will set quickly but not as well (more dried out, tan-colored marks on the chocolate).

4. Break up into random sized chunks.

Before shot:

Turkey and Cranberry Cream Cheese Sandwich

Nick — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 09:36:39 +0000

Sadly, Thanksgiving is over. The #1 foodie holiday came and went in a flash. But thankfully, these ingredients are still plentiful at the store! I went through several iterations of this recipe, finally settling on the one you see here. Deli turkey breast just doesn’t cut it – it’s watery, slimy and lacks flavor and texture. If you don’t have any leftover turkey, go to Costco and get the “kettle fried turkey breast” in the refrigerated section. Despite the name it’s not actually fried, it’s simply a cooked turkey breast without the bones or skin. Disregard the directions on the label, just cut open the package, pat it dry and slice it. The other key ingredient to this sandwich is cranberry sauce. I tried using dried cranberries but they didn’t add much to the experience and often just fell-off the sandwich. Also, homemade cranberry chutney is the only way to go, but if you must, opt for the whole-berry cranberry sauce in a can. There’s one other ingredient here that brings the whole thing together, read on for details.

Ingredients:Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

4-6 slices roasted turkey breast
1 Tbsp cream cheese
1 Tbsp cranberry chutney or canned whole-berry cranberry sauce*
1 handful fresh spinach
1/4 cup sweet potato casserole
2 slices whole wheat bread
1 tsp honey mustard

Directions:

1. If using a can of cranberry sauce, dump it into a bowl and add 6 shakes of cinnamon, 2 shakes of nutmeg and 2 shakes of pumpkin pie spice. Mix well. Then mix the 1 Tbsp cranberry sauce and 1 Tbsp of cream cheese together.

2. Cover one slice of bread with honey mustard. Cover the other slice with cranberry cream cheese. Then add the turkey, spinach and sweet potatoes, if using. I prepare it at night for the following day’s lunch and it keeps fine.

Additional Info:

* Cranberry Sauce – I found the store brand to be cheaper and contain less sugar than Ocean Spray (and even less sugar than regular dried cranberries!). Choose whatever is available to you.

Triple Threat Scones

Nick — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 10:33:03 +0000

In my opinion portable breakfasts are the holy grail of baking. I’m always looking for an energy-packed on-the-go breakfast, with plenty of healthy fats, whole grains and protein to tide me over until lunch. Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bread was the first contender for the ultimate portable breakfast but these scones are a serious contender. I tested them out on the girlfriend and she approves. This recipe is at least the third remake: I found it on Bon Appegeek where it was adapted from Baking Bites. And yes, the dough looks and tastes like chocolate chip cookie dough and I was very tempted to eat it all raw.

Ingredients:Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

10T unsalted creamy peanut butter (1/2 cup + 2T)
2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or swap 1/2 cup with oats)
3-4T white sugar
3-4T brown sugar
2t baking powder
1/2t salt
1 ripe banana (lots of brown spots)
1/2 cup egg substitute (or 2 eggs)
1/4 cup skim milk
1/3 cup mini dark chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray and even it out with a paper towel. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup and add to a medium-sized bowl along with the sugars, baking powder, chocolate chips and salt. Lightly beat the eggs and milk in a small bowl. Place the banana in the 1 cup measuring cup and mash the banana with the back of a fork until no chunks remain. Add the banana to the eggs and milk and mix well.

2. Add the peanut butter to the flour mixture and work it in with your hands until very few clumps remain (if your peanut butter is not that runny then microwave in a bowl for 20 seconds). Add the egg, milk and banana mixture and mix together with a large spoon or by hand until it is evenly mixed. Scrape the dough onto a cutting board and split into two equal sized batches. The dough is sticky so use a spoon or butter knife to flatten the dough to form two discs about 7 inches in diameter and a little less than 1 inch in height.

3. Cut each disc into 6 sections and transfer to a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean. Top with strawberry jam or dunk in a cup of coffee! Makes 12 scones.