3 Minute Asian Peanut Sauce & 3 FAST Meals ( Vegan, with Omnivore & Gluten Free Options)

3 Minute Peanut Sauce & 3 FAST Meals!

Asian Peanut Sauce is delicious - and SOOO easy to make - and SO much cheaper than the store bought bottles.

You can whip it up in three minutes flat with ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen. And, I made this recipe versatile - so that you're less likely to have to go out to the store to buy a special ingredient. You can mix & match what you have to make it work : )

Best of all, this sauce can be used to make a salad and three meals & that are nearly instant. Just use Pre-chopped veggies from the Produce Section or Supermarket Salad Bar, or even leftover salad veggies from the fridge, and a base starch like Pasta, Rice or Tortilla. (Many Grocery stores actually sell pre-cooked, frozen rice in the freezer section if that is your preference) These are the perfect meals for busy nights - whether you're a college student, a Parent with an evening meeting, or just someone who just doesn't like to cook.

Heat (whether Sriracha or other Hot Sauce) is completely optional - you can just use the Garlic & omit heat if that is your family's preference.

If you wish these recipes to be Gluten Free, it is easy to do. Check ingredients like Soy Sauce (Kikkoman now makes a "Blue Label" Gluten Free Variety), Vinegar, Tortillas & Pasta and make sure they're Gluten Free, and you're good to go!

If you prefer a LOWFAT version of this recipe, click here!  Asian Peanut Sauce, 3 Minute, LOWFAT, with 3 Quick Meals

If you keep cooked leftover Pasta or Rice in your freezer, this meal is already almost done!

3 Minute Peanut Sauce & 3 FAST Meals!

3 Minute Asian Peanut Sauce for One (scroll down for bigger batch)
2 Tablespoons Peanut Butter *
2 teaspoons Lime Juice (or Lemon Juice, OR Rice Vinegar**)
2 teaspoons Soy Sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons Sugar (to YOUR taste - add 1 tsp & taste before adding more)
Sriracha to taste (I use about 1/4 teaspoon) (OR 1/4 tsp Garlic, and an optional dash of your favorite hot sauce)
Water to desired consistency - about 1 - 2 Tablespoons
Gradually add liquids to Peanut Butter, stirring constantly till smooth.
 - If you like, you can add a pinch of Basil or Mint for a more complex flavor
This can be made with a fork and a small bowl,
or you can make a larger batch in a food processor if you really hate to stir : )




OR A Big Batch
1/2 Cup Peanut Butter *
2 1/2 Scant Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 1/2 Scant Tablespoon Lime Juice or Lemon Juice or 2 Tablespoons Vinegar **
4 teaspoons Sugar (more to taste)
Sriracha Sauce, or 1 teaspoon Garlic with a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.

3 Minute Asian Peanut Sauce

OR Customize Your Own Batch of Asian Peanut Sauce
Use
3 Parts Peanut Butter*
1 Part Lime Juice (or Lemon Juice, or 3/4 Part Vinegar**)
1 Part Soy Sauce
1/2 Part Sugar
Sriracha to taste (or Garlic & Optional Hot Sauce)
Water as needed



* I use Krema Smooth Natural Peanut Butter, but any kind will work. If you use a commercial brand like Jif or Skippy that is pre-sweetened & has added fat, you may find that you prefer to decrease the sugar ever so slightly, and increase the Soy Sauce & Citrus Juice just a tad to compensate, but if you make it just as the recipe is written, it will still be very nice - I tested it : )

**If you prefer to use a stronger vinegar - such as White or Apple Cider Vinegar, you may want to just use a little less, 1/2 to 3/4 the amount the recipe calls for

Asian Peanut Noodles
Toss above sauce with prepared Spaghetti or other noodles (cold, hot, or leftover - your choice) & Fresh veggies from the list below. Devour

FAST Asian Peanut Noodles!

Asian Peanut Rice Bowl
Fill a bowl half way with rice (leftover or fresh -your choice) and top with  Veggies of your choice from the list below. Make sure there's a little something crunchy like shredded cabbage or carrots. Top with Peanut Sauce. Devour.

FAST Asian Peanut Rice Bowl!

Asian Peanut Wrap
Fill a Tortilla with some Rice & Crunchy veggies. If you like, you can add cubed, sauteed or marinated tofu. Top with Peanut Sauce. Wrap up & Devour.

FAST Asian Peanut Wrap!

Asian Peanut Slaw
If you want a Super-Quick Slaw, just toss this sauce with a couple of handfuls of Bagged Coleslaw Mix from the Grocery.


American Supermarket Veggies that go well with Peanut Sauce:
You can chop these yourself, or get them from the supermarket salad bar or Produce Section.
Bell Peppers, Tomatoes, Celery, Cucumbers, Snow Peas, Shredded Cabbage, Broccoli, Bagged Coleslaw Mix, Fresh "Stir Fry Vegetables." You can also choose to add cooked veggies such as corn, peas, or crisp-tender Broccoli or Bok Choy.

Tip for Dining with Omnivores:
If you have an Omnivore at your table, Cubed Chicken would make a welcome addition to any of these meals.

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Home School for Cheap or Free - Conversational Greek

There are two basic ways to study Greek, the first involves memorizing charts with conjugations & declensions, and writing scholarly papers about the use of the aorist tense.

The second method is much more user friendly. It involves learning to say things like, "I'd like some chocolate, please." and "Where are my keys?" People who use this method DO learn to do conjugations and declensions - but naturally - as a native speaker would.

I tried the first method first. I found myself trying to recite several charts in my head to compose a single sentence - while the conversation passed me by. Some say that when learning a "dead language" you really only need to learn the first method - that actually being able to form a sentence is unimportant. It seems to me, that a person who can only recite conjugations & declensions, and translate with the help of a dictionary, but cannot construct sentences and read fluently is simply deluding themselves about their level of mastery. I believe that whether you're learning Modern or Koine (Biblical) Greek, you simply MUST have a goal of being able to read, understand, and express yourself fluently - not simply recite charts and discuss what tense the verb is.

Needless to say, I like the second method better ; )  So, I'll be sharing the second type of resources here.


My young daughter and I study Greek together. Every day we do our lesson together, and we're making progress. AND we still have a long way to go! To homeschool Greek, you do NOT have to be a native speaker, or even fluent yourself. There are great, FREE, online resources that will help you and your child or children learn together.

The first resource that I really love is from Mango Languages (Ironic since I'm allergic to the fruit known as mangoes!) . Mango Languages are free through many American Public Libraries, but not all. You can check the Mango Languages website to be sure. This course is my daughter's favorite, and the one with which we are meeting with the most success. The lessons are short (perhaps 20 minutes each) and are presented in a way that makes the material seem pretty easy (usually we do each lesson only twice). They include speaking by a native speaker, and the text of the words being spoken on the screen. It is in a sort of a modified flash card style in which you can choose how quickly the lesson moves, and we like that we can "add more time" if needed for a particular answer - then we can check to make sure we said it right. Mango puts the printed text on the screen (with pronunciation help), so that your reading, spoken comprehension, and speaking progress together. The audio track is done by a native speaker so that you can learn proper pronunciation & accents. 

I love that this company offers both Modern and Koine - and they use the Modern pronunciation for the Koine and really teach you to UNDERSTAND the text (I just tried the first few Koine lessons, after having studied it at University many years ago- and I'm SOLD! My little daughter is picking it up MUCH more quickly with this method than I would have expected. It's pretty amazing to hear my little girl reading and speaking whole Bible verses in Koine Greek, after just a few lessons!) You can check this site to see if your library has it for free - if not, the subscription price is still pretty reasonable.

(Note, I do not use Mango's Homeschool edition - just their regular one that is FREE through my public library.)

Mango's Tech support is also amazingly wonderful! : )

Mango Greek - both Modern and Koine (Biblical)! 


The big drawback here is that there are not as many lessons as Learn Greek by Radio, and the lessons are much shorter - which means the lessons will run out before we get to a level of fluency. But, then, of course, we can continue with Learn Greek by Radio.

The second resource is Learn Greek by Radio (which is actually by computer, nowadays). It is a GREAT, online, FREE course with over 100 lessons. The lessons are about 15 minutes each, but they will probably take longer than that as you stop the audio to practice. There is an audio track with an accompanying print resource. It's a great way to practice both reading and speaking since you can hear the native speakers while you read the dialogue. It is a course that was created for the radio in the 1960's - so a few terms and the accent might be a tiny bit old fashioned. You'll also find the occasional politically incorrect bit- like counting how many cigarettes are in a box. Learn Greek by Radio requires a little more initiative by the student than Mango Greek. You will need to to practice outside the lesson time, and study a bit and decide when mastery is reached, rather than just knowing (as with Mango) "I can get all the cards right, I'm ready to move on!"



Learn Greek by Radio


Here is a very nice, FREE online dictionary. Of course, remember that with a Greek dictionary, you'll have to be able to figure out the "Lexical form" of the word to look it up - which can be a little tricky when you're a beginner.

Greek-English, English-Greek Dictionary

If you encounter a word you don't know, you can also look it up on Google Translate - for this you don't even need to know the "lexical form." But be warned, Google Translate cannot usually tell you declensions and such, but it can usually give you a basic definition - or at least a close enough word that you can figure it out from there. 

I also sometimes use the Greekpod Vocabulary videos on Youtube. Like this one:

Greek Vocabulary - in the Home

Greek Vocabulary - Colors

For young children, we have really enjoyed "Greek 4 Kids" videos. They're not free, but they have a nice kid-friendly multimedia presentation. The first teaches things like counting & colors, the second teaches a few Greek Vocabulary words for each letter of the Greek alphabet, the third (our favorite) follows a little boy, Alex, through his day and teaches simple sentences, and the fourth simply conjugates 18 verbs. (If you're only going to buy one of them, buy #3 : )

Greek 4 Kids Videos


If you prefer formal lessons, it is also worth noting that many (if not most) Greek Orthodox Parishes offer Greek School for both Children and Adults. It is worth a call to your local Greek Orthodox Church if you'd like to inquire about formal lessons. Generally there IS a fee for these classes, but not always. Either way, it's worth asking. Most worship services are also partly in Greek and partly in English, often including reading from the Gospels in the original language.

Find your local Greek Orthodox Church

Many, if not most, American Greek Schools buy their resources from the following site - so if you're looking for proven books and resources, you may want to check out their site (these are not free, and I have not personally used them)

Greek 123

I would be remiss if I did not mention that I, personally, have found Pimsleur Greek Lessons VERY helpful. They are expensive, but I have been very happy with them. It would be worth checking to see if they're available at your local library. Pimsleur Language lessons are ideal if you want to learn conversation without worrying about reading first. They're also perfect if your best time for study is while driving in the car. I did the entire first course during my commute to work back when I was single. At the current time, Pimsleur offers Greek One and Two, but has no plans for offering Greek Three.

Pimsleur Greek

Finally, a note about what type of Greek to learn:

When I first began studying Greek, I focused on Koine (aka New Testament Greek) because I wanted to be able to read the New Testament in its original language. Later, I became Greek Orthodox, and married a Greek Husband. At that point, I began studying Modern Greek so that I could speak to my dear, sweet Mother-in-Law (not to mention being able to order a coffee or find the restroom when we travel to visit her!). You know what I found? No matter which type of Greek you study, it will help your understanding of the other one. If you know Modern Greek well, Koine Greek will begin to come alive (As with Modern English & Shakespearean English, Koine Greek and Modern Greek are different - but, there's a LOT of overlap!). Having sufficient proficiency in Modern Greek to actually hold a conversation will have tremendous application when studying Koine Greek - and that level of proficiency is next to impossible to attain while studying Koine alone. And, as you add bits and pieces of Koine Greek understanding (as a dead language, it is very hard to actually master "speaking" Koine) it will add to your understanding of Modern. (Other forms, like Attic, I would only recommend for those who are seeking to major in Classical Languages - but they, too, have a lot of overlap with Modern & Koine) Because of that, I would encourage anyone who wants to understand the language of the Bible not to shy away from Modern Greek - in fact to pursue it - it will be a real asset! 

 If this interests you, check out other posts in this series:

Homeschool for Cheap or Free: Reading Greek 

and

Homeschool for Cheap or Free: Why Greek is Better than Latin!

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Home School for Cheap or Free - Reading Greek

There are some EXCELLENT options out there for learning Greek (both printed and spoken) which are FREE - and others that are Cheap. My daughter and I study Greek together with many of these materials (I will also suggest some that I do not personally use), and we can attest that they DO work, and they do not require an expert in Greek for tutoring every day.


Although experts differ on whether it is better to learn to read or to speak first, I will put reading first because that is what we did. But, you don't need to master reading in order to learn conversational Greek - in fact, as many Greek Toddlers can readily demonstrate, you don't need to be able to read at all to hold a conversation in Greek! So, don't get bogged  down in reading - do a little each day along with Conversation and Vocabulary, and the skills will grow together. As you work on Conversational Greek (with audio AND a text) you'll get confirmation that you're sounding out the words correctly.

The good news - it is very easy to learn the basic reading of Greek!  The alphabet does look a little daunting at first - probably because we're accustomed to seeing Greek letters in academic places, like Math class and University clubs. But unlike English (and more like Spanish), Greek pronunciation is quite consistent. If you learn the basic sound of each letter, and then a handful of diphthongs and digraphs (letter combinations) and you can easily figure out how to read any Greek word you encounter. You will have to practice to become a smooth reader, as in any language, but starting basic reading doesn't have to scare you!

First, you can go to the following site, and find a few FREE charts that have the sounds for each letter and combination of letters. (note, I have not used the paid lessons on this site - I only found the free ones to recommend)

How to Sound Out Greek 

Here's a nice Greek Alphabet song, using modern pronunciation (see note at bottom of post)

You might also like to check out the Greekpod videos on YouTube that are titled "Learn to Read and Write Greek" Like this one:

Then, you need to find some easy text to practice reading. Of course, you COULD start with a page from on Online Greek Bible - but that is going to be waaayyyy too scary for most students.

Instead, I recommend using one of the same basic reading texts used in Greek Elementary Schools for children who are just learning to read. The link is below. Use the navigation buttons at the top to get from page to page. If you find something that is too hard, flip past it (each lesson is structured by letter from easy to hard - all you need to do is learn to read that letter, then skip to the next letter : )


Greek First Grade Reading Book

(This site has ALL the Greek Textbooks for Greek Public schools - but you have to know how to navigate it in Greek. I found it thanks to this blog )

I did not use the exact book linked with my daughter, but used a very similar hard copy of the classic Greek Primer that was a gift to us, and another I bought while traveling. I later found the above linked one for FREE! : )

If, while you're reading, you encounter a word you don't know, you can simply look it up on Google Translate - it's SO easy! : ) Be warned, Google Translate cannot usually tell you declensions and such, but it can usually give you a basic definition - or at least a close enough word that you can figure it out from there. Google translate (at the time of this writing) does not give Biblical Greek Translations - only modern.

If you're working with the Bible, of course, an Interlinear can give you full declensions and more precise definitions.  But, this is a resource you'll probably want to use after you have learned the basics.

As your child's reading progresses, if you are an Orthodox Christian, you might also enjoy these resources which provide a simple lesson in Greek and a very similar (but NOT identical) lesson in English on a variety of religious topics. These are good reading practice, and also a good Christian education:

Pantanassa Monastery Lessons

As you advance, there is a great resource online - a Greek New Testament WITH a reading of the Text by a native speaker (it sounds like what you would hear in any Greek Orthodox Church during Liturgy - but it is read, not intoned). To hear reading, simply click on the "speaker" in the upper right area of the page.Wonderful, accurate, Modern Greek Pronunciation of the Biblical Text.

Greek New Testament Text WITH Audio

Other great Greek Resources:

This site has great lectures on Greek Grammar, along with a Daily email offer examining a short Biblical Passage. The Professor uses Erasmian Pronunciation  - which brings a few chuckles  in a Modern Greek speaking household (fun comic relief in a difficult subject ; )  - but he does a BRILLIANT job explaining the grammar.

Daily Dose of Greek

Nice little Quizzes you can generate on Parsing of Verbs in Biblical Greek

Master Greek

And, this wonderful Greek New Testament Reader. Click on any word, and it offers a definition, as well as Parsing or Declining the word in question

New Testament Greek Reader



 

That's it! With these few resources, you're ready to start!


BUT - a side note: 

Before you teach reading, you will have to decide WHICH pronunciation method to teach.

 There are two choices, "Modern Greek," or "Erasmian Greek."

I strongly favor Modern, and here's why:

Modern Greek pronunciation is used by Native Speakers of Greek. It is the pronunciation style used when the New Testament is read in the Original in Greek Orthodox Churches. We can assume it has changed some from the pronunciation of the time of Christ (as any language might), but it is the most authentic and consistent pronunciation method available.

Erasmian Greek was a pronunciation invented in the 1500's by a Dutch Catholic Priest who had never been to Greece (as far as is recorded of him), and did not speak Greek, but studied it academically. He attempted to re-create how Greek might have been spoken one and a half millennia previously by looking at scholarly documents and looking at such clues as animal sounds or translation into other (also ancient) languages to discern how those languages might have been spoken, and what sound each letter might have made. Needless to say, it was not a precise science, and there were no recordings available to help him. Erasmus himself admitted that his pronunciation system was imperfect. To make matters worse, there is now more than one variety of Erasmian pronuciation! BUT Erasmian pronunciation is the method used in many American and British Universities to study Attic & Koine (Biblical) Greek, so it does has some value in academic circles. It cannot be used in real life conversation anywhere in the world - it is strictly an academic interpretation of the archaic form of the language. If you get confused when you first start studying Greek because there is no letter pronounced "Pie," "Beta," "Delta," "Moo" or "Chai" (as you may have learned to pronounce them Math class or from Fraternity Row)- blame Erasmus!

Personally, I strongly favor Modern Pronunciation. It allows me to move from Church -which uses Biblical or "Koine" Greek - to ordering Coffee in Modern Greek at a local Cafe fairly easily. It is the pronunciation that allows me to understand the reading of the Bible at Church, and continue to improve in my understanding week by week as I hear more. It's the pronunciation that Native Greek Speakers use.

When I first studied Greek, I was unaware of these two Pronunciation methods, and made the mistake of learning Erasmian. Then, I had to unlearn it. Not a fun experience.

One thing you do NOT need to decide before learning to read Greek is whether you will study Biblical (Koine) or Modern Greek. They're both read the same if you use Modern Greek Pronunciation.

Stay tuned for the next post in this series, Greek Conversation!

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