Dip Night with the girls

My friend Stacey had a brilliant idea this week: to have a girls night centered on dips. We did, and it was fantastic. Each of the following dips made an appearance:

Caramelized Vidalia Onion Dip served with crostini
Reuben Dip served with chunky bread
Jalapeno Popper Dip served with corn chips
Spicy Peanut Dip served with chicken satay and bell peppers
Ranch dip with veggies
Chocolate Sauce (dip) served with strawberries and bananas

I made the Spicy Peanut Dip, which was pretty good. I had a feeling there would be a number of (delicious) creamy dips, and I wanted to take something a little different. Here's the recipe:

Spicy Peanut Dip

ingredients:

1 large shallot, chopped
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon dried crushed pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallot, ginger, and garlic; saute until shallot is tender, about 3 minutes. Add curry powder and crushed red pepper. Stir until aromatic, about 15 seconds. Stir in chicken broth, peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, and brown sugar; whisk to blend. Simmer until mixture thickens, whisking constantly, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool, whisking occassionally to prevent separation. Serve at room temperature, and sprinkle with curry powder just before serving.

The chicken satay was a tasty and aesthetically pleasing accompaniment, and the crunchiness of the bell peppers contrasted nicely with the other textures. Overall a good solid dip that I will make again.