1/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter
1/2 cup water, divided
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, divided
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 broccoli crown, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 small red bell peppers, sliced
3 small carrots, sliced into rounds
1 eggplant, diced into one inch (or smaller) cubes
1/2 medium sized yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts
1/4 cup cilantro or basil, julienned
Whisk peanut butter, 1/4 cup water, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce and vinegar in a medium bowl until smooth. Set aside. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to soften (you may need to add a little bit of water, but do so cautiously). Add broccoli, carrots and onions, sauteeing until onions begin to turn translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the remaining 1/4 cup water and 1 tablespoon soy sauce to the pan along with bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the pepper has softened and the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the reserved peanut sauce and season with crushed red pepper. Garnish with peanuts and fresh herbs.