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My daughter ChiChi just got the A-OK that she can have nuts. On our pediatrician's advice, we didn't include nuts of any kind in her diet until she turned 2. So, for her first two years of life, she'd look on longingly as older brother Rocco indulged in trail mix with almonds, fudge brownies with walnuts, and -- of course -- peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Now that the whole family can have nuts, I've been reminded how peanut butter can provide such an able assist in introducing any kid to a new -- or previously unliked -- food in the guise of, yes, a peanut sauce.

You'd be amazed how we've sparked kids to try new vegetables with peanut sauce drizzled on them. It's a particularly happy accompaniment to green beans and broccoli, but you can also try it on soba noodles, and even wilted greens.

If you want to give the peanut sauce a whirl, it's a quick recipe:  scoop 1/3 cup of (preferably) natural peanut butter (with no sugar added; just nuts) in to a two-cup glass measuring cup. Add 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, 2 teaspoons white sugar, and 1 cup boiling hot water. Whisk together to blend.

Serve it on the side or let it sizzle on top of the vegetables or pasta in a saute pan.

And let the smacking begin.