Pad Thai

 

I love Thai.  Spicy, tangy, noodles... what's not to like?   It's pretty simple to make, so you can have a great Thai dish whenever you want it!

This recipe is the vegetarian version; the real version has fish sauce in it.  You can add chicken or tofu to it if you want to get a little protein in it.

It's spicy, so if you don't care for the spice, decrease the amount of chili sauce or omit it completely.  You can find mung sprouts in the produce section with the Asian noodles.

Make sure the noodles soak long enough to be white.  If they seem like they aren't soft enough after adding to the wok, add a teaspoon of water to let them soften a bit more.  The noodles should be el dente, but not hard.

I got this from The Big Book of Vegetarian.

Enjoy!

Pad Thai
Serves 4

8 ounces dried rice noodles
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons tamari or reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 to 2 teaspoon hot chile sauce
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoon peanut oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger (bottled fresh is ok)
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into narrow strips
8 to 10 green onions, halved lengthwise and then cut into 2-inch lengths
1 cup mung bean sprouts
2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1 egg, scrambled (optional)
1 lime, sliced (optional)

In a large bowl, soak the rice noodles in warm water to cover until limp and white, about 25-30 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, tamari, brown sugar, chile sauce and 1 tablespoon water.

In a wok or deep skillet over high heat, heat the oil.  Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds.  Add the carrot and green onions and stir-fry for 1 minute.  Stir in the lime juice-tamari mixture.

Drain the noodles and add to the wok, tossing with tongs until softened and curled, about 1 minute.  Add the sprouts and toss to mix.  Divide the mixture among 4 serving plates, sprinkle with peanuts and garnish with cilantro, egg and slices of lime, if desired.