So Stud and I are fans of ethnic food (he much more so than me...there is this Ethiopian place he really wants to try, and I keep switching it back to Pan-Asian), and for him, the spicier the better. I am always on the lookout for meals we can easily make at home, where the level of spice can be adjusted for each one of us. We have been making pad thai for a few years now, but it was always such a PROCESS that we hadn't made it in a while. Then I stumbled upon this super fast recipe on Cup of Jo and decided we had to give it a try. There are some uniquely Asian ingredient on the list, but they are things we tend to have on hand since we make Asian food quite a bit. I also made some adjustments, because well, we wanted a little more pizzaz and we are down with mega leftovers.
EASY Pad Thai
1 lb rice noodles
1 lb chicken breast, diced
4 eggs
1-2 shallots, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
3 green onions, chopped, white and greens separately
Cilantro (if wanted)
Peanuts (rough chop)
Canola Oil
Lime Juice
Sauce:
1/2 c. chicken stock
4 T brown sugar
6 T fish sauce
2 T soy sauce
1 T Sambal Oelek (can be omitted or increased)
Whisk all the sauce ingredients together and put 3-4 T over the chicken to marinate and set the rest aside. Then, since this comes together so quickly, I like to get the rest of the ingredients ready, so time for some chopping. Also, follow the directions on the package of rice noddles - usually involves letting them sit in the hot water for 10-20 minutes depending on the thickness. Once everything is chopped, add some oil to a large skillet and heat up the oil, and add the chicken. Cook until there are no obvious pink parts remaining and push to the side of the skillet where it can continue to cook. Add some more oil if necessary, and add the shallots, garlic, and the whites from the green onions. Saute for a couple minutes until the shallots begin to soften, then crack in the eggs, breaking the yolks. I like to let them sit and get some brown parts, but up to you, so I let them sit a while, then stir, then let them sit, then stir etc until the eggs are all cooked. Add in the noodles, sauce, green parts of the green onions, cilantro, and peanuts and stir until the noodles have absorbed all the sauce. Squeeze the juice from one lime over the pad thai, top with sriracha and enjoy!
