A Taste of the Orient

I am a huge fan of spicy Asian inspired dishes. I saw Sandra Lee make this dish on Semi-Homemade and couldn't resist to test this out! The first time I made this, I used the sauce recipe Sandra has but when my best friend Lauren and I made it the second time around, we used a jar sauce and added more ingredients.


Pad Thai

Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Serves: 4 servings


You will need...

• 8 ounces rice noodles (Find in Asian section of grocery store, only use half of the box, there's a lot! One package of rice noodles is about 16 ounces)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (Find this in Asian section of grocery store)
• 1 tablespoon chile sauce (this is the Asian red hot sauce with a picture of a rooster on front of the bottle)
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 carrot, grated
• 4 scallions, sliced thin
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 1/4 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped, for garnish
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, for garnish

Directions


Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the rice noodles (8 ounces) and let them soften, about 3-4 minutes. Drain.

In a large skillet over high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil. When it is hot, add the eggs and cook until they are firm. Remove them from the pan and let them cool a bit. Roughly chop them and set aside.


Lauren and I used about 6 ounces of store bought Pad Thai sauce and added 1-2 tablespoons of chile sauce, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon soy sauce mixed together. We added more chile sauce to taste - we like it spicy!


Or you can try Sandra's homemade sauce which is also really good: In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, chile sauce, lime juice, garlic, and broth. Set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil (or more) to the pan along with the carrots, scallions, and bean sprouts. Note: we also added water chestnuts for added texture. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the reserved eggs and sauce, stirring to coat everything completely. Add noodles and cook for another minute. Serve garnished with crushed peanuts and cilantro.

Mixing and adding the sauce...

I love how she has no idea the Pad Thai is slowly sliding off the plate...

Voila!

"It's not too spicy, all you need is a little water!" So says my best friend's mother. 

And to enhance the taste of Thailand, I will leave you with this print ad:

Did you know people in Thailand can create full-blown buildings on the tops of their heads? This ad was created for the Architect Fair in Bangkok. I am ready for a Thai trip, who's with me?