Monday, January 29, 2007

Phad Thai

I've recently discovered that there are two things I cannot, without a doubt, cook. The first is banana bread. No matter how I try, I cannot, for the life of me, bake banana bread. I've tried twice in the last week and both times - once in a loaf pan and once in muffin form -I've burnt the little bananas to a crisp. I give up.

The second thing I cannot cook is rice noodles. I think I'm lacking patience when it comes to these and so don't cook them enough and they end up, well, more than al dente.

This brings me to this weeks recipe. Phad Thai. Now, normally I love Phad Thai, especially when someone who knows how to cook rice noodles does all the heavy lifting. I found a recipe that doesn't call for rice noodles. Me thinks we have a winner.

Phad Thai
Serves: 4
  • 6 OZ Dried Chinese Egg Noodles, broken in half
  • 1/2 tsp cooking oil
  • 2 Eggs, beaten
  • 3 T Dry sherry
  • 3 T Rice vinegar
  • 2 T Brown Sugar
  • 2 T soy sauce (I used the low sodium on this)
  • 2 T Oriental chili sauce (I used just Tapatio hot sauce)
  • 1 T cooking oil
  • 3 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 2 cups FRESH bean sprouts
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced at an angle
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped peanuts

Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain.

Heat a wok or large skillet, add 1/2 tsp oil. Add eggs; lift and tilt the wok to form a thin egg sheet. Cook, without stirring, about 2 minutes or just till set. Slide egg sheet onto a cutting board; cool roll up egg sheet and cut into thin slices. Set aside.

For sauce, combine sherry, rice vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce and chili sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat 1 T oil in wok or skillet. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add sauce and noodles, toss until heated through. Add bean sprouts, green onions, cilantro, peanuts and sliced egg.

Toss well; serve at once.

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