Take Out Fake Out: Pad Thai
I’ve already told you about how obsessed I am with Thai food. Although green curry is my go-to dish, pad Thai comes in a close second.
When I come up with recipes, especially for this particular column, I do my best to make the recipe with basic ingredients. I don’t want you to have to go out and search four different stores for ten new items that are just destined to rot in your fridge. I’d rather manipulate the recipe a bit to allow you to use up things you already have in your fridge and pantry. For example with this recipe, the classic version is made with rice noodles, which aren’t available at every store, so I subbed in regular old linguine. Most everything else is fairly common these days.
Even though I switched this recipe up a little, the end result is still amazing. Not to mention, you can have it on your dinner table in 30 minutes. That is a major winner in my books!
You can totally switch up the protein in this dish, I’ve made it with shrimp before and it is fantastic and of course you could also try it with tofu. Just make sure not to skip the candied peanuts!
As usual, please comment below if you have an idea for something you would like to see on an upcoming edition of Take Out Fake Out!
Enjoy, y’all.
Pad Thai:
Serves 6
Total time: 30 minutes
Total time where you’re actually doing things: 30 minutes
What you need:
- 1 large package fresh linguine noodles (700g) cooked according to package directions
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
- Juice of two limes, plus extra lime wedges for serving
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp siracha sauce
- 1 tbsp white sugar
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 whole raw chicken breasts, cut into small cubes
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 whole red pepper, sliced into matchsticks
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro plus extra for garnish
- 3 cups fresh bean sprouts
- 1/2 recipe Candied Peanuts
In a measuring cup or mixing bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients, soy sauce, lime juice, fish sauce, sriracha, and sugar. Set aside.
In a large and deep saute pan or wok, heat the coconut oil over medium high heat until melted and shiny. Add the chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and then add the garlic to the pan and saute, stirring constantly, about 2-3 minutes until softened, add the red pepper and cook again another 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Turn the heat off but leave the pan on the burner.
Add the cooked pasta, chicken and sauce and give it all a good stir until fully coated. Add the 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro and stir again to combine. Pour the noodles into a large serving bowl and top with about half of the beansprouts, some of the peanuts and a sprinkle of cilantro.
When you serve it up onto plates you can top with extra beansprouts, peanuts and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
