{ pad thai at home }

After being sick for several days and unable to consume much more than ginger ale, I found myself with an insane craving for pad thai noodles this afternoon.

There's a terrific Thai place right around the corner from our house, and in my opinion, their pad thai is second to none; however, this evening I felt like something a little more homecooked ... plus, I wanted leftovers. ;)

I wouldn't say that my first effort at cooking my own homemade pad thai was flawless (I nearly burned the garlic, and was probably a little heavy on the vinegar) -- I blame my stomach virus-muddled brain and my lack of a wok (I used a regular ol' saute pan). But all in all, it was a decent first attempt. The recipe is definitely one on which to build all future pad thai efforts.

And, as is usually the case with my new recipe endeavors, it was relatively simple.

Pad Thai
(adapted from kokocooks)
8 oz dried rice noodles
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
3/4 lb shrimp, pork, or chicken (or protein of choice)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chili sauce (sriracha)
2 eggs
6-8 green onions, thinly sliced
10 oz fresh bean sprouts
3/4 cup ground unsalted peanuts
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
lime wedges

Soak noodles in hot water according to the package directions. Drain.

Peel and devein shrimp (or thaw out frozen shrimp under cold water, like I did!); slice chicken (I was lazy and used rotesserie) or pork into bite-sized cubes.
Mix fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, and hoisin sauce in a bowl; stir until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Heat a wok or saute pan over high heat. Add oil, garlic, and chili. Stir a few times (Careful! The garlic burns quickly!). Add meat (not shrimp), and stir fry about 2 minutes. Add noodles and toss lightly to coat with oil. Push noodles to one side, and add more oil if necessary. Add eggs and scramble, then break up into pieces and toss with noodles. Add shrimp, most of the bean sprouts, green onions, and about 1/2 a cup of peanuts. Stir fry until shrimp just turns pink - 1-2 minutes. Add sauce and toss to coat.

Spoon onto a serving platter and top with cilantro and remaining peanuts. Garnish with bean sprouts and lime wedges. Serve immediately.