Tag Archives: pad thai

The best Pad Thai I’ve ever had

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The best pad thai ever? Where’d you get it? Some fancy Thai place in the East Village? Random hole in the wall take out spot in midtown?

No and no.

My kitchen.

Prepared by my Greek Armenian husband.

He has a knack for Asian cooking.

I guess I’ll keep him.

For pad thai you will need:

  • noodles, any kind works- i like brown rice ones
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 2 eggs
  • brown sugar
  • soy sauce
  • rice vinegar
  • sesame oil
  • chili oil
  • scallions (optional)
  • chopped peanuts (optional)
  • pea shoots or sprouts (optional)

Start by cooking your noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. The key to pad thai (or any Asian dish really) is having everything chopped and ready to go as the cooking process goes pretty quick.

In the same pot you just cooked your noodles, add some sesame oil and the shallot.

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When the shallot is softened, add a bit more oil and then pour in two beaten eggs (think like you’re making scrambled eggs.

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Keeping an eye on your eggs and stirring occasionally, in a bowl mix together 1/8 cup each of brown sugar, soy sauce and rice vinegar and a little less of the sesame oil. Add chili oil to taste (it’s really really hot, so be careful).

Ok when your eggs are done, add the noodles and the sauce to the pot and stir.

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Add in your pea shoots or sprouts and stir again.

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Dish up into bowls and top with scallions and peanuts, if you choose.

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Lose that place down the street’s number and forget about waiting for your takeout delivery ever again.

Pad Thai and Thai Iced Tea

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Let’s take a little break from the pizza and the pasta.

Don’t get me wrong, I love all the yummy Italian food that my mom and grandma always cook.

But sometimes, I want to get a little adventurous in the kitchen.

Plus, our favorite Thai restaurant started to suck.

So instead of ordering again and be disappointed again, I took matters into my own hands.

I decided to make a simplified pad Thai. It’s noodles. Noodles are familiar! And then I decided to get a little fancy and make some Thai iced tea. Both were surprisingly easy. And delicious.

And required very few ingredients.

For the iced tea you will need 6 black tea bags, 6 cups of water, 3/4 cup sugar and some coconut milk.

Bring the water to a boil and then add the tea bags and the sugar. Let boil for about 3 minutes, then turn off the heat. Let the tea steep for about 30 minutes.

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Remove the bags and pour the tea into an ice-filled pitcher and pop in the fridge to chill.

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When you’re ready to serve, fill a glass with ice, and pour iced tea about 3/4 of the way up.

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Add coconut milk to the top.

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And stir.

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Thai iced tea! The perfect accompaniment for some spicy pad Thai.

Pad Thai is basically noodles, bean sprouts, scallions eggs and Pad Thai sauce. I added bok choy to mine because I always like to add veggies when I can. And I used jarred pad Thai sauce because, well, why not allow a few shortcuts? I made the tea from scratch so I’m justified in using jarred sauce. Kitchen logic.

I used a griddle like you would make pancakes on for this and it worked lovely.

Drizzle with olive and toss on your chopped bok choy. I just sliced mine into thin ribbons. Cook over low to medium heat.

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When the bok choy has wilted down, add your sliced scallions and your bean sprouts and let these cook together.

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Meanwhile, bring a pat of water to a boil and prepare your noodles according to the package directions.

Next, beat two eggs and pour the mixture over your veggies.

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Let cook over low, stirring often, until the eggs solidify.

When the noodles are done, drain and place in a bowl.

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Top with the veggie and egg mixture

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And add your Pad Thai sauce.

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You can garnish with chopped peanuts if you want an added crunch.

And there you have it. Thai food on the table with no pricey takeout!

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