Noodle Substitution

I had some rice noodles that I was dying to get out of the cupboard and a cold noodle dish seemed a welcome addition to this ridiculous heat. I have really felt like I'm from the "North Country" this week. I've only been sitting in sun reading and I've been drenched with sweat, completely melting away. It's only April....this does not bode well for the summer. I'm doomed. Also, reason #1 why I want a fall wedding.

Anywho, this dish was pretty good but I'd lighten up the on chili oil. I used two teaspoons and it was very hot. Now I like spicy things but it was a bit distracting. I'm sure the dish is wonderful if you use the required soba noodles but rice noodles were a satisfactory stand it. Make sure you chop the ginger up very well. I would even suggest grating it. I got a big chunk and was like WHOA! and I like ginger. The original recipe topped the dish with toasted sesame seeds which I forgot. 

Rice Noodles with Sweet Ginger Scallion Sauce

(Pinterest! Adapted from simplyreem)

Ingredients:

9oz of soba noodles (I used pad thai rice noodles)
1 cup scallions, finely chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons ginger, minced (I would grate it)

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1-2 teaspoons chili oil (I would stick to one, it was so spicy!)
Directions:

1. Cook noodles according to package.

2. Mix all sauce ingredients (scallions through chili oil), allow sauce to set for 10 minutes.

3. Toss noodles with sauce, coat well. Enjoy hot or cold.

Pad Thai Fail!

I was so disappointed in this recipe because I was craving pad thai sooooo bad and this recipe is nothing like restaurant pad thai but I had all the ingredients....It lacked the depth and flavor of real pad thai. I was crushed. But then I had the leftovers for lunch and it was fine because I was over my craving and high expectations. Initially I was so upset over this "failure" to exactly replicate pad thai that Mr. Lawyer made me his famous peanut butter cookies....there are no more cookies left and I am sad.

Vegetable an Tofu Pad Thai

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:
8 ounces dried wide, flat rice noodles
1/4 cup fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving (3 limes)
3 tablespoons soy sauce or fish sauce
1 tablespoon chili sauce, such as Sriracha
1 tablespoon packed dark-brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 package (14 ounces) firm tofu, drained, thinly sliced, and patted dry
2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
Coarse salt
2 tablespoons roasted salted peanuts, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Directions:
1. Soak noodles according to package instructions; drain. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, chili sauce, and brown sugar.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1/2 teaspoon oil over medium-high, tilting to coat pan. Add eggs, swirl to coat bottom, and cook until just set, about 1 minute. Transfer eggs to a cutting board, loosely roll up, and cut crosswise into thin strips. Add 4 teaspoons oil to skillet and heat. Add tofu in a single layer and cook until golden brown on both sides, 7 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer to cutting board.
3. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, carrots, garlic, and scallion whites to skillet and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add lime-juice mixture and bring to a simmer. Add noodles and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Add eggs and tofu and gently toss to combine. Season to taste with salt. Divide among four plates and top with peanuts, cilantro, and scallion greens. Serve with lime wedges.

Tasty Thai

So as my Dad always said "It's homemade because I made it in the house!" or something along that lines. This meal was not from scratch but I still loved it. I found some Tasty Thai Noodle Meal Kits by Spaa Natural Foods at Homegoods the other week. They were only a couple bucks but I would consider paying full price if I saw them again. I love Thai food but have always been a little bit scared about making it from scratch so this was a good way to start!

The kit comes with rice noodles and a sauce, you add whatever meat and veggies you want. I purchased Pad Thai Noodles (with delicious sweet sauce and a touch of spice) and Peanut Satay Noodles (with rich and creamy sauce, a savory blend of fresh coconut and roasted peanuts) both were given a "mild" spice rating however the Pad Thai was significantly hotter while the Peanut Satay was not spicy at all. Both were yummy though! I thought the Peanut Satay tasted more like the Pad Thai you would get in a restaurant.
And we had a special kitchen guest! Because of her love of Thai food we had Amanda over for our experiment! She brought over shrimp (yum!), mushrooms and green peppers to stir fry for our dishes. We were also very brave and added egg to our stir fry to make it more traditional. It all came out delicious!

Tasty Thai Pad Thai Noodles and Peanut Satay Noodles

(By Spaa Natural Foods)

Ingredients:
Noodle Kit with Sauce
Your choice of meat and veggies!
2 Eggs
Oil for stir frying
Directions:
1. Bring 4-5 cups of water to a boil. Turn off heat. Soak noodles for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside. (Easy enough but our noodles were very al dente. In the future I would cook them a bit more. Completely my fault as I am not familiar with rice noodles and forgot to sample one!)
2. Stir-fry meat and veggies on high heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Add egg and mix in.
3. Combine Stir Fry, Noodles and Sauce.
4. Done. Eat. Enjoy.