Pad Thai

About 10 years ago, I spent a month backpacking in southern Thailand and had the time of my life.  Life is so different there and what I realized is that all of my 5 senses were exposed to new experiences – sights, smells, sounds, tastes and even touch. I was fortunate to have this experience because it genuinely opened my eyes,  my mind, and my palette. At that time, Pad Thai was about $1.50 CDN for a heaping plate (!) –  so it was easy to indulge a few times a week.

We recently returned from our trip to England and Portugal (ughmazing) , and I decided to create a “to-makebake” list which includes food that I have tried throughout my travels. Some of the items are main stream and are easy to access but some are unique – and best enjoyed in their home country (enter: banoffee pie, Pasteis de nata, sticky toffee pudding, etc).

This recipe involves several ingredients and various steps so I summoned Ryan to help out – and it turned out to be a really fun night in the kitchen!

Wine Pairing: Chardonnay

Adapted from Canadian Living – May 2011

Ingredients

• 1/2 pkg (454 g pkg) wide rice stick noodles
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup sodium-reduced chicken broth
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3 tsp Asian garlic chili sauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs - lightly beaten
• 8 oz (227 g) frozen shrimp thawed, peeled and deveined
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• 4 shallots, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp (10 mL) minced fresh ginger
• 2 cups bean sprouts
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts, toasted if desired
• 1/3 cup  fresh cilantro leaves – chopped
• Lime wedges

Directions

1. Soak noodles in a large bowl of very warm water for 15 minutes; drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in small bowl, whisk together ketchup, chicken broth, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and chili sauce; set aside.
3. In wok or large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat; cook eggs, stirring occasionally, until scrambled and set, about 30 seconds. Transfer to small plate.
4. Wipe out wok. Add 1 tbsp of the remaining oil and heat over high heat; stir-fry shrimp until pink, about 1 minute. Transfer to plate.
5. Heat 1 tbsp of the remaining oil in wok over high heat; stir-fry chicken until browned and no longer pink inside, about 1 minute. Add to shrimp.
6. Heat remaining oil over high heat; cook shallots, garlic, red pepper and ginger until softened, about 2 minutes.
7. Stir in ketchup mixture and noodles. Return shrimp mixture to pan; cook, stirring to coat, until noodles are tender, about 3 minutes.
8. Return scrambled eggs to pan along bean sprouts and green onions; heat through until sprouts begin to wilt, about 1 minute.
9. Garnish with peanuts, cilantro and lime wedges – if desired.

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