Sunday, May 2, 2010

Simple, Speedy, and Sensational!

Since I've finished all my master's coursework (graduating on Friday, YAY!!!), I've decided its time to start having people over for supper again! So, on Friday, I had a few friends and family over for a quasi-Thai meal. It turned out to be a super-quick, tasty meal, so I thought I'd share.

The entree/main dish (which based on my prep for our time in France, actually means first course, not main dish) was a Vegetable Pad Thai from the newest Everyday Food magazine (probably my last issue, since I think my subscription just ran out). I also made an Asian tossed salad, and rounded it all out with carrots and celery, the standard homemade bread and jam (I know, not Asian, but it's my staple at dinner parties) and the classic chocolate zucchini cake. For those of you with tender palates, the most spicy item in the pad thai is soy sauce, so it's definitely accessible to all. (Also, it's gluten-free, and could even be vegan!) In the salad, I used lettuce, cubed oranges, green onion, ramen, and an Asian dressing, which was quite tasty!

Vegetable Pad Thai

8 oz dried rice noodles (or any noodles)

2 T. brown sugar

2 T. lime juice

3 T. soy sauce

2 t. vegetable oil

3 green onions, whites only

1 garlic clove, minced

2 large eggs, lightly beaten (optional)

½ c. fresh cilantro, chopped

¼ c. roasted, salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

1. Soak noodles according to package directions. Drain. In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, lime juice and soy sauce. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add green onion whites and garlic and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant; 30 seconds. Add eggs (if using), and scramble until almost set; about 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate. Add noodles and soy sauce mixture to skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until noodles are soft and sauce is warm; about 1 minute. Add egg mixture and stir in, gently breaking up chunks. Serve noodles with wedges of fresh lime, cilantro and chopped peanuts.

NOTE: Any noodles would work with this. You could also easily add chicken or turkey to make this more hearty.






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