Pad Thai

I posted on Facebook the other night that I was making Pad Thai for supper, and I had several people ask for the recipe. My initial thought was that it isn't really a recipe, more of a method. Sort of like stir-fry, this can be made by "feel", adding more of what you like, and leaving out ingredients that you don't. This dish has some sentimental value since Tom and I have visited Thailand on four separate trips, one of which was our honeymoon. The food we ate in Thailand was always amazing, with lots of fresh vegetables. Pad Thai is probably one of the best-known Thai dishes, and you could order it at pretty much any little restaurant.

Now I need to confess that anytime I've made Pad Thai in the past it's been from a boxed kit that contained the noodles and the sauce. I really wanted to make the sauce from scratch this time, so I did a quick google search to see what ingredients I would need (rice noodles, tamarind paste and fish sauce), then headed off to the Asian Market near our house.

I snatched up two of the crucial elements, and the cost was much cheaper than I would have paid at my usual grocery store. Here are rice noodles and Pad Thai sauce:

I know, I know...this means I didn't make the sauce from scratch. But when I saw this, and read that the ingredient list was fairly short, I couldn't resist. And I'd never seen bottled Pad Thai sauce before, so that was part of the allure too. Also, when I saw the bottle of tamarind paste, I was totally intimidated.

Okay, so time for the recipe already! Here's how it goes at our house (these proportions serve 3 large portions, or 4-5 small-ish portions):

Ingredients:
Rice noodles (12 ounces)
tofu (about half a block) (can substitute either chicken or shrimp for the tofu)
soy sauce (or Bragg's liquid aminos, which is what I used)
2 eggs
1/2 cup (approx) Pad thai sauce
1/4 cup (approx) fish sauce
green onions
bean sprouts
chopped peanuts
cilantro
lime

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then turn off the heat.  Put rice noodles in the hot water and allow to soak for 6-8 minutes, then drain.

For the tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Brush cubes with soy sauce, then bake on a greased baking sheet at 400 for 40 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes.

In a large skillet, scramble the eggs in some oil.  Then add in the cooked noodles and tofu. Add both sauces, more or less to taste. Stir well.  Garnish with remaining ingredients as desired.

I can't say that this is truly authentic, but our family really likes this dish. Also not authentic, but quite good, is to add in some shredded carrots or cooked greens. Enjoy!