Vegetable and Tofu Pad Thai

After seeing Katie’s post about Pad Thai last week, I’ve been craving it. I’ve also been staring at the half used box of rice noodles in the pantry for weeks, trying to think creatively….but the creativity wasn’t there, and a craving for pad thai was!

Pad thai can be a very unhealthy meal, loaded with calories and fat. I like to make mine a little healthier by using less noodles, and more veggies. The secret to the perfect pad thai is having everything prepped and sitting on your cutting board, because the meal takes no time to come together! The vegetables should not cook for a long time, or the dish will get soupy, they should just be heated through. I like to use marinated tofu in mine, but chicken or shrimp are good substitutes.

I have tried many pad thai recipes over the years, and never found one that was perfect. This is a mixture of Alton Brown’s, Bobby Flay’s, and a few others I’ve tried.

Tofu and Vegetable Pad Thai

6 oz. rice noodles

1 tbsp. tamarind paste

1 tbsp. fish sauce

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp. peanut butter

1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 egg, beaten

1 shallot, sliced

2 c. bean sprouts

1 c. shredded carrots

1 c. sugar snap peas

1 red bell pepper, sliced

½ c. sliced scallions

1 block of thai peanut marinated tofu, cubed

Peanuts, Cilantro, Lime wedges (all optional garnishes)

Bring a few cups of water to a boil, pour into a dish with noodles and let them sit for 15 minutes, until soft.

Prep all veggies, set aside.

In a small bowl, mix fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, peanut butter, and vinegar.

Heat a wok over medium-high. Add 1 tbsp. EVOO, shallot and garlic, stir fry for 30 seconds, add the beaten egg, stir until cooked. Turn to high, add the drained noodles and the sauce mixture, heat through, toss in the tofu, bean sprouts, carrots, and snap peas. Toss to heat through for no more than 3 minutes. Plate, garnish with peanuts, scallions, cilantro and lime wedges.