There are those who are food separatists, and those who like piling as much as possible into one bowl. The separatists - you know the type - carefully segregate each component of their meal (meat, starch, veg) lest they touch and taint each other. The truly hard core eat each one at a time, or go so far as to disassemble their sandwich/burger by eating the top bun, then the innards, and then the bottom bun.
One guess which I am.
I am a fan of meals served and eaten in large, shallow bowls, meals that can be eaten in my lap on the couch if need (or want) be, that require only one plan and one recipe execution. Considering meat plus veg plus sides is far too exhausting on an average workday. (I would love to be able to buy a deep, steaming bowl of Pad Thai from a downtown street vendor, instead of a hot dog and bag of chips.)
Pad Thai is fast (if you get everything ready to go before you start), and if you keep a bag of shrimp in the freezer, it’s easy to add a handful. Tamarind concentrate and chili sauce can be found in the ethnic foods section of grocery stores or in Asian markets, and although not necessary are well worth seeking out – both will keep in the fridge for a long time, so don’t worry about buying a whole jar just to use a few spoonfuls.
Pad Thai
1/2 to 1lb. (250 to 500 g) package rice noodles, thin or thick Sesame, peanut or canola oil, for cooking
1/4 cup tomato sauce or ketchup
1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla)
1/4 cup lime juice or 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 to 4 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. chili sauce or sambal oelek (optional)
1 tsp. tamarind concentrate (optional)
1 cup chopped cooked chicken (optional)
1/2 lb. cooked or uncooked shrimp, shelled and de-veined (optional)
1 to 3 small red chilies (optional)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 to 5 asparagus stalks, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, crushed (optional)
3 green onions cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups bean sprouts
1/4 cup chopped peanuts or cashews, salted or unsalted
Lime wedges (optional)
Soak the rice noodles according to the package directions. Rinse them with cold water and drain well. Drizzle the noodles with a little oil to keep them from sticking, and toss to coat.
In a small bowl, stir together the tomato sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, chili sauce and tamarind concentrate (if using).
Heat a good drizzle of oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the meat or shrimp if they’re uncooked (if your meat is cooked, set it aside for now), along with the chilies if you’re using them. Cook for a few minutes, until the meat is cooked through or the tofu is golden. Push the mixture aside or remove it from the pan. If you are using shrimp, remove them from the pan so that they don’t overcook and become tough. Add the eggs and cook them as if you were making scrambled eggs, breaking them up with a spatula. Push them aside.
Add a little more oil if you need it and stir fry the asparagus, garlic and green onions for about a minute. Add the noodles and cook, tossing them with tongs, for another minute. Return any reserved cooked meat to the pan, pour as much of the sauce as you want over it all, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing the mixture with tongs or a spatula to coat everything with sauce and heat it through. Add the bean sprouts at the very end as you toss everything together. Serve immediately in large shallow bowls. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and serve with lime wedges to squeeze over top. Serves 4.
Julie is a best-selling cookbook author, food writer, cooking instructor and the food and nutrition columnist on the Calgary Eyeopener on CBC Radio. She lives in Calgary with her husband and son, Wilem. Watch for her cooking show, It’s Just Food, with co-host Ned Bell on Access TV and CLT stations across Canada. For more information, visit www.dinnerwithjulie.com.
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