Pad Thai

Oh how I love Pad Thai.  I was very pleased with how this turned out.  I didn't make it very spicy because of the kids but next time will add a little more heat to it after I take out their portions.  I also made the hoisin sauce from scratch and will post that recipe at the bottom.  It was very yummy.  Way better than the store bought brands.  The one thing I did was use wide rice noodles and because of that I didn't take any pictures, wide rice noodles aren't very pretty!  So next time I will make it with the thinner kind.  Hope you enjoy!

8 oz dried rice noodles
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

3/4 lb shrimp, pork, or chicken
2 tablespoons to 1/4 c vegetable oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon of chili sauce (sriracha)
2 eggs, beaten
4 green onions, thinly sliced
10 oz fresh bean sprouts
3/4 cup ground unsalted peanuts
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
lime wedges

1. Soak noodles in hot water according to the package directions. Drain.

2. Slice chicken or pork across the grain into thin strips.  Mix fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, and hoisin sauce in a bowl; stir until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

3. Heat a wok over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil, garlic, and chili. Stir fry until golden. Add meat (not shrimp), and stir fry 2 minutes. Add noodles and toss lightly to coat with oil. Push noodles to one side, and add more oil if necessary. Add eggs; cook until slightly set, then break up into pieces and toss with noodles. Add shrimp if desired, most of the bean sprouts, the green onions, and 1/4 cup of peanuts. Stir fry until shrimp just turns pink - 1-2 minutes. Add sauce and toss to coat.

4. Remove to a serving platter and top with cilantro and remaining peanuts. Garnish with bean sprouts and lime wedges. Serve immediately.


Hoisin sauce

4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon peanut butter
2 tablespoons honey, molasses, or brown sugar
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons sweet chile sauce
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Mix together until well blended.

Recipe and photo for Pad Thai from KoKoCooks.