Love Pad Thai but aren't a fan of the "fishy" flavor, or just don't have all the ingredients that the recipe requires? I'm going to show you a quick and easy way to make a version of Pad Thai that will save you money and the fishy smell!
To be honest, this recipe was developed completely on accident - it was a combo of a lack of ingredients in my pantry and a love of Thai Food - and also my strong feelings against anything soy based... a topic for another time. A few months back, I was in Whole Foods and found these Organic Rice Pad Thai Noodles by Lotus Foods and thought they would make a really cool looking dish. So I picked them up, with absolutely no idea what I would make, but excited to create a recipe.
A few nights ago, I was searching for something to make with the ingredients I already had in my apartment because it was -3°F and I wasn't about to step outside. If only my pantry was like the ones on cooking shows, with everything and anything to pick from. But it's not, so I had to make do with what I found - and luckily I found some great ingredients! The first thing I saw was the Pad Thai noodles! Ok, so now I'm going with an Asian theme, so I went for the only two Asian ingredients I have: coconut milk (of which I have enough to last through an apocalypse) and coconut aminos (again, because I don't like soy, but I like Asian food).
Three ingredients in hand, I went to the kitchen, grabbed an onion and garlic, a.k.a the yin and the yang in all my recipes - because you can't have one without the other - and started chopping. I was planning to make an Asian fusion sauce to go over the black rice noodles - my attempt at a modified Pad Thai.
Just noodles and sauce, this seemed so plain and I was digging deep in the memory bank to figure out what I could add. Then, I remembered a Japanese dish my mom made for us when we were younger. It was a thick rice soup with a poached egg on top. GENIUS! I decided to top the Pad Thai with a poached egg instead of chicken or shrimp - and voila! My dish was complete. I took my first bite and though to myself - why didn't I write ANY of that down?! I couldn't wait to go back to the grocery store so I could get the rice noodles to recreate the dish, and this time, keep track of all the ingredients.
So here you go, the complete recipe after my second time cooking it. I hope you find this just as delicious as I did!
Bon appétit and happy cooking!
Author: Serena Moroukian
Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 20 min Total Time: 35 min.
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
Cooking spray (coconut), for pan
6 quarts water (for rice noodles)
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, mashed with salt
1 can full fat coconut milk
1/4 cup coconut aminos
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 package Organic Rice Pad Thai noodles (I used Lotus Foods)
4 eggs, fresh and cold
4 quarts water (for poaching eggs)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or any clear vinegar)
Instructions:
For the noodles and the sauce:
Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and let it heat up over medium heat
Sauté onions and garlic, until browned
In a pot, add water and bring to a boil - we are prepping the water for the rice noodles
Add coconut milk to sautéd onions and reduce heat to low once it begins to get to a rolling boil. Let the sauce boil down until thick - about 10 minutes. Then add the coconut aminos and garlic powder, let thicken.
Add noodles to boiling water while stirring to keep the noodles from sticking together (stir for about 30 seconds). Let them cook for 5-7 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water immediately. Set aside
Check to see that the coconut sauce has thickened. Swipe your spatula along the bottom of the skillet to separate the sauce, if it stays separate, then it's done and you can set it aside. If not, let is simmer for a few more minutes (unless you want it a little more liquid-y).
Now for the poached eggs:
Bring 4 quarts of water plus 2 tablespoons of vinegar to a rapid boil. Then crack one egg in a small bowl, and reduce heat to lowest setting until barely any bubbles form. Take a spoon or whisk and stir the water to form a vortex. Immediately and gently drop the egg into the center of the vortex, so that the water forces the egg whites to stay surrounding the yolk. Leave in the water for 3-4 minutes and repeat this entire step for the remaining eggs. Tip: the fresher the egg, the better the poach. If the eggs are a few days old, you can strain them so that the excess/"unattached" egg whites strain off and you're left with a yolk surrounded by tight egg whites.
Add noodles to individual bowls, top with sauce, shallots, and poached egg. Serve warm and enjoy!
I'd love to see how the recipe came out if you tried it. Tag #whatsyourcheatday on your post and I'll be sure to give you a shoutout!
xoxo
Serena
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