Pad Thai

I eat at a Thai restaurant once a week with my co-workers. It's our treat on Fridays for making it through the week. I find myself craving the Thai food several times a week and now I much prefer the wonderful blend of flavours over Chinese food. It does wonderful things to my tongue! Mmmmmmmm. Oh dear....I'm drooling. If I lived alone, I'd probably eat Mango Chicken with jasmine rice and Thai spring rolls every night of the week!

I am not a cook - in fact I rather dislike cooking if it takes too long and creates a mess - but this weekend I made Pad Thai and it turned out quite nicely. For me it has to be easy to make or I won't take the time. With a meal like this, you can purchase cooked, peeled, frozen shrimp - ready in a flash; frozen stir-fry vegetables (I found a new blend with leaf spinach, asparagus, broccoli, peppers and garlic sprouts - 'Europe's Best' - yum!); and forget the chicken unless you already have some cooked on hand. I've become accustomed to tofu, but no-one in my household appreciates eating 'chunks of rubber'. I crush peanuts in my handy Magic Bullet - they add a wonderful texture and taste. There are many versions of Pad Thai recipes using fresh vegetables and making your own sauce, but here's a quick way...adapt anyway you like with what you have on hand, but don't skimp on the sauce - buy original Pad Thai sauce.

Stuff you need:

Pad Thai noodles (Presidents Choice has 'rice stick noodles')

Pad Thai sauce

Stir fry vegetables - whatever you like

An egg or two

Cooked shrimp and/or chicken and/or tofu

Optionals: bean sprouts, crushed peanuts, cilantro, chilies, lime wedges

(Check the directions on the noodles you have purchased - yours may require a different method.) Put the noodles in a pan or bowl, and pour boiling water over them to cover. Set your timer for 5 minutes only, drain and rinse promptly with cold water. You want them firm not mushy.

Meanwhile back at the stove, scramble fry an egg or two in a pan until cooked - a couple of minutes. Set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in large pan or wok and stirfry your chicken, shrimp and/or tofu, then throw in the vegetables. When cooked to tender crisp, add the noodles and 6-7 tbsp or more to taste of the Pad Thai sauce and cook for a minute or two. Then add the scrambled egg and bean sprouts. Combine well and place all in a large pasta serving bowl.

Sprinkle with crushed peanuts, and garnish with lime wedges, chilies and cilantro.

Doesn't get any easier or tastier than this!!