Pad Thai

I was researching various Pad Thai recipes, and finally came up with a hybrid that is fantastic and practically fool-proof. The taste is fresher and lighter than what you'd normally get for carry-out.

7-8 oz Thai rice noodles (half a package)
3-4 T fish sauce
1 T rice vinegar
2 T sugar
1-2 tsp dried chile pepper (suit your taste)
2 T veg oil
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed/minced/pressed
1 egg
1/2 pound shrimp, chicken, or pork (or combination)
1/4 c cubed tofu (press first to remove water)
1 lime, cut into wedges for serving (optional, but highly recommended)
2 tablespoons peanuts (optional)
1 cup bean sprouts (optional)

Soak rice noodles in a large bowl with warm/hot water for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, combine fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and dried chile pepper in a little bowl. Combine onion & garlic in a little bowl.

When rice noodles have softened (but not too soft) drain well in a colander. At this point, I also usually cut them in half or so to make the next step easier.

Heat oil in wok, add tofu, green onion, and garlic. Stir fry until tofu is slightly browned. Add drained noodles. Stir fry until coated with mixture, this may be sticky. Stir constantly to avoid everything sticking to the wok. Add fish sauce mixture, stirring to coat everything.

Make a little hole in the middle of the mixture, crack egg into it. Let set slightly, then stir into noodles. Add shrimp/chicken/pork if using. Stir fry until cooked.

Serve with lime, peanuts, and/or bean sprouts. These are all optional, but really add great flavor & texture if used. Perfect with hot sauce and rice.

Leftovers rating: Low. Seriously, the results are not good.