Easy Vegetarian Pad Thai Recipe 445

QUICK VEGGIE PAD THAI

Steps:

• Place the noodles in a large bowl and completely cover with boiling water. Allow them to soak and soften while you prepare the sauce and vegetables, checking and tossing the noodles occasionally to separate them and see when they are ready (they will still have a bit of a bite), 6 to 7 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.
• For the sauce: Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, peanut butter, fish sauce, chile garlic sauce, lime zest and juice in a blender, along with the whites of the scallions, garlic and ginger. Blend to combine, 15 to 20 seconds. Set aside.
• Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they begin to brown, about 2 minutes. Next, throw in the asparagus and red bell pepper, cooking for another minute or two. Push the veggies to the outer edge of the skillet and add the egg, stirring in the center of the skillet until the eggs scramble, then mix in with the vegetables. To ensure the vegetables keep their color and crunch, remove the vegetable-egg mixture from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add the noodles and the sauce to the hot skillet and stir to combine. Allow to come to a boil and cook, tossing to coat completely and allowing the sauce to thicken slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the vegetables back to the skillet and carefully toss to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup hot water. Remove the skillet from the heat and toss in the bean sprouts. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the chopped peanuts, cilantro, reserved scallion greens and as much sriracha as your heart desires.

VEGETARIAN PAD THAI

Steps:

• For the noodles: Cook the noodles according to the package instructions.
• For the sauce: Stir together the brown sugar, tamarind, sriracha, lime juice and soy sauce in a small bowl until well combined.
• For the stir fry: Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu and shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Push the tofu and shallots to the side, allowing the excess oil to drip down into the middle of the skillet.
• Add the beaten egg to the middle of the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally and chopping to break it up, until cooked through, about 30 seconds. Add the peppers and cook just to soften slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the cooked noodles, bean sprouts, scallions and sauce to the skillet. Combine the tofu and egg into the ingredients and stir-fry, coating the ingredients with the sauce, and simmer to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Pile the stir fry onto a serving plate and top with the peanuts and cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

VEGETARIAN PAD THAI

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat. Dunk in rice noodles and stir with a fork to separate.
• Cook 4 to 6 minutes, just until noodles are limp but still too firm to eat (a little firmer than al dente ). Then drain and rinse with cold water.
• Combine the pad thai sauce ingredients in a cup, stirring well to dissolve sugar and tamarind. Note that this sauce should have a very strong-tasting flavor: sour-sweet first, followed by salty and spicy. Add more sugar if too sour. Set aside.
• Warm a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the oil plus garlic and onion. Stir-fry for 1 minute to release the fragrance.
• Add bok choy plus enough stock or white wine to keep ingredients frying nicely. Stir-fry 2 minutes, or until bok choy is bright green and slightly softened.
• Push the ingredients aside and add 1/2 tablespoon more of the oil to the center of the wok/pan. Add the egg (if using-don't add the alternative soft tofu quite yet) and stir-fry briefly to scramble.
• If the pan is dry, push the ingredients aside and add a little more of the oil to the middle. Add the drained noodles and 1/3 of the pad thai sauce. Stir-fry everything together for 1 to 2 minutes using 2 utensils and a gently tossing motion (like tossing a salad).
• Keep the heat between medium-high and high, reducing if noodles begin to stick or burn. Continue adding sauce and stir-frying for 3 to 6 more minutes, or until all sauce is added and noodles are soft but still chewy and deliciously sticky. If using soft tofu, add it with the last of the sauce; it will break up and be distributed throughout the dish, just as the egg would.
• Switch off the heat and add bean sprouts, green onions, and 3/4 of the nuts. Toss and taste test, adding more soy sauce for more salt/flavor. If too salty or sweet for your taste, add a good squeeze of lime juice. If too sour, add a little more sugar.
• To serve, scoop noodles onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with remaining chopped nuts and fresh cilantro. Add wedges of fresh-cut lime on the side to be squeezed over just before eating.