Cooking Light Magazine Pad Thai Recipes

PAD THAI

Steps:

• For the Pad Thai Sauce: In a small bowl, stir together the fish sauce, sugar, tamarind paste, lime juice, vinegar, paprika and chili sauce. Set aside.
• For the Pad Thai: Soak the noodles in enough warm water to cover for 1 hour.
• If using, cut the banana leaf into round shapes using an overturned bowl. Place on the serving platter and hold for plating.
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the oil and coat the skillet completely. When the skillet starts to smoke, add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 seconds. Add the tofu and dried shrimp and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and cook, stirring, until no longer pink, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Push ingredients in the skillet to one side and let the oil settle in the center of skillet. Crack the eggs into the oil and let set until half-cooked, about 30 seconds, then lightly scramble. Combine with the remaining cooked ingredients in the skillet, scraping the bits from the bottom before they burn. Add 3 cups of the drained noodles and cook, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve the noodle soaking water.
• Add the salted turnip and shrimp. Cook until both the chicken and shrimp are at medium doneness, about 1 minute. Add the sauce and fold together until all the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes.
• Place half of the bean sprouts, half of the crushed peanuts and the garlic chives (or scallions) in the center of noodles, and then spoon some noodles over them to cover and let steam for 30 seconds. If the skillet seems dry, add a small amount of the noodle soaking water. Transfer to a serving plate with the banana leaf circle, and garnish with the remaining bean sprouts, peanuts and lime.

THE BEST SHRIMP PAD THAI

Steps:

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

LIGHTENED-UP PAD THAI

Steps:

• Soak the rice noodles in a bowl of warm water until pliable but not too soft, about 30 minutes. Drain.
• Run a vegetable peeler along the length of the carrot and zucchini to create noodle-like ribbons. Keep the two separate and set aside.
• Mix together the fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, oyster sauce and Sriracha in a small bowl. Remove 1 teaspoon of the sauce and toss with the shrimp, let sit at room temperature.
• Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Scatter the shrimp in one layer in the skillet. Sear for 1 minute, then remove to a plate.
• Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, red pepper slices, carrot ribbons and soaked noodles; stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the sauce and 1/2 cup water; stir until the noodles have softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the zucchini ribbons, bean sprouts, scallions and reserved shrimp. Stir-fry for another minute. If the noodles look too dry, add a little more water.
• Divide evenly among four plates. Sprinkle with peanuts. Serve with lime wedges, Sriracha and fish sauce on the side.

PAD THAI - LOWER FAT VERSION

Steps:

• Place noodles in a large bowl.
• Cover completely with boiling water, soak, stirring occasionally, until noodles are just tender, about 15 minutes.
• Drain well and set aside.
• Whisk egg in a small bowl, then stir in sugar, fish or oyster sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire, chili-garlic sauce and chili flakes.
• Set aside.
• Boil broth over high heat, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by half, about 6 minutes.
• Pour reduced chicken broth into a large, non-stick skillet, add garlic, chicken and shrimp.
• Stir frequently until shrimp start to turn pink and chicken starts to turn white.
• Stir in egg mixture, then add drained noodles.
• Stir to evenly coat.
• If noodles begin to stick, reduce heat to medium.
• Add green onions, peppers, coriander, mint and bean sprouts.
• Continue stirring until noodles are heated through, from 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add chopped peanuts if you want, but they will increase fat content for this lowfat recipe.
• Spoon into bowls and serve with lime.
• Note: You can substitute frozen pre-cooked shrimp for the fresh.

COOKING LIGHT MAGAZINE PAD THAI

Steps:

• Soak tamarind paste in 3/4 cup boiling water for about 10 minutes, then push it through a mesh strainer to remove the seeds and fibers and extract as much pulp as possible. Stir fish sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, cayenne, and 2 tablespoons oil into tamarind liquid and set aside.
• Cover rice sticks with hot tap water in large bowl; soak until softened, pliable, and limp but not fully tender, about 20 minutes. Drain noodles and set aside. Beat eggs and 1/8 teaspoon salt in small bowl; set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet (preferably nonstick) over high heat until just beginning to smoke, about 2 minutes. Add shrimp and sprinkle with remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt; cook, tossing occasionally, until shrimp are opaque and browned about the edges, about 3 minutes. Transfer shrimp to plate and set aside.
• Off heat, add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and swirl to coat; add garlic and shallot, set skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until light golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes; add eggs to skillet and stir vigorously with wooden spoon until scrambled and barely moist, about 20 seconds. Add noodles, dried shrimp, and salted radish (if using) to eggs; toss with 2 wooden spoons to combine. Pour fish sauce mixture over noodles, increase heat to high, and cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are evenly coated. Scatter 1/4 cup peanuts, bean sprouts, all but 1/4 cup scallions, and cooked shrimp over noodles; continue to cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are tender, about 2 1/2 minutes (if not yet tender add 2 tablespoons water to skillet and continue to cook until tender).
• Transfer noodles to serving platter, sprinkle with remaining scallions, 2 tablespoons peanuts, and cilantro; serve immediately, passing lime wedges separately.