Pad Thai with Peanut Sauce

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When I was in college there was a wonderful Thai restaurant nearby called Cozy Thai. That was the first place I’d ever had Pad Thai and I fell in love. Unfortunately, we don’t have any Thai restaurants within ordering distance from our current location so figuring out how to make it at home was essential.

This recipe uses ingredients that people typically have on hand for the sauce. Also, in my recipe I used Shirataki noodles and tofu that I had made earlier in the day. For noodles, you can use whatever you happen to have available. The standard choice is rice noodles but if you don’t have those you could also try homemade zucchini noodles (zoodles) or fettuccine noodles in a pinch.

As I mentioned above I had made Air Fryer Turmeric Tofu earlier in the day so I just diced some up and used it in this recipe. I’m assuming you may not have premade tofu so if not, the first step is to press and cube your tofu. If you are unsure how to do this, feel free to check out the recipe for Air Fryer Turmeric Tofu for details. Once you have pressed and cubed the tofu, set it aside for later in the recipe.

Thinly slice 1 bell pepper and finely diced 1 carrot. Alternatively, you could spiralize the carrot if you prefer. Place these in a large skillet with a small amount of sesame oil (or oil of choice) and saute until the peppers have softened. Then add in your cubed tofu. I used about a cup of small diced tofu (about the same size as the carrot is diced) so you will likely have left over tofu.

**Optional: I didn’t have any eggs in the house when I made this, but if you want to add scrambled egg, now would be the time to do so. Just push the veggies and tofu to the side and make the scrambled egg (2 eggs) before combining in with the veggies**

Let this continue to saute for a few minutes to continue softening the bell pepper and carrots and cooking the tofu. Meanwhile, depending on the type of noodle you are using, begin cooking your noodles according to the directions on the box. Once cooked, add the noodles and 1/2 a cup of bean sprouts to the veggies and tofu and combine well. As I used Shirataki noodles, I rinsed these and added them directly to the veggies and tofu.

While waiting on the noodles to heat up, make the peanut sauce. Combine 1/2 cup peanut butter*, 1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1/4 cup water, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp hoisin sauce, and 1 tsp garlic. Whisk well to combine. Taste test and add additional chili garlic sauce or sriracha if needed.

*For peanut butter, any will do. However, I recommend Crazy Richard’s Creamy Peanut Butter because of the minimal ingredients (literally just peanuts) and as natural peanut butter tends to be more liquid-y, its easier to combine and get an accurate measurement.

Pour sauce over noodles and veggies and stir well to combine. Serve with green onion, peanuts and pineapple on top.

Pad Thai with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cubed extra firm tofu
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 carrot
• sesame oil
• 8 oz rice noodles or 8 oz shirataki noodles
• 2 eggs (optional)
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 tsp chili garlic sauce
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp garlic
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
• green onion
• peanuts

Instructions:

1. Thinly slice bell pepper and diced carrots. In a large skillet, saute the carrots and bell pepper in a small amount of sesame oil. Continue sauteing for about 5-10 minutes then add 1 cup cubed tofu.
2. Beat 2 eggs and add a bit of milk, Push the veggies and tofu to the side of the skillet and scramble the eggs in the open space.
3. In a separate pot, boil water and cook according to package instructions. If using shirataki noodles, they can just be drained and rinsed. Once the noodles are cooked and drained, add them into the skillet with 1/2 cup of bean sprouts.
4. In a separate bowl, combine 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/2 tsp of garlic chili sauce (or more depending on spice preference), 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1/4 cup water, 1 tsp garlic, 3 tbsp soy sauce, and 2 tbsp hoisin sauce. Whisk well to combine and break down the peanut butter. Pour over the veggies, tofu, eggs, and noodles. Stir well to combine.
5. Let this simmer for a few minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.
6. Serve with a green onions and peanuts.