05 Sep Stir Fry? Pad Thai.
An easy weeknight Pad Thai that uses left over chicken and packs the flavor.
I got to thinking the other day about stir fry. I was explaining a sample stir fry I made for a demo and wondered… “What is stir fry… really?”
For me, it’s kind of a blanket term when menu planning at our house because so often I make a “stir fry” with some left over veggies, whatever noodles I have and Asian flavors like ginger and soy sauce. Nothing fancy. Just get a good meal on the table kind of food.
But, what is stir fry?
And how is it different than lo mein? Or chow mien?
Or, pad thai?
Turns out, it’s often the country of origin and the noodle. And, not shocking, none of them utilize a spaghetti noodle… like I sometimes do… and call it “stir fry.”
Here is a great article all about the noodle use in Asian meals and a breakdown of all the meals they can create.
I have no problem with my “use what you have stir fry” and you shouldn’t either. They are easy and always great. But, for the sake of learning new things and doing it right, I dove into what really is pad thai this week.
It’s a dish from Thailand with bold flavor and a cozy feel. It’s stir fried rice noodles and almost always includes peanuts, lime and egg. We used left over chicken from a roasted whole bird so it still served it’s purpose of being quick and emptying my refrigerator. Check, check, check!
- 10 ounces rice noodle
- 1 pound chicken (We use left overs from a whole, roasted chicken. Chicken breast would be great too.)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar (packed)
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 red bell pepper (sliced into thin strips and strips halved)
- 1½ cups matchstick carrots (I sometimes just peel ribbons because it is easier)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 green onions (whites minced, greens sliced into 1-inch pieces)
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup unsalted peanuts (roughly chopped)
- ⅓ cup cilantro (chopped)
- sesame seeds
- Cook the rice noodles according to the package.
- Prepare the sauce in a mixing bowl bu whisking brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice and fish sauce together. Set aside.
- Cook chicken, if you are not using already cooked chicken. (Remember, we make this often from left over whole chicken.)
- Sauté vegetables until tender.
- Push veggies to the side of the pan and crack the eggs in the center. Scramble with with a fork and cook until just set.
- Add chicken, noodles and sauce to the pan and cook all together about two minutes.
- Garnish each dish with cilantro, peanuts, and sesame seeds.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.