Loaded Veggie Pad Thai

It’s shocking how quick and easy this comes together (once you’ve cut up the veggies, that is). Stop ordering that greasy-ass stuff from the restaurant and take this for a whirl.

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

Sauce

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce

3 tbsp water

3 tbsp maple or date syrup

3 tbsp tomato paste

3 tbsp rice vinegar

Noodles

14 ounce rice noodles (whatever width that strikes your fancy)

1 medium broccoli crown, cut into bite sized pieces

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 red pepper, diced

1/3 cup sliced onions (shallots, yellow, or red will do)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup sliced green onions

1 can baby-corn

1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro

1 block extra-firm tofu

Toppings

2 cups thinly sliced cabbage (green or red or a combo, both work)

1 carrot, shredded or thinly sliced

1 cup bean sprouts

Chopped nuts (peanuts or pistachios or cashews - or a combo if you got ‘em)

Lime wedges

DIRECTIONS:

Heat up your skillet or wok. Cut your tofu into 1/4 planks and then cut those in half to make squares. You can cut ‘em up smaller later if you want but this makes it easier for cookin’ and flippin’. Put them on the pan - they should sizzle - if they don’t turn that fucker up. After 3-4 minutes they should start to get golden - flip em over and repeat until the consistency you dig. This might take some time and you have to do them in batches most likely - so if you have another pan for everything else you can start this and move on while it cooks (just keep an eye on it for shit’s sake.)

Mix together all the stuff for the sauce in a medium bowl and set aside.

Cook the noodles the way the package tells you to. Rinse with cold water.

Heat up another skillet or wok. Grab your cut up veggies. Put 1/4 cup of water into the skillet. When the pan is hot add your onion and stir-fry those bad boys for a few minutes until they char a bit on the edges - about 2 minutes. Add the broccoli, red pepper, and mushrooms - cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and fry that shit for 30 seconds.

Gently add the noodles and a 1/3 of the sauce and toss it around to make sure everything gets covered. Keep stirring and add in tofu. Cook another 30 seconds to a minute to make sure the sauce gets absorbed. Keep spooning it on until it’s the way you dig it. Turn off the heat and fold in the green onions and cilantro.

Serve this pile of awesome RIGHT AWAY and put on the toppings you want. Squeeze the lime all over it and smash this stuff into your mouth.

TIPS:

Can I add whatever veggies I want?

Fucking right you can - just make sure they fit with this general meal. Or not, shit if you want to slice an apple onto this thing who the hell am I to stop you?

I want to put meat in mine!

So do it! I ain’t your mama. Chicken and shrimp at the traditional ways to go - just don’t cut back on the veggies - add your meat in as a topping.

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