Quick & Easy Chicken Pad Thai

Last night for some reason I got this crazy craving for Chicken Pad Thai. Of course, I didn't have any of the ingredients lying around, nor did I have any idea how to make Chicken Pad Thai, so I started Googling. I found a recipe and made a list and headed to the grocery store. I was prepared to make my own Pad Thai sauce with Tamarind Paste, Fish Sauce, Chili Sauce, & Brown Sugar, but I found this amazing little concoction in the International section at Whole Foods:



It was much cheaper than buying all of those ingredients that I probably wouldn't use very often, and I made sure to check the ingredient list to compare it to the authentic Pad Thai recipes I found on the internet (they're all there!), so I decided to try it out. I was so impressed! My Pad Thai dish turned out just as delicious as any Thai restaurant I've ever been to! It was quick and easy, and it made a perfect 2-serving dish. I mostly followed the recipe on the back of the jar, but I added my own twist. Check out my recipe below, with my very scientific measurements. NOTE: I like my Pad Thai with a peanut-y flavor, so feel free to exclude the Peanut Sauce or Chopped Peanuts if you don't.


Quick & Easy Chicken Pad Thai (Serves 2)

1/3 Package (14 oz.) Stir-Fry Rice Noodles

6 Tbs. Pad Thai Sauce

About 4 oz. Cubed Chicken (feel free to substitute shrimp, pork, beef, or tofu)

3 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped

3 Tbs. Vegetable Oil

1 Egg

1 Tbs. Peanut Sauce

2 Tbs. Chopped Peanuts

Bean Sprouts (to your liking - I put about a handful)

Chives, chopped (to your liking)

Cilantro (to your liking)

Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (to your liking)

A few slices of lime for garnish

Start out by bringing about 4 cups of water to a boil in a sauce pan or small pot. Once water reaches boiling, remove from heat and immerse your noodles. You don't want to over cook the noodles - remember, you will be stir frying them later! Let noodles sit in hot water for 8-10 minutes. When they're done, drain and rinse with cool water. While noodles are sitting, Heat 1 Tbs. Vegetable Oil in a large non-stick pan or wok. Scramble egg and put to the side for later. Meanwhile, I chopped my Garlic, Chives, Cilantro, & Peanuts so all of my ingredients were ready to go for the quick stir-frying process. Once the egg is removed from the pan, add 2 Tbs Vegetable Oil and Chopped Garlic and heat on high until fragrant. Add Chicken and cook thoroughly. By the time the chicken is done, so should your noodles. Add the drained and rinsed noodles to the pan. Stir in 6 Tbs. of Stir Fry Sauce, and 1 Tbs. Peanut Sauce (if desired) and stir fry for about 2 minutes. Add in Bean Sprouts, Chives & Chopped Peanuts to your liking and stir fry for another minute. If you like your Pad Thai with a little kick (I do!), add in some Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (the Pad Thai sauce is pretty mild). Remove from heat and garnish with cilantro and lime. Serve and enjoy!