Pad Thai

Ingredients:

½ pound dried rice stick noodles 1/8 inch wide --->
plus enough cold water to cover the noodles
½ pound boneless skinless chicken or pork sliced thin
-OR-
½ pound shrimp peeled, deveined and leave the tails intact
-OR-
leave out the meat for a vegetarian version

For the sauce:
¼ cup Asian fish sauce (I like 3 Crabs brand) -->
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons white vinegar

Other:
½ cup vegetable oil ( I use peanut oil)
1 teaspoon (2 cloves) fresh garlic chopped fine
2 eggs, beaten

¼ pound bean sprouts
4 green onions sliced into 1 ½ inch sections
1 tablespoon ground red chili pepper (more if desired)
1/3 cup ground roasted unsalted peanuts (optional)
Lime wedges from 1-2 limes

You may want to break the noodles by hand before soaking them for easier handling.
Soak the noodles for 45-60 minutes in enough cold water to cover them. You want them to
soften so that they are flexible but not squishy. They will soften further when they are cooked.
Drain well and get rid of any excess water while you prepare the other ingredients. Combine the
fish sauce, sugar and vinegar and stir to dissolve the sugar and set this mixture aside.

Heat up a wok or large solid pan and add the oil and let it heat up, swirling it a bit in the
pan. Be careful not to let the oil burn. Peanut oil has a high burning point so I like it for stir-
frying. Add the garlic and stir fry it just long enough to turn it a bit brown colored.

If you are going to add any of the meat, add it now and stir-fry it just until all the pink color
is gone. If you are using shrimp, stir-fry it in the oil until they all turn pink.

Then add the softened noodles and gently toss them just long enough to coat them with
the oil.

Now add the fish sauce, sugar and vinegar mixture and bring it all to a rapid boil. Fold in
the noodles gently until the noodles have absorbed the liquid.

Use a wok spatula to lift the noodles off of the side or bottom of the pan and pour in the
two beaten eggs and let the noodles down and cover the eggs. Let the eggs set until they are
just about dried out then fold in the eggs with all the noodles. Almost done!

Add the bean sprouts and the sliced green onion and toss until they are warm and tender
then serve.

Garnish with the ground red chili and peanuts and squeeze some lime juice onto the dish
from the lime wedges. The lime juice gives this version of Pad Thai its special taste.