As she withdraws from takeout addiction, guest blogger
Erin Gahagan overcomes a kitchen tantrum to master Pad Thai.
Seven weeks. 49 days. 1,176 hours. That’s how long it’s been since I left New York City for Pennsylvania. In that time, I’ve ordered delivery exactly twice. This is about 10 percent of what I would’ve ordered in New York over that same time period.
That’s good, right? Good for my health, my wallet, and building-my-life skills (see previous post re: onion). But boy, do I miss delivery. Ordering out meant yummy food with zero prep and practically no cleanup—everything a (not-so) secretly lazy girl like me needs. Ah, those were the days.
But back to Reality, PA. Last week, I was so mad about cooking dinner that I stomped around the kitchen like a toddler, slamming cabinets and clanging pans. I was tired, hungry, and the recipe I’d picked—not from The Vegan Cheat Sheet—turned out to be way more complicated than I’d thought. In the end, I didn’t even want to eat it, because all I could taste was fury.
A few days later, sanity restored, I revisited The Vegan Cheat Sheet’s No-Brainer Recipes. Then I saw it. . .Pad Thai—one of the items I missed ordering the most—and two marvelous words in the description: “super-simple.” I wept with joy (ok, that’s not true, but I felt like it).
That’s good, right? Good for my health, my wallet, and building-my-life skills (see previous post re: onion). But boy, do I miss delivery. Ordering out meant yummy food with zero prep and practically no cleanup—everything a (not-so) secretly lazy girl like me needs. Ah, those were the days.
But back to Reality, PA. Last week, I was so mad about cooking dinner that I stomped around the kitchen like a toddler, slamming cabinets and clanging pans. I was tired, hungry, and the recipe I’d picked—not from The Vegan Cheat Sheet—turned out to be way more complicated than I’d thought. In the end, I didn’t even want to eat it, because all I could taste was fury.
A few days later, sanity restored, I revisited The Vegan Cheat Sheet’s No-Brainer Recipes. Then I saw it. . .Pad Thai—one of the items I missed ordering the most—and two marvelous words in the description: “super-simple.” I wept with joy (ok, that’s not true, but I felt like it).
I recognized the ingredients, and all were easy to find at the grocery store. Full disclosure: Still smarting from the last dinner debacle, I cut a few corners here. I used pre-minced garlic and frozen broccoli. I was heavy with guilt over this until my fiancé pointed out there’s no shame in opting for convenience once in awhile. It’s a good point. While fresh is definitely best, sometimes it’s ok to make things easier on yourself. I’m slowly learning that teaching myself to cook is a marathon, not a sprint—pacing is important to avoid going down in a blaze of frustration.
This Pad Thai recipe could not have been easier. Cook the noodles in one pan, mix and simmer the sauce ingredients in another, and microwave the broccoli. Mix together in a serving bowl and it’s done! I am not downplaying it when I say this meal truly takes under 10 minutes to make. That’s less time than it would take to get it delivered! And unlike delivery, I knew there was no oil or other bad stuff mixed in.
The simplicity and healthfulness of the recipe is great, but the even better news is that it tastes unbelievable. My fiancé inhaled his bowl, saying, “This feels like a treat—like something you’d order.” In more good news, since this recipe makes four servings, we had leftovers, which I enjoyed even more the next day.
The simplicity and healthfulness of the recipe is great, but the even better news is that it tastes unbelievable. My fiancé inhaled his bowl, saying, “This feels like a treat—like something you’d order.” In more good news, since this recipe makes four servings, we had leftovers, which I enjoyed even more the next day.
Obviously, this Pad Thai is my new favorite thing (easy, delicious, and tastes like takeout? Let’s have this every night!). So I quickly found myself back at the store, buying ingredients to make it again. The checkout girl saw the rice noodles and asked what I used them for.
“Pad Thai!” I exclaimed, thrilled that I actually had a good answer.
“Really?” she said, “I’ve had that in restaurants but I didn’t know you could make it at home.”
“Oh yes, it’s super easy!” I heard myself say, like I’d been doing this for years. Fake it ‘til you make it, right?
“Pad Thai!” I exclaimed, thrilled that I actually had a good answer.
“Really?” she said, “I’ve had that in restaurants but I didn’t know you could make it at home.”
“Oh yes, it’s super easy!” I heard myself say, like I’d been doing this for years. Fake it ‘til you make it, right?
Pad Thai (p 106)
Serves 4
2–3 tablespoons packed sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 green onions, chopped
1 (16-ounce) package Thai rice noodles, cooked according to package instructions
3 cups broccoli florets, steamed in microwave for 2–4 minutes
¼ cup fresh cilantro
¼ cup chopped peanuts or other nuts (optional)
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 green onions, chopped
1 (16-ounce) package Thai rice noodles, cooked according to package instructions
3 cups broccoli florets, steamed in microwave for 2–4 minutes
¼ cup fresh cilantro
¼ cup chopped peanuts or other nuts (optional)
In a large saucepan, combine sugar, lime juice, tamari, garlic, and scallions and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes
Toss noodles with sauce and broccoli. Top with cilantro and add peanuts, if desired.
Thai one on with Erin onTwitter at @Erin1217.
Toss noodles with sauce and broccoli. Top with cilantro and add peanuts, if desired.
Thai one on with Erin onTwitter at @Erin1217.
RSS Feed