[Sandy in Silicon Valley]

I like this thread - Thanks, Lily! I love cooking & baking, even though it doesn't really make me forget that I have metastasized bc - nor do I especially see that as a goal.

It seems like the recipes & menus so far suggested are mostly Central/South American cuisine, which my pepper-loving husband and I love and make often.

My husband is vegetarian, and makes awesome enchiladas, chiliquiles, margheritas, loaded nachos; I'm the guacamole-maker - together, we've even tried our hand at homemade veggie tamales!

After a trip to Cancun & Merida, Mexico, during Dias de Independencia, we started making corn on the cob the way the locals there do, rubbed with fresh lime & then generously sprinkled with sea salt & ground chili pepper... YUM!

But I wanted to add a SE Asian dish - Pad Thai - in a vegetarian version. It has a number of steps, but it's really quick and easy, once the ingredients are assembled and prepared for cooking in a wok or deep frypan.

PAD THAI


1/2 pound dried rice noodles, 1/8 inch wide
Hot Water
1/2 pound tofu or fake meat (like Morningstar Farms' MealMakers "chicken" or "beef" strips)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup + 2 tblsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tblsp white vinegar
1 tsp paprika
4 green onions
1/2 cup vegetable oil (more if needed for step six)
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 eggs
3/4 pound bean sprouts
ground roasted chiles or good chili powder
ground roasted peanuts
Lime wedges

Soak noodles for 20-25 minutes in enough warm water to cover them. They should be flexible and soft, but not so soft that they can be mashed easily with the fingers. Later cooking in liquid will soften them more. Drain them throughly in a colander while preparing the other ingredients. Traditionally they are left in full-length strands, but you may cut them into 8 inch lengths if you find it easier to stir-fry then that way.

Cube the tofu and/or veggie meat in ½ inch dice.

Mix the soysauce, sugar, vinegar, and paprika in a bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.

Slice green onions both the green and white parts, diagonally into 1-1/2 inch long pieces. Set aside.

Heat a wok, add the oil and swirl over the surface. Add the garlic and stir fry until light golden. Add the tofu and/or veggie meat and stir fry until glazed and heated. Add the noodles and toss lightly to coat with oil, add the "meat" and garlic ( I often do this in a larger pot since things tend to come out of the wok).

Add the liquid from step 3 and bring it to a boil rapidly, gently folding the noodles without breaking them. Reduce heat to medium and boil the mixture, folding frequently until the noodles have absorbed the liquid (a pasta server works great for this step).

Lift the noodles gently from one side of the wok. Pour a little oil along the side of the wok, then break the egg ad slip it into the oil. Break the yolk and cover the egg with the noodles immediately. Repeat this on the opposite side with the other egg. Allow eggs to cook undisturbed, over moderate heat until they are set and almost dry. Additional oil may by added if the eggs or the noodles begin to stick to the wok.

When the eggs are set and almost dry, fold them gently but rapidly into the noodles. Try not to break the noodles, which will be soft and fragile at this point. An effective way is to insert the scoop under the eggs, lift it through, and fold the mixture over. Continue the lifting and folding motion until the eggs are broken up and well distributed.

Add the green onions (and bean sprouts if you prefer them mixed in) and toss the entire mixture quickly and gently, stll avoiding breaking the noodles. Cook for about 2 minutes or until onions are tender.

Take a large platter spread with bean sprouts(if you left them out above). Spread Pad Thai from wok over top. Sprinkle ground chilies(see note) and ground peanuts over the top and squeeze lime over the top. Or serve toppings seperately for each diner to add according to taste.