Hot Weather Food

I find I make a great deal of Asian food. This has been especially true this summer as it has been so hot. They know hot weather and good food in Thailand.

Vegetable Pad Thai (from EveryDay Food magazine)

8 oz dried, wide, flat rice noodles
2 TBSP dark brown sugar
2 TBSP fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
3 TBSP soy sauce
2 tsp vegetable oil
3 scallions, finely chopped, green and white parts separated
1 garlic clove, minced
2 large eggs, lightly beaten (optional)
1/2 C fresh cilantro
1/4 C chopped roasted, salted peanuts

1. Soak noodles according to package instruction. Drain. In a small bowl , whisk together sugar, lime juice and soy sauce.

2. In a large, non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add scallion whites and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. About 30 seconds. Add eggs, if using, and cook, scraping skillet with a rubber spatula, until eggs are almost set, about 30 seconds. Transfer egg mixture to a plate. Add noodles and soy sauce mixture to skillet and cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are soft and coated with sauce, about 1 minute. Add egg mixture and toss to coat, breaking eggs up gently. Serve noodles with lime wedges with peanuts and cilantro as garnish.

*Easy add-ins: Before adding the noodles, toss thinly sliced chicken breast or peeled, deveined shrimp into the pan.

I made this with shrimp as a main course. I found noodles at the Giant food store labeled "Pad Thai Noodles" so that was simple enough. You let them soak for 30-45 minutes in warm water and then drain them. I added one tablespoon of fish sauce to the soy sauce mixture, mostly because I like it and it seems to go well in any Thai dish. I was not disappointed. I also used the eggs. If you do all the prep while the noodles are soaking, this is a very quick meal to throw together. It would be just as tasty as a purely vegetarian dish. You want to make sure you keep tossing the noodles in the skillet or they will stick to the bottom as the sauce absorbs. I threw together a side salad to round out the meal.