dinner tonight: Pad thai

 ingredients

4 ounces fettuccine-width rice stick noodles

¼ cup peanut oil or neutral 

1 to 4tablespoons tamarind paste (start with one and more to taste)

1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla) or vegan soy sauce, vinegar, seaweed 

1/3 cup honey

2 TB rice vinegar

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

1/4 cup chopped green onions 

1small head Napa cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)

2 TB garlic clove, minced

1 tsp dried hot chili peppers

2 eggs

1/2 lb tofu pressed 

1/2 cup roasted peanuts chopped 

1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped 

2 limes quartered for serving 

1 cup mung bean sprouts (good but optional) 

Put noodles in a large bowl and add boiling water to cover. 

Let sit until noodles are just tender; check every 5 minutes or so to make sure they do not get too soft. 

Drain, drizzle with one tablespoon of oil to keep it from sticking, and set aside. 

sauce

1 tablespoon tamarind paste, fish sauce, honey, and vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and bring just to a simmer. 

Taste and add more tamarind paste if desired. It should be tart, but not unpleasantly sour. Stir in red pepper flakes and set aside.

saute 

Put the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

When oil hot, add scallions and garlic and cook for about a minute. 

Add eggs to pan, once they begin to set, scramble them until just done. 

Add cabbage and bean sprouts and continue to cook until cabbage begins to wilt, then add shrimp or tofu (or both).

If using shrimp, when they begin to turn pink and tofu begins to brown, add drained noodles to the pan along with the sauce. 

Toss everything together to coat with tamarind sauce and combine well. 

When noodles are warmed through, serve, sprinkling each dish with peanuts and garnishing with cilantro and lime wedges.