Pad Thai and Spaghetti Squash?

I've done it!
Today was the day. I had achieved my goal. I made Pad Thai.
It wasn't just any Pad Thai; it was the Pad Thai that I had come to know and love. It was the best Pad Thai I have ever tasted. The unusual thing about this Pad Thai was it was found at a local brewery and not a Thai restaurant. I knew that with very few Asian dishes on the menu, they didn't have an extensive ingredient list for their recipe. It wouldn't be worth their time to invest in all those ingredients for just one dish. Knowing this made it very tempting not to try and duplicate it; surmising that I myself would only need a few ingredients as well.
Don't get me wrong. The dish still has a few more steps than most dishes and working in my tiny kitchen, it became a challenge to find room for my line up of ingredients but it all worked out.
In the end, the dish was just as good as our favorite brewery and more cost effective (plus I could have seconds).
The recipe below has chicken and shrimp. I usually can never decide which one I'd like when I'm ordering out. At home I don't have to decide. I used a little of both.
Oh...before I run off...there's a secret surprise in this Pad Thai: Spaghetti Squash. I know, that's pretty crazy, right? Who has ever heard of spaghetti squash in Pad Thai? I mingled it with the noodles instead of using it as noodles themselves. It adds another element to the dish ( a really good one). It also adds fiber, potassium and is a natural fat burner. The squash has been sitting there challenging me to use it. I accepted that challenge today.
It's a bit unconventional but then so am I. It works well, soaking up the spicy peanut sauce. Yum yum
It took some time to figure out their sauce recipe, some trial and error but I knew I hit the mark when the creamy peanutty sauce delicately coated everything, the ginger danced and the siracha heated the room up. Although this dish isn't the authentic Pad Thai, it had all of the elements essential for a perfect Thai dish: Sour, Sweet, Salty and Spicy. I present it to you, my friends and readers... 'My Pad Thai'

Get chopping...

The Spicy Thai Sauce

 

1 can Coconut Milk

1/2 cup Peanut Butter

1/3 cup Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Fish Sauce

1/3 cup Rice Wine Vinegar

1/4 Cup Siracha (more or less depending on your heat tolerance)

Generous Pinch Red Pepper Flakes

2 tbsp. Honey

3 tbsp. freshly grated Ginger Root

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

 Mix well.

 

The Spaghetti Squash
(optional)

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 Slice the spaghetti squash lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and place face down on a baking sheet.

Bake for one hour.

Remove from oven and scoop out the insides.

Let drain in a colander over the sink, squeezing out any excess liquid.

Set aside.

 

The Rest of the Veggies

1 Head of Broccoli, chopped into florets

1 cup Sugar Snap Peas, washed and trimmed

1 Red Pepper

2 Medium Carrots, peeled and grated

1 Cup Bean Sprouts

Meat and Noodles

1 lb Chicken Breast, cut into bite sized pieces (if using)

1 lb Shrimp, thawed and patted dry (if using)

1/2 lb Spaghetti (or your Asian noodle of choice)

 

 

 

Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling water until al dente (or however you like your pasta).

 

Set aside on a serving platter with the spaghetti squash (if using).

This is the process of cooking the stir fry.

1. Have all of your ingredients chopped and ready.

2. Have two pans on the oven. One of them will be your holding bin, keeping everything warm after it's cooked on low heat. This burner is let on a low heat setting.

The burner you are using to cook with will be on medium high and you will be using a wok or a heavy bottomed frying pan.

3. Have some peanut oil on hand.

4. Let your wok heat up a few minutes and add a tablespoon of peanut oil.

When the oil get shimmery, it's ready. Start with your meats.

Cook them in batches, moving the pieces around. Make sure the chicken is cooked through.
Move to the warming pan when done.
Add another bit of oil to the wok.
Wait until it shimmers.
Repeat that process with the chicken and then the shrimp until they are all cooked.

Then do the same with the vegetables.

Add oil to the pan. Let it shimmer.

Add broccoli. Let it cook for a couple minutes, moving it around while it cooks.

Add just a bit of water to the wok (not even an ounce) and let it bubble up and steam the broccoli.

The broccoli will turn an intense color of green and be crisp tender when done.

Do this in batches so you are not over crowding the pan.

Move the veggies to your holding bin when finished.

Do the exact same thing with the sugar snap peas.

Then add the carrots and peppers.

Then do the bean sprouts (just for a minute or two)

and the last step...add your peanut sauce and warm it through.

Combine on a serving platter.

Sauce up the dish to your liking.

Garnishments

Lime wedges

Cilantro, chopped

Green onion, sliced

Peanuts, Chopped

and now....finally...it's time to eat..

Grab your chopsticks and

 dine well, my friends.

 

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