Another dish that, while not bad, did not meet up my expectations.

The recipe from Cooking Light was a little bland and lacking in spice and comparison with other online recipes showed that a good deal of ingredients seemed to have been left out.

It wasn’t an unpleasant dish; if the aim is to produce a restaurant-style pad thai, this is not the recipe for it.

Recipe

Takes about 45 minutes and almost all of it it’s hands-on.

I don’t know where to find the dried shrimp that the recipe calls for. My grocery store (HEB), which is surprisingly well stocked, did not have it – I’m sure an Asian grocery store would though.

Dried Shrimp
Also known as kung haeng (Thailand), bazun-chauk (Burma), and ebi (Indonesia), sun-dried small shrimp provide a layer of umami (savory) flavor in Southeast Asian cooking. They’re often tossed into simmering dishes to rehydrate the shrimp and release the flavors, but sometimes the dried shrimp are just added whole. They can even be ground to a powder and sprinkled like salt as a seasoning. Don’t confuse dried shrimp with shrimp paste, a more pungent fermented paste known as kapi (Thailand), terasi (Indonesia), and belacan (Malaysia).

Ingredients

6 ounces uncooked flat rice noodles (pad Thai noodles) 1/4 cup rice vinegar 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided 2 tablespoons very thinly sliced banana pepper 3 ounces extra-firm tofu,sut into thin strips 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 tablespoon water 1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce I tablespoon fish sauce 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1/8 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons peanut oil, divided 3 garlic cloves, .mince 1 (2-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken thigh, cut into thin strips 4 cups fresh bean sprouts, divided 3 green onions, trimmed, crushed with flat side of a knife, and cut into 11/2-inch pieces 1 tablespoon small dried shrimp 1/4 cup unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts, chopped 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Preparation

(Start by heating the wok right at the beginning - it will get properly hot by the time its needed)

1. Prepare noodles according to package directions; drain.
2. Combine vinegar and 1 tablespoon sugar, stirring until sugar dissolves.
   Add banana pepper; set aside.
3. Place tofu on several layers of heavy-duty paper towels; cover with additional paper towels.
   Let stand 20 minutes, pressing down occasionally.
4. Combine remaining 1 teaspoon sugar, lime juice, and next 3 ingredients (throUgh fish sauce).
   Combine eggs and salt, stirring well.
5. Heat a large wok over high hear. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons oil; swirl to coat.
   Add garlic; stir-fry 15 seconds.
   Add chicken; stir-fry 2 minutes or until browned.
   Add pressed tofu; cook 1 minute on each side or until browned.
   Pour in egg mixture; cook 45 seconds or until egg begins to set around chicken and tofu.
   Remove from pan; cut into large pieces.
6. Add remaining 1% tablespoons oil to wok; swirl to coat.
   Add 2 cups bean sprouts; green onions, and dried shrimp; stir-fry 1 minute.
   Add noodles and soy sauce mixture; stir-fry 2 minutes; tossing until noodles are lightly browned. Add reserved egg mixture; toss to combine.
   Arrange remaining 2 cups bean sprouts on a platter; top with poodle mixture.
   Sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro.

Serve with vinegar mixture. Serves 4 (serving size: 1 1/2 cups noodle mixture and 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar sauce)

• calories 432;
• fat 19.1g (sat 3.6g, mono 8.3g, poly 6.1g);
• protein 14.3g;
• carbs 52.7g;
• fiber 36g;
• cholesterol 110mg;
• iron 3.3mg; sodium 640mg; calcium 80mg