One thing I love about dishes like pad thai is you can play around with the ingredients you add, whether it’s the veggies (carrots, broccoli, peppers) or the protein (chicken, beef, tofu), allowing you to be creative and resourceful with what you have on hand in your fridge.  I’ve looked to a variety of recipes over the years, taking some of my favorite parts from each, and coming up with the one I now use below. Also, you can scale up this dish for several people, or scale it down for a solo meal.

Chicken pad thai
(Serves four, or two + leftovers)

Ingredients
– 8 oz flat Thai rice noodles
– 1/3 cup dry roasted peanuts, crushed
– 3 tbsp canola oil
– 1/2 lb chicken breast, sliced thinly (could also substitute shrimp, tofu, or beef)
– 1 tbsp soy sauce
– 3 cloves of garlic, minced
– 1/2 cup shallots, finely chopped
– 3 carrots, julienned *
– 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced *
– 1 cup broccoli florets, in bite-sized pieces *
– 3 eggs
– 1/2 tsp dried chili pepper
– A handful of cilantro, chopped
– 1 lime, quartered

* Note: These are the veggies that I normally use to stir fry, but you can substitute any veggies to your liking.

For the sauce
– 3 tbsp fish sauce
– 1 tbsp soy sauce
– 3 tbsp light brown sugar
– 2 tbsp white sugar
– 2 tbsp rice vinegar
– 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce
– 2 tbsp creamy peanut butter

Optional additional toppings
– Green onions, sliced
– fresh bean sprouts

Directions
(Note: Because this recipe involves a variety of prepped ingredients — i.e. mincing, chopping, slicing — I like to first prep all of my ingredients ahead of time on the counter, so that I have them ready at hand to add into the dish).

1. Prepare your sauce by mixing all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Toast your crushed peanuts in a pan over medium heat, tossing every so often so they don’t burn, until they’re lightly browned with a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and set aside in a small bowl.

3. Toss your sliced chicken with the soy sauce. In a large skillet pan, heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and stir-fry until cooked through. Remove from pan, and set aside.

4. With hot oil still on the pan, turn down heat slightly to medium, and add garlic and shallots. Cook down, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are translucent. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

5. At this stage, prepare your noodles. It’s best to follow the instructions on your noodle package. My method is to bring water to a boil, then turn off the heat (so you now have lukewarm water), place noodles in the water, and let sit for around 8-10 minutes until soft. When softened, rinse with cold water.

6. While your noodles are cooking, add the rest of your vegetables (carrots, bell peppers,  broccoli) to the pan, and stir fry to cook the vegetables through. Once your vegetables are cooked, crack eggs into the pan, and softly scramble, breaking them into small pieces with your spatula.

7. Once noodles are cooked, add to the pan, along with sauce and chili pepper. Mix everything together until well-combined.

8. Plate and serve topped with cilantro, peanuts, and a lime wedge. Add optional additional toppings if desired. Enjoy!