Whippin up some Pad Thai

I thumbed through The Skinnygirl Dish with the idea that I'd stop when a recipe made my mouth water or tummy gurgle with delight. Thankfully, it didn't take much thumbing to find a winner.

Recipe #1: Pad Thai

I'm not sure what the rules are with reprinting recipes from books, so I'll refrain from doing that... BUT I threw a whole bunch of this:

...into this:



When it was all in there, it looked like this:



Not very appetizing, huh? After some serious whisking, it looked way more sauce-like (no pics, so take my word for it!) All the while I was preparing the lovely rice noodles:

I bought the noodles at Lotte, and the rest of the ingredients at Safeway. Note to self and other Asian cuisine novices: must spend some quality time in Lotte, loads of good stuff (and for way cheaper than the international aisle at other grocery stores).

Anyhoo... I drained the noodles, poured in the sauce, then stirred and coated. The final result is a beauty:

This pad thai is absolutely delicious and super easy to make. From start to finish it took about 15 minutes. I was really impressed with the flavor and that I didn't have that "so full I can't move" feeling I tend to get after a starchy meal. I didn't add meat because I was in a bit of a time crunch, but I think it would be incredible with shrimp or another meat that picks up other flavors easily. I also love that this recipe serves 4, because I survive on leftovers on class days.

Reasons it's healthier than regular pad thai:
♡ far less sugar, fat and starch than restaurant orders
♡ smaller portions
♡ no egg*

*I'm not as concerned with the egg as the other stuff, but I am glad I was able to knock out the additional 70 cals.

This recipe is definitely a keeper! My only complaint is probably attributable to user error... my noodles were a tad sticky, so it was difficult to get the sauce to coat the whole pot evenly. Other than that, I'm happily slipping this into the dinner rotation.

Skinnygirl Pad Thai: ☆☆☆☆ (out of 5)

Yum!

✳ ✳ ✳
You may also be interested in: Anticipation

Solo Saturday

In an effort to feel less wasteful—and maintain the shoestring budget I'm on this Summer—I've decided to start cooking with only the ingredients I have on hand (except for produce, of course).

Since tonight was a solo Saturday, messing up on a new recipe meant no one had to know... so to the cupboards I went! My baking cabinet never lets me down, so I started there. After about 3 seconds, I realized I had enough to throw together some bread...

Enter new recipe: Easiest Focaccia.

Focaccia instantly made me think of my latest obsession: Grilled Turkey Burgers with Cheddar and Smoky Aioli and my mission was clear...

Take this stuff:

... and make something delicious.

Mix, mix, mix, knead, bake... stir, stir, stir, fold, grill.

In the end, success!

I seasoned the focaccia with salt, garlic powder and basil. The turkey burgers were finished off with sharp cheddar, tomato, red onions and a yummy side salad. I was a little afraid of the leftovers at first because burgers always reheat a little wonky, but I'm sure the toaster oven will get the job done.

Wonder what the cupboard has in store for tomorrow!