Chicken Pad Thai

Joshua and I are always on the lookout for good Pad Thai recipes, so we were happy to find this one. This recipe is a nice way to try Pad THai if you don't usually make a lot of Asian food at home, because it doesn't have some of the stranger ingredients that can be difficult to come by. It is a little spicy, so cut back on the chile sauce if you are concerned about it being too "hot" for you.

ingredients

• 8 ounces rice noodles (Vietnamese bahn pho or Thai sen-mee)
• 1/4 cup salted peanuts, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lime peel
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 4-1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Asian chile sauce with garlic
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or turkey, cut into bite-sized strips
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 1/3 cup sliced green onion
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro

directions

1. Place noodles in a large bowl. Add enough hot tap water to cover; let stand for 10 to 15 minutes or until pliable but not soft. Drain well in a colander.

2. Meanwhile, for peanut topping, combine peanuts and lime peel; set aside.

3. In a small bowl combine fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and chile sauce; stir until smooth. Set aside.

4. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and garlic; cook and stir for 6 minutes until chicken is tender and no pink remains. Transfer to a bowl.

5. Add egg to the hot skillet and cook for 30 seconds. Turn egg with spatula and cook for 30 to 60 seconds more, just until set. Remove and chop egg; set aside.

6. In same skillet heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over high heat for 30 seconds. Add drained noodles and sprouts; stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add fish sauce mixture and chicken; cook 1 to 2 minutes more until heated through. Divide noodle mixture among four plates. Sprinkle each serving with egg and peanut topping. Garnish with green onion and cilantro. Makes 4 servings.