Jan 15

Jan 15 healthy pad thai

pad thai is one of my longgggg time favorites! any time i go to a sushi or thai restaurant it's what i order. but it's usually loaded with oil, and making homemade pad thai isn't the ideal for me because finding tamarind paste can be a little difficult, and don't even get me started on the fish sauce! i'm one of those people with a really sensitive sense of smell and there are certain things i avoid like the plague all together because i just can't deal with the smell... think nova and canned tuna.. so yea, the fish sauce in pad thai is something i'm just not down to have in my kitchen. for some reason, i can handle it if it's already cooked into a dish i order at a restaurant, but i once bought a jar to use at home and was completely repulsed! never again. 🙅‍

so anyway, i call this dish a pad thai because the flavors are very similar to me, but there are certain elements missing that distinguish it from a traditional pad thai dish. nonetheless, this version is hearty, creamy, so delicious and way better for you than one you'd order out. and if you use the same noodles i did (which isn't necessary) it's not only vegan, but also gluten free!

it's also a really flexible dish.. you can use whatever noodles you prefer. and also, you can substitute tofu for whatever protein you'd like and you can switch up he veggies for all of your favorites and even switch up the way you cook them. hope you enjoy this dish as much as i do!

  
    Servings
    Prep Time
    Cook Time
    Total Time
  

    2
    10 mins.
    40 mins.
    50 mins.
  

ingredients:

2 packs of miracles noodles (or 1/2 a lb of spaghetti or rice noodles, or even zoodles)
1 package extra firm tofu
1/4 cup Trader Joe's Sriracha Roasted Garlic BBQ sauce (or teriyaki sauce)
2 cups of mixed greens
2 baby bok choy
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 cup of snap peas
avocado oil spray
salt
pepper
garlic powder
1/4 cup creamy almond butter
2 tablespoons coconut aminos
2 tablespoons maple syrup
juice of half a lime
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sriracha sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried ground ginger
1 tablespoon water

directions:

preheat oven to 350 degrees.
remove tofu from packaging and rinse, then pat dry. if you have a tofu press, you can use it to dry out the tofu, but if you don't have one, just pat it dry, pressing into it delicately to remove moisture.
cut tofu in half crosswise (butterflying it), then into strips, then into cubes.
place tofu cubes in a mixing bowl and top with sriracha roasted garlic bbq sauce, making sure it is all coated. let sit for at least ten minutes.
place tofu on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes, flipping once halfway through.
while the tofu is cooking, cook the veggies, noodles and prepare the sauce.
for the sauce, combine: almond butter, coconut aminos, maple syrup, lime juice, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sriracha sauce, ground ginger and water in a blender and blend until combined. set aside until the noodles are cooked.
for the veggies, heat a large cast iron skillet over low to medium heat and spray with avocado oil. add bok choy, snap peas and carrots. season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and saute until tender. alternatively, you could steam the veggies or switch them up for whatever your favorite veggies are.
for the noodles, cook according to package instructions. once cooked, add to a non-stick skillet with the sauce until the sauce thickens and sticks to the noodles.
to serve, place mixed greens in a bowl, top with hot noodles and add veggies and tofu.
serve and enjoy!