Before I got sick, there was pad thai

Okay folks, I took the picture with my phone, so have mercy. It looked a lot better than this in real life and tasted a lot better than it looked. Honest!

By the way, this was another case of me getting mad when G took the leftovers to work. (It's been a while since I felt that way but you notice it was another recipe involving sweet and spicy and lime. What does that tell you?)

I really wanted this food today with lots of hot sauce to clear out my poor, stuffy head. Guess I'll have to make more, sometime.

Here's how I did it, Saturday night before the ickies hit me.

Pad Thai (Vegetarian)

1 package rice noodles

About 1/4 c peanuts, raw
2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced
Aboug 2 tbsp onion, finely minced (I had no shallots, but that would be more authentic)

1 lb extra firm tofu, pressed, drained and julienned
1 egg, lightly beaten

about 1/3 c purchased pad thai sauce (and yes, this is a big cheat, but it is a lot easier to find the bottled sauce than it is to find tamarind around here, and you kind of need that to make the sauce from scratch)

about 1 1/2 c fresh mung bean sprouts

Place noodles to soak in lukewarm water. They should soak about 40 - 60 minutes until they are firm but flexible. They will cook further when you add them to the rest of your stuff. If you like them softer, boil them. But I think firmer is better.

Heat oil in wok or large pan over high heat. Add peanuts and stir until browned. Remove with metal strainer or slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels. Salt lightly.

Cook garlic and onion in oil until beginning to brown lightly. Add tofu and noodles and stir.

Push the mixture to one side, making a small space. Pour the egg there and stir until almost cooked. Then stir it into the noodle mixture. Add the bean sprouts and pad thai sauce and stir thoroughly. It will all be very tangly. Persevere until you get the sauce distributed through everything.

By now the noodles should be soft enough to enjoy. Serve the whole messy mass on a platter garnished with peanuts, lime, cilantro and jalapenos. Pass the Sriracha hot sauce and maybe a little sugar if you like. I put the garnishes on the side so everyone can choose what they like best, which is how you mostly find it in Thai restaurants, at least around here.

I never really ate Thai before I came to California, if you can believe that. What was I thinking? I also bought some red curry paste which I am excited to try. Coming soon!