Basic Shrimp Pad Thai

Courtesy of Cooking Light

Cooking Light magazine did a feature this month where they lightened up classic take out dishes. Chicken fried rice, supreme pizza, and my beloved pad thai were all featured. I've not been impressed with packaged versions of pad thai, so I thought I would give the recipe a go. As it turned out, although quite simple, this recipe impressed me with its spicy goodness (yes, if you go with the chili garlic sauce option, it's got some heat). The resulting dish wasn't quite identical to take out, but pretty close, and its much less oily- a good difference! We will be making it again!

Shrimp Pad Thai

8 ounces uncooked flat rice noodles (pad Thai noodles)
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar or tamarind paste
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Sriracha or chili garlic sauce
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup (2-inch) green onion pieces
8 ounces peeled and deveined large shrimp
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/4 cup chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

1. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.

2. While water comes to a boil, combine sugar and next 4 ingredients (through Sriracha) in a small bowl.

3. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion pieces, shrimp, and garlic; stir-fry 2 minutes or until shrimp is almost done. Add cooked noodles; toss to combine. Stir in sauce; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly to combine. Arrange about 1 cup noodle mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1/4 cup bean sprouts, 1 tablespoon peanuts, and 2 teaspoons basil.