I have a sorta mock pad thai recipe. Takes around 25 minutes.
You can use whatever noodle you prefer for this. I like wide rice noodles or sobas, but linguine can be subbed in. You either start these at the beginning (for linguine) or while you're cooking the chicken (for rice noods). Either way, start boiling the water before anything else or you'll regret it.
Peanut butter, sriracha, brown sugar, soy sauce, 2 Tbsp lime juice, minced garlic, and grated ginger to make the sauce base, whisked. Coconut milk is added to this right after.
Then you cut up the chicken or tofu, saute til cooked through (but not overcooked).
Once chicken or tofu is cooked, dump the sauce on it, then throw in the noodles. Stir, stir, stir. I actually prefer to use tongs to mix this since the sauce is pretty thick initially.
Then it's done. Top with chopped peanuts and scallions.
(1) in your recipe, consider saving the limes for squeezing on the finished dish just before eating. This will make the sauce thicker, but you can add a small amount of water to get a workable consistency.
(2) this, and a more 'traditional' pad thai, sit within a big family of dishes that follow the same high level process:
(a) partially cook or soften (by soaking) some noodles
(b) mix a sauce in a separate bowl
(c) saute protein until cooked through
(d) add sauce to protein, throw in noodles and stir
(e) top with toppings
Most variations will be edible and many will be very tasty.
The only disaster point is using (way) too much sauce that makes the dish too salty/sweet. It is also possible to use too little sauce, but that just gives you a bland dish that is probably still edible.
I mean, I did couch that in the “sorta mock” designation. It’s fake pad Thai specifically because it cuts out all the little technical nuances that result in “authentic” pad thai, in a similar vein to the quick and broadly accessible recipes described in the parent post.
I _love_ this kind of content and cannot agree more on the two types of recipes. I live alone, and I'm not super picky about my food (just trying to eat a bit healthier). I think I'm a "decent" cook (but not amazing), and....a bit on the lazy side, haha. I always forget to buy 1 or 2 obscure ingredients and I'm definitely not up for cleaning all kitchen utensils I own (it just delays cooking the next meal). Ordering takeout would be easiest but not practical for my wallet. I'll definitely be trying out most all of the recipes you shared. :) (maybe not bread baking but that's because I don't eat a lot of bread) Love these "efficient" recipes (and I wish more were like these!).
I'm glad it was helpful! Let me know if you run into any issues... cooking for one you will probably need to cut the cooking times a lot 😅 but the core concepts should work out without being to expensive or time consuming.
>Anyway, I put the burgers into the air fryer, cook for 10 minutes, flip, cook for another 10 minutes
20 minutes in an air fryer seems like a lot of time. I find most things are cooked in 10 mins, the exception being think items which might not be cooked in the middle.
I usually cook four THICC harris teeter burgers at a time. If cooking fewer or thinner definitely adjust downwards! But they come out juicy and a little pink, I promise I'm not burning them to a crisp 😂
Eh, I suspect this varies by region. I've had my tap water tested and it's fine, obviously if you live somewhere with unsafe water you shouldn't use it for cooking. The main thing is just not to boil water then add it while it is so hot it will kill the yeast.
As something of a bread nerd, I endorse your overall attitude of flexibility and approximation in the bread recipe.
One question to confirm I've understood: this makes a very wet dough, yes?
Two little things with the water that might make the recipe slightly easier and more robust:
(1) use room temperature water (or warm, or slightly cold, just not very very hot)
(2) after getting your tap water into your measuring cup, let it sit out for a while
For point (1), since you are proofing for long (and variable) amounts of time in a refrigerator, the warm water at the start doesn't make a big difference. Historically, proofing the yeast was a big deal to check that the yeast wasn't already dead (from the package), but it has been decades since that was a concern. As you noted, using water that is too hot can kill the yeast, so that is avoided with room temp water.
For point (2), tap water quality varies, with the most common defect too much chlorine. The chlorine is bad for the yeast (that's kind of the reason why cities add it to the water supply) but does dissipate a helpful amount if the water simply sits out on the counter for a while.
Finally, you can extend the flexible attitude to baking temp and time, especially if you are baking in a closed dutch oven (and the dough is wet.) The timing will be different, but you will almost certainly get enjoyable bread with baking temps from 350 F- 500 F(*), starting in a pre-heated oven or cold oven, starting in a pre-heated dutch oven or cold dutch oven. Obviously, the trade-off from higher temps and more preheating is that the bake goes faster and you have to check progress earlier/more often.
(*) maybe some of the mix-ins will burn at higher temps so, ya know, be careful about that.
I have a sorta mock pad thai recipe. Takes around 25 minutes.
You can use whatever noodle you prefer for this. I like wide rice noodles or sobas, but linguine can be subbed in. You either start these at the beginning (for linguine) or while you're cooking the chicken (for rice noods). Either way, start boiling the water before anything else or you'll regret it.
Peanut butter, sriracha, brown sugar, soy sauce, 2 Tbsp lime juice, minced garlic, and grated ginger to make the sauce base, whisked. Coconut milk is added to this right after.
Then you cut up the chicken or tofu, saute til cooked through (but not overcooked).
Once chicken or tofu is cooked, dump the sauce on it, then throw in the noodles. Stir, stir, stir. I actually prefer to use tongs to mix this since the sauce is pretty thick initially.
Then it's done. Top with chopped peanuts and scallions.
Hah - we do this mock Pad Thai too!
Many times we've made it with just plain ole' spaghetti noodles!
I think the only thing we do which you did not mention is.. we involve fried, beaten egg, which is yum! (Less coconut milk though; should do!)
my food snob heart went into tachycardia from calling this 'pad thai,' however:
(0) Pad thai was, probably, an invention of a nationalist military government in the 1930s, so screw claims of authenticity (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pad_thai#History)
(1) in your recipe, consider saving the limes for squeezing on the finished dish just before eating. This will make the sauce thicker, but you can add a small amount of water to get a workable consistency.
(2) this, and a more 'traditional' pad thai, sit within a big family of dishes that follow the same high level process:
(a) partially cook or soften (by soaking) some noodles
(b) mix a sauce in a separate bowl
(c) saute protein until cooked through
(d) add sauce to protein, throw in noodles and stir
(e) top with toppings
Most variations will be edible and many will be very tasty.
The only disaster point is using (way) too much sauce that makes the dish too salty/sweet. It is also possible to use too little sauce, but that just gives you a bland dish that is probably still edible.
I mean, I did couch that in the “sorta mock” designation. It’s fake pad Thai specifically because it cuts out all the little technical nuances that result in “authentic” pad thai, in a similar vein to the quick and broadly accessible recipes described in the parent post.
But don’t mind me, I’m just a cranky linguist.
Thank you; this sounds delicious! I expect I'll try it sometime!
I'll try this, thanks!! 🙏
I _love_ this kind of content and cannot agree more on the two types of recipes. I live alone, and I'm not super picky about my food (just trying to eat a bit healthier). I think I'm a "decent" cook (but not amazing), and....a bit on the lazy side, haha. I always forget to buy 1 or 2 obscure ingredients and I'm definitely not up for cleaning all kitchen utensils I own (it just delays cooking the next meal). Ordering takeout would be easiest but not practical for my wallet. I'll definitely be trying out most all of the recipes you shared. :) (maybe not bread baking but that's because I don't eat a lot of bread) Love these "efficient" recipes (and I wish more were like these!).
I'm glad it was helpful! Let me know if you run into any issues... cooking for one you will probably need to cut the cooking times a lot 😅 but the core concepts should work out without being to expensive or time consuming.
>Anyway, I put the burgers into the air fryer, cook for 10 minutes, flip, cook for another 10 minutes
20 minutes in an air fryer seems like a lot of time. I find most things are cooked in 10 mins, the exception being think items which might not be cooked in the middle.
I usually cook four THICC harris teeter burgers at a time. If cooking fewer or thinner definitely adjust downwards! But they come out juicy and a little pink, I promise I'm not burning them to a crisp 😂
Great recipes, just one comment. You should not be consuming hot water from the tap because of contaminants picked up from the water heater and pipes.
Eh, I suspect this varies by region. I've had my tap water tested and it's fine, obviously if you live somewhere with unsafe water you shouldn't use it for cooking. The main thing is just not to boil water then add it while it is so hot it will kill the yeast.
As something of a bread nerd, I endorse your overall attitude of flexibility and approximation in the bread recipe.
One question to confirm I've understood: this makes a very wet dough, yes?
Two little things with the water that might make the recipe slightly easier and more robust:
(1) use room temperature water (or warm, or slightly cold, just not very very hot)
(2) after getting your tap water into your measuring cup, let it sit out for a while
For point (1), since you are proofing for long (and variable) amounts of time in a refrigerator, the warm water at the start doesn't make a big difference. Historically, proofing the yeast was a big deal to check that the yeast wasn't already dead (from the package), but it has been decades since that was a concern. As you noted, using water that is too hot can kill the yeast, so that is avoided with room temp water.
For point (2), tap water quality varies, with the most common defect too much chlorine. The chlorine is bad for the yeast (that's kind of the reason why cities add it to the water supply) but does dissipate a helpful amount if the water simply sits out on the counter for a while.
Finally, you can extend the flexible attitude to baking temp and time, especially if you are baking in a closed dutch oven (and the dough is wet.) The timing will be different, but you will almost certainly get enjoyable bread with baking temps from 350 F- 500 F(*), starting in a pre-heated oven or cold oven, starting in a pre-heated dutch oven or cold dutch oven. Obviously, the trade-off from higher temps and more preheating is that the bake goes faster and you have to check progress earlier/more often.
(*) maybe some of the mix-ins will burn at higher temps so, ya know, be careful about that.