Pad Thai Recipe

In every family there are foods that become associated with special occasions.  When I was growing up, we always went to my Grandpa and Grandma Tino's house for Christmas and Easter.  Maybe it wasn't every year, but my memories are of enjoying lasagna and cheesecake on those occasions.  I'm fairly certain that I stained more than one white Easter dress with a nice slab of cheesy, melty, saucy lasagna.  Yum!

For birthdays my parents often let us choose the dinner meal.  I remember asking for spaghetti and meatballs on many birthdays.  Of course, we ate spaghetti about once a week, but there's nothing quite as comforting as those familiar dishes.

We also let our kids choose what they would like to eat for their birthday dinner.  The little ones - Jer and Abby - have picked whatever is on the schedule for that night.  Both of them had birthdays on Thursday this year.  Thursday is burrito night, and they both were thrilled that they would get to celebrate their birthday on their favorite meal night.

But, I think Claude and I have set a bit of a trend for the older kids.  We both had Pad Thai for our birthday meals this year and Joshua and Hannah followed suit.  It's familiar enough for the kids to ask for it, but since we don't make it every week or even every month like many other meals, it's a bit of a novelty.

Being Asian only by proxy, this is one dish that I make regularly enough for it not to be tedious to me.  I love eating Asian food.  It is prepared to be easy and enjoyable to consume.  But cooking it is another story.  My goodness!  Talk about food preparation.  You don't throw a hunk of meat and some washed veggies into the oven when it comes to Asian food.  You slave away...cutting, chopping, mincing, soaking, wrapping, steaming, frying, stirring.

So. Much. Work.

But so yummy!

Anyway...I thought that I would share the Crew's tried and true Pad Thai recipe, for posterity.  I find it to be pretty simple on the preparation end compared to some other dishes we have tried in the past.

The most uncommon ingredients, which you may or may not be able to find in a typical American grocery store are the following:

Tamarind concentrate or tamarind pulp can be found in the Southeast Asian section of any Asian grocery store.  Look for the picture of the tamarind fruit (as seen in the above photo).  The concentrate smells a bit sweet and tangy and looks like watery peanut butter.  It's normal for it to settle and separate, so mix it up well and scoop from the bottom of the jar to get all the good, thick stuff.  This is what gives Pad Thai it's distinct flavor.  Without it, you'll just have noodles cooked in fish sauce.

Ahhh...fish sauce.  While I was adding this to the sauce yesterday, Abby, who was in a different room, shouted out, "Something smells like poop!"  Everything has to do with the potty around here.  :)  In all honesty, this stuff does have a very strong odor aroma.  But you just can't beat the distinctively Asian flavor of fish sauce, no matter how stinky it is!  If you don't have it, or can't stand the smell, you can substitute soy sauce for the fish sauce in this recipe.

If you wander into an Asian grocery store just look for an aisle lined with shelves of bottles.  Somewhere near the soy sauce you'll probably find it.  This particular bottle actually has some English.  If you can't find any familiar writing, look for a picture of a fish and a bottle that looks like light colored soy sauce.  You'll know if you got the right thing once you open it at home.

Here's what you'll need:

For the Sauce
1/3 cup white sugar
2 TB lemon juice (or lime juice if you have it)
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 TB tamarind pulp or concentrate

For the Noodles
1 12 oz. package dried rice noodles, medium-thick ones work best
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
4 eggs
1 12 oz. package firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch strips
Soy sauce, to taste
1 1/2 TB white sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika (or chili powder...at least that's what I substitute.)
1 1/2 cups peanuts, ground

For Serving
1/2 cup green onion or chives, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
1 lime, cut into wedges
Chili sauce, to taste

Directions
1. Prepare the Pad Thai Sauce.  In a medium saucepan over medium heat, blend sugar, lemon juice, fish sauce, and tamarind concentrate.  Heat it through until sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Soak the rice noodles in warm water until soft, 10-15 minutes.  Drain.

3. While the noodles are soaking, chop the garlic, whisk the eggs in a small bowl, cut tofu, mix together sugar, salt, and paprika in a small bowl, grind/finely chop peanuts, chop green onion and cilantro, rinse bean sprouts.  You want all of these ingredients prepared before cooking because once the pan is hot, things move quickly.

3. Prepare the Pad Thai.  In a large skillet heat oil and add garlic and eggs.  Scramble the eggs and then adds the tofu.  Put a splash of soy sauce for color and added flavor.  Add noodles, a (very) little more soy sauce and stir constantly until noodles are cooked.

4. Add the Pad Thai Sauce, the sugar, salt, paprika mixture, and the peanuts.  Stir it all together.  Remove from heat.

5.  Add green onion, cilantro, and bean sprouts.  Serve with lime on the side.  Try some Sriracha chili sauce for a nice flavor and a spicy kick.

Our Meal Plan

One of Joshua's First Pizzas (3 years old)

Last week I posted a photo of what our family eats in a week.  I had a question about our menu planning, so I thought I would share that with you today.

Over the years we have had a few different ways of planning meals.  From no planning to over planning, our systems have changed as our family has grown and changed.  What we do now is working for this season, but I'm sure it will be adapted as time goes on.

In fact, our current menu plan didn't start out this way.  It evolved over the course of a few months into what it is today.  And there is always room for flexibility.  Some months we go through our plan pretty much as it is written.  Other months we're flip-flopping days around, eliminating meals, and replacing them with others.  And the variations depend on a number of different factors ranging from illness to a busier than expected schedule to just not feeling up to making whatever is on the menu.

All that to say that the following is just a snapshot of how we do meal planning in our family.  If it is anything like other "how we do things" type posts, it will need to be changed promptly after publishing.  :)

We like everyone to learn how to help out in the kitchen.  Abby (2 1/2 years old)

BREAKFAST
We eat cold cereal and/or homemade instant oatmeal for breakfast every day.  If I've made some bread and we have it on hand then some of the kids will eat toast.  Rachel (now 7 months old) eats half of a banana each morning as well.  We very rarely cook anything else for breakfast.

SNACKS
We have one official snack time each day.  The kids grab a piece of fruit and head outside to eat it while they enjoy a break from school work.  Sometimes we have sliced watermelon, crackers, or granola bars in the afternoon.  This only happens about twice a week.  Otherwise I try to limit the snacks to the morning.  If the kids are really hungry then they can get a second piece of fruit or peel a carrot.

An impromptu picnic.  Joshua (4 years old)

LUNCH
This is not specifically planned.  I just fix whatever seems easiest on any given day.  Here are a few things we usually eat for lunch:
     -Cottage Cheese, Fruit, Carrot Sticks, Crackers
     -Leftovers
     -Lentil Soup, Bread/Biscuits
     -Smoothies, Popcorn/Crackers
     -Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwiches
     -Claude--We don't do very well with this one.  We are now trying to grill a bunch of chicken over the weekend, put it on top of some lettuce, and pack some yogurt and fruit to go along with it.  Otherwise he throws some Ramen and a can of tuna into his bag along with an apple or banana.

Jeremiah (1 1/2 years old)

DINNER
At the moment we have a weekly menu that is repeated throughout the month.  The meals planned are ones that the Crew has requested that we eat on a regular basis.  They enjoy knowing what to expect will be on the dinner table and I like the simplicity.  Eating the same foods every week makes shopping and cooking so easy!

I have found that meals take less and less time to prepare as the weeks go by because I have had a lot of practice making the same handful of meals.  It may seem a bit mundane, but at this stage in family life that is exactly what we need.  Simple, easy, and predictable.  I love it!

As an added bonus, Abby has learned to tell the passage of time by what we eat for dinner each night.  "Mommy, what day is it?"  "It's Thursday, Abby."  "No.  I mean, what are we eating for dinner?"  "Burritos, Abby."  "Yay!  It's burrito night!"  Nearly every week there is an announcement on Tuesday morning before heading out the door, "It's hamburger night!"

And those raw veggies that nobody touched the first couple of weeks I set them out?  Now they are everyone's favorite vegetable.  Imagine that!  ;)

Sunday: Reach, Get, and Eat Night
     -Leftovers
     -Macaroni and Cheese, Hot Dogs, Frozen Veggie
     -Claude's Curry Ramen and Hot Dogs (Sounds weird, but we all love it!)
Monday: Crock Pot Night
     -Garbanzo Bean Soup with Bread and Salad
     -Mac and Cheese with Frozen Veggie
     -White Chicken Chili with Bread or Tortillas, Salad
     -Meatballs with Egg Noodles, Green Beans
Tuesday: Hamburger Night (Claude's Favorite)
     -Hamburgers or Veggie Burgers, Fresh Sliced Veggies (carrots, cucumber, zucchini, tomato), Watermelon and/or Corn on the Cob when in season
Wednesday: Breakfast for Dinner Night (Joshua's Favorite)
     -Whole Wheat Pancakes (just use half and half whole wheat and all-purpose flour), Fresh Fruit, Scrambled Eggs (This is our mainstay, everything else listed may or may not be made in any given month)
     -Crustless Broccoli Quiche, Fresh Fruit, Blueberry Muffins
     -Breakfast Sausage Casserole, Pancakes, Fresh Fruit
     -Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches on Homemade English Muffins, Fresh Fruit
Thursday: Burrito Night (Jeremiah's Favorite)
     -Homemade Refried Beans (I modify this slightly to make a bit less although I still use a 5 lb. bag of pintos and freeze portions for the entire month), Spanish Rice, Shredded Lettuce, Tomato, Cheese, Tortillas
Friday: Pizza Night (Everyone's Favorite)
     -The Crew's Homemade Pizza Crust topped with pepperoni and black olives, Salad
Saturday: Crock Pot, Grill, or TBD
     -Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, or other meat I find on sale, Watermelon, Corn on the Cob, Salad or Grilled Veggies
     -BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches (actually a Crock Pot meal), Dinner Rolls, Fresh Veggies

Hannah (3 years old) and Abby (1 year old)

OTHER FOODS WE HAVE ON HAND
     -Pasta
     -Pasta Sauce
     -Ramen Noodles
     -Rice
     -Canned Veggies (usually green beans)
     -Canned Beans (combination of black beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans)
     -Canned Diced Tomatoes
     -Dry Beans (pinto beans, garbanzo beans, black beans, lentils)
     -Jars of Salsa
     -Peanut Butte
     -Oats
     -Flour, Yeast, Etc.
     -Frozen Fruit
     -Ritz and Graham Crackers
     -Granola Bars (a big box from our local wholesale club)

With this list I can make a few different meals or supplemental foods in a hurry.  Some regular fall backs include: Mexican Rice Casserole, Stove Top Chili, Spaghetti, Hummus, Lentil Soup, Refried Beans, Sandwiches, Bread, Granola, Cookies

Rachel likes to feed herself.  (6 months old)

RACHEL
Because she is eating solids now, I do need a plan to feed Rachel.  Here's what we do right now.  Of course, it'll change in the coming months as she needs more food, can feed herself, and just generally gets older.

Also, you'll notice that she eats the same foods every day.  It's either this or she doesn't eat because I can't manage a million different fruits and veggies and combinations of the two each day.  I am going for realistic here, folks.  I'm sure some of you can relate!  ;)  My main goal is to have at least 1 meat, 1 fruit, 1 veggie, 1 dairy, and 1 grain each day.  When we have it, I add sour cream to her dinner for the extra fat.

Rachel is still nursing but I do give her a bottle twice a day.  It's all of 2 ounces but, it does help satisfy her and round out her lunch and dinner.  The nursing hasn't slowed down, so we're all good with it.

Breakfast: Self-Feeding
     -Half Banana (thinly sliced), Cheerios
Lunch: Oatmeal Mix
     -Fruit (banana, pear, mango, or blueberry...basically whatever we have in the house), Oatmeal, Whole Milk, Greek Yogurt, Bottle
Dinner: Chicken and Veggie Mix
     -Chicken, Veggie (sweet potato, green beans, or whatever else we have ready to throw in the food mill), Brown Rice, Sour Cream, Bottle
Other Favorites
    -Graham Crackers (broken into quarters)
    -Watermelon Rind (I eat the inside of a slice then give Rachel the rest to help sooth her gums while she is teething) 

Rachel's "twin" also liked to feed herself.  Hannah (6 months old)

How about you?  How do you plan to keep your hungry crew fed?
  

Papa Josh's Pizza

Over the last month and a half, Joshua has been learning how to make pizza dough.  After a couple of weeks under my direction, he had the chance to fly solo.  I was a little nervous, but since I had to be in a different part of the house it was the perfect time for him to put his skills to the test.

He did an excellent job!

Because of his success, we joke that he should be called "Papa Josh".  :)  He's not keen on the idea of nicknames, but last Friday while enjoying a slice of pizza I heard him laugh as he called himself by this name.

Here's how he does it:

PAPA JOSH'S PIZZA CRUST

1. Measure 2 cups of very warm water into the mixing bowl.
2. Add:   2 TB yeast

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp salt

4 TB vegetable oil

3. Mix in big mixer until foamy.
4. Turn off mixer and add:

2 cups whole wheat flour

                   3 cups white flour

                   6 tsp vital wheat gluten

5. Mix in mixer until it sticks together.
6. Change to the bread dough hook.  Add flour slowly until the dough does not stick to the bowl.
7. Let mixer knead dough for 5 minutes.  Check on it so it is not sticking.  Add a little bit of flour as needed.
8. Turn off the mixer.  Take out the kneading hook.
9. Cover bowl with clean cloth napkin or towel.  Let it rise for 1 hour.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

10. Divide dough into two equal parts.  Roll out each one to fit baking pan.
11. Put butter on the baking trays.  Put rolled dough onto trays.
12. Add sauces, seasonings, cheese, and toppings.
13. Let rise for 30-60 minutes.
14. Bake pizzas at 400˚F for 15-20 minutes until crust is golden and cheese is melted.