Practical Pad Thai

From Josh

I’ve eaten a lot of pad thai over the years, and I have learned two things: 1. It is a LOT of work to make it the way restaurants do and 2. Restaurants almost always make it too sweet. This recipe seeks to rectify both of these things.

However, pad thai is still a bit of a “technique” recipe, and although this comes together quickly, it has a lot of ingredients and may take a few tries to get it right. But trust me, it’s well worth the effort.

To set expectations: You will spend 80% of this recipe on prep, and 20% actually cooking. It is very important that you get all of the ingredients prepared and on hand near the stove before you turn on the heat. I also highly recommend you read the whole recipe first.

Serves 2

1 hour

• 1/4 cup neutral oil, divided (4 tbsps)

• 1/3 Lb of dry rice noodles - medium thin

• 2 Tbsp brown sugar

• 2 Tbsp fish sauce + a bit more

• 2 Tbsp water

• 1.5 Tbsp white vinegar*

• white pepper

• 2 eggs

• 2 large or 3 medium shallots, finely chopped

• 3 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped (no need to take it to minced)

• 1/2 pound of boneless, skinless chicken thigh, thinly sliced**

• 1/2 cup roasted, salted peanuts, divided

• 4 whole scallions, cut into 1-inch segments, white and green parts divided

To Serve:

• Lime segments

• fresh bean sprouts (optional)

• 1/2 the chopped peanut

• red chili flakes

1. Place the noodles in a large bowl and cover with the hottest water you can get from the tap. Set aside and allow to soak until very pliable and nearly cooked. Prepare other ingredients as noodles soften.

2. In a small saucepan, heat the brown sugar and fish sauce, stirring just until the brown sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat and add to a small bowl with the water and vinegar. This is important: Taste the sauce - it should be sour, salty and sweet; no one flavor should dominate. Adjust in small increments as needed.

3. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the eggs with a dash of fish sauce and a pinch of white pepper

4. Prep the remainder of the ingredients, then arrange them all in small bowls near the stove as follows: The eggs, the protein, the garlic with the shallots and scallion whites, the noodles (strained once ready), and the sauce. Place the scallion greens and 1/2 the peanuts in a LARGE bowl.

5. Heat a large pan or wok over high heat with 1 Tbsp of the oil. when shimmering, add the egg and spread around the pan until just cooked. It will take seconds. chop roughly with spatula and put in the large bowl with the peanuts and scallion greens.

6. Add another tablespoon of oil, and cook the protein. Shrimp cooks fastest - 25 seconds a side unless very large. Give chicken a minute a side, and firm tofu as long as it needs to get some browning. Once cooked, add to large bowl with the egg/peanut mixture.

7. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, followed by the garlic, shallot, and scallion whites. Stir for about 15 seconds, then add the rice noodles, stirring to combine. Add the contents of the large bowl, then add the sauce around the SIDES of the pan, so it hits the metal directly and sears. Stir vigorously to combine.

8. As soon as the sauce is well combined, turn off the heat. check to make sure the noodles are cooked through, and taste for salt, adding more fish sauce as desired. If the noodles are still rubbery, add 2 Tbsps of water and return the heat to high, stirring vigorously.

9. As soon as noodles are fully cooked, transfer all contents directly to the large bowl and serve immediately with lime wedges, chili flakes, the remaining peanuts and optional beansprouts to taste.

* Note: Authentic pad thai uses 4 tbsp sour tamarind pulp instead of white vinegar. If you’re making this on a weekend and want to really take it up a notch, buy a pack of sour tamarind pods (available at many larger groceries and all international groceries) and make tamarind pulp. Or, if you have a good asian grocery nearby, seek out pre-prepared tamarind puree (sometimes called tamarind concentrate) and use a little less. Do NOT buy anything made in India. It’s different and REALLY strong.

** Note: OR 1/2 pound de-veined, tail on raw shrimp OR 1/2 pound very firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1/2 cubes. All are great.

Beans and Rice Deluxe

From Josh

From a dorm room staple to a more elevated weekday standby, this dish has been evolving with us for a long time. It now contains some authenticity atop its collegiate roots, but it comes together quickly (make the beans while the rice cooks) and is a healthy, nourishing, cheap and flavorful option, especially for lunch. Doubles easily.

30 Minutes

Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side

• 2/3 cup white rice

• 1/3 chicken bouillon cube

• 1 tbsp neutral oil, butter, or lard (whichever you prefer)

• 1/2 yellow or white onion, diced

• 2 large cloves garlic, minced

• 1-2 chipotles in adobo* with about 1 tbsp sauce (the chiles control the heat. adjust to taste, but don’t skimp on the sauce)

• 1/2 tsp ground cumin

• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

• 1 14.5 Oz. can low-sodium black beans

• 1/2 lime

• salt (or Sazon Adobo**) and black pepper to taste

To Serve:

• a handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

• the other half of the lime, in segments

• shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1. In the basin of a rice cooker or instant pot, rinse the rice in cool water, swirl it around, and strain thouroughly to remove excess starch. Add bouillon to 3/4 cup of warm water and break it apart, then add to rice and cook.

2. In the meantime, heat the fat in a medium skillet on medium until shimmering. Add the onions and cook with a pinch of salt and some pepper until translucent. They don’t need any color - about 5-7 minutes.

3. Add the garlic, chilis in adobo, cumin and oregano and combine until fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. Add the beans and their juice, scraping to deglaze. If all the liquid boils off quickly, add a few tablespoons of water. Reduce to a bare simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the sauce has gotten thick enough that it just flows in the pan. Season to taste with salt (or Sazon adobo) and pepper and a small squeeze of the half lime.

5. Once the rice has cooked and rested in the cooker for a few mintes, juice the rest of the half lime into the rice, fluff, and serve with a generous ladle of beans and their sauce on top. Garnish with fresh cilantro, sharp cheddar, and lime segments.

* Note: The use of the word “adobo” can be a little confusing in Latin American cooking. With “Chipotles in adobo,” we refer to canned, smoked jalapeños in a tomato-ey sauce - an important flavor for this recipe which is luckily pretty ubiquitos in stores with an “international” aisle and is guaranteed at any mexican grocery. In a sealed container, these will keep in the fridge for a few weeks.

** “Sazon Adobo,” confusingly, is a seasoning along the lines of seasoned salt which is ubiquitous (especially the one made by Goya) in many Latin American kitchens. It contains many of the flavors already in this recipe, but turns them up. It is less common to find in American groceries, but is almost always available at Mexican groceries, and one container lasts a long time.

Butternut Squash Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash- peel and cube (dont forget to scoop out the seeds)
• 3tablespoons maple syrup
• 1.5 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus 1/4 teaspoon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
• 1 pound pizza dough
• 1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella
• 1/2 cup crumbled bleu cheese
• 1 cup arugula

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Slice the squash in half from top to bottom. Scoop out the seeds. Cut the squash into cubes and place in a medium bowl. Toss the squash with the syrup, olive oil, red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place the squash on a  baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. Bake the squash until tender and golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. (should be fork tender)

Keep the temperature on the oven at 375 degrees F. Roll out thepizza dough on a flour dusted piece of parchment paper to a 13-inch diameter. Place the pizza and the parchment paper on a baking sheet. --- I buy pillsbury doughboy pizza dough- it cooks super fast and put on the cheese after the dough is almost perfectly cooked- Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and the bleu cheese on the pizza dough. Bake in the oven until golden and cooked through and the cheese is melted and slightly browned.

 Top the cooked pizza with the cooked squash. Top with arugula (or spinach ) and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Slice and serve.