One thing I truly miss about living in the city is the food. My oldest sister works in the restaurant industry, and she would often bring me along to try out new meals. Now, whenever I get the chance to go home to Ohio, I make a point to have lunch or dinner dates with her where we hit up our favorite places – one of which is a small Thai restaurant in Upper Arlington, a suburb outside of Columbus. They serve the best spicy chicken pad thai ever.
I will admit, I have very little creativity in the kitchen (honestly, I have very minimal skills overall in the kitchen). But one day I was craving my favorite spicy chicken pad thai, so I decided to try and make it at home. I came across this recipe and the first thing I looked at was the sauce ingredients because in my opinion it had to be spicy, and it had to have peanut butter. The title of this recipe also had the word ‘easy’ in it, so it won in my book. Thanks to the inspiration from My Modern Cookery, I was able to re-create my favorite dish from back home while substituting the chicken with meat from our recent wild turkey harvest. THIS, I am proud to say ladies and gentlemen, was a SUCCESS!!
Prep Time: 30 Minutes (for me it took a little longer to prep; you’ll probably be more efficient!)
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Serves: 5-6 Hungry Human Beings
Ingredients
- 8 oz. flat rice noodles
- 4 Tbsp. canola/vegetable oil
- 1.5 lb. wild turkey breasts (cut into thin strips)
- 1 red bell pepper (cut into thin strips)
- 1 cup fresh bean sprouts (*note this is an additional ingredient compared to the original recipe)
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 2 Tbsp. minced garlic
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion
- 1/4 cup unsalted peanuts (chopped)
- 3 Tbsp. cilantro leaves (chopped)
- 2 limes (sliced for garnishing)
- 4 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce (I use gluten free soy sauce)
- 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
- 2 Tbsp. lime juice
- 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. Sriracha
- 2 Tbsp. peanut butter (smooth)
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
Directions
Honestly, this meal was the most complex dish I have ever cooked. But I don’t want you to be discouraged, because in all reality it is quite simple. I made some mistakes the first time making this one, so I will break it down to the level where ANYONE can make this meal! Once you’re done, you’ll be re-thinking those take-out orders and every time you get to craving Thai food, you’ll just be killin’ it in your kitchen at home!!
Preparing Noodles:
- Use the instructions on the box of your rice noodles and cook 8 oz. accordingly. Long story short, boil water and cook until noodles are done.
- Once noodles are cooked, drain the noodles and rinse in cold water. Once noodles are cooled, transfer into a large bowl and add 3 tablespoons of canola/vegetable oil. Mix oil and noodles, and set aside.
Preparing Sauce: (People, this seriously is the BEST Pad Thai sauce I’ve ever tasted. Bravo, My Modern Cookery!)
- In a medium mixing bowl, add in 4 tablespoons of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons Sriracha, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- Whisk all sauce ingredients together until everything is blended smoothly. Set bowl aside.
Preparing Meat:
- In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon of canola/vegetable oil and turn heat to medium-high. Add in 1.5 lb. of thinly sliced wild turkey breasts.
- Cook for about 4-5 minutes or until meat is cooked through. Transfer meat onto a bowl or plate, and set aside.
The Grand Finale:
- Again, in the same large skillet, add 1 tablespoon of canola/vegetable oil and turn heat to medium-high. This time add in 1 thinly sliced red bell pepper, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add 1 cup of shredded carrots, 1 cup of fresh bean sprouts, and 2 tablespoons of minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Reduce heat to medium and pour 1 beaten egg over the vegetables. Stir until egg is scrambled in the vegetables.
- Add in previously prepped rice noodles and sauce and increase heat to medium-high. Stir until everything is mixed in well (be careful not to overcook the noodles, so reduce heat if necessary).
- Add in previously prepped wild turkey, ½ cup of chopped green onion, and ¼ cup of chopped peanuts and stir until everything is mixed together well.
Serve dish topped with cilantro and sliced limes.
Boom! There you have it! Even with wild turkey being a little tougher meat, there was no difference comparing it to chicken in this dish! In the middle of nowhere Nebraska, it is tough finding fresh bean sprouts, so this picture didn’t include them. In my opinion, the crunch of the fresh bean sprouts gives the finishing touch, so because of how often I crave pad thai we will be growing fresh bean sprouts at home this year! This honestly was the best meal I have ever created in the kitchen TO DATE. Add legit chop sticks for the full effect, and enjoy!
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