On my way to volunteer at the Alzheimer’s Association yesterday, I passed by the Asian market and was inspired to make Pad Thai for dinner. The Asian market is a great place to buy most of these ingredients, as the prices are significantly lower and the selection far greater than regular grocery stores. My mom and I found this recipe in a cookbook of light recipes, so it is not only good for you, but tastes great too. When we first tried making this recipe, the Pad Thai was really dry. However, since adjusting the amount of sauce accordingly, this recipe has been a hit.

The King’s Pad Thai

I typically add Sriracha hot chili sauce to give the Pad Thai a little or a lot of kick. This addition is purely optional, but highly encouraged. Although I used chicken last night, I recommend trying this recipe with shrimp as well.

• 1 lb Pad Thai noodles (thin rice noodles)
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 3/4 cup fish sauce
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 lbs chicken, thinly sliced or shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups bean sprouts, plus more for garnish
• 1 bunch green onion, white portion thinly sliced, greens sliced 1” pieces on diagonal
• 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
• 1-2 tablespoons Sriracha hot chili sauce (optional)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Boil enough water to fully submerge the noodles. Remove from heat, place noodles in hot water, cover, let sit for about 15 minutes or until tender, drain and set aside. While noodles are soaking, make the sauce by combining ketchup, fish sauce, sugar and crushed red pepper in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. Heat 8 teaspoons vegetable oil in a large wok over medium-high heat. Add chicken or shrimp and saute until cooked through (about 10-15 minutes for chicken, depending on how thick chicken was sliced and about 2 minutes for the shrimp). Remove the chicken or shrimp from the wok and keep warm. While the chicken or shrimp is cooking is a good time to cut up the green onions. Heat the remaining 8 teaspoons of vegetable oil in the wok over medium-high heat and add the beaten eggs. Cook the eggs for about 30 seconds or until they are soft-scrambled, stirring constantly. Add the sprouts, green onions and garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add the noodles, sauce and chicken or shrimp. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until heated through. Add Sriracha hot chili sauce until desired level of spice is achieved or serve on the side so everyone can adjust spice to their own liking. Serve in a large bowl with chopped cilantro. Garnish each serving with fresh bean sprouts and chopped peanuts.