Pad Thai with Shrimp, YUM!

Yummmy! I was so impressed with myself, it tasted amazing!  We love to order Pad Thai from Khaophums and split it, but we'll never have to order take out again!  I do prefer the chicken version, so we'll be sure to make it that was post lent. Either way, the shrimpies were good too! The flavor just exploded and we prefer thick rice stick noodles as opposed to the more spaghetti version of rice noodles [pictured in the online version].  

All of the ingredients were either in my pantry or easily found in the International food aisle in our local Hannaford. 
In regards to the actual recipe, I did #2 first and #1 second...it was easier to mix all the ingredients for the sauce and then deal with watching the noodles.  We followed the package directions for the "Pasta" use of the noodles because it so closely resembled the instructions for Miss Betty - that and we were using a slightly different noodle for the recipe.  Good tip, use a Saute Pan for this recipe, you need the room for all the ingredients and it'll cook everything evenly without overcrowding the pan.  Another change: we're not fans of shallots in this house so we used half of a regular yellow onion.
FYI: It can take up to [3] limes to make enough lime juice for this recipe.  Wiggling a fork in the pulp, over a strainer, will help get the maximum amount of juice from the tiny, green fruit. 
I also only used one package of bean sprouts [these can be tricky to find in a grocery store, try near the organic produce and/or vegan/vegetarian section] because the package itself it more than enough and honestly 3 cups are a bit over the top.  For the cilantro, I only garnished the final serving because of the strong flavor present in the rest of the dish, you don't need much. Oh and, only 1 tbsp of oil in the sauce and in the pan, you don't need 2 tbsp's in the pan to cook the onion, garlic and egg. Fat overkill!

If you're curious about the "rules" or "guidelines" for eating fish/crustaceans during Lent, visit here.  We are staying away from all meat and meat products [and I don't see feasting on any amphibians in my near or far future plans].  We are eating fish and crustaceans occasionally, hence our Tuna Melt's the other night :) It's always good to have some canned tuna on hand for "recipes gone bad evenings." 


This meal was delicious, we've marked it on our book and made it a family favorite! Enjoy! 


FYI #2: For leftovers the next day, warm up your saute pan and place the Pad Thai in the pain and sprinkle with water.  Quickly toss in the pan to heat and bring the noodles back to life.  Don't leave the meal in the pan for too long, just long enough to get it warm enough to enjoy. I wouldn't recommend using the microwave, if you must, remember to use some water and remove the shrimp.  Usually, you can toss the shrimp with the warm pasta to heat it up enough to enjoy. Shrimp + Microwave don't mix well.