What's For Dinner: Portobello Pad Thai

Since the introduction of Leroy into our lives, our activities have centered around him and I haven't had a chance to run to the grocery store yet. After Sunday's busy schedule of activities, I decided to rummage through the fridge to see what I could throw together for dinner. I opted to make pad thai, with a slight tweak to add in some sliced baby portobello mushrooms we had on hand leftover from a stir fry D cooked up last week. The results turned out quite well; this recipe in general is pretty amenable to the addition of extra ingredients.

Portobello Pad Thai (printer-friendly version)

makes 4 servings

8 oz wide rice noodles

1 pkg firm tofu

1 cup baby portobello mushrooms, sliced

1 small bunch green onions, chopped into thin slices, green and white parts separated

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1 lime)

3 tablespoons tamari sauce

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, rinsed and patted dry

1/4 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped

1. Cook the rice noodles according to the manufacturer's instructions. (I brought a large pot of water to a boil, added the noodles, then removed the pot from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes.)

2. Whisk together the lime juice, tamari sauce, and brown sugar. Set aside.

3. Follow these instructions to dry fry the tofu. Set aside the cooked tofu.

4. Add the sesame oil to a skillet and heat to medium-high.

5. Add the portobello mushrooms and saute into browned and softened.

6. Add the chopped green onions (white parts only) and garlic cloves. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.

7. Add the lightly-beaten eggs to the skillet. Use a rubber spatula to agitate the eggs. Cook until just set, about 30-45 seconds.

8. Remove the egg mixture from the skillet and place on a plate.

9. Add the cooked noodles to the skillet. Pour the lime-tamari-brown sugar mixture over the noodles. Use tongs to evenly coat the noodles with the sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

10. Add the egg mixture to the noodles, Use tongs to break up the eggs and evenly distribute the ingredients. Cook for 1-2 minutes longer. Stir in the green parts of the remaining green onions. Add in the dry-fried tofu and cook a few minutes more, or until the tofu is re-heated.

11. Serve up the noodles on individual plates. Top each portion with cilantro leaves and chopped peanuts.