What's For Dinner: Pad Thai with Shiitake Mushrooms and Tofu

Whenever I have a ton of scallions I hand, I typically opt to use at least some of them in a pad thai dish. Though this pad thai recipe is vegetarian and lacks the fish sauce to make it a truly authentic pad thai dish, I still think it tastes great and it definitely hits the spot when I'm craving Thai food.

Vegetarian Pad Thai with Shiitake Mushrooms and Tofu (printer-friendly version)

makes 4 servings

8 oz wide rice noodles

1/2 pkg organic shiitake mushrooms, chopped

1 bunch organic scallions, chopped into thin slices, green and white (and/or red) parts separated

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1 lime)

3 tablespoons tamari (or soy) 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 pkg firm tofu, cut into cubes and dry-fried

1. Cook the rice noodles according to the manufacturer's instructions. (Some require boiling in water, others just need to sit in hot water for a certain amount of time.)

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

2. Add the vegetable oil to a skillet and heat to medium-high.

3. Add the chopped mushrooms and saute until softened and lightly browned, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the chopped scallions (white and/or red parts only) and minced garlic cloves. Cook, stirring constantly, for an additional minute.

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

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

6. 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.

7. 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 from the scallions. Add in the dry-fried tofu and continue cooking until heated through.

8. Serve up the noodles on individual plates. Top each portion with cilantro leaves (which you'll notice I forgot to add to my entree pictured above, oops!) and chopped peanuts. Garnish with a lime wedge (or two).