First Food Blog Post: Pad Thai.... Sort of

I have fantasized for a long time about having my own food blog. However, at this point in my life I don't have enough time, energy or money to cook enough for a whole blog. So I thought I would combine my internship blog with a few food entries when time allows.

Recently I have been a little obsessed with finding healthier alternatives to some of my favorite unhealthy dishes. My main goal has been to make dishes that are normally filled with calories and fat in a more healthy version that still tastes delicious. My first endeavor, SUCCESS!

One of my favorite dishes to both cook at home and to order out is Pad Thai. However, a serving of Chicken or Tofu Pad Thai can have anywhere from 500-700 calories, 20 grams of fat and over 60 grams of carbs. The high numbers in these nutrition facts are due to the amount of oil used to stir fry everything, the type of noodles used, the eggs, and the sugar content in the sauce. However, I have figured out a way to make a pad thai inspired stir fry with all of the same flavors and half the calories!!

Ingredients:

8oz Tofu Shirataki Noodles

4oz Boneless Skinless Chkn Breast

1/2 cup Egg Beaters

2 Garlic Cloves (minced)

1 tbsp Canola Oil

Green Bell Pepper

Red Bell Pepper

Diced Green Onion

Soy Sauce

2 tbsp Pad Thai Sauce

1 tsp Chili Garlic Sauce

Juice of Half a lime

For Garnish:

Cilantro

Lime Slices

Diced Green Onion

Chopped Peanuts (optional)

*(Before I begin I want to preface by saying that I know some of these ingredients are not traditionally in Pad Thai. Soy sauce and bell peppers are not normally used, but they work for this healthier version and it is just as delicious.)

I would like to start with the best discovery ever for pasta lovers: TOFU SHIRATAKI NOODLES! They are made with only two ingredients: tofu and water. I know this could sound a bit strange, but trust me its not. They work really well in asian dishes (I have yet to try them in italian dishes, but I have heard mixed reviews about that). They come packaged in a liquid in 8oz bags. And the best news.... There is only 40 calories and virtually no carbs in the entire package!!!

They are normally located in the refrigerator section next to the tofu. I buy the spaghetti or angel hair kind. I don't think that the fettucini kinds has as good of a texture. To prepare the noodles drain the liquid and rinse them. The liquid has a slight odor that is a bit fishy, but from someone who hates the smell of seafood it is very slight. Boil the noodles for about 2 minutes and drain. They are already cooked but boiling them gets rid of any of the smell from the liquid completely.

Next, prep all of your ingredients. Do not start cooking until everything is ready to go because once you start stir frying it goes really fast. Chop your peppers, onion, garlic, chicken, limes and cilantro. For the sauce I use a pre-made sauce and add a few things. Yes, making your own pad thai sauce would be better, but it is time consuming. I take 2 tbsp of the sauce and add 1 tsp of chili garlic sauce, the juice of half a lime and some cilantro to make it a little more tangy and spicy.

Now it is time to start stir frying! Part of the reason that pad thai has so much fat normally is the amount of oil used during cooking. So when you start to cook hold off on the oil for the first two steps.

Season your chicken with pepper and soy sauce. Heat a few tbsp of water in the wok and begin cooking your chicken. Push the chicken to the side of the wok and add another tbsp or two of water and begin cooking the egg beaters, scrambling them. Push the eggs to the side.

Now you can add the oil! Once the oil is hot, sauté the the garlic and peppers just for about 2 minutes.

Add the sauce and mix all of the ingredients in the wok. Add the noodles and stir fry with rest of the ingredients. Add the green onion and mix.

Garnish with cilantro, fresh green onion, a lime slice and ENJOY.

Recipe makes 2 servings. Cal: 250; Fat: 9 grams; Carb: 20 grams; Fiber: 6 grams