Pad Thai...my way

I love Thai food.

Especially Pad Thai.

I love peanut sauce and peanut sauce and peanut sauce.

There is nowhere in our town to get amazing Thai food.

So, I like to make my own version of Pad Thai at home with a little help from a pre-made sauce. 

What you will need to make some at-home Pad Thai is: 

A box of rice noodles

A jar of Thai Peanut sauce.

Canola oil

3 Eggs 

Some green onions (scallions)

Peanuts

Your choice of protein...I usually go with firm tofu, shrimp, or chicken.

For the recipe below, I had no proteins though.

Darn.

Limes

This recipe can be increased...this serves two people.

You can also add bean sprouts if you have them.   

   

Here are the noodles I use:

And the peanut sauce.

I could eat this straight from the bottle.

Really. 

Start by soaking the noodles in hot water according to the package directions. 

This should take 25 minutes. 

I used half of the box of noodles for two servings. 

Take a few green onions and chop them up, green and white parts.

Next, grab a handful of peanuts and give those a rough chop.

Beat 3 eggs in a bowl.

Next, heat 3 tablespoons of canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 

If you are using a protein, this is where you would add that.

When the oil is hot, scramble those eggs.

When the noodles are done soaking, drain them and toss them into the skillet with the eggs.

Make sure the noodles are soft enough, but don't over-soak them.

If they are under-soaked, they will be crunchy.  If they are over-soaked they will fall apart.

It's a fine noodle balance we are playing with here.

Stir the eggs and noodles a bit in the pan together.

Do this for about 3 minutes.

Now here comes the good part.

Add the chopped onions, peanuts and as much Thai Peanut Sauce as you can handle into the pan with the noodles and eggs.

Add another tablespoon of canola oil while you are at it.

Give it a good stir and let that cook up for another two minutes. 

While you are waiting for the flavors to meld together, go ahead and cut up a lime into quarters.

Each plate should get two limes for squirting. 

Transfer the glorious mixture of peanuts, onions, sauce, eggs, noodles, and limes 

to your serving vessels.

Squirt the juice of the limes on top.

This is a must!

Also if you want, and I always want, add some more peanuts and sauce to your finished product.  

This is Pad Thai my way.

Make it my way or add something to make it your way.

It will knock your socks off!

Citrus Bacon Turkey

Do you need a Christmas or Thanksgiving Dinner Headliner? 

Look no further than this turkey.

And today we have a guest blogger! 

Chad is here to tell us how he makes his delectable and moist bacon-wrapped citrus turkey. 

It's so dang good and raved about across the county...well, throughout our family anyway.

Citrus Bacon Turkey:

Chad Pramuk 2007

Big Turkey (this one is 19 pounds and is self-basting.  If you use an unbasted turkey you will need to baste every 30 minutes with pan drippings.)

2 Oranges

2 Lemons

3 Limes

4 Garlic Cloves

Olive Oil

Hickory or Maple Bacon

Salt

Pepper

10 Peppercorns

Herbs de Provence

Unsalted Butter

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees.

Assemble your ingredients.  Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey.  Save those for gravy or freeze them for a later use (homemade chicken stock perhaps?!)

  

Chad used Herbs de Provence for the first time this year.  It was a great and flavorful addition.

Herbs de Provence are a mixture of thyme, basil, fennel, savory, rosemary, lavender and tarragon. 

ALERT: Culinary History Lesson Ahead:

Herbs de Provence originated in Provence, France as simply herbs typical of that region.  In the 1970's it became commercially available.  The name Herbs de Provence is a generic term and there is no guarantee that the Herbs de Provence you buy have indeed come from Provence.  The vast majority of these blends come from central and eastern Europe, North Africa, and China.*  Unless of course you buy it in Provence, France then it will be cheaper and hence, from Provence.

On with the show...    

Take it Chad -

Take 4 cloves of garlic and crush them and put inside the turkey.

Place 10 peppercorns inside the turkey.

Drizzle olive oil over entire turkey and rub it in.

Take the citrus fruits (2 oranges, 2 lemons, 3 limes) and cut in half and squeeze the juice all over the turkey. 

Put the just squeezed fruit into the turkey.

Cut 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter into1 tablespoon pieces.

Run your fingers under the skin on the breast to separate the skin from the breast.

Push the butter (2 tablespoons per breast) underneath the skin. This will help keep the white meat moist.

Salt and pepper the whole turkey (be generous).

Place 6-8 pieces of bacon over the breast. This will also help keep the white meat moist.

The reason for this is white meat cooks faster than dark meat and you don't want dry white meat.

Cover the entire turkey with the dried herbs.

Place the turkey in the oven on the bottom rack and cook for 1 1/2 - 2 hours until a thermometer reads 165 degrees.

Thanks Chad.

Jen here -

When it's done cooking, take it out of the oven and let it rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.

Doesn't this look delish?! 

 Oh my turkey goodness!  What a nice color!

The meat is juice, juice, juicy and full of flavor.

Enjoy!

* Wikipedia

Things I Love...

I thought I would discuss a few of the things that I just love using and having in my kitchen...

Lemons - What a great addition to almost anything. 

You can use it's juice in both savory and sweet dishes. 

Get out a zester and use the peel to add even more lemon flavor. 

Or just throw a bunch into a bowl and voila!  Instant centerpiece! 

I love lemons!

  

My Kitchenaid Mixer - I have used other mixers in the past and this mixer is far and wide the best thing I have ever used! 
It makes cakes, cookies, breads, meringue, whipped cream. 
I have even made butter out of cream with this thing. 
I heart it soooo much.

Silpat - This lovely silicone liner is without a doubt, the most wonderful invention of all time. 
The French were really in great form the day they invented this! 
NOTHING sticks to it.  
Chad used one of these (probably this one in fact) in culinary school and brought it home and I almost divorced him on the spot to marry the Silpat. 
I love it that much.

Parmesan Cheese - a big salty, nutty block of goodness whacked off an even bigger wheel of salty, nutty goodness. 
Not the "parmesan cheese" you find in Walmart next to the Kraft cheese, but the slightly expensive chunk that's a bit hard to find. 
At least in my town anyway.   

Kosher Salt - I use this in everything.  From baked good to dinner that I'm cooking tonight. 
I never, ever use table salt. 
On occasion I'll throw in a fancy french sea salt, Fleur de Sel. 
Kosher salt is a larger grain of salt.  It's more hearty.  It's more flavorful. 
It's da bomb.     

And then there's these three people... the reason I cook and bake. 

The reason I get up in the morning. 

The reason that I am the person who I am today. 

Just a few of the things I love to have in my kitchen.