Pad Kee Mao (Spicy Ground Chicken and Rice Noodles)

It's Asian Week in the Roxie Household! Not sure exactly where the inspiration came from, but with the exception of this past Sunday, everyday will have an Asian inspired dinner. (Sunday was homemade pizza, for the curious).

First up, Pad Kee Mao. I had to tweak the recipe a bit to suit a potluck I was attending. Instead of the ground chicken, I chose both firm and baked tofu. I did keep the fish sauce in the recipe, so it was not for the die-hard vegetarian, but I hear there are veggie alternatives at some frou-frou health food stores. I don't go to those, so I don't know about them.

It was a mild hit at the potluck. I think people wanted meat. Sigh. It's so hard to predict the whims of the public. I would definitely make this recipe again with the ground chicken or perhaps some other type of meat. The tofu was a bit bland paired with the rice noodles, in my opinion. A more experienced tofu-ologist might be able to make this work, though. The recipe itself was very easy and a good week night meal.


INGREDIENTS
1 (14-ounce) package wide rice noodles
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from about 2 limes)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
3 medium garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 pound ground chicken
2 medium red or green bell peppers, thinly sliced
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 medium jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced
1 cup loosely packed Thai basil leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
Place noodles in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for about 15 minutes, until loose and pliable but not soft; drain. Combine oyster sauce, fish sauce, and lime juice in a medium nonreactive bowl, mix well, and set aside.
Heat oil in a large (12-inch) frying pan over medium-high heat. Once heated, add shallots and garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until softened but not brown. Add ground chicken and break into small pieces. Cook until chicken is white and almost cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add bell peppers and stir-fry just until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Push chicken mixture to one side of the pan and add eggs to the center. Scramble with a spatula until eggs are set and don’t run, about 1 minute. Push eggs to the side and add reserved sauce ingredients. Once the sauce is boiling, add the drained noodles and toss to coat. Remove from heat, add jalapeños and basil, and toss to combine; serve immediately.

http://www.chow.com/recipes/11087