Pad kee mao (drunken noodles)

Happy Friday people! It's been a long week over here, but my injured little one got a new cast on her leg and can now move her knee - and more importantly, itch the spot behind her knee. Even better, it's date night. Dinner at a new restaurant with my husband!

Tomorrow night I'm tackling Jamie Oliver's duck confit and lentils, but mid-week meals require speed and simplicity which is why I LOVE this Thai recipe. The ingredients can be a little tricky. Fresh rice noodles require a trip to the Asian market. In summer, I grow my own Thai basil, but in February, that too comes from the market. The hardest thing to find in this one is the sweet soy sauce, also known as kecap manis, a sweet and salty thick sauce. I found it at my Asian market, but there's a recipe over at Fuss Free Cooking if you need to DIY. (Local friends, just leave a comment and I'll bring you some from my gigantic bottle).

I've adapted this one to make it kid friendly. In other words, I leave out the delicious chilies in the original. Instead, hubby and I douse it with some sriracha. It's worth the alteration - the kiddoes like the noodles and pork which means 1 pan, 1 dinner and 4 full bellies. Happy mommy!

Pad kee mao (drunken noodles)
Adapted from New York Times Cooking

Typical drunken noodles are spicy, but I leave out the chilies so my kids can enjoy this too. This pad kee mao recipe takes minutes to make and taste like authentic Thai - you can make it in less time than it takes you to order take-out!

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp. dark sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)
• 1 tsp. rice vinegar
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 medium red or orange bell pepper, sliced
• 12 ounces fresh rice noodles
• 2 handfuls Thai or holy basil leaves

Cooking Directions

1. Whisk together the fish sauce, soy sauce and vinegar, and set aside.
2. Put a wok (or a large frying pan) over medium-high heat; when it’s hot, add the oil, the garlic, and the onion. Cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the pork and a splash of the sauce. Cook, stirring to break up the meat, until the pork is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the peppers and noodles. Turn the heat to high, and add almost all of the sauce (save a spoonful or two to add later if needed). Cook, tossing everything together and separating the noodles if necessary, until the noodles are coated in sauce and take on a slightly charred flavor from the wok. Taste, and add more sauce if needed. Toss in the basil, and serve immediately.