Savana Cafe (Ottawa) Pad Thai

She surfs - she SCORES! I found this recipe thanks to a web post I found on : http://ottawafoodies.com/forum/861 .

I love this 'global' version of Pad Thai that I enjoyed when I lived in Ottawa. It's defined as global or international - not traditional, because it includes ketchup instead of tamarind sauce (oh, I'm a peasant - I know, but who has tamarind in the pantry?)

I'm not sure if I was introduced to the dish at Sante Restaurant (where the photo is from, thanks to http://mydinnertable.typepad.com/home/bistro/ ), or at the Savana Cafe , where this recipe is purported to originate. It's a toss up because both are similar. Anyway - this version, which I make at home, is much better than anything I've tried on the South Shore of MA, where Asian food means some variation of oil and sugar - bleck! (And why are there bacon bits in the egg rolls????)

Anyway, on to the recipe card! This may be modified, but I think it's very close to what they serve. I will transcribe the scanned version and add my own tweaks. This is a great, "I need comfort food" dish and is non-gluten friendly.

~ Enjoy!

Thai Spicy Noodles - Savana Cafe

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3/4 cup diced raw chicken (I add more - bite sized pieces)

8 shrimp peeled and deviened (I add more, and use cooked shrimp which I add at the end)

1 square tofu - diced and deep fried (I omit this part - I prefer more shrimp or chicken)

4 eggs,

1 pkg rice noodles - soaked in boiling water for 5 minutes and drained. (I like the broader variety)

3/4 to 1 cup ketchup (you can always add more later if the sauce isn't to your liking)

4 small handfuls of beansprouts

1/2 cup minced green onions

3 - 4 tbsps of roasted peanuts (you can toast them like pine nuts)

4 tbsp Meme (what is that?) or soy sauce (I use vinegar to cut the sweetness of the ketchup)

2 tbsp fish sauce - VERY IMPORTANT - it ain't Pad Thai without the fish sauce. (I use more - but not until I've done the taste test and I'm tweaking)

- Lime juice and rind, and chili flakes to taste (I like my noodles more spicy so I use Asian chili/garlic sauce)

- Chopped cilantro to taste - (more is better in my opinion)

(I also include ginger and garlic to taste - real is better, but dried works as well)

Directions:

Drain noodles. Heat oil in wok. Fry chicken and shrimp (unless you used the cooked version, then add at the end) until firm. Move the meat to the side and fry the eggs in the same wok - stir to scramble. Reduce heat. I mix the ketchup, vinegar, fish sauce, lime juice/rind, chili flakes and/or chili/garlic sauce together to form the base sauce. Add noodles and sauce to the wok.

Increase heat and stir until the noodles have absorbed the sauce. (This is where you may want to add more sauce - or parts of it, if your noodles have absorbed everything). Add bean sprouts, onions, (more lime juice/rind?), cilantro and peanuts. Toss and serve immediately.