I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate. --Julia Child
I had some peeled, raw shrimp and was craving something Thai-inspired and saw this recipe on MyRecipes.com. I tweaked it a bit, but was amazed at the first ingredient -- ketchup! Could it really be part of the recipe?
Not being one to turn down a challenge (and a huge fan of ketchup), I tackled this recipe and it came out great -- it really tasted like the Pad Thai we order when we're out. And, it only took about 30 mins.
Pad Thai with Shrimp
- 8 ounces wide rice stick noodles (Banh Pho)
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
- 3/4 cup (1-inch) sliced green onions
- 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
To Do:
- Place noodles in a large bowl. Add hot water to cover; let stand 12 minutes or until tender. Drain.
- Combine ketchup, sugar, fish sauce, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp; sauté 2 minutes or until shrimp are done. Remove shrimp from pan; keep warm.
- Heat 4 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add eggs; cook 30 seconds or until soft-scrambled, stirring constantly. Add sprouts, green onions, and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add noodles, ketchup mixture, and shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until heated. Sprinkle with peanuts.
To Gourmess it up, I used a mix of rice noodles and thin Udon noodles in my version, put in twice as much red pepper flakes, and added a teaspoon each of red curry paste, rice vinegar, garlic powder, and sesame oil to step 2. And, I tossed in a handful of minced cilantro at the end, along with the peanuts.
It was delicious! However, this recipe will be short-lived, as Chris has recently decided he's not a fan of shrimp any longer (but didn't tell me until after I made this), so next time, I'll just use chicken or pork with it, I guess.
xoxoxo