Pad Thai with Carrots and Cabbage

Have you ever made a dish that you just couldn’t stop eating? One that you got so caught up in that the world just seemed to melt around you? This Pad Thai is that dish for us. A slightly sweet, tangy sauce blankets nutty brown rice noodles with crunchy, just barely stir-fried vegetables that pop in your mouth. It’s all finished off with a kick of jalapeno because, after all, we do live in Texas.
*Adapted from Pinch of Yum

Serves: 4

• 8 oz brown rice noodles (stir fry or pad Thai variety)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil, divided
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1 green pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 3 large carrots, shredded
• 2 cups purple cabbage, thinly sliced
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts, chopped
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, & mint all work well) or green onion

Sauce

• 6 tablespoons fish sauce
• 6 tablespoons brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili paste

Instructions:

1. Soak noodles in a large bowl of cold water to soften. Combine all sauce ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously to combine. Set aside.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add jalapeno, pepper, onion, carrot and cabbage. Stir fry 2-3 minutes, remove from skillet and set aside. Add remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the same skillet and add softened, drained noodles. Cook for 2 minutes over medium heat. Add sauce and cook 2-3 minutes, or until sauce starts to thicken and stick to the noodles. Push noodles to one side of the skillet and add eggs. Let cook for 1 minute, then stir egg into noodles until fully cooked, 1-2 more minutes. Add vegetables back in, stir to combine and heat through.
3. Top with peanuts, fresh herbs and/or green onion. Enjoy!