Spicy Chicken Pad Thai with Coconut Milk & Peanut Simmer Sauce

Thai food is one of my favorite week-night dinners to make. With most of the traditional Thai flavors and staple ingredients being gluten-free, it is an easy winner for all parties. Not only is it healthier to eat rice noodles versus wheat, but they are truly one of my favorite tasting noodles!


In my household there is a serious diversity in dinner pallets. Some of us have a slight issue with vegetables. I can't say that the same goes for me but as always I'm determined to make a killer meal both delicious and accommodating. With that being said, I had to make some adjustments. Because Pad Thai is known for its crunchy bean sprouts (and that just won't fly in my house) I stuck to the most authentic style of noodles, seasonings and flavors. Instead of filling the entire dish with vegetables I added my own personal helping of cabbage and carrots and it tasted equally as indulgent. 

The traditional pad Thai recipe uses ingredients like eggs, green onions and sometimes even white onion so I removed those ingredients and added a couple more flavors to the menu instead. Regardless of what style dish I am making, I believe that the best way to infuse flavors and prevent meat from getting chewy is to marinate it. The easiest and least messy way to do so is simply in a large Ziploc bag. Fill the bag with meat, add juices and season to your liking. You can mix easily inside the bag without a mess and dispose of each after every use. 

I refuse to cook chicken unless it has been marinated in some kind of delicious concoction. The longer you chill your meat in its marinade, the juicier and more flavorful the meat will become. Just don't leave it too long. I recommend marinating your meat for 1-6 hours, and no longer than 8 hours before preparing.






Spicy Chicken Pad Thai 
with Coconut Milk & Peanut Infused Simmer Sauce



8 oz rice noodles (Bahn Pho)
water
1 lb organic chicken tenderloins
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup organic coconut milk
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chopped ginger
2 tsp premium fish sauce
2 tsp rice vinegar
4 tbsp soy sauce (gluten free)
1 tbsp 100% pure sesame seed oil, plus more to coat pan
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup crushed peanuts

For a bolder taste: add sesame seed oil sauteed matchstick carrots and green cabbage, chopped thin. 

On a large cutting board, slice tenderloins into one-inch cubes. Season chicken with salt, black pepper, paprika and brown sugar and place in a large Ziploc bag. Add coconut milk, lime juice, minced garlic, 1 tsp fish sauce, 1 tsp rice vinegar, 2 tbsp soy sauce, a splash of sesame seed oil and 1 tbsp brown sugar. Close and shake up mixture until well blended. Chill 1-6 hours or until ready to prepare. 

Over high heat, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of sesame seed oil and rice noodles. Boil over high heat, stirring frequently until noodles are softened to desired texture. Drain and set aside, covered, until ready to assemble. When ready to use, rinse with water until noodles have softened again completely.

Heat a large saute pan or wok to medium high heat. Coat pan in sesame seed oil and add chicken and coconut milk mixture. Heat thoroughly on both side and reduce to low heat. When chicken begins to caramelize slightly, add 1/4 water as needed. 

Add cooked rice noodles, remaining fish sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame seed oil and brown sugar. Stir mixture gently until well combined. Add crushed peanuts and season with crushed red pepper flakes. Stir over low heat until well mixed. Add additional soy sauce to taste. serve immediately.


4-6 servings

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