Okay, so today I wanted to try something different in the kitchen. I decided to make Pad Thai, and also whip up some Chinese dishes. Let’s dive into how it all went down.
Getting Started with Pad Thai
First things first, I gathered all the ingredients for the Pad Thai. I grabbed some rice noodles, tofu, eggs, bean sprouts, peanuts, and a lime. I also got some sauce ingredients like fish sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar.
- Prepped the tofu: I pressed the tofu to get the excess water out and then cut it into small cubes.
- Soaked the noodles: I put the rice noodles in some warm water to soften them up.
Then, I heated up my wok and started cooking. I threw in the tofu and let it get nice and crispy. After that, I pushed the tofu to the side and scrambled some eggs in the same wok. Once the eggs were cooked, I added the noodles and tossed everything together.
For the sauce, I mixed fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, and a bit of tamarind paste in a bowl. I poured this over the noodles and gave it a good mix. Finally, I tossed in the bean sprouts, chopped peanuts, and squeezed some fresh lime juice over the top. And there it was, my homemade Pad Thai!
Moving on to Chinese Cuisine
With the Pad Thai done, I moved on to making a couple of Chinese dishes. I decided on Kung Pao Chicken and some Egg Fried Rice. Simple, but always a crowd-pleaser.
For the Kung Pao Chicken, I needed chicken (obviously), peanuts, dried chilies, and some veggies like bell peppers and onions. I also made a sauce with soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch.
- Marinated the chicken: I cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and marinated it with a bit of soy sauce, cornstarch, and some Shaoxing rice wine.
- Stir-fried the chicken: I heated up some oil in the wok and stir-fried the chicken until it was cooked. Then, I set it aside.
In the same wok, I tossed in the dried chilies and peanuts, letting them get fragrant. Then, I added the bell peppers and onions, cooking them until they were tender-crisp. I threw the chicken back in, poured the sauce over everything, and let it thicken up.
Next up, Egg Fried Rice. I had some leftover rice from the day before, which is perfect for fried rice. I scrambled some eggs, set them aside, and then stir-fried some chopped carrots, peas, and onions. I added the rice, breaking it up and mixing it with the veggies. Then, I added the eggs back in, along with a splash of soy sauce and a dash of sesame oil. Tossed it all together, and boom, Egg Fried Rice was ready.
The Final Feast
Finally, I served up everything. The Pad Thai was delicious – a perfect balance of sweet, sour, and savory. The Kung Pao Chicken had just the right amount of heat, and the Egg Fried Rice was a great side dish. It was a bit of work, but totally worth it. Cooking these dishes made me feel like a real chef, and I can’t wait to try more recipes in the future!
