It was not pretty.
But, like a phoenix born from the ashes of gluttony and shame, I bucked up, started reclaiming my long-lost identity as a gym rat, and began cleaning up my eating, too. And it hasn't been too bad, really. It's amazing what you can discover about eating healthily if you just get over that fact that it won't be deep fried and smothered in chocolate or cheese.
Sigh.
Tonight, Matt and I were feeling very Asian-inspired. I wanted to make a dish that would satisfy both a man's stomach and my newly rediscovered zeal for healthier eating. Asian cuisines--unless you are eating out, generally--really are some of the healthiest choices out there. They are generally loaded with veggies, but BEWARE! There might be frying involved, and oftentimes we Americans like to slather our cashew chicken and broccoli and beef with fat- and sodium-laden sauces. So for many reasons, making it yourself is usually better. For tonight, I created what might be described as "Damn-neat-everything-but-the-kitchen-sink pad thai," but what I have come to call "Rainbow Pad Thai" because it is so colorful with its wide array of veggies.
Once I nailed down the idea that I was going to have a pad thai party, I began thinking over the guest list. I have my favorites: red bell pepper, onion, broccoli (my best bud), and carrots. Matt loves carrots (you can't be a Bakersfield, CA boy without growing up loving carrots) and red bell pepper, so there was no fight there. But he HATES onions and will only touch broccoli if it's smothered in sauce. But then, he had down a few guests that are nearly always uninvited in my book: mushrooms (you'd think people would look down at the forest ground, see fungus, and leave well enough alone) and dried Thai chiles (the taste of which is what I would imagine a fiery death to be like).
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| A fresh Thai chile (left) and its cousin, Satan (right). |
After a few minutes of negotiation, everyone got invited to the pad thai party. (Also among the guests were green onions and cashews.)
So whether you're looking for a healthy alternative to talk yourself down from the Chinese takeout ledge, want to get you and your loved ones to eat more veggies, or simply want a fast, healthy solution for dinner, I hope you give this one a try. Don't be frightened by the long list of ingredients; they are all pantry staples. Plus, you can switch out the veggies I've listed for your favorites (baby corn and water chestnut would be nice!) to make it your own.
Rainbow Pad Thai
Prep time: 10 min.
Cook time: 15 min.
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 1 pkg. whole wheat linguine
- 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks (optional)
- 1 tsp. canola oil
- 1 small head broccoli, chopped into florets
- 1 red bell pepper, julienned
- 1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
- 3 carrots, thinly sliced into coins
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 small package button or baby portabella mushrooms
- 1/2 c. dried Thai chiles (optional)
- 1/4 c. cashew pieces
- 1/3 c. chunky peanut butter
- 1/4 tsp. powdered ginger
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
- 3 T. low sodium soy sauce
- 2 T. rice wine vinegar
- 2 T. low sodium chicken broth
- 1 T. Sriracha sauce
- 1 T. Sesame seeds, optional
Directions:
- Prepare the pasta as per the package's directions, drain and set aside.
- Heat the canola oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken, if using, and cook through, about 4 minutes.
- Add in all vegetables, cashews and Thai chiles and cook until crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: whisk together ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, chicken broth, Sriracha sauce and peanut butter. Set aside.
- When veggies are crisp-tender and chicken is cooked through, add the sauce to the pan and heat through, about 2 minutes.
- When sauce is incorporated, add pasta and toss or stir so that the sauce and veggies are mixed in with the pasta.
- Top with sesame seeds, if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Here's to healthy dishes!
- Betsey
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