Shrimp Pad Thai

This dish is loaded with veggies and flavor.  I sprinkled some cocktail peanuts at the end for some crunch.  In total, this dish took about 20 minutes to make: not bad for a busy weekday!

20 minute pad thai

Ingredients:
1lb frozen deveined tail off shrimp, dethawed
1tbs minced garlic
2tbs minced ginger
2c cooked rice noodles, tofu noodles or miracle noodles cooked according to package directions
1c shredded carrots
1c snow peas
4 green onions, white and green parts, sliced
1/4c soy sauce (Make sure you use gluten free!)
1/4c rice vinegar
2tbs sugar, honey, or other sweetener of your choice
1/4tsp red pepper flakes
1/4c cocktail peanuts

Directions:
1. Cook noodles according to package directions.  Set aside.  Mix together soy sauce, vinegar, honey, and red pepper flakes and set aside.
2. Cook garlic and ginger with about 1tbs of oil over medium heat until fragrant.  Add veggies (saving some green onion tops for garnish).  Cook until crisp-tender.
3. Cook shrimp with some extra garlic, ginger and oil in a separate pan over medium high heat.  Shrimp are done when opaque throughout.
4. Toss vegetables with shrimp and noodles in a large pan.  Add sauce and cook until most of the sauce is absorbed.  Serve topped with green onions and peanuts.

Asian Meatballs & Stir Fried Noodles with Sesame Dipping Sauce

I woke up one morning and felt like making Asian meatballs.  I wasn't even sure if there was such a thing so I made them up and I am SO GLAD I did.  They are delicious!  I will definitely make these again.  They were also great traveling to work with me for dinner.

Hot and steamy out of the oven, yum!

 Ingredients for meatballs:
1lb lean ground beef

1 large egg, beaten
2 tbs sour cream

3 tbs oat bran (to make this gluten free, use gluten free bread crumbs)

1 tbs fresh minced ginger
2tsp fresh minced garlic
1/2c minced onion
1/3c chopped cilantro
2tbs chopped chives
1/2tsp salt
1 tbs soy sauce, gluten free
1/2tsp sesame oil

Sweet, salty & spicy: A flavor explosion

Ingredients for dipping sauce:
4tbs soy sauce, gluten free
1 tsp sesame oil
2tbs rice wine vinegar
1/2tsp red chili flakes
2 tsp sugar, sweetener or honey

Ingredients for stirfry:
Rice noodles or miracle noodles, boiled according to package directions (If using miracle noodles, boil them in beef broth for more flavor).
Stir fry vegetables

Directions:

Ready for the oven

1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 500F.
2. Stir sour cream and oat bran (can also substitute 1/4c bread crumbs) in a bowl.  Add ground meat, egg, and the rest of the listed meatball ingredients.
3. Shape 3tbs balls into a 13X9 glass pan (I covered mine in foil for easy clean up).  Bake until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, whisk together dipping sauce ingredients and set aside.
5. Place a little oil in a stir fry pan and cook veggies of your choice (shredded carrots, green onions and bean sprouts would be my choice).  Add 2c. cooked noodles and about 1/2 sauce.  Continue to cook until liquid is absorbed.
6. Take meatballs out of the oven and drizzle them with the remaining sauce.  Serve over the stir fry, top with chives and enjoy!