I’ve said it before and I will say it again…I’m not much of a cook. Because of this I am really intimidated to cook and prepare items I am unfamiliar with. This week, I decided to challenge myself and make “Tofu Pad Thai”. Well, I have never bought tofu before, so that was interesting and really had no idea where to start with the Pad Thai dish. So here I go….

Recipe Hunt: Pinterest is FILLED with recipes. What I love most is you can add whatever veggies you want! I picked up cabbage and zucchini from the farmers market and the grocery store for the rest of the ingredients. To add more veggies, I opted for zoodles instead of rice noodles. Baby corn and shredded carrots also seemed like a necessity.

Sauce: As for the sauce, options included making your own or using a premade sauce from Asian Kitchen. For convenience (and lower price) I went with the Asian Kitchen Pad Thai Sauce. Side note: the Asian aisle at Wegmans is incredible and I could’ve stood there for hours looking at all the different sauces.

Buying Tofu: After some much needed tofu research, I went with the extra firm. This is ready to eat tofu with little prep. The package also has tips on which type of tofu works best for different recipes. I can see how tofu is very versatile and can be used to replace any animal protein.

With inspo from Green Chef, it went like this:

• 1.5 zucchini
• 1 package extra-firm Tofu
• 2 shallots
• clove of garlic
• 1 lime wedge
• 2.5 tbsp of toasted peanuts
• Jar of Pad Thai sauce
• Can of Baby Corn, drained
• Veggies: Shredded Red cabbage, Matchstick carrots
• Garnish: Scallions & cilantro

1. Spiralize zucchini and sauté with oil until al dente (are we allowed to use this term with zoodles?)
2. Dice shallots and mince garlic
3. Cut tofu in half lengthwise and cook in a nonstick pan with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
4. Sauté shallots and garlic until soft and add baby carrots and corn.
5. Add pad thai sauce. Stir and cook until sauce thickens.
6. Add cabbage and peanuts. Heat for 3 minutes with lid.
7. Dish out and garnish with more peanuts, scallions, cilantro and lime wedge

 

 

The result: Soooo, I am super pumped about this meal! It was delicious and super easy! I was intimated at first but worked through each step and made it work. The tofu was good but baking would add a nice crispy texture for next time. However, 8g of protein in one serving and the entire package for $1.99; I say this is a win! I didn’t look at the nutrition beforehand and added the entire jar of pad thai sauce. Well, it is FILLED with sodium and the jar has 8 servings. Next time, I will only add half the amount of sauce or try to make my own.

Which foods are you nervous to purchase or prepare? Comment below!

Happy & Healthy, Ginger