Vegan Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles)

This makes about enough for 4, or 2 with lots of leftovers – I like to make a lot so I don’t have to cook again the next day! This could be halved easily, although I would still make the full amount of sauce. Depending on how wide and fresh your rice noodles are, you may need to make a little more sauce in order to have enough. Also depends how saucy you like it. You can also use less veggies, I just like a lot... and tofu is optional.

Source: kind of made this up after combining what I'm used to getting at restaurants with various vegetarian and non-vegetarian sauce recipes online... trial and error! And it's not a final product, if you make it and have suggestions for me, let me know!

Ingredients:

• 1 red onion, chopped
• 3-5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cups broccoli
• 1 cup sliced carrots or other veggies (green beans, peas, mushrooms, etc)
• 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges (optional)
• Package of wide rice noodles (fresh is better, but I could only find dried)
• Extra-firm tofu, 1 block, sliced into 1-2” squares*
• 1 cup fresh Thai basil or Holy basil
• Green onion, chopped, for garnish
• 1 cup bean sprouts, for garnish

Sauce (most of these can be purchased for around $2 each at an Asian market):

• 1/4 cup soy sauce or mushroom soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons Golden Mountain or other vegetarian stir-fry sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar or palm sugar
• 1 tablespoon Thai chili sauce (or more, if you want it spicier)
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1) Chop the veggies (feel free to deviate from the ones listed here) and stir-fry in a large wok with canola oil on medium heat.

2) While the veggies are cooking, mix the sauce in a separate bowl and stir with a fork or whisk to mix well.

3) Prepare the noodles according to the directions (boil, or soak beforehand) and set aside.

4) Add about half the sauce and the tofu to the nearly cooked veggies and fry together for a few minutes.

5) Add the noodles, Thai basil, and remaining sauce, and continue to fry together for a few more minutes until the noodles have been coated with sauce and the basil has wilted.

Serve with green onion and bean sprouts on top (optional).

* For the tofu, I cheated and found pre-cut and fried restaurant-style tofu for $1.79 at the Asian market, but it can be prepared any way you like. It can be stir-fried in the pan with the veggies, or fried to a golden color beforehand and set aside to be added toward the end with the noodles.