Sweet Potato Pad Thai

So, I’m not a huge fan of sweet potato but this Pad Thai dish is SO TASTY that I don’t even realize I’m eating sweet potato. Even more so, I think this version of Pad Thai may rival the real thing because not only does it taste authentic but it has so many more nutrients than the traditional rice noodle dish. (All this being said, you can totally make this with rice noodles if you prefer – just sub rice noodles for sweet potato noodles.)

If you’re going to make this, to save on time and labor, I highly suggest you source the PRE spiralized sweet potato noodles you can find at your local grocery store. They are typically found in the refrigerator section in the produce section (where the chilled salad dressings are). My local Safeway is pretty ancient and dated so if THEY carry these pre-cut ‘noodles’ then I’m sure ANY grocery store carries these ‘noodles’.

We tend to make this dish with sautéed shrimp but you can also make with chicken or fore-go the animal protein all together and just keep it veggie-forward. (NB: This dish DOES include fish sauce and eggs so it is not vegan or vegetarian.)

If you are a fan of Pad Thai, this dish will seriously surprise you and I guarantee you will make it again. My hubby LOVES Thai food and he will always choose this home-made veggie-noodle dish over the real thing, so that says something!

INGREDIENTS

NB: Try to source organic wherever possible!

For the Pad Thai:

2 packages of pre-spiralized sweet potato noodles
- NB: you can also make this with pre-spiralized kohlrabi noodles, or beet noodles, or half n’ half as I tend to do; just avoid the zucchini noodles as zucchini is a nightshade and is high in lectins
1 package (approximately 12-20 shrimp) of pre-cooked, peeled, wild caught shrimp (or 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you want chicken instead)
2-3 tbsp sesame oil
3 eggs (ideally organic, pasture-raised)
¼ cup shallots (approximately 2 shallots), chopped
6-12 garlic cloves, minced (you choose how much garlic you want based on your own personal preference; I always go with LOTS of garlic)
1-2 tbsp ginger, minced or finely chopped (again, choose as much ginger as you want based on your personal preference)
¼ cup crushed almonds
1 large bushel of cilantro, chopped

For the sauce:

1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup coconut aminos
1/4 cup lime juice
4-6 pitted dates
2 tsp sesame oil

DIRECTIONS

Step 0:

(I listed this as Step 0 because you can really make the sauce at any time, even the night before to save time)
Make the sauce; simply add all ingredients listed above to a blender and mix well
- The sauce will separate after it settles; this is ok – just give it a good shake before adding it to the noodles (listed in Step 5)

Step 1:

In a large sauce pan, set approximately 4 cups to boil; then while waiting for water to boil…
In a separate LARGE fry pan (or wok) at med/high heat, greased with ½ tbsp of sesame oil, add 3 lightly beaten eggs and make scrambled eggs
Remove eggs once done and set aside

Step 2:

In same fry pan over med/high heat, add another ½ to 1 tbsp of sesame oil and sauté shallots, garlic and ginger and cook until onions are softened (few minutes)
- NB! I tend to add any veggies hanging around my fridge at this point just for additional nutritional content (e.g. broccoli florets as pictured) so feel free to do the same; if not no worries! But if you don’t plan to add any chicken or shrimp, then I would definitely plan to sauté some veggies including broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and/or asparagus tips

Step 3:

If NOT adding chicken or shrimp then just skip this step
If adding shrimp:
- add shrimp to fry pan with the shallots and cook 1-2 mins per side then set entire pan aside or just remove from heat
If adding chicken:
- add boneless skinless thighs to the pan and cook until no longer pink (approximately 3-4 minutes per side)
- slice chicken into thin pieces or chunks then set entire pan aside or just remove from heat

Step 4:

Once your water is boiling in the other sauce pan, add your pre-spiralized sweet potato noodles and blanch for 1-2 minutes
Drain and then add sweet potato noodles to the fry pan with your shallot mixture
Add in your scrambled eggs
Add large handful of chopped cilantro and mix all ingredients well
At this point, you may want to drizzle an additional tbsp of sesame oil for both flavor and pan frying needs
I also tend to add a good sprinkling of fresh ground pepper at this point for extra yumminess

Step 5:

Pour Pad Thai sauce over entire noodle dish and mix or toss for even distribution
Allow dish to cook on the stove top for a few minutes to bring the sauce up to temperature and to allow the noodles and shallot mixture to absorb the flavors
Serve hot!
Garnish with more fresh chopped cilantro and most importantly, crushed almonds – the crunch and flavor of the almonds really completes the dish