luscious leftovers…

Have you ever wondered what makes Phad Thai taste so good? My kids always order it from our local Thai restaurant, and, I must admit, I love indulging in a couple of slurps of their noodles. I thought they tasted so delicious just because they were just fabulous noodles {and maybe because I tend to maintain a carb deprived diet}. Then, I came across this recipe and realized that Phad Thai taste so good because of the very complex sauce the noodles have absorbed before being served.

These days, I try to keep this sauce on hand, so I can toss anything in it, or drizzle it upon whatever I find to be “in need”. 

Even if I don’t manage to make up the sauce, I love having the 3 primary ingredients of the sauce at the ready, they have become staples in my kitchen. When I taste a dish that is “missing something” a part of this flavorful trio usually hits the spot. Fish sauce provides an earthy, yeasty, slightly salty taste; tamarind paste offers Tangy {with a capital T} twang, with a ripe fruit element; and chili~garlic sauce? It wakes up anything it meets!

 Leftovers, for me, can be a bonus or a curse…sometimes they result in some of the best tasting dishes ever, oftentimes they feel like a guilt laden burden.

I must say, Thanksgiving leftovers this year have been on the bonus side. My mother, sister and her son joined us for the feast. After dinner, mom made a tasty stock with the turkey carcass, remains of the crudite and plenty of fresh sage and thyme.  In the morning we stirred some wild and basmati rice, chopped vegetables, cubed turkey and plenty of fresh parsley into the strained broth. The soup was tasty and satisfying for our lake cruise on this bright and chilly afternoon.

After the family departed, I was craving something with a little more spunk. The Phad Thai sauce started calling out to me. It dawned on me that brussel sprouts could fill in for bean sprouts and that the roasted turkey could take the place of marinated chicken breasts…it was time to enjoy that flavorful sauce again.

So, here is the path I took to absolute deliciousness. It is the day after Thanksgiving, so I hope you don’t mind if I share my method in a more relaxed, stream-of-consciousness fashion……just the way great leftover cooking should happen. For more precision, refer to the original, enlightening recipe here.

To start, I soaked 14 oz. of rice noodles in cold water. The noodles need to be soaked until they are soft but still a little crunchy inside {30 minutes to an hour will do}.

To make the sauce I dropped 1&1/2 tablespoons of tamarind paste into 1/2 cup of boiled water and stirred until it was dissolved. To that I added 4 tablespoons of fish sauce; then 5 tablespoons of chili garlic sauce; finally I added 5 tablespoons of maple syrup {the recipe calls for brown sugar, but I prefer the earthier, richer, less~sweet flavor of pure maple syrup}. I know that sounds like a lot of “sweetness” but it is needed to balance the tang of the tamarind paste.

Then I got to chopping, 6 scallions. 6 cloves of garlic, 1/2 a red onion and 1/2 a bunch of fresh cilantro.

Into my wok I poured a few tablespoons of oil, in which I sauteed the chopped red onion and half of the chopped garlic, then I tossed in the softened noodles. When things got a little sticky, I splashed some chicken broth and rice wine vinegar in the pan to loosen the noodles.

To the noodles I added 2 cups of chopped, cooked turkey breast….and about 3 cups of brussel sprouts I had roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper the night before. 

Next, I tossed the chopped herbs and vegetables into the wok and all of the sauce, and continued tumbling everything together. When it all looked well mixed, it was time for dinner. A pile of lime wedges were all we needed to perfect this dish.

The Turkey Phad Thai was amazing, such great flavor and textures.  I urge you to try this sauce on whatever comes to mind for you, it really is very versatile and will compliment most anything.