Pad See Ew
I thought I was going to be arrested this week. Sometimes I feel like I'm going through life and I think to myself, "you got this. you're such a good adult." Then all of a sudden your procrastinating-self remembers that you were summoned for jury duty and you think it's the day you need to go to court, but you lost the important piece of paper that has all the important information about jury duty on it. I've never been summoned before. And to be honest, logistical things like this confuse me and make me anxious. I didn't think it was a big deal that I misplaced my jury letter until Reuben informed me that if I fail to show up for court there would technically be a warrant out for my arrest. THE HORROR. I can't go to jail. The goodie two shoes inside me was shook. I searched everywhere. I had recently purged our apartment so I was really scared that I had accidentally thrown it away. Alas, before I had reached critical freak out mode and after rummaging through our recycling, I found my letter hidden in one of my forgotten purses (how did it get there?). Thankfully, I don't have to go to court until next week and that's only if I actually get called.
People tell me that the court case I would be on a jury for would mostly likely be for a traffic violation. I think (I know) that I have been watching too much Law and Order, but I am kind of hoping that it will be a little more dramatic than that. UGH, I'm terrible. I obviously don't want anybody to get hurt or have something else terrible happen. But if I'm going to have to sit in court for a few days, I want it to be a little juicy. We will see... am I allowed to tell you about the case if I do go to court? Or will that also get me arrested?
Hooray for Friday! Fridays are when Reuben and I don't cook and order lots of Thai food or an equivalent asian take out. We do a pretty good job with cooking dinner through out the work week. But Friday is the night we order in from one of our favorite Clement Street restaurants, wear soft pants, and cuddle on the couch watching Netflix or On Demand (most likely SUV again). I'm particularly excited for a lazy Friday night because I just wrapped up a deadline and I've clocked in too many hours sitting in my task chair starting at a screen. I know, my plans are boring and basic, but I love it. If you tried the restaurants on Clement Street you would probably be pretty envious right now.
Our favorite Thai place is only 1 block away from our apartment. It's so small and unassuming, but it makes the best Pad See Ew, Pad Thai, Red Duck Curry, and Pumpkin Curry. Their other dishes are yummy too, I just tend to stick to my favorites. We walk up, put in our order, fork over $20, wait 10 minutes, and then we walk home with a hot bag of deliciousness. I get nervous thinking about the day when we won't be living 1 minute away from our favorite take out foods. That's why I'm trying to learn how to make some of them! I have Chinese food covered for the most part. But Thai is still a little bit of a mystery to me. Getting a curry right is really hard, I'm still trying to figure out that perfect balance of spicy, sweet, sour, and creamy. I'll get there eventually though! Pad See Ew might be my favorite Thai dish and it's one of the easier dishes to make. If you haven't had Pad See Ew before, it is essentially a Thai Pan Fried noodle dish commonly made as a quick street meal. Don't judge it based on the fact that it has "ew" in the name. We are adults here. It's super savory from the dark and regular soy sauce. PLEASE don't skip the dark soy sauce. This is essential to getting Pad See Ew's rich savory flavor. There are also notes of bitterness from the Chinese Broccoli and sweetness from the sugar that helps caramelizes the noodles. The beef is tender from marinating in cornstarch (mom's secret tip) and makes a dreamy pairing with the noodles. I could probably eat this whole thing if no one was watching.
Stay in. Make some noodles. Don't get arrested.
Pad See Ew
serves 2 really hungry people or 4 average eaters
Materials:
1 lb flank steak (other cuts of steak work too)
1 tsp + 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp + more for stir frying
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsp regular soy sauce
1 tbsp sriracha
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 lb Chinese broccoli
4 cloves of garlic
1 lb fresh wide rice noodles
2 large eggs
Steps:
1. Slice your steak into thin strips. Combine the steak, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 2 tsp olive oil, and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Mix to combine and set aside to marinade while you prepare the noodles.
2. Let's Prep! Fresh rice noodles should be a little pliable. If they are cold and stiff, microwave them for 45-60 seconds. Chop noodles into 3"-4" chunks and set noodles aside. Chop up the Chinese broccoli into 1 1/2" pieces and set aside. Mince your garlic and set aside. Lightly beat the eggs and set aside.
4. Combine 1 tbsp dark soy, regular soy, oyster sauce, sugar, sriracha, and white pepper in a small bowl. Mix to combine.
5. Heat a 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan or wok over high heat. You want the oil to be really hot! Add beef and cook for 3-4 minutes, you want to sear the beef and not fully cook it. Remove beef from pan and set aside.
6. Add a generous amount of olive oil (3 tbsp) to the pan and cook garlic for 30 seconds until slightly brown. Add Chinese broccoli and cook for 5-7 minutes until tender but still with a little crunch. Toss around to avoid burning the garlic.
7. Add the rice noodles and pour in the sauce. Toss everything in the pan slowing to evenly incorporate sauce. Cook 1 minute. Add beef and toss everything again. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes until noodles soften.
8. Make a well in the center of your pan. Add eggs into the center and cook for 30 seconds to allow the eggs to slightly set. Break up the eggs with your spatula and toss everything together again.
9. Make sure your pan is super hot. Let the noodles sit to char for 30-45 seconds. Toss everything and allow the noodles to sit and char again. Continue until you're satisfied with texture of your noodles, about 2-3 minutes.
10. Serve and enjoy!
recipe inspired by The Woks of Life.
