Clean Pad Thai
Clean? What is clean food?
Eating clean simply means eating fresh, whole foods in their natural state. The food is minimally processed and does not contain any additives or preservatives. Fresh fruits and veggies, lean protein, whole grains and legumes are all a part of eating clean.
I purchased an incredible cookbook: The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook by Dr. Lisa Hark, PhD, RD. It is FILLED with wonderful clean versions of our favorite dishes. If you’re looking for a way to eat without feeling deprived or famished, I suggest you look at this cookbook. All of the meals are beautifully presented, flavorful, natural and filling. Nothing frustrates me more than feeling starved after a meal. This isn’t the case here!
Jay and I have a thing for ethnic food – African, Thai, Middle Eastern, you name it! The only problem is that going out all the time gets expensive, and I would much rather make my own meals so I know what is in them.
Dr. Hark included a Pad Thai recipe that looked very light and figure-friendly. We LOVE pad thai so I wanted to give this a try. After making the sauce, I was initially put-off because it didn’t taste super delicious. I felt the sauce had too much concentrated tomato flavor that overpowered it. But I was determined to make it work since I had done all the legwork for it already. And you know what? It turned out pretty good! I used about a 1/3 of the sauce that the recipe calls for, which I think was a smart move. Personally, I have never tasted pad thai like this before, but I know what I have eaten in the past was very bad for me.
I enjoyed this meal. I wouldn’t give myself a high-five or anything… I would give it a 3 out of 5, but next time I will use less tomato paste and I think that will do the trick!
Clean Pad Thai
Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook, p. 266
Serves 8
Ingredients:
8 oz. rice noodles, flat
1 Tbs. canola oil
2 cloves garlic, passed through garlic press
2 cups shredded savoy cabbage
2 thick carrots, peeled and cut into thin slices
5 egg whites, lightly beaten
3 cups bean sprouts
1 cup thinly sliced zucchini
1 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish
Sauce:
3 Tbs. rice wine vinegar or rice vinegar
2-3 Tbs. tomato paste (original recipe calls for 1/4 cup)
2 Tbs. reserved noodle water
2 Tbs. unsulfured molasses
2 Tbs. low sodium soy sauce
Directions:
Cover rice noodles with boiling water in a ceramic bowl. Read directions on container to determine length of time.
Drain, reserving 2 Tbs. of noodle water
In a small bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Stir in garlic, cabbage, and carrot. Stir-fry for 5 minutes.
Make a well in the middle of the pan and scramble the egg whites.
Add noodles and sauce and cook for 5 minutes.
Add bean sprouts, zucchini and green onions and cook to heat through.
Remove from heat, garnish with cilantro, and serve.
