This is a simple and delicious meal I often make on weeknights. It is healthy and hearty and my whole family loves it. It isn’t completely homemade, but I never feel a meal has to be to be good. This saves a lot of time and makes a satisfying meal your family will be sure to love. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! You can also easily make this meal vegetarian by simply not adding the chicken and only using vegetables, or adding some tofu.

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During a recent trip to on of the first large Asian markets I’ve ever been to (Lee Lee Oriental Market in Peoria), I discovered a lot of useful and interesting food items. My goal was to find some fresh ingredients to make this Pho noodle soup. One of the best things I found out about the Asian market was that they sell the paper thin slices of eye of round. I was so excited I couldn’t wait to get home and use it. They had a delicious selection of Basmati rice, rice noodles, and fresh vegetables/spices. I hope you enjoy this quicker version of Vietnamese Pho.

Ingredients:
yields 4-6 servings

For Broth:
2 onions, halved
fresh ginger root, halved
10 – 14 beef bullion cubes (give or take, depending on how beefy you want the flavor)
8 c. water
1 cinnamon stick
1 Tbsp. coriander seeds
1 Tsp. fennel seeds
3 Star of anise
6 whole cloves
pinch of salt
1/3 c. fish sauce
1 Tbsp. sugar

Other soup ingredients:
1 lb. eye of round steak, sliced paper thin (you can find packages of pre-sliced at a local Asian market)
1 lb. rice noodles

For garnish: (IMPORTANT TO ADD FLAVOR!)
arrange a plate of fresh herbs: basil, cilantro, and mint leaves
lime wedges
sliced jalapeno peppers
sliced chili peppers (opt)
bean sprouts
Sriracha Sauce (found in local grocery store)

Directions

1. Pour water into a medium – large pot and heat on high until boiling.
2. Meanwhile, turn broiler in oven on HIGH. Move the oven rack to the highest slot. Place halved onions and ginger on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and place under broiler until charred. Should take 8 – 12 minutes. Arrange the spices (cinnamon, coriander, fennel, star anise, and cloves) inside a cheese cloth and tie up to secure the bundle.
3. Add beef bullion, ginger, onion, and spices in cheese cloth bundle to the boiling water. Turn temperature down to medium to simmer. Add fish sauce, sugar, and salt to broth. Let it cook for 15 – 20 minutes to simmer the spices together.
4. While broth is simmering cook rice noodles according to package directions and arrange garnishes listed above (lime wedges, herbs, etc.) onto plates or bowls and place on the table.
5. Once rice noodles are cooked, strain in a strainer and set aside. If broth has simmered and smells like the spices have cooked through, taste test the broth to see if it needs any additional beef bullion. If broth is ready, use a slotted spoon to take out the spice bundle, ginger, and onion (may leave onion in if you like).
6. If broth is ‘beefy’ enough, add in slices of the eye of round to quick cook the beef… it only takes maybe 20 – 30 seconds for these paper thin slices to cook. Turn off stove and serve immediately once meat is browned.
6. Scoop some rice noodles into a bowl and ladle over some broth with some meat slices.
7. Guests can garnish their own bowl of soup with whatever they like (chili sauce, lime wedges, jalapenos, basil, etc.). I personally recommend garnishing your bowl with EVERYTHING you lay out on the table that I’ve listed above under Garnish.

ENJOY!

Chicken Pad Thai

I am sitting here writing this post while actually eating some of the left over Chicken Pad Thai I made last night. I have to say, it’s still good the second time around! This was my first attempt at making Chicken Pad Thai. I often order it at Thai restaurants, but I wanted to be able to replicate something just as tasty at home. Plus it was a bonus that Pad Thai noodles are made out of rice, which means it was another gluten free recipe I could add to our list. My sister and husband loved it, and so did I. I even saw everyone go for seconds, including me! This was fast and easy and required a lot of simple ingredients. I definitely recommend using the Annie Chun’s brand of Pad Thai rice noodles, but if you don’t have that brand available at your grocery store, any Pad Thai rice noodles will do just fine.

Ingredients
Olive oil
2 -3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, chopped finely
2-3 small chicken breasts trimmed, and cut into tiny 1/2 inch – 1 inch cubes
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 package of Annie Chun’s Pad Thai Rice noodles cooked according to package directions
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1 cup of snow peas
Garnish: lime wedges, cilantro leaves, chopped green onions, and roasted peanuts

For Sauce:
2-3 Tbsp. lime juice
3 Tbps. fish sauce, plus another teaspoon if desired.
2 1/2 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 1/2 Tbsp. Rice vinegar

Measure out peanut butter first, and melt in microwave for 20 – 30 seconds until just melted. Add in all other ingredients and whisk with a wire whisk in a glass bowl or measuring cup. Set aside.

Directions for Pad Thai:
Heat a medium to large pot with water until boiling. Cook noodles according to package directions, then set the noodles aside in a colander. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat with 2 Tbsp. of olive oil. Add onion, chicken, and crushed garlic. Cook until chicken is no longer pink and the onions have slightly browned and softened, set aside the chicken mixture in a bowl. Add another 2 Tbsp. of olive oil to the skillet. Add the lightly beaten eggs and let it set slightly, then scramble the egg until little pieces form (you don’t want huge chunks of eggs, so you may need to break up the scramble enough so that the egg pieces are to how you like it). Reduce the heat to low, then add the sauce stirring with a whisk and add in the noodles. Coat the noodles with the sauce, then add in the chicken mixture, snow peas, and bean sprouts. Cover with a lid to slightly steam the snow peas and bean sprouts for about 3 minutes. Keep tossing the noodles so the sauce coats everything. Serve onto plates and garnish with squeezed lime wedges, cilantro, peanuts, and green onions. Enjoy!