Easy Thai Style Noodles with Tofu

Heres a quick and easy lunch I made after rummaging through my fridge. I eyeballed the measurements as I was using up some leftover coconut milk/peanut sauce; I’m sure you’ll use as much or as little of the ingredients as you want to anyways, it really depends on what you have in your pantry and it’s not a complicated dish.

In a medium pot bring water to a boil then add rice noodles (they are gluten-free), or ramen noodles if that’s what you have on hand. Meanwhile saute garlic in oil until fragrant. Add diced tofu pieces and cook until crispy, about 5-7 mins. Add julienned carrots,onion, and a splash of soy sauce and fish sauce, saute another 2-3 minutes. Next pour spicy peanut sauce and coconut milk into pan, bring to a boil and then simmer until everything mixes and thickens up. Add noodles and make sure they are evenly coated in sauce. Serve garnished with cilantro, green onions, red pepper flakes and lime wedges. The whole process takes about 20 minutes.

Great additions to this dish could include chicken, crushed peanuts, bean sprouts, egg, or Thai chili.

 

24/7 Thai Cuisine. . . When you need Thai Food at 4am

24/7 Thai Cuisine is exactly what you expect its going to be: inexpensive Thai food at any hour of the day or night. There is no glamour to this restaurant, just simple cheap food served hot and fast. I was skeptical to eat here because it looks a little run down from the outside. You can find 24/7 Thai Cuisine on Broadway and Oak, sandwiched between the 7/11 and a japanese restaurant that never looks like it’s open. Dont let the looks of the place deceive you – they have a big menu with your classic Thai staples, as well as some items you wouldn’t expect to see, such as pho.

The restaurant doesn’t offer much in the way of decor so we got our food to go. As we were the only customers at 10:30 pm, our food was prepared quickly.

The fried vegetarian spring roll didn’t wow us, I don’t think I would order these again. It was really garlicky, a flavour I didn’t expect to be so prominent in a spring roll. The dipping sauce was too vinegary for my tastes, but Phil liked it.

I ordered the Shrimp Pad Thai. Decent portion size as you can see, although I should have asked them to make it spicy! 

The dish used a thinner rice noodle than other places, a change that was different but still enjoyable. The seasoning was good, it wasn’t too sweet and the prawns were cooked perfectly. I didn’t expect it to be the best Pad Thai, but I wasn’t disappointed by it either. If you’ve got a late night craving for Thai food give it a shot, I think this food would be most enjoyed after a night out drinking. They also deliver from 4pm-10pm with a $25 minimum order. If you want to dine in there is an entertainment coupon for them as well.

Dining Out for Life at Thai Away Home

Last night was Dining Out For Life, an annual fundraiser taking place across North America where participating restaurants donate 25% of their profits from the evening to AIDS and HIV service organizations. I thought this would be the perfect guilt-free opportunity to enjoy a night out on my limited budget. Thai Away Home is one of my go-to local Thai restaurants because you get a good amount of food for your money.

I ordered the Pad Thai Combo, which came with tom yum soup, spring roll, and a salad for $10.69.  It’s a lot of food and I always have leftovers. The soup is good, a little oily but the flavour is okay. I love the house salad dressing, it’s sweet and acidic and they give you a heaping pile of lettuce. Also, I love their spring rolls dipped in the plum sauce. It’s the totally unhealthy for you fried spring roll, but whatever, once in a while you have to throw caution to the wind.

 Last night the pad thai was sweeter and saucier than usual. I couldn’t help thinking, is this made with ketchup? Generally, the Pad Thai here is not the most authentic tasting recipe in town, but it’s quick and they give you a lot of food. I’ve eaten here countless time, sometimes the food is spot on, other times it’s just okay.  The yellow curry is another favourite of mine. They have good lunch specials and if you’re in the area don’t hesitate to give them a try.