First new recipe of the new year: Pad Thai with Chicken.

I have been craving Pad Thai for weeks and weeks, but my super picky husband isn't a big fan of Asian cuisine. I finally decided to make my own version from home using bits and pieces of several recipes (depending on what I had available, and what we like) to create this one that my husband and I could both enjoy.

Pad Thai with Chicken

Ingredients:

1/2 pkg (16oz) of rice noodles

2 T butter

1 boneless skinless chicken breast

2 eggs

1/3 c cooking oil

1 t minced garlic

1 t ginger

1 T white wine vinegar

3 T fish sauce

3 T white sugar

2 T lime juice

1/4 t red pepper (cayenne)
3 T peanut butter

1/4 c crushed peanuts, for garnish

2 T chopped cilantro, for garnish

Place rice noodles in a pot of hot (not boiling) water and let soak for about 25-30min.

In the meantime, heat the butter in your wok or large saucepan. I don't have a wok and my saucepan worked just fine! Saute the chicken until lightly browned on both sides and cooked through. Remove from heat and shred (or chop into bite sized pieces if you'd prefer), and set aside. Add the cooking oil to the pan and heat over med-high heat. Crack both eggs into hot oil and cook until firm. Mix in chicken, garlic, and ginger and cook for another few minutes. Turn heat down to low.

In a separate bowl, prepare the sauce by mixing the vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, red pepper, and peanut butter. You can adjust any of these to your tastes. Don't be alarmed by the pungent smell!

Add sauce mix and noodles to the saucepan with chicken and eggs. Mix well until noodles are soft and ready to serve. Top individual servings with crushed peanuts and chopped fresh cilantro. Enjoy!