Beef Pad Thai With Peanut Sauce & Asian Noodles

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 cup dry roasted peanuts
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
• 2 tablespoons asian fish sauce (if vegetarian, use vegetarian fish sauce or regular soy sauce)
• 1/2 teaspoon tahini paste
• 1 teaspoon red chili sauce (more or less to taste)
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• lime zest
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger (you can find this in the oriental section of your grocery store) or 1 teaspoon sliced ginger in a jar (you can find this in the oriental section of your grocery store)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 -4 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
• 1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced or 1 cup shiitake mushroom
• 1 onion, sliced small onion, into long thin slices work best
• 1 lb lean beef steak, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch strips (such as sirloin tip or flank)
• 1/4 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts
• 1/4 cup chopped scallion (3-4 scallions, & green parts)
• 8 ounces somen noodles or 8 ounces soba noodles, noodes or 8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti

Recipe

• 1 thai peanut sauce preparation: place the first 12 ingredients (from the peanuts to the lime zest), in a blender. blend until sauce is smooth. if you prefer a runnier peanut sauce, add a little more water. do a taste test for salt and spice, adding more fish sauce if not salty enough, and more chili sauce &/or red pepper flakes, if not spicy enough. if too salty, add another squeeze of fresh limejuice.
• 2 beef pad thai preparation: cook the noodles according to the package directions. drain, transfer to a large bowl, and cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap to keep warm.
• 3 heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. add the ginger and garlic - cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. add the sliced onions & mushrooms, stir-fry for 2 minutes. add the beef and stir-fry another 2 minutes. next, add the teriyaki sauce & a 1/2 cup of the thai peanut sauce, stir all together, and simmer until the beef is cooked through, about 4-5 minutes.
• 4 transfer the noodles to the beef mixture & toss to combine. serve on individual plates topped with the peanuts and scallions. the leftover peanut sauce will keep in the refrigerator up to 4 days or in the freezer up to 3 months; thaw completely in the refrigerator or microwave for about 3 minutes on low before using.