Last week was a bit of a doozie.
After a weekend spent working on the lawn, Barclay and his roommate managed to pick up some gnarly cases of poison ivy…which I’m highly allergic to. So I tried to keep my distance when I went to visit. But I forgot to take into account his sweet, adorable, furry, loves-to-roll-in-the-grass, and-also-loves-to-rub-up-against-anyone-asking-for-a-belly-rub, and sure enough, ended up with an ultra-itchy case of it myself.
Then Barclay came down with the flu. (Right before he gave a TedTalk on Saturday, but he powered through!)
Then I came down with a terrible breakout of canker sores (they’ve plagued me since I was a kid) and was relegated to a pureed soup diet. (<– Do any of you have any remedies that actually work for you?!)
And needless to say, but the time the weekend rolled around, I think it’s safe to say that we weren’t exactly what you’d call “pillars of health”. Oof.
That said, though, I’m always a big believer in the comforting power of good food whenever some sort of sickness hits. So when Barclay was down for the count with the flu earlier in the week, I swung by a nearby Thai place to pick up a big bowl of tom kha soup for him (his favorite), along with a big order of my favorite pad see ew for me (my latest sweet favorite). The only bummer? They goofed up my order and made pad kee mao for me instead! Definitely another one of my favorites, as you know. But I was craving the sweeter stir fry sauce in the pad see ew. So the next day, I did a little bit of research online and realized that I actually already had the ingredients to make the sauce at home. So I buzzed by our neighborhood Asian market and picked up some Chinese broccoli, added in some chicken I had on hand, and 15 minutes later, this restaurant-quality dish was ready to go.
It was just what the doctor ordered. :)
I’m guessing that most of you familiar with Thai food are familiar with this classic noodle dish. But in case you’re not, it’s just a basic rice noodle stir-fry with tons of Chinese broccoli (see below), a sweeter savory sauce, and maybe some extra protein if you’d like (chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, tofu, you pick!).
Feel free to throw in any other veggies you might like as well. But I stuck with the classic Chinese broccoli this time, and added in tons of it. So good!! And don’t forget that you get to eat the stems too. Just slice them really thinly, and they’ll cook up perfectly and give the dish a little bite.
Oh, and I also sprinkled on one of my favorite little “treats” that I became obsessed with at another Thai restaurant in town — fried garlic!
Have you guys ever tried these? I’ll admit, they have a little habit of getting stuck in your teeth. But oh man, they are like the best Thai “sprinkles” ever, and I can’t get enough of them. They’re usually only available at Asian groceries, but if you ever spot them, I highly recommend picking up a batch.
Anyway, another Thai take-out recipe to add to the make-at-home list! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Pad See Ew (Thai Sweet Stir Fried Noodles)
Ingredients
STIR-FRY INGREDIENTS:
- 12 ounces (dry) rice stick noodles
- 2 Tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil, divided
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces*
- 5 cups (packed) Chinese broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces with the stems and leaves separated
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 eggs, whisked
- stir-fry sauce (see below)
- (optional: fried garlic, lime wedges, for serving)
STIR-FRY SAUCE:
- 3 Tablespooons dark sweet soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 Tablespoon (regular) soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2-3 teaspoons sugar or honey
- optional: 1-2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce, to taste
Instructions
To Make The Stir-Fry:
- Prepare noodles al dente according to package instructions. (Or if there are no instructions, I recommend placing the noodles in a large mixing bowl and pouring boiling water on top of them until they are submerged. Wait 3-5 minutes until they are soft and al dente, then drain the water and set the noodles aside until ready to use, breaking them up with your fingers so that they don’t stick together.)
- Meanwhile, heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large saute pan or wok over high heat. Stir in the chicken and Chinese broccoli stems and garlic and cook for 4-6 minutes, flipping and stirring occasionally, until the chicken is just cooked through. (The chicken should be no longer be pink on the inside.) Transfer the mixture to a separate plate and set aside.
- Add 1 teaspoon of the remaining oil to the saute pan or wok. Add the eggs, and quickly scramble them, stirring occasionally, until they are cooked. (Alternately, you can also scramble the eggs beforehand and set aside until ready to use, or cook them simultaneously in another saute pan, if your current pan isn’t big enough.)
- Add in the remaining 2 teaspoons oil, the cooked noodles, chicken and broccoli stems, broccoli leaves, stir-fry sauce, and give the mixture a good toss until everything is combined. Continue cooking for 2-3 more minutes, tossing frequently. Taste, and season with salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve immediately, with optional garnishes if desired.
To Make The Stir-Fry Sauce:
- Whisk all ingredients together until combined. If you’d like to add in some heat, add in 1-2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce to taste.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
As a Chinese, I used to eat similar noodle all the time when I was a kid! Why did I never think about making it myself? Your recipe sounds very simple and delicious. So going to try this! :)
Thanks Fanny — we hope you enjoy this! :)
For the canker sores, I switched dentists a few years ago and she recommended changing to Sensodyne or Tom’s of Maine toothpaste because there is something in almost all other toothpastes that causes canker sores in some people (I’ve used Sensodyne ever since). Have barely had any since, except for a vacation where I used a different toothpaste. I don’t know why it took 30+ years for someone to tell me this tidbit so I share it whenever I can.
I just bought some pork to try your slow cooker carnitas. Can’t wait!
Looks great!
As for the canker sores- my dentist suggested swishing with water and baking soda instead of salt water last time I had them.
Canker sores are the worst! I’ve always gotten them, especially as a kid. It’s usually a sign I’m stressed and not *handling* it well ;-). I swear by cream of tartar. I keep a small jar in my bathroom (that I only use for my canker sores), use a Q-tip to dip into the jar, put it directly on the canker sore and hold it there until I can’t stand it any more. I repeat as often as I need to, but specifically in the morning and before bed. It burns and bubbles a little bit (compared to having multiple open sores in my mouth, I can deal), but it forms a layer over the top of the canker sore so it can heal. Think of it like giving your canker sore a scab so it can heal from the bottom up, instead of repeatedly being irritated and opened while your try and talk and eat.
Hope that helps! Love your recipes, we just moved and we had a week of 5 ingredient meals that were DELICIOUS and saved my sanity.
-M.
This looks delicious!!! And can be made GF, yay!
Canker sores… plagued me since I was young too. I’ve found I get them when I am feeling very stressed out, like it is the first “line of defense” that gives when the levels get too high, sleep is too little and not enough water is going into the system. This hurts like the dickens but then ends up numbing them a bit, salt directly on the sores for as long as I can handle it (10-15 seconds) and then rinse with warm water. Seems to generally help them dry out and heal and be numb for a bit. Hope you are both on the mend after last week!
Hi Ali-
Wanted to chime in on the canker sores. I feel your pain! I was plagued by them for years, to the point where I would tear up sometimes when I ate because it hurt so bad. My mom told me over and over to switch toothpaste, and I resisted until I had a breakout similar to yours. I’ve used the plain old Crest Cavity Protection (no bleach, no whitening, etc) for probably 10+ years and I’ve maybe had one canker sore since then. Miraculous! It might be worth a shot!
Betsy
This dish looks delicious! I have never heard of it before. I hope your week looks better this week!
Kari
Yum! This looks so good! I am plagued with canker sores too, and swear by alternating between swishing coconut oil and apple cider vinegar. I feel like both have helped my canker sores be less severe and heal more quickly!
Beautiful recipe. The pics in the article are picture-perfect.
Thanks Kavita!
Ouch, I’m so sorry to hear about your canker sores. Those are THE WORST. Hydrogen peroxide has always helped mine heal a little faster. :(