Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts

$5 Meal - Easy Chicken Pad See Ew!

18 January 2013

I love Thai food.  One of my favorites is Pad See Ew.  It may not look like much, but it is a hearty & flavorful blend of noodles, chicken, and broccoli...and it is suprisingly easy & economical to make at home!

The only thing that is a little special about this recipe is that is calls for dark soy sauce & oyster sauce.  Dark soy sauce is a little different than your standard soy sauce because it is aged a little longer with some additives to make it thicker & this also gives it a bit less saltiness.  Both sauces are really easy to find at any Asian market &  each cost less than $3 for a bottle.

I usually cook for 2, but if you're cooking for a party of family, this recipe doubles wonderfully!



2 chicken breasts (about 1 pound) - sliced into thin strips - 1.99
4 oz wide rice noodles - .75
1 cup bite sized broccoli florets - .75
2 tablespoons vegetable oil - .10
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce - .07
1 egg white plus 1 whole egg - .20
1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce - .25
1/2 tablespoon distilled white vinegar - .10
2 cloves garlic, minced, optional - .10

Total cost - $4.31 for two servings (2.16 per serving)

Place the dry rice noodles in a bowl, cover with hot water, and let soak until soft (but not too mushy) - about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil & cook the broccoli in the boiling water until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Heat a wok over medium heat and add 1/2 tablespoon oil. Stir in 1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce, the chicken and 1 egg white. Stir constantly until the chicken is partially cooked and the egg white has set. Set this aside.
Now that you've prepped all the parts, you are ready to make the magic happen! Heat the wok over medium-high heat and add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Add all your ingredients - starting with the rice noodles, remaining soy sauce, oyster sauce, & vinegar.  Next, add the chicken and broccoli mixture and stir to incorporate. Cook this until the chicken is white and tender.

What I love most about this recipe is that it is quick, easy, and also really flexible.  You can use any other kind of protein - tofu, shrimp, beef, etc will work just as well!   Traditionally, broccoli is the only vegetable, but you could add variety like bok choy or cabbage.  You could also omit the oyster sauce and use tofu or tempeh to make this vegan.
 
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