Pad (Pat) Thai

It is starting to warm up nicely here. Over the weekend we went hiking and saw a ton of beautiful spring wildflowers.  The park was a new place for us and the ground was covered in a blanket of wildflowers and ramps. The forest smelled slightly like garlic from all the ramps. 

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After a long walk in the warm weather, I crave lighter foods and sometimes spicier foods. Pad (or sometimes called Pat or Phat) Thai definitely fits the bill. I ate Pad Thai once in Thailand. It was good, but it certainly wasn't my favorite dish I had there. But, it remains one of the most popular Thai dishes in the U.S. 

This was the first time I made this myself and we enjoyed it a lot. I used the recipe from Thai Food as a guide. I love this cookbook, but sometimes I take shortcuts or make substitutions because even with all the Asian markets around me, I can't always find every ingredient. Below is my adapted recipe which will serve two very hungry people.

Stir-fried squid and baby bok choy

Here's yet another Asian inspired recipe and another new protein for me to be cooking at home: squid. 

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While I've certainly eaten fried calamari at restaurants, I've never cooked squid at home and I've rarely eaten it without a breading. I have to admit, I was a little nervous, but I was inspired by the beautiful recipe at one of my favorite blogs, Wild Greens & Sardines. I love her blog with its amazing photography and also her use of less common ingredients. If you haven't visited it before, I highly recommend doing so. 

Squid is something that gets tough very easily, so you have to either stew it for a long time, or cook it super quickly. I was afraid of making little rubber bands my first time around, but the squid turned out great - slightly chewy, yet tender and soft. 

I liked the idea of using some Thai flavors with the squid. Indeed, the two times I've tried squid without breading were in Thailand and at a Thai restaurant, so it was fitting. 

I thought the flavors were delicious with the slightly sweet squid and the slightly bitter bok choy. I served this dish over jasmine rice, which was certainly the longest part of this meal. The stir-fry itself is quick and easy - perfect for a weeknight meal. This dish serves two.