LAST EDITED ON 01-06-10 AT 07:46 PM (EST)I learned how to make this recently so thought I would share. I'll also give some substitutions for some of the more unusual ingredients if you have a hard time finding them (or what the more unusual ingredient is that I don't use).
The amounts listed are for 4 servings, but I did it as a single person serving in the pictures.
Mark Bittman is the cookbook this comes from (both the vegetarian one and the world foods one)
I believe the way I make this would be gluten free and you can add proteins as you wish, I added some shrimp to mine. I would either grill the chicken, pork or beef first/separate then slice or you could slice them very thin and add to the stirfry step with the scallions and bean sprouts
12 ounces dried flat rice noodles 1/4 inch thick.*
5 Tablespoons peanut or other neutral oil like grapeseed or corn
3 eggs lightly beaten
4 cloves garlic minced
8 ounces extra firm tofu blotted dry and sliced (can be omitted if you can't face the fu)
2 scallions trimmed and cut into 1 inch lengths
1 cup bean sprouts**
2 tablespoons fish sauce***
2 teaspoons ketchup****
2 teaspoons sugar
Garnishes
1/4 cup chopped peanuts*****
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 chilies, preferably Thai seeded and sliced******
1 lime cut into wedges
*Some grocery stores around here only have the really thin rice noodles, they will work, but I like the wider noodles better. If you can't get rice noodles fettuccine will work (I have these in the ingredient picture as well as 2 examples of the wider noodles, one from an Asian grocery and one from a regular grocery)
**fresh mung bean sprouts are best, but you can use canned if you can't get the fresh ones. Sometimes I will sprout my own.
***If you don't eat fish or can't find fish sauce you can use soy sauce. My fish sauce is listed as gluten free, but that can be hard to find in a soy sauce (although La Choy usually is considered gluten free and I know some people with celiac who will use that brand)
****OK the real ingredient is tamarind paste. I haven't gone looking for it, but you may be able to find it in Asian or Mexican/Latin American groceries. I kinda like using the ketchup as it kinda makes an interesting historical full circle. The original ketchups were a fermented fish sauce from East Asia that picked up tomatoes as it went around the globe. It is sometimes used in Asia in sauces as it has that sweet/sour/salty quality they like. Tamarind tends to add the sour as well as some sweet depending on the ripeness used
*****You can use other nuts, I find cashews work really well
******Instead of the chilies in the garnish I add some Sriracha sauce. Sometimes I add it into the sauce or just put a bit on top as another garnish.
1. Put the rice noodles in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Soak until softened, approximately 15 minutes. If you want to hold them longer drain and fill bowl with cold water.
2. Put 2 Tablespoons of oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. When hot add the eggs and scramble quickly (I usually just break the egg into the skillet) quickly at the beginning. You are going for a thin egg crepe, rather than a fluffy scrambled egg. Cook until set (I usually will flip it to finish it off) and then put on a cutting board and slice into 1/4 inch strips.
3. Raise the heat to high or medium high and add the remaining oil. When the oil is hot add the garlic, tofu, scallions (protein if this is where you are going to cook it, other wise add in the next step) and 1/2 the bean sprouts. Cook, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes. Transfer with slotted spoon to a plate.
4. Mix the ketchup, fish sauce and sugar in a small bowl and mix. Add the drained noodles egg strips and sauce into the pan and cook stirring occasionally until heated through (I would add cooked protein here if you cooked it separately). Once that is heated through add the stir fried veggie mixture, toss once or twice and transfer to a serving platter.
5. Top with peanuts, cilantro, remaining beansprouts and chilies. Serve with lime wedges (I usually just squeeze them right over the top once I have it on the plate) You can use as many or as few of the garnishes as you like as some people can't have nuts or have the wrong taste buds for cilantro. I think you could substitute other fresh herb for the cilantro.
ETA: Did this a couple of days early as I may be busy and figured early was better than late.
oops, no cream.
Bonus cream based recipe. Serve over grilled steak.
No amounts because it is however much I think I need for amount of steak I am serving.
Saute onions or mushrooms until caramelized.
Add cream and a Tablespoon or two of blue cheese crumbles to the pan
Cook until the cream is reduced by about half and the cheese is melted.
I haven't tried this over chicken, but I think it might be good over that, too.