Veggie Pad Thai

Happy Cinco de Mayo everybody! There's nothing like celebrating a Mexican holiday with some Thai food, am I right? (Okay, that makes no sense, but it's not like Cinco de Mayo is a real Mexican holiday anyway, so whatever.)

This is a really easy recipe for pad thai you can make at home. It's not exactly an authentic pad thai recipe, as it skips all of those hard-to-find ingredients (tamarind paste, anyone?). But it tastes pretty similar and is delicious in its own right.

Veggie Pad Thai
Adapted from Everyday Food

• 8 ounces dried rice noodles
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
• 3 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Vegetables (optional), such as zucchini, broccoli, bell peppers, etc., chopped
• Fresh cilantro
• Chopped roasted, salted peanuts

Cook or soak noodles according to package instructions. Drain. In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, lime juice, and soy sauce.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high. Add scallion whites and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add eggs and cook, scraping skillet with a rubber spatula, until eggs are almost set, about 30 seconds. Transfer egg mixture to a plate.

If adding vegetables, add them to the skillet along with 2 additional teaspoons oil. Cook until tender. Add noodles and soy sauce mixture to skillet; cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are soft and coated with sauce, about 1 minute. Add egg mixture and toss to coat, breaking eggs up gently. Serve noodles topped with scallion greens, cilantro, and peanuts.

Variations: Vegans can omit the eggs. Just cook the vegetables with the scallion whites and garlic.