Shrimp Pad Thai ~ The Trim & Healthy Way

As promised, here is the Pad Thai recipe!

If you want a reeeeally easy, but not quite as authentic pad thai taste, you can always buy one of those seasoning packs at the grocery store. That’s how I and my first serving of konjac noodles fell in love. But you do have to watch out for a few things on the ingredients list, especially sugar. So when my first seasoning pack had disappeared, I began dreaming of making my own, completely guilt free sauce! I searched and found a beautiful recipe here and have adapted it to fit into my Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle. My friends and I have “taste tested” this for you, so I hope you’ll enjoy!

Shrimp {or Chicken} Pad Thai ~~~ Serves 2

1.) Pad Thai Sauce:
1/3 cup fish sauce
1/2 cup xylitol OR 1/4 cup xylitol with dashes of stevia sweetened to taste
1/2 cup tamarind juice concentrate (I bought this one)
4 cloves garlic, minced

To make Pad Thai sauce, heat a small pan on medium low and add fish sauce, sweetener(s), tamarind juice concentrate, and garlic. Cook until xylitol has completely dissolved. At this point you can adjust the sweetness with more xylitol or stevia, and the hotness by adding a little Thai chili powder. As for myself, I was happy with things as they were! Remove from heat and allow to cool down before storing in a jar or plastic container.

2.) Konjac or Miracle Noodles:
Drain and rinse konjac noodles, approximately one 7 oz. bag per person. I like the fettuccine noodles best, but the angle hair type work as well. Boil in water on the stove for 2 minutes. Rinse again. Cut through the noodles a few times with a kitchen shears so they are easier to fry and eat. Set aside.

3.) Other Ingredients
1 1/2 cups shrimp or thinly sliced chicken.
Minced garlic, 1-4 cloves depending on your preference.
1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup carrots matchsticks OR 1 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup mung bean sprouts
green onion
cilantro
roasted peanuts, chopped
lime
tio
Heat 3 tablespoons coconut oil in a wok or frying pan and cook raw chicken or shrimp for 3-4 minutes. Set aside in a small bowl. Add a little more oil to pan and fry red onions and garlic, stirring so as not to burn the garlic. Add noodles and stir for a minute or two. Add 2-4 tablespoons Pad Thai sauce, continually stirring noodle mixture until well-coated with sauce. Add cooked meat back and fry for 2-3 minutes and then set aside or push to one side of the pan. Fry the remaining vegetables for a minute or two til tender, adding a dab more coconut oil if needed. (At this point you can also add an egg and fry it with the veggies, but I prefer it without.) Add additional sauce if you want more flavor. Remove from heat and serve. Garnish with green onions, cilantro, chopped peanuts, and a wedge of lime.

Just talking about this wonderful dish is making my mouth water!

And now for a bit of Trim Healthy Mama facts: This meal can easily be a Fuel Pull if you go really light on the coconut oil and the peanuts. Otherwise I guess it’s a pretty light “S” meal. Read here for fascinating facts on the miracle “konjac” or “shirataki” noodle. I buy them here for the best price, although I would love to visit a local Asian store and perhaps find them at an even better price.

*Some folks find that xylitol gives them uncomfortable feelings in their belly after consuming. Beware of this and perhaps ask/warn your friends. Ask me how I know! It is a safe and healthy sweetener and supposedly something one’s body becomes accustomed too, but just be careful.

*When cooking konjac noodles it’s important for the best eating experience to drain and rinse out the water they come in~thoroughly. Boil them in fresh water. And then be sure to fry them {such as in the sauce as is instructed in this recipe} for a few minutes.

OK, I think that’s it. Go for it! Make a bowl of guilt free Pad Thai and enjoy!

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