I’m still on my noodle bowl kick, so I decided to branch out from daikon noodles (SO tasty!!) to golden beet noodles. Looking at what I had in my pantry and in the fridge, a take on Pad Thai just made sense.
I began by frying the cubed organic extra-firm tofu in olive and toasted sesame oils. While it browned, I gathered the ingredients for the Pad Thai sauce and blended them up in my mini food processor.
Finally, I peeled and prepped the golden beets by cutting the ends off (a flat surface spiralizes better). Using the 3mm (spaghetti noodle, already a staple) blade, the beets were quickly and easily turned into veggie noodles. Instant gratification!
The “cores” that were left were chopped up into small pieces. The noodles cooked in a skillet for about 5 minutes, then went into bowls. The tofu cubes went on top of the noodles, followed by the peanut sauce and a generous squeeze of Sriracha.
Verdict: it’s amazingly delicious take on Pad Thai – a 9 on a scale that goes to 10 (with a “10” being so good that you have an out-of-body experience). The noodles don’t scream “beet”, and are toothsome in their own right. The sauce left a noticeably garlick-y taste in my mouth, so I’d probably reduce the amount used by half; nonetheless, the flavors were complex and so complementary. I could eat this dish daily, too!
Quick Pad Thai Sauce
- 1/2 clove garlic
- 1/2″ piece of peeled ginger root
- 1/8 cup water
- 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 Tbsp honey
- 1/4 cup Earth Balance Coconut and Peanut Spread (or other nut butter)
- 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 Tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)
Put all ingredients in food processor and process until well-blended. Makes 2 servings.
(recipe adapted from the Brieftons 7-Blade Spiralizer Manual)
Spiralizing has really helped increase my overall veggie intake, especially raw veggie goodness. I may just wear this gadget out!