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The Kind Diet is a book by the fabulous, Alicia Silverstone, a super-vegan for over 15 years, that is filled with yummy recipes. I am a huge fan of cheese and yogurt, so I was hesitant to even purchase this book – I’m glad I did. After I opened up this book and saw all of these delicious and healthy recipes, I decided I wanted to try it. I mean, Cher Horowitz  basically molded my 3^rd grade jargon with her “as ifs” from the movie, Clueless, ooo Classic!… so why wouldn’t I take her advice on this diet? My first dish of this adventure is the Brooklyn Pad Thai.

This quick dish is really simple to make. I used Annie Chun’s whole wheat rice noodles and used Wild Wood teriyaki marinated tofu (so yummy) . I the tofu into a wok with some peanut oil and cooked them until they were golden brown and crispy. Then tossed in some red onion—thinly sliced, garlic and finely minced lemongrass. The recipe didn’t call for any broccoli or mushrooms but I threw those in just to give it some more color and texture. I added some bean sprouts, the noodles and some extra sauce during the last two minutes of cooking.  Just to make it fancy, I cut up some lime wedges and fresh cilantro for a garnish. This dish took about 25 minutes from start to finish. Speedy and yummy. 😉 Full recipe below:

Vegan Pad Thai:

450g rice noodles

For the sauce:
6 tablespoons tamari
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 tablespoons chilli sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons tamarind concentrate or lime juice

For the pad Thai:
6 tablespoons ground nut oil (we just used vegetable oil)
450g tofu drained and pressed and cut into small triangles
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon lemongrass, finely chopped
125 g bean sprouts
8 spring onions. sliced
2 small dried red chillies, crumbled
50g chopped roasted peanuts
4 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
Lime wedges for serving.

Method:
-Prepare the rice noodles according to the directions on the packet.
-Mix together the ingredients for the sauce.
Preheat a large nonstick frypan or wok over moderate-high heat, then quickly add the tofu. Stir fry for for 4 – 5 minutes, until the tofu is crisp on the outside. Remove from pan and set aside.
-Pour 2 tablespoons more of the oil into the pan, add the garlic and lemongrass, stir fry for 30 seconds. Add the sauce and when it starts to bubble, add the noodles. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then add the tofu, bean sprouts, spring onions, chillies, and peanuts. Stir for 30 more seconds.
-Transfer to two serving plates and garnish with coriander and lime wedges.