*cue 80s music* HEAT WAVE!!!!!! and pad thai!

Boy is it ever hot out there!!!! Since the weekend, the mercury has been steadily climbing and the humidity seems to only be getting worse daily. My hair is not very happy and neither is Pumpkin! The poor thing is barely meowing anymore and wants nothing more than to lie on the cold warm floor. I really do feel bad for her and it seems there isn't much we can do. We had to sleep with 2 fans in the bedroom with us last night and we never got cold (usually I need to cover myself with my small sheet by 3:30-4:30 but this never happened today). Yeah, it's hot and I get cranky when it's hot... I apologize to everyone in advance. Thankfully, I just heard that it should stop sometime this weekend. Woohoo rain!!!!!

Alright, so last week I made some Pad Thai. I figured it was time for me to make it again as it had been a long time since I had last made it and Salem and I needed a break from the normal chicken/fish/beef routine. The original recipe is from the Steven and Chris website. Please note though that I did make my own little changes (as always).

Yummy yummy pad thai!

Pad Thai 

Ingredients:
1/2 lb Firm tofu, drained
1/2 lb Shrimp, raw, de-veined (any size you like) **I had very large shrimp so I cut them into smaller pieces** 2 Eggs, extra-large, lightly beaten **I subbed one egg for 45ml egg whites**
3-4 cups Bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
2 Sweet peppers, chopped in a fine julienne
6 tbsp Safflower or corn oil **I eyeball it and try to get away with using less**
2 tbsp each, minced Garlic and minced Ginger
Sauce (mix together)
1/3 cup Tomato Ketchup
1/4 cup Asian Fish Sauce
1 1/2 tbsp Splenda
3 tbsp Water
1/2 lb Thai- or Chinese-style rice stick noodles (about linguine width) - softened in hot tap water for 15 - 20 minutes and drained
Garnish
3 tbsp Scallion greens, chopped on a bias
1/2 tsp Crushed red chillies
2 1/2 tbsp Cilantro, roughly chopped
4tbsp Peanuts, dry roasted & chopped
2 Limes, cut into six wedges
Hot sauce!!!

Now make it!!!
Wrap tofu in paper towels, place between two plates and weigh down with something heavy like a cast-iron skillet (or a big can of tomatoes). Let drain 20 minutes, unwrap and cut into a 1/4" dice. ** if you have the time, you can also take a bit of the sauce and marinate the tofu in it**
Heat wok or heavy skillet over a medium-low heat, as you assemble and organize your ingredients. Add 2 tbsp oil and turn heat to high. Once the wok is hot but not smoking, add tofu. Stir-fry about 3 minutes until golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Pour oil very carefully out of the pan and wipe it clean. Add 2 tbsp oil and cook the shrimp in the same manner, removing as soon as it has turned coral in colour **overcooking shrimp makes it rubbery**. Carefully pour out oil and clean pan before proceeding.
Re-heat the pan, add the last 2 tbsp oil and heat until hot. Add eggs, stirring to scramble over a medium-high heat. Add peppers, garlic and ginger and stir fry until fragrant -- about 10 seconds. Add the pre-mixed sauce and drained rice noodles. Toss over a medium-high heat, cooking about 3 - 4 minutes until noodles are tender and mixture is dry.
Add the bean sprouts, shrimp and tofu, and toss to mix. Serve on pre-warmed plates or bowl and let your lucky recipients customize their Pad Thai with favorite garnishes.