Noodles for Noodles

This is Noodles.

She was our loving family dog of nearly 16 years. And trust me when I say that her name fit her personality perfectly. As a puppy, she would scamper around sticking her nose and head in every crack and crevice that she could find...and then whip around and  bound through the house and over anything in her way with a dirty sock or toy in her mouth.

Then she discovered human food. (Thanks to a Thanksgiving visit by Grandma.)

Bread was her favorite, preferably a loaf still in the plastic bag. Then there was raw meat - right out of the sink as it thawed. Oh, and let's not forget the potatoes, also raw from the bag.

In honor of Noodles, I made my own noodles. Pad Thai that is.

Now, my friends know that I'm a good Midwestern meat and potatoes kind of girl (Noodles was a puppy after my own heart). I'm not all that adventurous with ethnic dishes in the kitchen. But, I love me some good Pad Thai for takeout, so when I saw a healthier version in Cooking Light, I thought, "what the heck?"

It was delicious! And I made it at home! The aroma was just like it had arrived at my door step steaming hot in those little takeout boxes with weird sauces in squeeze packets (what's in those things anyway?!). 

So, Noodles, these noodles are for you baby girl.

I'm sure you're up in heaven enjoyng all the meat, bread and potatoes you can get. I love you sweet puppy.

Shrimp Pad Thai (from Cooking Light, March 2011)

Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked flat rice noodles (pad Thai noodles)
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Sriracha or chili garlic sauce
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup (2-inch) green onion pieces
8 ounces peeled and deveined large shrimp
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/4 cup chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions:

1. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.
2. While water comes to a boil, combine sugar and next 4 ingredients (through Sriracha) in a small bowl.
3. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion pieces, shrimp, and garlic; stir-fry 2 minutes or until shrimp is almost done. Add cooked noodles; toss to combine. Stir in sauce; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly to combine. Arrange about 1 cup noodle mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1/4 cup bean sprouts, 1 tablespoon peanuts, and 2 teaspoons basil.