Comfort Food in 20 minutes

Half the cost and half the time of takeout

---

I have a weakness for comfort food. I think that I deserve it as a treat for being a good, hardworking adult throughout the week. This kind of habit can get expensive, and if you read my post Simple Habits For People Who Don’t Have Time For Habits you know that I have a hack for keeping myself from overspending and overindulging.

While I save at least $30 per week from deny my own flesh, I still wanted my chicken or shrimp pad thai, in my bed, with a movie on. That’s when this recipe came to life!

After a few trial and errors, picking and tweaking from a handful of people on the internet trying to give me the “BEST RECIPE,” I found that this one was the most simple, took the least amount of time, and could be made of mostly things I already have.

Without further ado… here’s my pad thai recipe:

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces flat rice noodles

• 3 Tablespoons oil

• 3 cloves garlic , minced

• 8 ounces uncooked shrimp, chicken, or tofu , cut into small pieces

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts

• 1 red bell pepper , thinly sliced

• 3 green onions , chopped

• 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts

• 2 limes

• 1/2 cup Fresh cilantro , chopped

For the Pad Thai sauce:

• 3 Tablespoons fish sauce

• 1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

• 5 Tablespoons light brown sugar

• 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar , or tamarind paste (I typically use rice vinegar)

• 1 Tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce , or more, to taste

• 2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter* (optional)

Instructions

• Cook noodles according to package instructions, just until tender. Rinse under cold water

• Make sauce by combining sauce ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

• Stir Fry:

  • Heat 1½ tablespoons of oil in a wok or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, chicken or tofu, garlic and bell pepper. The shrimp will cook quickly, about 1-2 minutes on each side, or until pink. If using chicken, cook until just cooked through, about 3-4 minutes, flipping only once.

  • Push everything to the side of the pan. Add a little more oil and add the beaten eggs. Scramble the eggs, breaking them into small pieces with a spatula as they cook.

  • Add noodles, sauce, bean sprouts and peanuts to the wok (reserving some peanuts for topping at the end). Toss everything to combine.

  • Garnish the top with green onions, extra peanuts, cilantro and lime wedges. Serve

    

---

If this recipe peaked your interest, and you’d like to support me while I keep putting together more,

You can buy me a coffee here: Buy Me a Coffee🤍

Or… You, me, and a few honest thoughts every week. Let’s make it official, shall we?

Paid subscribers get the full spread — bonus posts, deeper essays, and exclusive travel + lifestyle guides.