This vegetarian pad thai hits the spot

By Emily Weinstein The New York Times Like a lot of people around the world I love pad thai with its intricate and craveable combination of flavors and textures But it s because I love pad thai that I stopped ordering it for delivery a long time ago The stir-fried noodles were inevitably gloopy and globbed when they arrived at my door The flavors had dulled and the contrasting textures that make the dish so delicious in restaurants had all slumped together Like tacos pad thai is one of those foods that s meant to be eaten the moment it s assembled Every minute after that you re looking at diminishing returns This is why I promise it s better and very easy to make pad thai at home if you can t go to a great Thai restaurant to get it freshly cooked We have a new vegetarian and easy to veganize version below along with four other great options for the week Vegetarian Pad Thai When dining out or ordering in a vegetarian pad thai can be hard to come by as fish sauce is often used to attain the signature salty savory flavors of this popular dish While the complex umami of fish sauce can be formidable to replicate this combination of lime juice soy sauce maple syrup miso and tamarind creates a comparable sauce that effectively delivers pad thai s balance of sour sweet and salty notes The seasoning sauce keeps well too so it can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to days Soaking the noodles in boiling water softens them promptly just enough to make them pliable enough to stir-fry without overcooking and urgent apart The broccoli and snow peas sugar snap peas or green beans can easily be replaced with whatever vegetables you have on hand To make this dish vegan just omit the eggs By Hetty Lui McKinnon Yield servings Total time minutes Ingredients ounces flat dried rice noodles preferably pad thai noodles Boiled water tablespoons lime juice from to limes tablespoons maple syrup or brown sugar tablespoons soy sauce or tamari tablespoon tamarind paste or concentrate teaspoons white shiro miso paste Vegetable oil or other neutral oil medium yellow onion halved and sliced small head broccoli cut into small florets to ounces store-bought baked or extra-firm tofu cut into -inch strips or triangles cup snow peas sugar snap peas or green beans trimmed garlic cloves finely chopped Salt and pepper eggs well beaten to teaspoons crushed red pepper cups bean sprouts scallions thinly sliced Roasted peanuts for serving lime cut into wedges for serving Preparation Place the noodles in a large bowl cover with just-boiled water and soak for minutes Using tongs give the noodles a stir to separate the strands They will soften turn white and become pliable Drain While the noodles soak make the seasoning sauce Add the lime juice maple syrup soy sauce tamarind and miso to a bowl and whisk to combine Heat a wok or large -inch skillet on medium-high for minutes When hot drizzle with tablespoons of oil add the onion and toss until slightly softened to minutes Add the broccoli and toss until slightly softened to minutes Add the tofu snow peas and garlic season with salt then gently toss for minute Add the drained noodles the sauce and tablespoons of water toss well until the noodles are well coated and have softened and absorbed the sauce to minutes Taste the noodles for doneness If needed add another to tablespoons of water and keep tossing until the noodles are soft enough to eat Push the noodles to one side drizzle a little oil onto the surface of the pan and pour in the beaten eggs Scramble the eggs stirring and scraping until cooked through and just set to minutes then stir them into the noodles Add the crushed red pepper bean sprouts and scallions and toss until the scallions are just wilted about minute Season generously with salt and pepper To serve top with peanuts and serve with lime wedges Honey-Garlic Chicken Honey garlic chicken Christopher Testani The New York Times These sweet and salty honey-garlic chicken breasts are perfect for when you want big flavor but you re short on time To ensure golden-brown chicken breasts that stay plump and moist start with a hot pan and pat the chicken dry to avoid adding extra moisture then allow the chicken to sear properly Once your chicken has taken on color set it aside and create a simple pan sauce of honey soy sauce vinegar garlic and butter When the sauce is glossy return the chicken to the pan and turn it until coated in the satiny honey-garlic sauce Serve with roasted potatoes rice or bread to soak it all up By Yasmin Fahr Yield servings Total time minutes Ingredients chicken breasts halved lengthwise or chicken cutlets about pound Salt and black pepper tablespoons olive oil tablespoons honey tablespoons soy sauce tablespoons apple cider rice wine or white wine vinegar to large garlic cloves minced or grated tablespoons unsalted butter Chopped fresh parsley for garnish optional Preparation Pat the chicken dry Season all over with salt and pepper Heat the oil in a large -inch skillet over medium-high for to minutes until hot and shimmering Add the chicken and cook without moving until it s golden brown on the bottom about minutes Use tongs to flip the chicken and cook until just cooked through about minutes While the chicken cooks on the second side mix together tablespoons of water the honey and soy sauce in a measuring cup Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and set aside Pour in the soy sauce mixture and let cook until the liquid reduces about minute Add the vinegar garlic and butter stirring to melt and incorporate until thick and glossy about minutes more Return the chicken to the pan leaving behind any accumulated juices on the plate and turn to coat in the sauce If the sauce is too thick add the accumulated juices then serve promptly garnishing with the parsley if desired Slow-Roasted Citrus Salmon With Herb Salad Slow-roasted citrus salmon with herb salad Romulo Yanes The New York Times This is truly the best way to cook salmon Slowly roasting an already fatty fish in an even more luxurious fat here olive oil makes it nearly impossible to overcook Plus you can flavor that oil with whatever you fancy spices herbs citrus chiles which in turn will flavor the fish It s a very simple method for cooking any large piece of fish cod or halibut work well here too This makes it the ideal dinner party trick sitting perfectly in the center of a Venn diagram in which looks impressive and not a ton of work overlap It also doubles beautifully Store any leftover salmon in the remaining oil which will keep it from drying out and use it to elevate a salad or a bagel with cream cheese By Alison Roman Yield to servings Total time minutes Ingredients -pound piece skinless salmon fillet or halibut or cod Kosher salt and black pepper lemons Meyer or regular thinly sliced plus tablespoon fresh lemon juice blood orange mandarin orange or regular orange thinly sliced sprigs thyme rosemary oregano or marjoram optional cups olive oil cups herbs such as parsley cilantro dill and tarragon roughly picked from the stem Flaky sea salt for serving Preparation Heat oven to degrees Season salmon with salt and pepper on both sides Place in a large baking dish with sliced lemons orange and thyme or rosemary oregano or marjoram if using Drizzle everything with olive oil and bake until salmon is just turning opaque at the edges and is nearly cooked through to minutes Toss fresh herbs with tablespoon lemon juice and flaky salt Serve alongside salmon Cauliflower Alfredo Pasta Cauliflower Alfredo Pasta Food Stylist Simon Andrews David Malosh The New York Times Good cheese good vegetables good pasta What more could you need These quick creamy noodles rely on one thing a stellar homemade Alfredo sauce Butter cream and cheese get you there anchored by the musky aroma of nutmeg Adding cauliflower to the boiling pasta in the last insufficient minutes of cooking results in a lighter glossier final sauce Serve with an arugula salad dressed just with lemon juice salt pepper crushed red pepper extra-virgin olive oil and more grated cheese By Eric Kim Yield servings Total time minutes Ingredients Salt and pepper ounces dried short pasta such as fusilli rigatoni or cavatappi small head cauliflower florets and stems cut into bite-size pieces about cups ounces tablespoons unsalted butter small shallot finely chopped cup heavy cream ounces about cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus more to taste Freshly grated nutmeg Finely chopped chives or scallions for topping Ricotta lemon wedges or arugula for serving optional Preparation Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil Cook the pasta according to package instructions In the last minutes of cooking add the cauliflower Reserve cup of the pasta cooking water Drain the pasta and vegetables and return to the pot Meanwhile in a small saucepan over medium melt tablespoon of butter Add the shallot and cook stirring frequently until softened about minutes Add the cream reduce the heat to low then cook without boiling stirring occasionally until warmed through and slightly thickened about minutes Stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano and tablespoon of butter Taste and season with salt pepper nutmeg and more Parmigiano as needed Scrape the sauce into the pot with the cooked pasta and cauliflower splashing in several of the reserved pasta water as needed to thin out the sauce Add the remaining tablespoon of butter Over medium heat toss until the sauce thickens slightly and clings to the pasta Taste the pasta once more and season with salt if it demands it Serve at once with a generous sprinkling of chives Optionally you can also enjoy this creamy pasta with dollops of cool ricotta a squeeze of fresh lemon or a handful of arugula on top Sheet-Pan Shrimp With Tomatoes Feta and Oregano Sheet-pan shrimp with tomatoes feta and oregano David Malosh The New York Times Ready in minutes this Mark Bittman recipe from is a perfect weeknight recipe It relies heavily on garlic oregano and black pepper as a coating for the shrimp Serve alongside a hearty salad or with a stack of flatbread for an easy meal In his original piece a roundup of shrimp recipes he suggested wild shrimp from the Pacific or Gulf of Mexico or fresh local shrimp from Maine or the Carolinas if they re available to you All he wrote are preferable from a sustainability perspective By Mark Bittman Yield servings Total time minutes Ingredients garlic clove teaspoon salt tablespoon chopped fresh oregano tablespoon lemon juice tablespoons olive oil Black pepper pounds peeled shrimp Chopped tomatoes for serving Crumbled feta for serving Preparation Related Articles Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with crisp-fried shrimp tacos great recipes for spring brunch season Spatchcock a chicken for an easy and inexpensive meal for Solutions to Turn a Can of Tuna Into Lunch or Even Dinner This Spicy Clam Chowder Is St Augustine s Best-Kept Secret Turn on the broiler and position the oven rack close to the heat Mash garlic clove with salt until it forms a paste Add chopped oregano lemon juice olive oil and lots of black pepper Rub paste all over pounds peeled shrimp Spread shrimp out on a pan and broil to minutes per side Served topped with chopped tomatoes and crumbled feta This article originally appeared in The New York Times Subscribe to our weekly newsletter In The Know to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox