My next recipe comes from Thai cuisine, so I'm dusting off my post about it.

These are rice noodles with a slightly tangy note, served with ground pork and shrimp. When I was making this dish, I was nervous about the amount of sour ingredients. But there was no need. The flavors are perfectly balanced. A splash of chili sauce is a must, too, as it gives the whole dish just the right spicy kick.

This recipe is the January challenge from Mniammniam.com, set by Tarzynka, who took the recipe from Ruth Reichl's book "Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise." I made the dish almost exactly according to the recipe. I used 1/3 less noodles, because it seemed like too much to me. It was enough for 4 hungry people.

Directions:

Pour hot water over the noodles and cover them for about 20 minutes, until soft. Drain and set aside.

Mix the sugar with the fish sauce and vinegar and set that aside too.

Heat the oil in a skillet and sear the shrimp until they have completely changed color (about a minute). Take them out of the pan and set aside. Add the garlic to the skillet, and when it starts to brown, add the pork and half of the scallions. Cook until the pork changes color, then add the drained noodles and toss quickly. Add the fish sauce mixture, lower the heat and cook until the noodles absorb all the liquid (about 5 minutes). Push the noodles to the side, crack one egg into the skillet and tilt the pan so the egg spreads out thinly. Stir until it sets, then mix it into the noodles. Do the same with the second egg.

Add the shrimp, the rest of the scallions and the ground red pepper, and toss. Then add the lime juice and, stirring constantly, cook for a minute. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with some of the peanuts, surround with the lime wedges and the rest of the peanuts, drizzle with chili sauce and serve.

Enjoy!

Thai-style noodles

I also recommend these other Asian recipes:

Banana Soup with Chili from Thailand

Chicken Roulades with Vegetables and Sesame

Orange Rolls

Ezekiel's Chicken

Bulgur with Grilled Vegetables