Vegan Pad Thai with tofu and Basil

INGREDIENTS

For the Pad Thai

• 4 ouncesbrown rice noodles (you can get stir-fry type noodles or Pad Thai noodles – and usually that’s half a box)
• 1zucchini
• 1red pepper
• half ayellow onion
• 2carrots
• 2 tablespoonsoil
• 1egg, beaten
• 1/2 cuppeanuts, chopped
• 1/2 cupfresh herbs like cilantro, green onions, and basil, chopped

For the Sauce:

• 3 tablespoonsfish sauce or vegan fish sauce substitute
• 3 tablespoonsbrown sugar (or sub another sweetener)
• 3 tablespoonschicken or vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoonswhite vinegar
• 1 tablespoonsoy sauce
• 1 teaspoonchili paste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the uncooked noodles in a bowl of cold water to soak. Spiralize the zucchini, red pepper, and onion into noodle-like shapes. Cut the carrots into very small pieces (or spiralize them, too, if they’re big enough).
2. Shake up the sauce ingredients in a jar.
3. Heat a tablespoon of oil over medium high heat. Add the veggies – stir fry with tongs for 2-3 minutes or until tender-crisp (if they are not spiralized, they might need longer). Be careful not to overcook them – they’ll get soggy and heavy. Transfer to a dish and set aside.
4. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan. Drain the noodles – they should be softened by now. Add the noodles to the hot pan and stir fry for a minute, using tongs to toss. Add the sauce and stir fry for another minute or two, until the sauce is starting to thicken and stick to the noodles. Push the noodles aside to make a little room for the egg – pour the beaten egg into the pan and let it sit for 30 seconds or so. Toss everything around with the tongs. The egg mixture will stick to the noodles and everything will start getting sticky.
5. Add in the vegetables, toss together, and remove from heat. Stir in the peanuts and herbs and serve immediately.