Peanuts & Garlic Noodle Salad

This has been such a fun week thus far! I was so excited for the Boston Marathon that I went to the gym and did my gym's version of the marathon workout. Yes, that just means running on a treadmill for an hour while watching the runners on TV climb Heartbreak Hill. My gym was right by the finished line so when I got out, it was jam packed! It was so hard to make our way around the city since so many roads were blocked, however, it was really wonderful to be out and absorbed all that great energy.

Today marked the end of my juvenile defender clinic work when my last case got dismissed. Hallelujah! I did all my housekeeping work and turned in all my physical files to be closed and put away in some faraway land. Plus, the weather was beautiful! It was nice to see sun, people frolicking around town, and eh, kids out and about due to school vacation week. I was able to squeeze in a nice workout and a sweet cat nap. Thus a healthy and delicious dish is on the menu tonight - I had plan on making spring rolls but changed my mind at the last minute. Maybe tomorrow?

Again, another very simple dish. You will need a 1 package of pad thai noodles, 1 lb of ground pork, 2 cups each of julienned bok choy and bean sprouts, some garlic cloves and shallots, 3 Ts of peanut butter, 2 Ts of hoisin sauce, and 1 T of sugar. Other optional ingredients are thai chili peppers, crushed peanuts or any other nuts you enjoy. Get your mind out of the gutter, I used pistachios.

Cook your pad thai noodles according to the package's instructions. I recommend al dente. I used this kind. Look at the ingredients... that's really what you want when you buy food. Simple!



I usually soak mine in warm water for about 10-15 minutes before cooking.



When it's about clear - it's most likely done. Check it often so that you don't overcook it. Traditional pad thai/pho noodles only take about 5 minutes or so to cook in boiling hot water. Once done, drain and rinse well with cold water.



Mince some garlic and shallots.



Like this...



Julienne or slice your bok choy. Set aside.



In a medium sized pot, add 2 Ts of canola oil, 1 T of sugar, and add your garlics and shallot. Allow it to cook on medium to high heat until brown. It should take about 10 minutes.



Like this...



Add your ground pork. Cook until brown then add your hoisin sauce, peanut butter, and 1/2 cup of water.



This is optional but I like to add a slight kick to mine. Two chili peppers did the trick.



Yummm... your apartment should smell great right about now.



Add 1 cup of bok choy to your pot and cook for a couple of minutes. You will add the other cup of bok choy later.



In a large mixing bowl, add noodles, the meat sauce, rest of the bok chok, bean sprouts, and your crushed nuts. Combine.



Serve warm or cool. This is really delicious and fresh tasting so you might eat more than you should so enjoy it slowly. :)