Lightened-Up Pad Thai in Under 15 Minutes

A 15 minute Pad Thai recipe that’s been lightened-up with low-carb cabbage noodles! 

It’s funny, because this time last year I was raving about my friend Andie’s memoir, It Was Me All Along and today I’m celebrating the launch of her brand new cookbook, Eating in the Middle: A Mostly Wholesome Cookbook. I had the pleasure of meeting Andie for the first time last fall at Dole Fresh Fest. She is just as lovely in person as she comes across on her blog and I’m so inspired by her on many levels.

Through her blog and books, Andie has shared her journey to losing weight and finding balance. In her cookbook she shares recipes inspired by how she eats: mostly healthy foods that are packed with flavor along with occasional indulgences. This moderate approach to healthy eating is one that I’ve always tried to embrace so the recipes in this cookbook speak to me. The gorgeous photography and Andie’s beautiful storytelling help too!

In the introduction Andie sums everything up by saying, “For those of us who struggle or have struggled with eating or weight, the ultimate work is finding a way to mend our relationship with food. Eating in the Middle can’t heal your relationship, but it can read as a love story of balance. If I’ve learned one thing in my thirty years, it’s that you can be healthy, happy and feel good while eating food that you crave.” 

Amen, right? I adore this quote and love that the cookbook is loaded with healthy options like Greek Yogurt Pancakes and Sweet Potato Curry, but also has recipes for things that feed your soul like Loaded Chorizo Nachos and Peanut Butter Mousse Pie with Marshmallow Whipped Cream. Eating in the Middle is one of the few healthy cookbooks (that I’m aware of) to take this balanced approach and it’s really refreshing. Eating clean and healthy doesn’t have to be an all or nothing thing. You can be healthy and still have REAL dessert when you want it.

With the permission of Andie’s publisher I’m sharing a recipe from the cookbook here today. It’s a lightened-up pad thai recipe, one of the healthy dinner options in the cookbook. If I’m being 100% honest, I was drawn to this recipe because of the under 15 minute recipe title and the fact that I had a head of cabbage in the fridge that needed to be used. <— Why does cabbage always seem to sit in the fridge at least a week before I get around to using it?!?

I also love Thai food so it was a no-brainer. Obvi.

And guess what? This 15 minute dish was a HUGE hit! I made the recipe during the day for photography lighting purposes. That evening Isaac ate some while I was out and when I returned he couldn’t stop talking about it. The funny thing is that he ate it cold, straight from the fridge and didn’t figure out it was cabbage noodles until I told him. He’s already requested I make it again ASAP.

Needless to say this recipe is a must-try, especially if you love pad thai but don’t eat it very often because it’s on the heavy side. This version is perfect because all the delicious pad thai flavor is there, but the cabbage makes it much lighter. Added bonus: you can still twirl the cabbage noodles with your fork!

Lightened-Up Pad Thai in Under 15 Minutes

• Author: Brittany Mullins
• Prep Time: 7 mins
• Cook Time: 7 mins
• Total Time: 14 mins
• Yield: 2

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Description

A 15-minute pad thai recipe that’s been lightened-up with low-carb cabbage noodles!

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (I used tamari)
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch (I used arrowroot powder)
• 4 large eggs
• 4 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 jalapeño pepper, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 cups finely shredded green cabbage (about half a medium head)
• ½ cup packed roughly chopped fresh cilantro or Thai basil
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped dry-roasted unsalted peanuts

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Instructions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, fish sauce, broth, sugar, and cornstarch.
2. In another small bowl, beat the eggs.
3. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the jalapeño, onion, and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender but still crisp, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate.
5. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to the skillet. Add the cabbage and cook, stirring frequently, until tender but still crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, stir into the cabbage, and cook, stirring constantly, until just set, about 2 minutes.
6. Add the soy sauce mixture, stir well, and bring the mixture to a boil, and cook until the cabbage is coated in a thick, glossy sauce. Stir in the onions and peppers. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the fresh cilantro. Sprinkle the the peanuts over the top and serve.

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Notes

Reprinted with permission from Eating in the Middle.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe
• Calories: 407 |
• Sugar: 15g |
• Fat: 25g |
• Carbohydrates: 29g |
• Fiber: 7g |
• Protein: 21g

Eating in the Middle launched this week so it’s officially for sale in stores and online!

I’ve already bookmarked at least five recipes I need to make including the chopped salad with spiced chickpeas and tarragon-tahini dressing, jerk shrimp salad with mango and avocado, brown sugar and chili-rubbed salmon with avocado crema and Isaac has already called dibs on the skillet apple crisp with whisky caramel sauce so I know I’ll be making that for him soon too!