This recipe is tried and tested by Stacey Gillespie, Director of Marketing for MegaFood.  It has become so popular with her friends and family that she wanted to share it with our extended Mega-Family.  Enjoy!

Ingredients for pad thai:

6     tbsp tamari (soy sauce)

2     tbsp coconut butter

2     tbsp organic brown rice miso

1     tbsp toasted sesame oil

Water

4     cloves of garlic minced

2     tbsp minced fresh ginger

1     tsp red chili pepper

1     large yellow onion, chopped

1     med red onion, halved and quartered

1     cup snow peas

1     cup fresh broccoli cut into small florets and stalk into squares

3/4   cup diced fresh celery

1     medium green pepper diced

1     cup fresh shitake mushrooms sliced

1-2   cups fresh broccoli florets with stems cut and sliced into 1/4 inch cubes

4     green onions, sliced

½     cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

¼     cup raw peanuts, finely chopped (optional)

1     lime, quartered and garnish

1/2   package med width rice noodles

4     cups of boiling water

Serve with Sriracha Thai hot sauce for an extra kick!

Ingredients for Pad Thai Peanut Sauce:

1/4 cup     natural & smooth peanut butter

1/4 cup     seasoned rice vinegar

3 tbsp      tamari

3 tbsp      coconut milk

1 tbsp      water

2 tsp       organic brown rice miso

1 clove     garlic minced

3 tsp       red curry paste (optional)

2 tsp       turmeric

2 tsp       canola oil

1           lime. Sliced in half and juiced.

For Sauce: Mix all ingredients above well in blender until smooth. Set aside.

Pad Thai Recipe Method:

1.    Make pad thai sauce and set aside.

2.    In a large bowl, break up rice noodles and cover with 4 cups of boiling water. Set aside for 8-10 minutes to allow noodles to absorb the water to soften.

3.    While noodles are softening, in large stir fry skillet melt over med to high heat the coconut butter and sesame oil. Add garlic, ginger and yellow onion. Stir fry until onion softens then add celery, red chili pepper, shitake mushrooms and miso paste stir fry for another 1 -2 minutes or until mushrooms are browned.

4.    Add soy sauce to pan and water (as needed) to dissolve the miso paste and create a light brown sauce. Stir vigorously.

5.    Add green peppers, red onion and broccoli. Stir fry until vegetables are tender, but not over cooked.(ie keep vibrant green in color).

6.    Remove stir fry ingredients with slotted spoon into med size bowl and set aside uncovered.

7.    Once noodles are soft, add to the skillet and pour in ¼ cup of sauce and stir fry so noodles are coated. Add veggie mix and remaining sauce and stir fry over medicum heat for 3 minutes.

 Serve of large platter and sprinkle green onions, cilantro and peanuts on top. Lay limes on side of noodles.

Every holiday season I have friends come to stay at our house over Christmas.  We share stories around the fire, sit outside under the crisp starry skies of the desert and feast together.  It is a magical, warm, sharing time that we all look forward to.  To add to the feeling of tradition that has been woven into these special 'coming together times', we have certain special dishes, both sweet and savory, that have become reserved almost exclusively for this time of the year.  One of the all round favorites is my friend Fiona's Walnut Cheddar Loaf.  This is a substantial and hearty offering that would be utterly acceptable as a stand alone dish with a healthy serving of greens on the side.  I wanted to share the recipe with you and encourage you to let us know if you tried it and what your thoughts are.

Combine and set aside the following:

3 cups (packed) fresh whole wheat bread crumbs

1 cup (packed) ground walnuts

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

½ cup nutritional yeast

2 TBS Tamari

½ cup tomato juice

Saute the following on medium heat until translucent:

4 TBS butter

2 ½ large finely chopped onions

3-4 large garlic cloves, minced

Combine all the above with:

2 well beaten eggs

1 Cup (packed) grated cheese

1/4-1/2 tsp salt

½ tsp. pepper

2 TBS dried parsley or 3/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Press into a well-oiled loaf pan and and bake at 350 degrees for appx 1 hour. Cover top of loaf with ½ cup grated chedder cheese. Bake for 10 mins until cheese is bubbly. Serve with mushroom gravy and love.