Thai Rice Noodles with Beef and Spinach

I love the delicious flavors of Thai cuisine, but I need dishes that can be quickly executed and don't require special equipment or ingredients that take weeks to assemble. This dish meets all my requirements and is a nice break from the heavy, rich food that can be overwhelming at this time of year. If you can't find bahn pho (rice noodles), boxed rice sticks, the ones used to make pad thai, can be substituted if you follow the manufacturers instructions to soften them. This is everyday street food in Thailand. As you look at the recipe you'll see that it has no chili heat. It is, however, beautiful to look at and has a nice balance between sweet and salty. If you'd like more heat you can quickly make prik nahm som, a Thai condiment that is passed with the noodles; simply chop a small hot green chili and mix it with 1 teaspoon sugar and 2 to 3 tablespoons white vinegar. These noodles are sure to take you to a happy place. Enjoy!

Thai Rice Noodles with Beef and Spinach

Ingredients:
8 ounces wide rice stick noodles (bahn pho, L or XL)
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons tamari or dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon molasses or brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic
1/2 pound thinly sliced boneless beef strips (i.e tri-tip, flank or rib eye)
5 large handfuls fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup water
2 lightly beaten eggs

Directions:
1) Cover rice noodles with boiling water. Let sit 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Drain. Rinse well in cold water. Set aside.
2) Combine fish sauce, tamari, molasses, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
3) Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or large, high-sided saute pan set over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beef and toss to coat with oil. Add spinach and cook, tossing frequently, until beef is cooked and spinach is a bright, shiny green, about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer beef and spinach to a serving platter.
4) Add noodles to pan, tossing to cook until noodles have softened, about2 minutes. Use splashes of water to keep noodles moist and prevent sticking. Push noodles to one side of pan.
5) Add reserved 1 tablespoon oil. Pour eggs into cleared half of pan. When almost set, toss to scramble and combine with noodles.
6) Return beef and spinach to pan. Stir in sauce mixture. Toss mixture until noodles are colored and ingredients are combined, about 1 minute longer. Transfer to serving platter. Yield: 3 to 4 servings.

This recipe is adapted from one created by Nancie McDermott.

It is being sent to C at Foodie Tots who is hosting Pasta Presto Nights # 94, a blogging event created by Ruth at Once Upon A Feast.