On The Fly Vegan Pad Thai

I was at the grocery store today and needed to make something quick and yummy right away when I got home. So I grabbed the following ingredients and had at her.

INGREDIENTS (makes 4 servings)

- 1/2 box/package of Pad Thai rice noodles (thin, flat linguini looking noodles)
- 3 tablespoons of peanut oil (I just take three quick turns around the skillet with the bottle of peanut oil)
- 2 bunches of green onions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 handfuls of bean sprouts
- 1/2 cup organic extra firm tofu, pressed and diced (--> choose organic here to avoid GMOs*)
- 4 handfuls of unsalted roasted peanuts or unsalted roasted cashews
- 1 medium can of pineapple tidbits

PAD THAI SAUCE:
3/4 Tbsp tamarind paste or a splash of vinegar
1/4 cup water
3 + 1/2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp chili sauce
1 Tbsp pineapple sauce
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp red chili flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill the clean kitchen sink with really hot tap water. Soak the rice noodles for 20 minutes. In the meantime, get the sauce ready. In a small saucepan, add all the Pad Thai sauce ingredients and bring to a gentle boil. Then let simmer to stay hot.
Get the rest of the ingredients ready. Chops the green onions, mince the garlic, press and dice the tofu, open the can of pineapple tidbits and drain into a small cup (for you to enjoy with your meal or to add if fry pan gets too dry).
Five minutes before the rice noodles are ready, bring a large skillet up to medium heat. Add the peanut oil, minced garlic, and 1 bunch of chopped green onions (reserve the second bunch of chopped green onions for later). Sautee for 1 minute then add 2 handfuls of bean sprouts, drained pineapple tidbits, diced tofu, and 3 handfuls of nuts. Sautee for a couple of minutes until everything is hot then add the Pad Thai sauce from the simmering small saucepan. Combine together.
When ready, add the rice noodles to the large skillet, along with the last remaining handful of bean sprouts and the second bunch of chopped green onions. Stir to combine. Serve immediately. Garnish with a handful of nuts, that have been ground up (chopped very finely) in the food processor (or by hand).

Note:
- to add more spice, add hot sauce or red chili flakes to dishes

* GMOs are Genetically Modified Organisms.  Check them out on the web.  I try to avoid them wherever possible.