Chicken Pad Thai With Broccoli and Peanut Sauce

I love Thai food, and I eat in Asian restaurants as often as I can. One of my favorite dishes is Pad Thai. When I have it in a restaurant, I like to add the delicious peanut dipping sauce to it. I think it's a winning combination, and I can never have enough of that sauce.

Here is my version of Pad Thai with extra peanut sauce and extra vegetables. There are so many different color vegetables in the dish that it looks like a rainbow on the plate. My kids really like rainbows, so they are motivated to eat all the colors. We talk about how eating all the colors of the rainbow is a healthy way to eat because there are different vitamins and minerals in the different colors. I hope you find this dish as tasty and beautiful as I do.

Recipe for Chicken Pad Thai with Broccoli and Peanut Sauce
Serves 2 adults and 2 kids
Adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
7 to 8 oz. wide, flat, rice noodles (or substitute spaghetti)
2 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound), seasoned with salt and pepper and cut into bite-sized pieces.
½ teaspoon peanut oil, or any neutral oil like grapeseed
2 small bunches of broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
3 tablespoons natural, unsweetened, smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ teaspoon minced ginger
4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
¾ cup low sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon hot chile paste (optional)

Garnish:
Cilantro leaves
Chopped peanuts
Julienned carrots
Julienned purple cabbage
Lime wedge
Green onion, sliced thin (optional)

Directions:
1. Cook the noodles according to package directions, and set aside.
2. In a large sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and stir fry until just about fully cooked. Remove from the pan, and set aside.
3. Add the broccoli and 1-2 tablespoons of water to the pan, and cover. Stir occasionally. Steam the broccoli until crisp-tender. Remove from the pan, and set aside.
4. To make the sauce: Put the peanut butter, honey, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, broth and chili paste (optional) in the pan over medium heat. Stir well until the peanut butter melts, and the sauce ingredients fully incorporate.
5. Add the noodles, chicken, and broccoli to the pan with the sauce. Stir to coat all the ingredients with sauce. Make sure the dish is warm, and the chicken is fully cooked. If needed, cook a few minutes more stirring periodically.
5. Serve immediately. Let everyone sprinkle their own garnishes.