Kelp Noodle Pad Thai with Shrimp

So apparently today is National Noodle Day, which is great news for me because I happened to make noodles for lunch today! And not just any noodles, but kelp noodles. What are kelp noodles, you ask? Well, they're literally kelp. But don't worry, these aren't gross little pieces of seaweed that always gets caught in your feet at the beach. In fact, these noodles are actually quite tasty, and not to mention they are loaded with health benefits. 

Like other sea vegetables, kelp noodles are rich in nutrients and minerals such as calcium, iron, and vitamin K, and they are extremely light and airy, making them low in calories and fat. Kelp noodles have an interesting crunch to them, and they're often prepared in Asian cuisine.

Now just a quick disclaimer about these Pad Thai noodles: this is my healthy, paleo twist on Pad Thai, and these noodles are by no means identical to traditional Pad Thai. Trust me, I was just in Thailand (and nothing will taste like the noodles there). But, these noodles do taste similar and are quite delicious.

TIP: Refrigerating these noodles helps solidify the sauce, if you don't mind eating them cold!

Ingredients (serves 1-2)

• One 12 oz pack of kelp noodles
• For sauce:
• 3/4 tablespoon raw almond butter
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• For noodles
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 3 stalks of green onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 egg
• 4-5 pieces of shrimp
• 1/2 tablespoon raw cashews, crushed
• 1/2 carrot, shredded
• 1/4 cup bean sprouts
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro

1. To make sauce, mix ingredients in a bowl. Then add mixture to a small sauce pan and heat until it comes to a low boil, stirring occasionally. Then remove from heat and set aside. 

2. In a small pan, heat up coconut oil on low to medium heat. Chop your garlic and your green onion, cutting your green onion into long pieces, but leaving the ends for garnish. Add green onion and garlic to the pan and cook for a minute or so. Add shrimp and cook for a few minutes, flipping shrimp once in between. When shrimp is almost fully cooked, crack an egg into the pan. Let the egg sit for about 30 seconds, and then scramble it all around until fully cooked. You don't want to the egg to be smooth-- you want it the yolk and whites to be somewhat separated and textured.

3. Once egg and shrimp are cooked, add noodles to the pan. Coat with sauce and toss. Sauce will be liquidy, but the kelp noodles will soak up the sauce, though there will be leftover liquid. Any leftover sauce can remain in the pan, and can be added later if desired.

4. Remove noodles from pan, leaving excess liquid, and add to a bowl. Top with green onion remains (finely chopped), carrot, bean sprouts, cashews, and cilantro. Top with more sauce and red chili flakes as desired.