The take out dilemma

No spending, no take out, right?

First, let's discuss why take out is awesome.  It does not require me to turn on the stove or oven, meaning more time sitting on the couch watching a movie.  You call, you pay and you wait for 40 minutes and at the end-you've got super tasty food in front of you.  AND the food! Thai and Indian are my two favorite take out cuisines.  Why? Well, they're delicious, spicy and two cuisines I have yet to master. 

Take out did not make the cut of necessary spending, however.  Does that mean no Thai or Indian for a whole year? Heck no! It just means that I have to add a few new recipes to my repertoire.  So we started with a well loved basic- Pad Thai.  And?  Tangy, spicy and just peanut-y enough, all the qualities I look for in a good Pad Thai.  The key ingredient? Tamarand paste.  Super stinky on its own, but clutch in making truly delicious Pad Thai.  We're still perfecting the ratios of tamarnd, soy, fish sauce, brown sugar and peanut butter.  Goals are good, right?

And so, while it does require me to turn on the stove, get off the couch and actually cook, it tasted all the better for it.  It took less time than waiting 40 minutes for take out, cost half the price of a noodle dish from our favorite Thai restaurant and forced my hand at trying something new.