The Cheater's Guide to Homemade Food

Pad Thai Minus an Extra Trip to the Supermarket

The sauce for this salty-sweet noodle dish can call for tamarind pulp, fish sauce, palm sugar and Thai chili powder, but you can approximate the flavor with a mixture of more common staples. Mix 2 Tbsp. each soy sauce and warm water, and 1 Tbsp. each smooth peanut butter and chili sauce (such as sriracha). Sprinkle in garlic powder and ground ginger to taste. Pour over cooked rice noodles, chicken, shrimp or tofu and heat, stirring, to coat evenly.