Isabella, or Bella as Nate calls her, is my heroine from Playing Nate – Book 10 of my Tarnished Saints Series. She is the new owner of the flower shop in town and longs to be a singer. She’s also a vegetarian. Here is a dish she made and served to Nate. Go ahead, Bella, tell us about it.

Bella: Thanks, Elizabeth. I made this dish for all Nate’s nephews and nieces and they loved it. I even got Nate to try it though he claims not to like vegetables – but he does. This is a recipe where nothing is really measured much. Just go by taste and how you like it.

Bella’s Pad Thai with Veggies and Peanuts:

1 package (16 oz) Rice Noodles. (They say to soak them, but go ahead and cook them like pasta. They get sticky if overcooked, so be careful. I drain and rinse mine when done.)

In the meantime, saute the following ingredients in a pan covered with a little olive oil. Add a Tbsp of coconut oil for flavor.

4 carrots (peeled and julienned)

1 good size zucchini – julienned

4-5 small colored sweet peppers cut into strips

3 cloves minced garlic and a little soy sauce

A handful of fresh bean sprouts added near the end

2 green onions chopped and added when veggies are almost done

When they start getting soft, remove and put to the side. Cut into small squares, 1 package of firm tofu (optional) and saute in pan with a little more soy sauce and minced garlic (tofu might be watery, so remove from pan and drain when done)

Sauce: Juice of 1 fresh lime, approx 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 2 Tbs brown sugar (I add more garlic – you can never have enough)

Add noodles back to hot pan and mix in one egg and scramble (Egg optional – I don’t think you need it) Mix in the sauce and the veggies til warm

Top off with ground peanuts or any kind of nuts (I like lots of sauce, so you can make more or just use bottled teriyaki sauce. The lime and coconut oil really give it good flavor, so don’t skip those)

Serves 4-6

A fun dish that even the kids will love! – Bella ♬