Asopao de Pollo

Ingredients:
Servings: 6
1-1/2 cup short-grained rice
3 garlic cloves, pressed
2 peppercorns
2 medium onions, peeled
2 sweet chili or banana peppers
4-6 culantro leaves or 6-8 sprigs of cilantro (fresh coriander)
2-1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons plus one teaspoon olive oil
1 whole chicken cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup tomato sauce
8 cups water or chicken stock
1 cup of frozen sweet peas
1 4-ounce can of whole, roasted pimento peppers, sliced
Preparation:
Rub the chicken with salt, pepper and oregano and one teaspoon olive oil and set aside for 30 minutes. In the blender, purée the garlic, onions, peppercorns, chili peppers culantro and sweet peppers, with the remaining olive oil. In a large pot sauté the sofrito purée for 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Brown the chicken pieces to seal in their flavor. Add the tomato sauce and the chicken stock or water to the chicken and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Rinse the rice under cool running water until it runs clear. Drain the rice and stir into the soup pot. Raise the heat and bring to a boil once more. Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the peas and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the asopao is as liquid or dry as you prefer. Heat the sliced pimentos. Drain and use to garnish each plate of asopao.

Picadillo

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground meat
2 oz. chopped cooking ham or 3 slices diced bacon
½ small onion, diced
¼ cup diced green pepper
1 small tomato, diced
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsps. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
8 chopped or sliced olives
1 tsp. capers
1 envelope of Sazón with achiote
1- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
Preparation:
Brown the ground meat in a small caldero or frying pan and drain. Add ham or bacon (or both), onion and green pepper, tomato, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper, olives and capers, Sazón, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook for 15 minutes or so over low heat. Cook another 15 minutes or so uncovered. Stir ocassionally.

Bistec Encebollado

Ingredients:
2 pounds beef steak, thinly sliced
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic dash dried oregano leaves
2 large white onions, sliced in rings
¼ cup distilled white vinegar
½ cups water
1 tsp. Adobo
Preparation:
1. Combine all ingredients in a gallon-size plastic bag and turn so that all the ingredients mix together. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or a couple of days (or freeze for later use).
2. Combine contents of bag in a heavy skillet and bring it to a boil. Cook over low heat, covered, for about 40 minutes or so. The meat will be very tender and tasty.

Pollo En Fricase

Ingredients:
3 lbs. chicken pieces, seasoned
3 tsps. adobo
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. vinegar
3 tbsps. garlic, mashed
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup sofrito
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup white wine
1 hoja de laurel
8 olives stuffed with red peppers
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup chopped carrots
Preparation:
Season the chicken ahead of time (at least 1 hour) and refrigerate until needed.
In a medium sized sauce pan heat olive oil, add chicken and cook until it is brown on both sides. Remove from oil and drain. En the same pan add the sofrito and cook for 3 minutes or so. Add the chicken and the rest of the ingredients, season to taste, cover and cook over medium heat for 35 minutes until the chicken is tender.

Seafood Paella

Servings: Approx. 6

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, diced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 whole chicken or 8 chicken drumsticks
1 1/2 lbs pork loin (fat trimmed), cut into ¾ inch pieces
1/2 lb calamar (squid) cleaned and sliced into rings
Medium grain or "pearl" rice *
4-6 cups chicken broth
1 large pinch Saffron
1 1/2 lbs raw mussels in shell (frozen or fresh)
1 lb small clams (frozen or fresh)
1 1/2 lbs raw shrimp, medium or large - shell on
1 red pepper seeded and sliced
1 10 oz. pkg frozen peas
Olive Oil, Salt to Taste
Tip: The exact quantity of rice will depend on the size of the pan, so have at least 1 lb of rice on hand.
Equipment:
17 inch paella pan
Round charcoal BBQ
Medium sauce pan
Sharp knife for chopping meat and vegetables
Meat cleaver (if you use a whole chicken)
Aluminum Foil or Large Tea Towel to Cover Paella
Preparation:

Cut the Chicken and Pork into Serving-Size Pieces - You'll need one whole chicken, cut into serving-size pieces or 8 chicken drumsticks. If you use a whole chicken, use a meat cleaver to cut the chicken into pieces small enough to easily mix while sautéing.
With a sharp knife, cut the pork into 3/4" pieces.
Clean the squid and remove the tentacles. Make sure to remove the innards and the "spine" and discard. Then, cut the squid into rings.
Tip: Try to buy fresh squid whenever possible. If fresh squid is not available, look for packages of squid in the frozen food section. The squid should NOT have batter or coating on them, since that type is used for frying.
Slice red pepper and chop onions and tomatoes, set aside.
Now that you have the ingredients cleaned and chopped, it's time to start the BBQ and begin cooking. When the coals on the BBQ are covered in white ash, cooking can begin.
Assemble all the ingredients on a table near the BBQ, so that you can stay in the area and monitor the cooking.
Place the paella pan on the grate and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom and allow the pan to heat up. When hot enough, sauté the onions and tomatoes in the olive oil. Add olive oil as needed to prevent sticking. Once the onions are translucent, add the chicken and cook, stirring constantly – about 15 minutes. Add pork and squid and cook, stirring often.
Add the rice, sprinkling in the form of a large cross on the pan. (Have approximately 1 lb of rice on hand for this.) Stir for 2-3 minutes to thoroughly coat the rice with oil and mix with the other ingredients.
Add saffron threads to the chicken broth and stir. Slowly pour broth into pan until pan contents are covered. Spread ingredients evenly over bottom of pan.
Arrange mussels around outside edge of pan, pointing up. Place clams and shrimp in pan, distributing them evenly around the pan. Add slices of pepper on top.
Allow to simmer, cooking rice. Add more broth if necessary. (If fire becomes too hot, raise the pan up, away from the heat.) When rice is almost cooked, sprinkle peas over the pan.
When rice is cooked, remove from heat and cover with aluminum foil or large tea towel, allowing paella to “rest” for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Slice lemons into wedges and serve.

Mantecados

Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon anise extract
1 lemon
citrus peeler
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 1/2 cups flour
Prepare the Eggs and Lemon Zest
Separate the egg yolks from the whites. You will use yolks for the dough and the whites to brush the cookies to give them a golden color. Whisk the egg whites to break them apart. Peel the lemon zest with a citrus peeler. But if you don't have one, you can use vegetable peeler and get the yellow part of the lemon.

Make the Mantecado Dough
In a very large mixing bowl, whip the vegetable shortening with a mixer. Then add in oil, and when it incorporates into the shortening, add sugar, then egg yolks, anise, lemon peel, juice, and cinnamon. Mix together. Add flour and baking soda to mixture and be sure to mix well. At the end of your mixing, the dough will become a texture of wet crumbs.
Bake and Serve the MantecadosPreheat the oven to 325 degrees. Take enough dough to form walnut-sized balls, and roll them between your hands. Place the cookie onto a cookie sheet sprayed with oil. Lightly press down on each ball to flatten slightly. Brush the egg white on top of each cookie. Place the cookies in the oven and bake until they turn light brown. Let the cookies cool 2-3 minutes and serve.

Amarillos

Ingredients
4 cups vegtable oil
4 ripe plantains, peeled and cut on the bias into 1/2-inch thick slices
Directions
Heat oil to 365 degrees F in a heavy medium saucepan. Carefully add the plantains, in batches as necessary, and fry until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Immediately sprinkle with salt and cilantro, if desired

Tip:
Amarillos is another name for ripe plantains. Select plantains that are very yellow, almost orange in color with black spots - these are very ripe.

Pastelon de Platano Maduro

Servings: 6
Ingredients:
6 ripe plantains
1 lb. lean ground beef
¼ cup Sofrito
2 tbsps. vegetable oi
½ can tomato sauce
1 tbsps. sliced olives and pimentos
1 tsp. capers
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1½ cups shredded cheese (optional)
2 eggs, slightly beaten with 1 tbsp. water
Preparation:
In a skillet heat up the oil, add the sofrito and cook for about 2 minutes or so. Add the meat and cook for about 4 minutes, breaking down the meat Add tomato sauce, olives with pimentos and the capers, salt and black pepper. Stir and set aside.
Cook plantains until golden. Layer half the meat over the plantains, then another layer of meat. Sprinkle cheese over the last layer. Pour the egg as evenly as you can over the cheese.
Cook at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes until egg is cooked and cheese is melted. Serve warm.

Tostones

Ingredients:
3 green plantains
oil for frying
Adobo
Preparation:
Making tostones is easy….. Slice the peeled plantains diagonally into 1" slices. Fry the slices over medium heat until they soften. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Using a tostonera (a press), slightly mash each piece to about half an inch in thickness. If a tostonera is not available insert the pieces between a folded piece of brown-paper sack and press down using a saucer. It is best to press all the pieces first before going on the next step. Dip each piece in warm salted water and fry again until crispy. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Salt them.

Mofongo

Servings:
Ingredients:
3 green plantains
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ lb. chicharrón or cooked bacon (crumbled)Vegetable oil for frying
Preparation for Green Plantians (Tostones)
Mix together the garlic olive oil and chicharron or bacon.
Mash the tostones, a few at a time in the pilon (never use a food processor), adding a little bit of the garlic mixture. You will have to work a few slices at a time. When all done mix all the batches together for even distribution of seasoning. Add salt if needed. This is a side dish that needs to be served warm. Keep forming balls until mixture is all used up. Serve with fried pork meat

Papa Rellenas

Ingredients:
2 cups water
7 tbsp margarine
salt and pepper to taste
¼ tsp. garlic powder
1 cup milk
4 cups instant potato flakes
1 egg
3 tbsps. corn starch (for dusting rellenos)
Prepared cooked picadillo (ground beef and/or pork seasoned with sofrito)
oil for frying
Preparation:
Bring water to a boil and remove from heat. Add margarine, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and milk. Stir until the margarine is melted. Add the potatoe flakes. The mixture should be pretty thick and dry. Add a sligthly beaten egg and mix well. Let the potatoes sit to cool down.
Divide potato mixture into 6 balls. Sprinkle corn starch on one hand and carefully spread one of the potato balls on your hand pushing down in the middle. Place a tablespoon of prepared picadillo in the middle carefully folding the sides over the meat until it is completely sealed. Roll the stuffed balls in corn starch - this will help keep the mixture together during frying. See photo below. Now you can refrigerate until ready to fry. Fry over medium-high heat until golden.

To use fresh potatoes. Peel, boil, and cube 1½ lbs. potatoes in salted water for 20 minutes. Drain and mash, and add the rest of the ingredients - go easy with the milk and only use what you need.

Tip: Use a half-cup measure to scoop the potatoes and make the balls. Can be prepared a day ahead and fried before serving. If you wait until the mixture has cooled down it will be easy to roll into a ball. This recipe uses very little meat so save left over picadillo or even stew meat to use for stuffing rellenos. This is the very same stuffing used in making alcapurrias.Use a small pan to fry using enough oil to cover the balls at least half way so they only have to be turned over once. Use a smaller frying pan or pot to save in oil.

Bacalaitos

Ingredients:
1/4 lb. bacalao (cod fish)
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 tsp. salt
3/4 cup water
1 garlic clove
2 culantro leaves (cilantro)
1 envelope sazón seasoning
Pepper sprinkle
Vegetable oil
Preparation:
Cut the bacalao in chunks, place in a pot, cover with water and boil on high for 15 minutes.Drain, debone, wash and shred.In a bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. Make a little well in the center. Pour the water slowly and mix to make a thick like sauce. Add the pepper and sazón and stir well.In a mortar, crush the garlic (a pilonazo) and culantro leaves. Add to the mix. Add the shredded bacalao and mix well.In a frying pan, pre-heat lots of vegetable oil.Fry the bacalaitos on high heat by dropping big spoonfuls in hot oil. Turn as needed.Bacalaitos are done when they are golden.Drain in paper towels and let them cool before biting into them.

Alcapurrias de Jueyes

Ingredients:
5 very green bananas, peeled
1 pound yautías (taro root), peeled Salt to tasteVegetable oil, for sauteing and frying
½ cup ready made sofrito
½ cup olives
2 tsps. capers
½ cup tomato sauce
1 pound crabmeat, cleaned & diced
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation of Masa:
To make masa, grate bananas and yautias in a food processor and place in a large bowl. Season with salt and set aside. (Optional - sprinkle with a bit of Chayanne pepper for a little 'kick')To make the stuffing, saute sofrito in a bit of oil for appx. 4 minutes on low heat. Add tomato sauce, diced crabmeat and cook another 5 minutes until done - the stuffing should be almost dry. Add salt and pepper, olives and capers and it's done.
Preparation of Alcapurrias:
To make alcapurrias, wet your hand and place 2 tablespoons of the masa on your hand and spread a little. Place 1 tablespoon of the stuffing on top of the spread masa, and cover with 2 more tablespoons of the masa mixture. Roll into a cylinder shape, and slide off into a skillet with 1½ inches of hot oil. Fry until golden brown over med-high heat. Drain on paper towels.
Tip: Alcapurrias can be made ahead and refrigerated until needed - they should be individually wrapped in plastic wrap, refrigerated or freezed.

Alcapurrias

5 very green bananas (guineitos verdes)
2 pounds of yautia (taro root)
2 teaspoons of salt
1 packet of Sazon with achiote
1 tablespoon of melted cooled shortening
1 lg bowl hot water
1 lg bowl salted water
Preparation:
Fill a bowl with hot water. Cut the ends of the guineitos and cut a slit lengthwise. Then place the guineitos in the hot water (hot water makes them peel easier).
Peel the guineitos and yautía and as you peel place them in the salted water. If you are going to use a hand grater use the fine side and grate the vegetables into a plastic bowl. Note: If you have a food processor cut the vegetables into small pieces and process until fine. Add the salt, Sazon and shortening and mix well. Refrigerate for 3 hours or for best results overnight.
The meat stuffing (picadillo):

1/2 pound of ground pork meat or beef

1/2.ounces of tocino (salt pork)

1 ounce of jamón de cocinar (cooking ham)

2 tablespoons of recaíto

1/2 teaspoons of dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon of olive oil

1/2 teaspoon of Sazon with achiote

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4.teaspoon of black pepper

4 large pimento stuffed olives (chopped)

1/2 teaspoon of alcaparras (capers)
Preparation:

In a frying pan brown the meat. Once browned add all the remaining ingredients and stir well then cook at medium heat for 15 minutes. Taste the meat for seasoning, add more salt if needed to taste. Heat 2 cups of vegetable oil to 375 degrees. Take a large piece of aluminum paper and place a little oil on top and smear it around. Spread about 1/4 cup of the alcapurria dough onto the aluminum paper. Place a tablespoon of the meat filling in the middle and flip one side of the dough over using the aluminum paper to cover the meat. Using a spoon help glide the dough gently into the hot oil. Cook until golden brown and blot on paper towels.
Makes appx. 15

Mojo De Ajo

1 cup olive oil
crushed fresh garlic
salt
Preparation:
Mix all ingredients in a blender. Make it at least one day ahead for richer flavor. Cover and refrigerate.

Aceite de Achiote

Ingredients:
4 tbsp. of annatto seeds
1 cup of cooking oil
Preparation:
Cook over low heat until seeds until oil turns red/orange. Be careful that this doesn't burn because the oil will turn bitter and will need to be tossed. Cool thoroughly, strain and jar. Store in refrigerator until needed. Discard seeds.

Adobo

Ingredients:
garlic powder
onion powder
salt
black pepper
Preparation:
Stir ingredients together and save in a plastic container with lid.

Sofrito

Ingredients:
1bunch Cilantro
1 bunch recao
1 head of garlic
3 large onions
1 lb. ajíes dulces
1 large bell peppers
1 large red pepper
1tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Preparation:
peel, wash, seed and coarsely chop, what needs to be and just dump it all in the blender or food processor, in batches. Dump in a bowl and mix well. Freeze in ice-cube trays, then dump in a double freezer bag.

Arroz Con Salchichas

1oz of annato oil
3 tablespoon of sofrito
1 8oz can of tomato sauce
15 pimieto stuffed olives
2 1/2 cups of rice
2 teaspoon of salt
2 cans of vienna sausages
4 - 4 1/2 cups of hot water
Preparation:
Add annato oil, sofrito, tomato sauce, salt, olives and vianna sausages. Rinse the rice well and add to the other ingredients. Add the hot water. Turn heat up to medium high and stir well. When it starts boiling, lower the heat to medium, and let the rice completely dry out. By now, most of the liquid will be absorbed and you will not see the edges around the rice bubbling with the yummy liquid. Stir the rice with a large spoon, bringing the rice at the bottom to the top. Cover the pot to a tight fit with the lid and aluminum foil and reduce the heat to low. After about 20 minutes, uncover and turn the rice again using the large spoon. Cover the pot again with the lid and aluminum foil and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove the pot and set it on a cool burner. Let stand for about 5 minutes then remove the lid and enjoy.

Tip: When plating, I like to slice some roasted red pimiento peppers to adorn the rice.

Arroz Amarillo

Servings: 6
Ingredients:
2 oz of annato oil
2-1/2 cups rice
4 to 4-1/2 cups boiling water
2 oz of salt
Preparation:
Add annato oil, and rice stir to combine. Stir in the boiling water and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the liquid evaporates. Cover and cook over very low heat for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.

Tip: When plating, I like to slice some roasted red pimiento peppers to adorn the rice.

Arroz con Gandules

Servings: 6
Ingredients:
2oz of annato oil
3/4 cup of sofrito
1/2 cup of pimiento stuffed olives
3 bay leaves
1 16 oz can of pigeon peas
2 cups tomato sauce
2 1/2 cups short-grain rice
4 to 4-1/2 cups water
2 oz of salt
Preparation:
Heat the annato oil in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add the sofrito, gandules and tomato sauce and bay leaves. Mix well and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the rice and water to cover. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook until the water is entirely absorbed. Add salt and pepper, stir, and turn the heat to low. Cover and cook for 30 to 45 minutes.

Tip: When plating, I like to slice some roasted red pimiento peppers to adorn the rice.

Penil al Horno

Servings: 10
Ingredients:
7 lbs. picnic pork shoulder
1 cup of sofrito
9 garlic cloves
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon crushed oregano
1½ tablespoons olive oil
1½ teaspoon adobo
Preparation:
Crush the whole garlic with the side of a wide knife then dice the pieces. In a small bowl mix together the sofrito, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, and olive oil. Mix well. Wash the meat and pat dry. Make very deep slits all over the meat and season the meat making sure that seasoning goes into all the slits. Refrigerate the shoulder, covered with plastic wrap, for 24 hours (if you are short on time bake at this time)Let the meat get back into room temperature before cooking, if it was refrigerated. (About one hour).Place the meat in a deep pan with the fat side up. There will be a lot of grease so be sure to use a deep pan that is at least 2" deep. The fat side up will make nice crunchy "cueritos." Do NOT cover with foil.Preheat the over for at least 30 minutes before placing the meat inside. Cook in a 400º oven for one hour, then reduce temperature to 300º for about 4 hours or so - DO NOT TURN MEAT. When the meat is done, you can prick it on the side witha fork to see if it shreds. If the "cuerito is not crispy enough for your satisfaction, then leave it in the oven and raise the temperature again to 400º and cook another 15 or so until it is crispy. It will crisp fast so keep your eye on it.Remove the meat from the oven and let it rest on the counter for about 20-30 minutes before carving. To carve, remove the cuerito completely and set aside. Carve the meat and then cut the cuerito into pieces and place over the meat. If you're going to take this to a party put it in an oven-safe container and put it back in a 200º to keep it warm, DON'T COVER IT because the crispy cueritos will get soft if you do.

Pink Beans

Servings: 6
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons of olive oil
2 oz. of diced lean cured ham
1 29oz can of pinto beans (drain liquid)
1 8oz can of tomato sauce
1 packet of sazón
2 tablespoons of sofrito
2 cubed medium size potatoes
1 can of water (use the tomato sauce can)
Preparation:
Put the oil in a deep saucepan, turn the heat to medium and add the ham. Saute together with the sofrito and after 3 minutes add the tomato sauce, sazón, Stir for 2 minutes. Add the beans, potatoes, water and stir. Turn heat to medium high. When boiling, cover with a lid and turn heat to low. Cook for 30 minutes

Arroz Blanco

Servings: 6
Ingredients:
2 oz of olive oil
2-1/2 cups rice
4 to 4-1/2 cups boiling water
2 teaspoons salt
Preparation:
Add olive oil, water, rice and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the liquid evaporates. Cover and cook over very low heat for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.

Pad Thai

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

1/2 lb. dried thin gkuay dtiow or rice noodles (also known as ban pho to the Vietnamese)
3 Tbs. fish sauce (nahm bplah), to taste
3 or more Tbs. tamarind juice the thickness of fruit concentrate, to taste
2 Tbs. palm or coconut sugar, to taste
4 Tbs. peanut oil
1/3 lb. fresh beef
4-5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 shallots, thinly sliced (or substitute with half a medium onion)
1/4 cup small dried shrimp
1/4 cup chopped sweetened salted radish
2-3 tsp. ground dried red chillies, to desired hotness
3 eggs
3 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 cup garlic chives, cut into
1 1/2-inch-long segments (optional)
Garnish:
2/3 cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
1 lime, cut into small wedges
A few short cilantro sprigs
4 green onions - trim off root tip and half of green leaves and place in a glass with white end in cold water to crisp (optional)
Preparation:

Soak the dried rice noodles in cool or lukewarm tap water for 40 minutes to one hour, or until the noodles are limp but still firm to the touch. While the noodles are soaking, mix the fish sauce with the tamarind juice and palm sugar; stir well to melt the sugar. Taste and adjust flavors to the desired combination of salty, sour and sweet. Prepare the remaining ingredients as instructed.
When the noodles have softened, drain and set aside. Heat a wok over high heat until it is smoking hot. (Note: If your wok is small, do the stir-frying in two batches. The recipe may also be halved to serve two.) Add 2 teaspoons of oil and quickly stir-fry the beef until it turns pink and are almost cooked through. Salt lightly with a sprinkling of fish sauce and remove them from the wok.
Pad Thai Swirl in the remaining oil, save for 1 teaspoon, to coat the wok surface and wait 20 to 30 seconds for it to heat. Add the tofu, frying 1 to 2 minutes, or until the pieces turn golden. Add garlic and stir-fry with the tofu for 15 to 20 seconds. Follow with the sliced shallots and cook another 15 seconds. Then add the dried shrimp, sweetened salted radish and ground dried chillies. Stir and heat through a few seconds.
Add the noodles and toss well with the ingredients in the wok. Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes and when most of the noodles has changed texture and softened, push the mass up along one side of the wok. Add the teaspoon of oil to the cleared area, crack the eggs onto it and scramble lightly. When the eggs have set, cut into small chunks with the spatula and toss them in with the noodles.
Add the sweet-and-sour seasoning mixture. Stir well to evenly coat noodles. If the noodles are still too firm to your liking, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of water over them to help cook. Taste and adjust flavors as needed to your liking by adding more fish sauce or tamarind juice; if the noodles are not sweet enough, sprinkle in a small amount of granulated sugar.
When the noodles are cooked to your liking, toss in 2 of the 3 cups of bean sprouts and the garlic chives (if using). Sprinkle with half the chopped peanuts and return the shrimp to the wok. Stir and when the vegetables are partially wilted, transfer to a serving platter, or dish onto individual serving-size plates, and garnish with the remaining bean sprouts and chopped peanuts, the lime wedges, cilantro and green onions. Squeeze lime juice over each portion before eating.