Gluten-Free Gab with Danielle Paananen : Thai Pad

Written by Danielle Paananen on 07 August 2013

Gluten Free Pad Thai

Now that we have covered some of the basics about a gluten free diet, I thought that this week I would give you guys one of my favourite supper-time recipes! Thai food has been a favourite of mine since the first time I tried it, so it is something that I make quite often. Luckily for me, Thai food is a type of food that is mostly gluten free on its own (unless you buy the pre-made sauces, or seasoning pouches, etc…).

Danielle Paananen is a homemaker; wife and Mom of 2 energetic boys ,and entrepreneur from Manitouwadge, Ontario. When she realized her eldest son would benefit from a gluten-free diet but couldn’t find the foods he needed in Manitouwadge, or surrounding communities. she rolled up her sleeves and got to work creating new recipes and converting old favourites; it wasn’t long before she realized there were many other people who would appreciate having gluten-free options to purchase in the Manitouwadge area. She currently works from home though she hopes to someday relocate to Manitouwadge’s downtown core. Paananen’s new column “Details by Danielle” will be published every other week on OntarioNewsNorth.com, don’t hesitate to leave your questions, comments or topic requests for Danielle below, she looks forward to hearing from readers!

Danielle Paananen, Owner/Baker, Gluten-Free Manitouwadge

The one thing that I found, however, about cooking Thai food is that some of the ingredients involved can be hard to find, especially in the small towns in this area, without going to a bigger city. What’s good about this recipe, is that it uses common ingredients that you can find in even smaller grocery stores, and it still tastes great too!

Gluten-Free Pad Thai

Ingredients

1/2 pkg (454 g pkg) wide rice stick noodles
1/3 cup (75 mL) ketchup
1/3 cup (75 mL) sodium-reduced chicken broth
1/4 cup (60 mL) fish sauce
3 tbsp (45 mL) lime juice
2 tsp (10 mL) granulated sugar
1 tsp (5 mL) Asian chili sauce or hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup (60 mL) vegetabIe oil or peanut oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
8 oz (227 g) frozen large shrimp, thawed, peeled and deveined
10 oz (283 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
4 shallots, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet red pepper, thinly sliced
2 tsp (10 mL) minced fresh ginger
6 oz (170 g) medium-firm tofu, cubed
3 cups (750 mL) bean sprouts
3 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped unsalted peanuts, toasted
1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh cilantro leaves
Lime wedges

Preparation

In large bowl, soak noodles in warm water for 15 minutes; drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, whisk together ketchup, chicken broth, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and chili sauce; set aside.

In wok or large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat; cook eggs, stirring occasionally, until scrambled and set, about 30 seconds. Transfer to separate bowl.

Wipe out wok. Add 1 tbsp of the remaining oil and heat over high heat; stir-fry shrimp until pink, about 1 minute. Transfer to plate.

Heat 1 tbsp of the remaining oil in wok over high heat; stir-fry chicken until browned and no longer pink inside, about 1 minute. Add to shrimp.

Heat remaining oil in wok over high heat; cook shallots, garlic, red pepper and ginger until softened, about 2 minutes.

Stir in ketchup mixture and noodles. Return shrimp mixture to pan; cook, stirring to coat, until noodles are tender, about 3 minutes.

Return scrambled eggs to pan along with tofu, bean sprouts and green onions; heat through just until sprouts begin to wilt, about 1 minute. Serve garnished with peanuts, cilantro and lime wedges.

Source: CanadianLiving.com

This recipe makes 6-8 portions depending on portion size. It may seem like there are a lot of ingredients involved, but the beauty part about it is that if you are not a fan of some of the ingredients (eg. if you don’t like tofu or shrimp, or if you have an egg or nut allergy), you can just omit them, and it doesn’t really change the dynamic of the dish. The only thing I would recommend is to not change the ingredients in the sauce, as it is pretty well balanced on its own. Even though some of the ingredients may not seem like they would work well together, they really do.

For those of you who have never tried Thai food, I really recommend that you do, and this simple recipe with its common ingredients is the perfect opportunity to do so. I hope those of you who do try it enjoy it as much as I have!

As always, share your questions, comments, ideas for my column below or if you would like advice on how to get started, contact me at www.facebook.com/GlutenFreeManitouwadge(“Like” Gluten-Free Wadge on Facebook to hear about special offers, new products and more — It’s also a great place to connect with others who are eating gluten-free or who had a loved one with special dietary needs, a little ecouragement can go a long way.