Gluten-Free Carbs: Rice Noodles

Going gluten-free does not mean giving up carbs. We in Asia are blessed that many of our noodles are rice-based, not wheat-based – hence, gluten-free! Just remember to order the white rice noodles such as bee hoon, kway teow, hor fun, bee tai mak and laksa noodles.

If you are cooking at home, you can find a selection of fresh rice noodles at most wet markets. Each fist-sized serving for my 2.5 year old son costs about SGD 0.50. These fresh noodles can be stored in the refrigerator, but should be consumed within 3 to 4 days.

Uncle Teo at his noodle stall at Holland Village Wet Market

For dried noodles, you can find bee hoon / rice vermicelli from just about any supermarket in Singapore. The Tai Sun Rice Vermicelli (listed ingredients: rice, sago flour, corn starch) is commonly stocked.

For a quick, healthy and child-friendly meal, you can try the following recipe:

CHILD-FRIENDLY BEE TAI MAK SOUP

Serves 2

Adapted from the recipe from www.rasamalaysia.com

Ingredients:

300g rice noodles (I like Bee Tai Mak but you can use any rice noodle)

1.75 cup chicken broth

1.5 cups water


85g minced pork


6 medium-sized shrimp, shelled and deveined

Bunch of green leafy vegetables (chye sim, xiao bai cai, etc)

1 teaspoon fish sauce or to taste


3 dashes white pepper powder

Toppings:

1 clove garlic, minced

Extra light olive oil

1 stalk spring onion, cut into small rings

Directions:

Heat up the extra light olive oil in a wok. When oil is hot, add the minced garlic and stir fry until golden brown. Remove and set aside.

Heat up a pot of boiling water and blanch the rice noodles until they are cooked. Drain and set aside.

To prepare the soup, bring the chicken broth and the water to boil in a pot. Add the vegetables, minced pork and shrimp. Boil for about 2 minutes or until the ingredients are cooked. Add the fish sauce and white pepper powder. Turn off the heat.

Divide the rice noodles into the serving bowls. Add the broth. Top with garlic oil and chopped scallion. Serve immediately.

The Hunt for Sriracha

I finally tracked down the Huy Fong Sriracha Sauce (more affectionately known as "Rooster Sauce") at Cut The Mustard (1 Greendale Avenue, Singapore 289495; SGD 8.50 per bottle), a quaint specialty foods store at Greenwood Avenue.

Recently, I came across a Bloomberg Businessweek article about the history of the Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce. Three interesting facts from the article to share:

1. The rooster symbolizes the birth year of its founder, David Tran. Mystery solved!

2. Tran only recently discovered that most Americans are stirring copious amounts of the red potion into their Pho Bo soup.

3. The hot sauce sector is the 8th fastest growing industry in the world, surpassing USD 1 bn in revenues in 2012.

Given that the main ingredients (jalapenos, vinegar, sugar, salt and garlic) are natural preservatives, the Sriracha sauce purportedly lasts for years. That said, I don't think I can that long to try out my Sriracha recipes!

SALMON WITH SRIRACHA AND LIME

Serves 4
Source: Gwyneth Paltrow's It's All Good


Ingredients:

Juice and zest of 1/2 lime

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 1/2 teaspoons tsp sriracha sauce

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

600g salmon fillet, skin removed

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro

Directions:

Heat oven to 425°F / 220°C.

In a bowl, whisk together juice, zest, syrup, sriracha and salt. Place salmon in a baking dish lined with parchment paper; pour lime-maple mixture over top. Roast salmon until cooked through and flaky, 15 minutes.

Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve.

Quinoa Salad with Walnuts, Edamame and Apple

Since 2013 is the United Nations' "International Year of Quinoa", we're jumping on the bandwagon by serving quinoa at home. I love the nutty flavour of this cholesterol-free, gluten-free grain.

QUINOA SALAD WITH WALNUTS, EDAMAME, AND APPLE

Serves 10 to 12

Adapted from the recipe from www.alexandracooks.com

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

1 cup frozen edamame

1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped


1 small red onion, minced to yield 1/4 to 1/2 cup


4 to 5 scallions or spring onions, rinsed, trimmed and finely sliced

1/2 green apple, cut into thin strips

Salt and pepper to taste


Crushed red pepper flakes

1 1/2 lemons


1/4 to 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, place quinoa in a fine-meshed sieve and rinse under cold water. When the water comes to a boil, add the quinoa and simmer for 9 minutes. Drain in a fine-meshed sieve and run under cold water until cool. Set aside to dry.

Meanwhile, cook your edamame. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to 3/4 pot of water, and bring to a boil. Add edamame and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Edamame should be firm - mushy beans are overcooked. Rinse under cold water until cool. Set aside.

Meanwhile, slice up your green apple into thin strips, approximately 3cm x 0.5cm x 0.5cm.

Place the drained and dried quinoa into a large mixing bowl. Season all over with salt and pepper to taste. Crush some red pepper flakes over top if you are using. Add the edamame, walnuts, red onion, scallions, radishes, olive oil and the juice of one lemon to the bowl. Toss and taste. 

Food Allergy Tests

This is what started our healthy journey:

Between the ages of 9 and 17 months, our son E spent most of his time shuttling between pediatricians and hospitals. He had a bout of asthma every fortnight. He watched TV while hooked onto a nebulizer. His bedtime routine was 2 Ventolin puffs, 2 Flixotide puffs, followed by a goodnight kiss.

We sent E for a blood test to check for food allergies and sensitivities. The IgE (immunoglobulin E) test did not turn up any allergies, but the IgG (immunoglobulin G) test (results above) showed that he had a major intolerance for his daily staple - milk.

As an experiment, we:

• Replaced his daily milk with a mix of 2/3 rice milk + 1/3 formula;
• Eliminated most of his trigger foods from his diet. Common offenders were dairy, wheat and eggs. E-specific triggers included broccoli, tomatoes, carrots and citrus fruits.

And what miraculous results. Since then, E barely visits the pediatrician once a quarter. We've tucked the nebulizer away on the top shelf. And we no longer have to wake up in the middle of the night to check if he's wheezing.

E is now a bubbly 2.5 year old boy, and our hunt for dairy-free and gluten-free recipes continue!