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.