Eating pad thai in a restaurant might be hard if cross contamination is a concern.
Most pad thai sauces contain soy sauce and more likely than not, that soy sauce contains gluten.
If you live in the bay area, access to rice noodles is fairly common. Making pad thai is relatively easy so why not try it? You can usually buy the necessary ingredients in most grocery stores. Thai Kitchen makes a gluten free fish sauce as well as pad thai sauce.
If you make your pad thai sauce from scratch (a more economical choice), check the soy sauce label and make sure it says “wheat’ and “gluten free”.
If you are concerned about your tamarind sauce being gluten free, use a fig paste mixed with water. The texture and taste is very similar.
Since the sauce is slightly sweet, many children seem to like this dish. If you have allergies to peanuts, you can try cashews or just leave it out. For this recipe, some fresh chard was added with the carrots. It adds nice color and certainly ups the nutrition as well.
While the rice noodles soften, prep the other ingredients. Have everything ready to go when you start cooking; it goes pretty quickly after that. Once it’s cooked, get out your chop sticks and enjoy a delcious, fairly healthy meal.
Gluten Free Shrimp and Tofu Pad Thai
Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
8 oz rice noodles
3 tbsp vegetable oil or canola oil (divided)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 small onion, thinly sliced or chopped
8-10, or about 1/2 lb, medium sized shrimp, cleaned and deveined, thawed if frozen (can also add chicken)
2 tsp ginger, minced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fresh bean sprouts (if you don’t like them or don’t have them, just leave them out)
1 cup shredded carrots
8 oz firm tofu, cubed
1 recipe Pad Thai Sauce (see recipe below ) or 1 bottle of gluten free pad thai sauce
Pad Thai Sauce
Mix the following ingredients in a bowl:
1-2 Tbl fish sauce
3 Tbl gluten free soy sauce
2 Tbl lime juice
3 Tbl sugar, agave nectar or honey
1 Tbl tamarind paste mixed with 1/3 cup warm water
1/4 c tomato ketchup
Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Garnish
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
3 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts
3 tbsp scallions, thinly sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges
Preparation:
1. Fill a medium pot a little more than half way with water. Bring to a boil. Add rice noodles and turn heat off. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Strain noodles and rinse with cold water. You can keep these in the colander while you make the stir fry.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok or pan over high heat. Add eggs and scramble, using a spoon to move around the pan (otherwise it will burn). It should cook very quickly. Once cooked, remove from pan and place in a bowl.
3. Heat remaining oil and add onion and shrimp to pan. Cook until shrimp are opaque. Add ginger and garlic and cook for one minute. Transfer to the bowl with the eggs.
4. Reduce heat to low, add sauce and noodles to pan and mix well. Then, add cooked shrimp, eggs, carrots, tofu and bean sprouts to noodles and toss. Garnish with cilantro, peanuts, scallions, and lime wedges. Serve and enjoy.
For more info: Always check the ingredients that you are using to ensure they are gluten free. You can also call the manufacterer to get more accurate information. Check these lists of safe and unsafe foods for more information.
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Author Information: Amy Fothergill, San Francisco, CA
Amy Fothergill is the mother of two and owner of The Family Chef. She teaches cooking classes and provides consultations. She blends her culinary techniques with delicious ingredients to create gluten free, healthy dishes that the whole family enjoys.
Website: http://www.amythefamilychef.com
Blog: http://thefamilychef.blogspot.com (a food blog which is a blend of gluten free and regular recipes)
Email: Amy Fothergill
Gluten-free recipes: http://www.examiner.com/x-13910-SF-GlutenFree-Food-Examiner