Gluten-Free XO Stir-Fried Rice Cakes
soft and chewy rice cakes are decadently coated in umami-rich xo sauce made from dried seafood, shallots, garlic, and chilis. tossed with ground pork, shrimp and greens, this dish makes for a quick and texturally satisfying meal.
note - not all xo sauces are gluten-free so make sure to read the labels!
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Hong Kong Café Style Macaroni Soup
the word fusion may have fallen out of favour, but I love nothing more than when food sits at the intersection of two cultures, bringing different ideas and histories together, and bringing different people together. hong kong style cafes, or cha chaan tangs, are a beautiful example of intersectional cuisine at its homiest and most satisfying.
I have so many treasured memories of sneaking quiet afternoons at cha chaan tangs in toronto with my dad. ma may not have approved of the sugary drinks, buttery buns and white bread egg sandwiches, but it was always my decadent little haven with pa.
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Gluten-Free Sichuanese Liang Mian (Noodles with Sesame Chili Dressing)
sichuanese cold noodles, known as liang mian, are zingy, fiery and packed with flave! they should really be called BIG FLAVOUR NOODLES as the sesame chili dressing leaves a party in your mouth after every bite.
I personally like to eat these noodles warm or at room temp, but if it’s a particularly hot day, you can refrigerate them for 20 minutes before consuming for a refreshingly punchy treat.
you can be pretty flexible with the additions in terms of vegetables and proteins, as the sesame chili dressing will enhance the flavour of just about anything.
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Homemade Gluten-Free Ramen Noodles
a pliable gluten-free pasta that’s transformed into ‘qq’ ramen noodles (with that delightful, toothsome bounce) by cooking them in baking soda water.
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Roasted Sweet Potato, Brassica and Kimchi Bowl
I used to think that I needed a protein with every meal to make it a substantial one. during my early days of cooking, I would have to plan out exactly what type of meat, vegetable, and carb I had to buy at the grocery store. if I didn’t have all 3 components, the meal was incomplete. it’s been years since I’ve shopped and cooked that way, and now it seems only intuitive to grab what’s fresh and what’s in season.
this bowl is great for this frigid time of year as you can utilize any root vegetable and brassica available. feel free to sub the sweet potato with carrots or squash, the broccoli and brussel sprouts with other brassicas, and the noodles with any other grain. kimchi adds the perfect tang, spice, and crunch to brighten all the deeper notes. if you do want the protein, add a poached or sous-vide egg for extra unctuousness.
with a well-stocked pantry of grains and sauces, plus the addition of well-seasoned vegetables, it’s extremely easy to have super delicious and filling meals at your fingertips! this is just one version of what you can do.
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Gluten-Free Dan Dan Mian
‘dan dan mian’, a symbol of sichuanese food, translates to ‘street vendor noodles’ or more literally to ‘carry carry noodles’ as this iconic bowl was sold off of bamboo shoulder poles back in the day.
consequently, it is not a soupy dish and relies on the incredibly savory ground pork for most of its flavour. these are the types of dishes that I want to make more accessible to reid as traditional restaurants will always make it the way its been made. with some minor tweaks to ingredients, asian dishes like this can easily be made gluten free.
we use soba king millet and brown rice noodles as they have the same ‘al dente’ springy texture as ramen.
you can sub the pork for ground round and the chicken stock for veg stock for a vegan version.
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Fresh Noodle Salad with Tamarind Peanut Dressing
at one point I wanted to serve pad thai for lunch at my work but didn’t have the equipment or time to do it à la minute, so I took out the stir fry aspect and made this version instead! the ingredients are more or less the same, but this version is served cold like a salad.
plus, burners in home kitchens aren’t powerful enough to get the desired char and wok hay anyway (the flavour from the breath of the wok), so save yourself the hassle from ending up with a gloppy and broken pile of noodles.
this can easily be bulked and prepped the day ahead, just toss the salad in some dressing to keep the noodles from sticking together in the fridge. great option as a packed lunch!
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Kimchi Fried Rice
there are a couple of tricks to ultimate fried rice:
1 - use leftover cooked rice rather than freshly cooked rice and store it uncovered in the fridge - the more it dries out, the better the fried rice will be!
2 - use the hottest setting on your stovetop at home
3 - when in doubt, add oil (加油!)
