Coeliac Awareness Week Part 2 - Rainbow Thai Stir Fry
Rainbow Thai Stir Fry // Kenkō Kitchen. Image taken from the Kenkō Kitchen Cookbook. Australian edition out now through Hardie Grant, out March/April through Hardie Grant UK and Rizzoli USA. Photography by Elisa Watson, styling by Kate Bradley (Kenkō Kitchen) and Sally Bradley.
As a part of Coeliac Awareness Week I am posting two of my favourite recipes from the Kenkō Kitchen Cookbook. On Wednesday I posted the recipe for my Homemade Pizzas alongside the story of how I came to be diagnosed with Coeliac and some resources. Like all recipes from the cookbook the recipe I am sharing with you today, and the Homemade Pizzas I posted on Wednesday are completely gluten free, vegan and refined sugar free.
After being diagnosed with Coeliac disease this January I have had to become very strict with my eating, ensuring that everything I eat is completely gluten free! My mum and I went through the kitchen and collected everything that contained gluten - if you do have Coeliac it's important to read the labels of packaged foods as gluten can be hidden in everything and anything! I took all this food - flours, pastas, sauces, seasonings and packaged foods to my partners house for himself and his dad to eat (no wastage here!). Whilst I felt comfortable cooking at home for myself I was very scared with eating out! I knew there were some places I could eat but it was still an overwhelming feeling knowing when and if I went out with friends I would have to be very careful.
I quickly got over this and started to go out for meals, life is too short to be scared! I soon found that a lot of restaurants are incredibly accommodating for those who need gluten free, and I have found even when there aren't things on the menu I have been able to ask and have something specially made. It's important to speak to the waiters to let them know you are coeliac so they can pass it onto the chefs! I'm not going to lie, there have already had a few instances where I have eaten out and I have been able to tell something has slipped into my food, causing me to have migraines and intense nausea later that night and the following day. Whilst this has been annoying, I know it is something which is going to happen and I just have to be prepared on how to deal with it when it happens! Which brings me to todays topic of how I manage when eating out with Coeliac and some tips if a slip up happens!
Some measures which I have already gotten into the habit of doing after having a meal are:
- Having a drink of water with 1 tsp Bentonite Clay and 1 tsp of Activated Charcoal. This is said to help bind toxins and reduce gas and bloating.
- I ensure I have a lot of water (especially if I am having the clay/charcoal drink!) and add in 2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar into a glass of water to also help with my digestion.
- It is also recommended for people with Coeliac to carry around Digestive Enzymes (you can pick these up from your local health food store - they are normally in the fridge section with the probiotics) in your bag to have with your meal - it's all about getting that food through!
- Ginger and turmeric are also great to add into water as they are both anti-inflammatories which is essential to heal your gut.
- Kombucha, probiotic tablets and kefirs are also wonders to bring in that good bacteria back to your stomach.
- Aside from this, allowing yourself to rest is also very important as your body needs to recover and heal!
These are just some options which have helped me, but I would also love to hear what tips and tricks other Coeliacs use to help them feel better after being glutened! These little remedies will be different for every person, so like I say for everything, it's important to listen to your own body and see what works for you!!
We are lucky that we do live in an age where gluten free food is becoming more available and we have access to some amazing gluten free recipes to make sticking to a gluten free diet incredibly easy! If you think you may have Coeliac check out my first post for Coeliac Awareness Week here which has resources and links for more information on symptoms, how to get tested and what happens next!
This is another recipe from the Kenkō Kitchen Cookbook for my Rainbow Thai Stir Fry. If I am ever tired and don’t know what to make when I come home from work, this is usually what I end up cooking. It’s mind-numbingly easy. It’s also so colourful that it will turn any miserable day into a happy one, and there will be no need to call the local Thai takeaway ever again. I cannot over-emphasise the vibrant flavours in this dish – think pad Thai, but so, so, so much better!
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
INGREDIENTS
SAUCE
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
1 kaffir lime leaf
1 lemongrass stem
2 garlic cloves
5 cm piece fresh ginger
1 tablespoon tamari
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons almond oil or coconut oil
STIR-FRY
1/2 red onion, diced
1 carrot, julienned
1/8 purple cabbage, thinly sliced
2 red chillies, sliced
100g whole oyster mushrooms
or 100g shiitake mushrooms, sliced
50g enoki mushrooms
1 teaspoon ground kelp
125g flat brown rice noodles
1 bunch broccolini, stalks cut into thirds
GARNISH
1/2 bunch coriander leaves, chopped
2 limes, quartered
40g peanuts, crushed
2 spring onions, chopped
METHOD
Place all the sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender and blitz until smooth. Set aside.
Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium heat and add the sauce and onion. Cook for 2–3 minutes then add the carrot, cabbage, chillies, mushrooms and kelp and cook for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile cook the noodles for 5 minutes in a pan of boiling water. Remove from the heat, drain and run under cool water.
Add the broccolini to the wok along with the noodles and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Serve in bowls and top with coriander, lime wedges, the peanuts and spring onions.
Enjoy!