Gluten Free Thai Peanut Noodles With Chicken

I love Thai food. It is probably one of my favourite cuisines, after Middle Eastern food...and maybe Italian. Since moving to the US, I have struggled to find Thai food that lives up to my picky Australian standards (Sydney has the best Thai food...according to Thai people, apparently). Not only that, it's pretty much full of things that I am allergic to and make me fat. Kind of worth it if it tastes ah-mah-zing, not worth it if it is sub-par. It also takes 90 minutes to arrive. 

Well, if you love Thai food and adore a sneaky lazy take-out, this might just be the meal for you! This noodle dish is around 400 calories for the whole shebang including bok choy, tastes pretty amazing and is entirely gluten free and is easy to make soy-free, to boot. It is also 3 times as fast as ordering in if you buy or have cooked chicken on hand. 

Ingredients: 

• 8oz brown rice noodles (I used Annie Chan's Gluten Free)
• 5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoons fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons low sodium tamari sauce (Use coconut aminos if avoiding soy)
• 4 tablespoons chunky peanut butter 
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 drops stevia 
• 1/2 red chilli pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 cup cooked chicken, finely sliced (I recommend poaching chicken) 
• 1 small red bell pepper, finely julienned 
• 1/2 cup scallions, finely sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh basil (Thai if you can get it), chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped peanuts for garnish 
• 4 heads baby bok choy, separated

Instructions: 

1. Cook brown rice noodles according to package directions. 
2. While noodles are cooking, whisk together peanut butter and lime juice. 
3. Keep aside 1/4 cup of the peanut sauce. 
4. When there is 2 minutes left of the noodle 'clock', put bok choy in a steamer basket above noodles and cook for 2 minutes. 
5. Whisk in the rest of the ingredients into sauce, including your fresh herbs. 
6. Toss noodles with chicken and sauce. 
7. Pour a tablespoon of spare sauce over bok choy. 
8. Garnish noodles with crushed peanuts, fresh cilantro and a drizzle of extra sauce and enjoy! 

This recipe was inspired by Kelly over at Eat Yourself Skinny

Peach & Jalapeno Glazed Chicken & Buttered Snap Peas

Gluten Free Spaghetti with Asparagus And Browned Butter

Steak with Warm Bean Salad

I am currently in tomato heaven. Hea-ven. The heirlooms are in season and I am love, love, loving them! We don't really get much in the way of heirloom tomatoes in Australia so this is my first summer having them in abundance at the farmers' market. With all these tomatoes, I have been finding ways to inject their gorgeous colour in just about every meal that I make. 

This steak dish combines baby heirloom tomatoes with a delicious, lightly seasoned sirloin steak and a hearty string bean and white bean salad. It is not a complex meal but it is definitely satisfying! So give it a try if you are looking for a tasty and easy steak dinner. 

Ingredients: 

• 4 Sirloin Steaks (palm-sized), patted dry 
• Salt and Pepper 
• 3 Cups Green Beans
• 1 Can Cannelini Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 Cups Mini Heirloom Tomatoes, halved
• 3 Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar 

Instructions: 

1. Season steak with salt and pepper. 
2. In a skillet, season one teaspoon of oil on medium-high heat. Cook steak on until browned, 3-4 minutes each side, until it is medium-rare. 
3. Transfer steaks to a cutting board and allow to rest. 
4. Rinse skillet and return to heat with 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the green beans and cook for three minutes. Throw in cannelini beans and the vinegar and cook until warmed through. 
5. Remove skillet from heat and throw through tomatoes. 
6. Slice rested steak into thin strips. 
7. Divide bean salad into four servings and top with sliced steak. 
8. Enjoy!

Chipotle Lime Chicken Tortillas with White Corn & Avocado Salsa

In case you missed the memo, Summer is well and truly here. It's hot out and so I am defaulting to grilling a lot of meat. We only moved to the US in November and other furniture has taken precedence over a barbecue but I do have a griddle to do a bit of grillin'. I have to say, a proper grill is on my list of wants and needs for our home here, for sure! 

It is no secret to anyone that knows me well that I love and adore Mexican food. It's one of my fave flaves, for sure. I had a hankering for a little Mexican delight and my husband wanted this corn and avocado salad we'd had at a friend's house a couple of weeks ago so I whipped up this Chipotle Lime Grilled Chicken with my version of that salad. 

Just a note on this salad, my husband hates peppers (capsicum) and is allergic to cilantro (coriander) so I make two salads out of this and they're split for the pictures but if there are no restrictions on peppers and cilantro for you then I would mix it all together for one delicious symphony of freshness in your mouth. Trust me, you won't regret it. 

Chipotle Lime Chicken:

• 1/4 cup garlic olive oil 
• 1/4 cup lime juice 
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoons chipotle powder 
• 2 chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, crushed to a smooth paste
• 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar 
• 1 pound chicken breast tenders 

Instructions:

1. In a large glass dish, combine oil, juice, chipotle powder, crushed chipotles in adobo, honey, crushed garlic and sugar. Stir to combine. 
2. Rinse and pat chicken tenders dry, then add to glass dish and turn to completely coat. The marinade should cover all the chicken. Put in fridge for 3-8 hours. I find that 3 hours is more than enough. 
3. Turn grill to medium heat. Place chicken on grill and cover - cook for 6-8 minutes. 
4. Turn chicken and cook for a further 4-6 minutes or until chicken is 165F according to a meat thermometer.

White Corn, Avocado & Heirloom Tomato Salsa:

• 2 ears white corn, rinsed and stripped
• 8 mini heirloom tomatoes, diced 
• 1 ripe avocado, diced
• 1/4 red onion, diced 
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• 1/2 yellow pepper, diced 
• 1 green onion, chopped 
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped 
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 

Instructions:

1. Mix lime juice and salt together.
2. Toss all chopped ingredients together, thoroughly.
3. Pour dressing over salad and toss.

Serve chicken on a white corn tortilla with salsa verde and a heaping side of corn salsa. Enjoy! 

Inspired by 5 Ingredient Fix

Grilled Jerk Chicken Breast

It's weirdly hot and sticky in the Bay Area at the moment (cloudy and rainy, which I am told is unusual). Sticky weather calls for refreshing salads and grilled meats and this Jamaican Jerk Chicken Breast is just the ticket! I love Cajun food - the mix of spices is delicious and pack a bit of heat without beng completely overwhelming.

As I understand it, Jerk Chicken is kind of like my mother's Matzo Ball recipe. Everyone's mother has their own version so there's no 'right' way to cook it. This marinade is based on one from Food & Wine as well as the back of the bottled Jerk Marinade that I buy at World Market. Together, they make for one tasty recipe. Whether it is 'authentic' or not, will depend on yo' Mama's opinion, I guess.

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, cut into large chunks
• 2 spring onions, quartered
• 1 Habanero chili pepper, seeded 
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 teaspoon Asian five-spice powder
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ½ tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound skinless chicken breasts, butterflied 

Directions

1. Make the marinade: In the bowl of a food processor, combine all ingredients except the chicken breasts. Process until it is a thin, relatively fine paste. It will still be gritty, so don't worry about that.
2. Place chicken breasts and marinade in a freezer bag, remove air and seal. Shake the chicken to evenly coat and then put in the fridge for at least an hour - preferably overnight.
3. Preheat grill to medium. Grease pan with either coconut oil or olive oil, I prefer coconut as it doesn't smoke. Place chicken on grill making sure it is well coated with marinade. Cover and cook, turning once, until the breast is browned and crisp but not charred, about 10 minutes.
4. Serve immediately with chopped tomato and cucumber salsa, sliced avocado and some grilled fresh pineapple with lime wedges. 

Inspired by Food & Wine.