Asian Noodle Salad

I got tripped up this past week.

Chances are, this has likely happened to you somewhere along the way.

Just when you feel you’ve really gotten the hang of things, and are feeling confident about your gluten-free diet – out of nowhere you discover you’ve unintentionally slipped up.

Perhaps you innocently ate some licorice, not realizing that wheat lurks therein.

Perhaps a previously ‘safe’ food sneaked in a new ingredient on the labeling, and unbeknownst to you – that new ingredient contains either gluten or another allergen.

It can happen so easily.

And it can happen to anyone, even those of us who’ve gotten this down to a science, and are very much aware of all the potential traps and pitfalls.

People like myself.

The other day, while browsing through my stash of cookbooks, I happened upon a delicious sounding recipe for a Chinese Noodle Salad  – which I’ve included at the end of today’s post.

Of course, I’ve adapted this somewhat from the original.

I made this a few nights ago for dinner, and thought it was a delicious addition to my repertoire.

Yet, after the meal I suddenly felt extremely congested.

My nose was so stuffy I could hardly breathe, but I didn’t have a cold.

Must have been something I ate, I thought.

Next morning, my sinuses were still telling me that something was up. I had a slight headache, but I was still clueless.

It was until I’d helped myself to another serving of the Chinese Noodle Salad, and my husband commented on how congested I sounded and wondered what was wrong – that I decided, OK, enough – and knew I had to get to the bottom of it.

What was in the salad that was making me sick?

If you skip down to the list of ingredients, there is nothing there that seems the list bit suspect.

The soy sauce needs to be gluten-free, of course, and that’s what I used.

Sesame oil?

Not a problem, unless you’re allergic to seeds and nuts.

It was puzzling, indeed.

I grabbed the box of rice noodles, thinking “This is silly, it’s nothing but rice and water,” and was surprised to see cornstarch listed in the ingredients.

Cornstarch is perfectly OK for anyone who is gluten-free.

But if you’re dietary needs require that you avoid corn, and all corn-based ingredients – then you have a problem.

And corn happens to be on my list of foods I must avoid.

At that point, I was really angry.

Angry at myself for slipping up and not reading the label more closely.

Angry at the manufacturer for adding cornstarch to the noodles.

Angry to learn that I’m still so sensitive to corn, just when I thought my sensitivity might have waned.

Dang.

In the end, I had to admit the fault was mine, and mine alone.

This is a classic example of what can happen when one doesn’t take the time to read the list of ingredients.

It’s a crucial step, one that is no less important no matter how long you’ve been following a gluten-free lifestyle.

Yes, the culprit in this situation was corn, but it could have been anything.

The point here, is that you need to constantly check and double check, even in foods you’ve been buying for years.

That’s because manufacturers sometimes change the ingredients.

Or, their suppliers might have altered something, meaning the original source is no longer reliable.

Because of this chain of events, reading labels needs to be a life-long habit.

Even if the initial impulse is to shrug your shoulders and look the other way, or simply ‘guess’ that something is safe to eat – it’s never a good idea.

In fact, this one tip alone probably qualifies as the #1 Gluten-free survival tip!

I’ve decided to share this recipe, anyway, because it really is delicious.

This is an excellent, summery salad – perfect eaten cold or at room temperature. It keeps well for 1-2 days in the fridge and would be welcome at a potluck or picnic.

You could, of course add chicken, but this meatless version is suitable for any diet – gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian.

Plus, when you leave out the meat, you don’t need to worry about refrigeration while playing in the great outdoors.

 

ASIAN NOODLE SALAD

Adapted from “The Migraine Cookbook” by Michele Sharp

1 8.8 oz. pkg Asian Rice Noodles (either wide noodles or the extra thin ‘maifun’ are suitable for this recipe – just be sure to read the ingredients & adapt this to whatever works best for you)

1 cup blanched Snow Peas

1 medium Carrot, peeled & grated

1 cup Asparagus, blanched

2 Tbsp chopped Cilantro

 

Dressing:

1/4 cup toasted Sesame Oil

1/4  cup gluten-free Soy Sauce

2 Tsp Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tbsp Agave

1 tsp fresh Ginger, peeled & grated

1/2 tsp Sea Salt – or to taste

 

First, blanch the vegetables*. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and blanch the snow peas for 1-2 minutes. Remove immediately and rinse with cold water.

Repeat with the asparagus.

After removing the asparagus, bring the water back to a boil & add the noodles. Cook according to package directions, by removing from the heat & allowing to soak for 8 minutes.

Drain noodles & rinse with cold water. Place in a large bowl.

Add the vegetables, ginger, grated carrot and the dressing & toss to combine. This is delicious served at room temperature.

 

For the Dressing:

Combine all the ingredients in a jar & shake vigorously to combine. Set aside.

 

*You can use any combination of vegetables you choose –feel free to experiment! Try broccoli, red pepper, mushrooms – the choice is yours. Although I haven’t tried it, I imagine this dish would work just as well with regular gluten-free pasta.