Only Sometimes Clever

There is an Asian grocery store* about 10 miles from my house that I’ve been meaning to go to for… well, at least two years.  Apparently, due to a rebellious streak, I have avoided going, even though I know that rice-filled Asian groceries are a haven for those on a gluten-free diet.  See, my Dad is near-obsessed with Asian groceries, and will regularly hunt down those available in any city he visits, making an afternoon of Asian grocery-hopping.  On one visit, Dad dragged along my then-7yo son on one of his lengthy excursions, not understanding why Ethan wasn’t as gleeful about the trip as he thought he should be.  Upon return, Ethan had a bit of a shell-shock look about him, and confided tearfully to me that he didn’t understand why Grandpa was taking him to all these stores.  On subsequent visits, Grandpa has not attempted this again.  However, my kids now expect him to come bearing Chinese “jelly” cup treats, and indeed, upon hearing of my own trip to the Asian grocery store, cared only that I bring some home.  I dutifully brought home a bucket of mango-coconut. 

I filled my cart with a massive assortment of rice, rice noodles, and rice flours.  I did get a few other things, including some baby bok choy, simply because it was cute.  I spent a very interested hour perusing the aisles, mostly feeling out of place, but intriguingly so.  In the refrigerated section, there was a good 20 ft + section of daikon.  I didn’t realize it was such a staple.  It took me 90% of the way through the store to realize that each aisle represented a different Asian region:  Japanese, several aisles of Chinese, Thai, Indian, etc.  There was a wide variety of amusing signs in Engrish.  I will be sure to be back, maybe next time remembering to covertly snap a few pics with my phone.

The next day, I pulled out a beautiful Thai cookbook that I scored from Costco for only $5.99 a few years ago.  All I knew was that I wanted to make a main dish that used both the baby bok choy and some rice noodles.  I didn’t find an exact recipe, but I modified one quite a bit, turning a noodle-less vegetarian soup into, basically, a glorified chicken noodle soup.  It turned out very tasty.  After my carnivorous husband had scoured the bottom of the pan for all the remaining chicken, the remaining broth, with its bit of spice and floating bits of baby bok choy, remained tasty as ever.

GFCF Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

Makes 12 servings
About 20 minutes prep time and 20 minutes cooking time

12 cups chicken stock (I made mine with Chicken Better Than Bouillon)
4 cups water
1-2 tsp green curry paste (a little goes a long way!)
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
3 eggs
a bit of cooking oil (I used rice bran oil)
6 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 lb. baby bok choy, cut into 1/2″ shred (kale or Savoy cabbage would make an acceptable substitute)
1/3 cup g.f. soy sauce
2 tsp raw sugar (or any sugar)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. asian rice noodles of your choice — I suggest a long, thicker ”rice stick” like tung kow or sen lek – prepared according to package directions (for most rice noodles, just bring adequate water to boil, add noodles, bring back to boil, turn off heat, soak noodles until done — firm, but not hard or crunchy — and drain.)

1. In a large stock pot, combine green curry paste with a bit of water or chicken stock.  Add rest of water and stock, bring to boil.
2. Oil the bottom of a small skillet, and heat over medium-high flame.  Lightly beat one egg, and pour into pan.  Swirl pan so egg coats bottom, cook until set, like a very thin, small omelette.  Remove omelette with spatula, and roll it up, then slice crosswise into 1/4″ rounds, leaving nice little swirls of egg.  Repeat for remaining two eggs.  Set aside.
3. Slice chicken breast thinly.  Add to stock, and bring it back to boil.  Add carrot and bok choy and return again to boil.  Within another 2 minutes or less, the chicken should be cooked through, and the veggies tender.  Turn off heat, add soy sauce, sugar and pepper, stirring to combine.
4. Into shallow soup bowls, place a portion of cooked rice noodles.  Ladle soup on top, letting the chicken and veggies stay as a mound in the middle of the bowl.  Top each bowl with coiled bits of omelette.
5. Enjoy! 

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* Not too surprisingly, the place does not have a website.  It’s called Asiana Grocery Store, and it’s on the NW corner of 43rd Ave. and Union Hills Dr. in Glendale.