Thai Greens & Cake
Once again, we’re here with the infamous rice cake. Rice cakes feel pretty exciting sometimes, after removing all breads, crackers, and crunchy snacks from my diet. They’re the cleanest version of a crunchy treat, that I don’t have to slave over in the kitchen for.
I like to think of this recipe as flexible and easy to make. I like to cook on a whim, and be spontaneous in the kitchen. I tend to cook through taste and smell, rather than measurements, when it comes to savory dishes, unless of course it involves baking or a more structured style of cooking. This dish is one of my favorite and easy dishes for lunch, not to mention it’s high in fiber, iron, gut friendly probiotics, and intriguing flavors.
I also find this recipe to be a beautiful way of integrating my love of discovering Eastern ingredients. Spending our Saturday mornings at the local farmer’s market has brought a lot more diversity to our kitchen. I love incorporating Chinese bok choy and Chinese baby broccoli, with it’s gorgeous little flower buds, to add diversity of flavor and texture to this dish.
Let this be another creative way for you to try something new and play with flavors! Maybe you’ll end up at the farmer’s market finding a new, unique ingredient that you’ll love, too!
Recipe
This recipe is a really great substitute for traditional Thai dishes. As someone who suffers from gut health, I find it difficult to find Thai food that doesn’t trigger my system. So, I’ve created this makeshift version of a Thai inspired dish. When dealing with SIBO or Candida, it’s important to stay away from bacterial and fungal feeding ingredients, including soy sauce, peanuts, garlic, onions, processed flours and starches, including rice, potato, and tapioca, and of course, inflammatory oils. These ingredients are commonly found in Thai/Asian dishes, making it almost impossible to enjoy oriental food. But, the sweet and tangy combination of coconut oil, coconut aminos, and ginger, make for a wonderful Thai inspired flavor.
Serves One
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
What you’ll need:
- organic gluten free rice cakes
- a few kale leaves (I like to use about 3 or 4)
- two broccolini sprigs aka less than 1/2c (refer to Low FODMAP diet sheet for portion sizes)
- a few green Swiss chard leaves (about 2 or 3 depending on large they are)
- 1/2c bok choy (High FODMAP - sticking to less than 1 cup is crucial for healing SIBO)
- 1 tsp coconut oil (if you need more oil, yield up to 1 tbsp)
- organic coconut aminos (this is measured to taste, but I usually do about 1- 1 & 1/2tsp)
- pinches of salt & pepper to taste
- 1/4tsp organic ground ginger powder
- 1/2c organic sauerkraut (garlic free, onion free, and sugar free for Candida & SIBO)
- 1/4 avocado
- dried chili flakes
In a stir fry pan, melt the coconut oil. Wash, rinse, and cut the veggies, and throw them in with the coconut oil. Let them cook for a couple minutes, or until you hear them sizzle and crack. Toss in a little salt & pepper, then dress them in coconut aminos. Start slow with the coconut aminos, about 1/2tsp at a time, as it tends to run fast out of the bottle, and can overpower the dish. If you pour too much, your veggies will get soggy and the flavor will be overpowering, so start light for flavoring, and add as you go. Once you like how much coconut aminos you’ve added in your dish, add the ground ginger. Ginger is another strong flavor, so depending on how spicy you like it, or how overpowering you like your ginger flavor to be, start slow with 1/8 tsp, then move forward to 1/4tsp.
Once the veggies are golden brown at the edges, they’re ready to serve. I like to pile them on top of a rice cake, along with a heaping serving of sauerkraut. The sauerkraut brings a nice acidity to the plate, which marries the sweet and saltiness of the coconut aminos. For a nice mild texture and flavor that balances this dish out, go ahead and top it with avocado! Sprinkle some dried chili flakes, and your dish is complete.