Pat Thai - naturally gluten free!

This recipe is the "easy" version of Pat Thai. It turned out wonderful, and it was very easy to make. We liked this home made version better than the ones we've had at the restaurants... you can make it a lot less greasy. You can get some of the following ingredients (Thai rice noodles, bean sprouts, tamarind paste & fish sauce) at the local Asian store. If you live in Columbus area, I recommend CAM (Columbus Asian Market) on Bethel Road (Microcenter Plaza). They remodeled/moved the store recently, and it is one of the largest Asian stores I've ever seen! They have many varieties and selections of all types of Asian food and it's fun even just for browsing : ) If you've never been there, it's worth checking out!

• 8 oz Thai rice noodles
• 1 lb ground pork or beef
• Marinade for pork/beef: 1tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp gluten free soy sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• Optional: 1-2 fresh red chilies, minced
• 3 cups fresh bean sprouts
• 5 Shiitake mushrooms (optional)
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• Olive oil for stir-frying, and wedges of lime

Pat Thai Sauce:

• 1 Tbsp tamarind paste dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce + more to tatste
• 1 to 3 tsp chili sauce or 1/2 tsp dried crushed chili or cayenne pepper
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar

1. Cook rice noodles according to the package directions (Boil for about 5 minutes). Drain and set aside.

2. Make the Pat Thai Sauce by combining the sauce ingredients together in a cup. Set aside.

3. Pour the marinade over pork/beef.

4. Warm up a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, garlic and minced chili (optional). Stir-fry until fragrant (30 seconds).

5. Add pork with the marinade. Stir fry for about 5 minutes until meat is brown. Add bean sprouts & shiitake mushrooms and stir fry for another minute. (If it is too dry, you can add some chicken stock).

6. Add the noodles, and pour the Pat Thai sauce over. Using two wooden spoons, immediately stir-fry the noodles. Stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes. 

7. Add the green onions.

8. Taste test for seasoning, adding more fish sauce until desired flavor is reached. Toss well to incorporate. 

9. Lift noodles onto a serving plate. Top with fresh cilantro and add fresh lime wedges on the side.