Guest Post: Apple Mushroom Pad Thai by Nutrition Meets Life
We’ve got a guest in our kitchen today! We are happy to be welcoming Allie of Nutrition Meets Life. You may recognize her from last October’s Mushrooms Go PINK Twitter Party and now she’s back and sharing a nutritious and delicious recipe!
Sawasdee Ka! This is how you say ‘hello!’ in Thai. My name is Allie McLaughlin and I am a Registered Dietitian of Canada and the creator of Nutrition Meets Life. I am originally from Markham, Ontario, and I have been living overseas (currently based in Singapore, previously in Dubai) for a few years. I have traveled to over 10 countries experiencing the different cultural aspects and meanings of food. While on my travels, I blog about restaurants, food culture, and new foods that I discover along the way. I also take this knowledge and create healthy recipes. I am excited to share a recipe that I recently developed after taking a cooking class in Thailand. Thank you Mushrooms Canada for allowing me to share this recipe with you!
Living in Asia has exposed me to many new varieties of mushrooms; my favourite being the tree ears mushroom, also known as the jelly mushrooms. A tree ears mushroom is a fungus which looks like an ear growing out of a tree, hence the name. Ultimately flavourless, tree ear mushrooms are added to hot soups, stuffing for spring rolls, and stir-fried dishes because of their crunchy texture. Even after they are cooked for longer periods of time, they are known to still retain a bite. As a Registered Dietitian, I’m always keen to know the health benefits that foods offer. Not only do mushrooms make speedy and nourishing meals, they also have medicinal properties. Tree ears mushrooms are added to many dishes in Asia because they are believed to cleanse blood, improve circulation, fight against various diseases, and enhance overall well-being. Very impressive!
Apple Mushroom Pad Thai
Ingredients (Serves 4)
• 100 g Rice Noodles
• 2 chicken breasts (thinly sliced into squares)
• 50 g firm tofu (cut into small cubes) – optional
• 2 garlic cloves (chopped)
• 5 tree ears (jelly) mushrooms OR ½ box of white button mushrooms
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 apple of your choice (cut into cubes)
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 ½ Tbsp oyster sauce
• Handful (60 g) of bean sprouts or thinly sliced cabbage
• ¼ cup water
• 10g green onion (about 1 green onion) cut into 1-inch pieces.
Method
1. In a small bowl, mix water, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sugar. Mix well.
2. Cook rice noodles as per package instructions and set aside.
3. Add oil to wok. On medium heat, fry garlic and tofu until golden brown in colour (about 1 minute).
4. Add sliced mushrooms and apple. Cook for about 2 minutes.
5. Add chicken and cook until the chicken is no longer pink in colour and then add beaten egg.
6. Add sauce mixture (from step 1). Stir well.
7. Add cooked noodles.
8. Finally add bean sprouts and green onions. Stir well.
Optional: Sprinkle the final dish with ground peanuts and juice from a lime.
Note: When making a Pad Thai you have to be fast. Prepare all ingredients ahead of time before cooking this recipe.
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This recipe sounds amazing! I love hearing all about foods from around the world. Thanks to Allie for being our guest, and watch for more nutritious recipes coming from Allie this summer! Don’t forget to follow her on her blog Nutrition Meets Life, on Twitter, Facebook and on Pinterest.
