I enjoy discovering new foods, and of course the tasting part is always fun! As my palate changes, I’ve become more adventurous (to a limit, I am still weird about meats and raw fish). When I ran across these Sea Tangle kelp noodles in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, they looked interesting and I wanted give them a shot. Not only are gluten free, these flour-free noodles are made from kelp and are rich source of trace minerals including iodine. Check out this link to help describe why iodine is good for your body!
When I opened the package, the noodles had a very intriguing texture, not like real noodles at all. There isn’t a strong taste necessarily so this ingredient could adapt in recipes. I tried these noodles in several ways with opposing verdicts:
Raw right out of the bag – for me, I’m not a fan but I understand this is an acquired taste
Marinated in a peanut dressing noodle salad – eh, this was ok but looked prettier than it tasted. Definitely needs some work and therefore the recipe isn’t worth sharing. If anyone has a great recipe for a “salad”, feel free to pass along!
Soaked and sauteed in a quick stir fry – now this I thoroughly enjoyed! Paired with cubes of ahi tuna steak, veggies and asian flavors, I really enjoyed! I just wish I hadn’t wasted half of the bag on the noodle salad so I could have made a larger batch 🙂
This dish comes together quickly for an easy lunch or weeknight meal. I used cubed ahi tuna, bell peppers, mushrooms and onions alongside the noodles but any chopped vegetable could be subbed if any of those ingredients aren’t your favorite — squash, zucchini, thinly sliced carrot, water chestnuts and chopped broccoli just to name a few!
Cubed beef,chicken or tofu or even shrimp could stand in for the tuna if preferred as well, just adjust the cooking times — example: season protein with gluten free soy sauce, salt and pepper and cook prior to veggies in Step 2 below, remove from pan and keep warm while completing the remaining instructions. Toss the cooked protein in at step 4 with the soy sauce, cilantro and pepper.
I love meals that are this flexible!
Ahi and Kelp Noodle Stir-Fry
Ingredients
Instructions
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1. Season cubed tuna with salt and pepper and 2 tsp of soy sauce, set aside.
2. In a large skillet or wok, add oil/butter to skillet until melted over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, onions and mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and kelp noodles and cook for one to two minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent.
3. Add tuna to pan and cook for 1-3 minutes or until desired doneness is reached (check middle of the cubes for doneness, I like it medium rare with a little pink in the center).
4. Season with additional soy sauce to taste along with sesame oil, crushed red pepper and fresh cilantro, toss and serve. Enjoy!
Note
*If you do not have kelp noodles on hand, feel free to substitute cooked gluten free rice noodles or cellophane noodles to your stir fry and add in step 3 with the tuna instead of the garlic and ginger. The flavor and texture will be slightly different but still delicious!
