Shrimp Pad Thai and a new cookbook, The Organic Heart~

Hello friends!

First, thank you again to all who have emailed, left sweet comments here or on my Insta feed regarding our sweet pup who recently had emergency surgery. I am happy to report he is on the mend and doing remarkably well.  Even his surgeon was a bit surprised by how well he is doing given the extent of the surgery. And, if you are in the Atlanta area or a bit further north (Gainesville area) and ever find yourself in need of someone in a pet emergency, please reach out to me.  Dr. Brown and his staff are excellent, but more importantly compassionate toward both the pet and the pet's owners. We are so grateful to the entire team.

I shared a picture of this recipe on Instagram over a week ago, and had promised to post it here prior to all that took place with our pup.  It is too good not to share, and it comes from a new to us cookbook that I know we will love and enjoy for many months to come.

The recipe comes from Breeana Pooler's new cookbook, The Organic Heart, a Gluten- Free, Dairy-Free, Clean Food Cookbook.  I love the story behind the creation of the cookbook. 

At age 26 (yes just 26), Breeana's husband Jason was suddenly and unexpectedly diagnosed with severe heart failure.  Following his diagnosis, Breeana set out to regain his health. She succeeded in doing so by completely changing their diets.  Yes, their diets!  I know y'all have heard the old saying, "you are what you eat."  I personally think there is so much truth to it.  After a year, her precious husband not only did NOT need a heart transplant, but was healthier than he had ever been in his entire life.

You can follow Breeana on Instagram @the_organic_heart and her food blog.

Most of you know that while we have been gluten free for quite some time now, the dairy free came in to play a year ago. 

When we mention to people that we are gluten, dairy, soy and mostly nut free (among other food sensitivities that vary by family member), the usual response is, "What DO y'all eat".  Then when they start following along on either the blog or my Instagram account, I get "Would you come cook for me?" LOL  While we are eating healthier than ever before, we are also enjoying our food so much more.

Give this one a try!

Shrimp Pad Thai (Gluten Free and Dairy Free-2-3 servings)

Pad Thai Sauce:

1/4 C lime juice
1/4 C coconut aminos (replaces soy sauce in recipes)
2 TBS honey
1 TBS coconut oil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

6 ounces brown rice pad-Thai noodles (we found them at Whole Foods)
10 large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 TBS coconut oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ginger, grated
1 C green onions, roughly chopped
2 eggs, whisked

Serve with:
1 C mung bean sprouts
1/2 C cilantro, roughly chopped
Crushed peanuts, as desired
Plenty of lime wedges
Chili sauce, as desired

Directions:
1. In a bowl, mix together all sauce ingredients and set aside.

2. Fill a large bowl with warm water and soak the pad Thai noodles 10-15 minutes, or as directed on the package.

3. In a large skillet or wok, sauté  the shrimp in 1 tablespoon of coconut oil with the garlic, ginger, and green onions for a few minutes until the shrimp is pink and cooked. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Add the whisked eggs to the same skillet and sauté until cooked. Remove the eggs from the skillet and set aside.

4. Turn the heat up on the skillet and add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Drain the soaked rice noodles (they should feel soft, not firm) and add the rice noodles to the hot skillet., frying them in the oil about 30 seconds.  Now add the shrimp mixture, eggs, and Pad Thai sauce to the skillet, and combine everything well.  Once the sauce is nearly absorbed, turn the heat off and transfer the noodles to a large plate.  Top the pad-Thai with the mung bean sprouts, cilantro, crushed peanuts, and drizzle the noodles with plenty of lime juice.  Serve with chili sauce for added heat.

***Notes:

Our daughter has a sensitivity to eggs, but can have them occasionally. I feel you can omit them all together if necessary (we make fried rice quite often without them).

We also served all the optional toppings on the side.

Breeana's cookbook is not only packed with easy to prepare delicious meals, it is chock full of information including how to stock a Gluten and Dairy Free Kitchen and Pantry. And, I just loved reading their story.

I highly recommend this cookbook to anyone who is either embarking on a Gluten and Dairy Free journey or has been on one for awhile already.

***I am in no way being compensated for this post. All opinions are that of my own.