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

1 Tbsp refined coconut oil (no coconut taste), butter or ghee, or grapeseed oil
6 to 7 ounces ahi tuna, cubed
1/2 sweet bell pepper (red, orange or yellow)
1/3 cup red or white onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated or minced
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
4 to 6 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 package of kelp noodles, soaked in hot water for 5 minutes*
2 tsp + more to taste gluten free soy sauce, tamari or Bragg’s liquid aminos
drizzle of toasted sesame oil (this is very strong, use sparingly)
salt and pepper to taste
dash of crushed red pepper, optional
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro and/or chopped scallions

Directions

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!

serves 2

*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!