Rice Noodles w/ Coconut-Braised Bison & Peppers (gluten-free, paleo-ish)

Rice Noodles w/ Coconut-Braised Bison & Peppers (gluten-free, paleo-ish) // the pig & quill

Something life-changing happened today. I was sweeping up around the stove when I noticed a tiny square of papery onion skin that was stubbornly clinging to the linoleum.

(Oh, I hope you’re ready for a story. Sorry, jumped right in there.)

And I mean, it was on there, guys. No amount of mashing the broom bristles into that little bugger was gonna budge it. So I got down on my knees, picked at the edge until it lifted, and then — in a move that was only too satisfying — peeled it cleanly from the floor. (Where is that skill when I’m in a full-blown fight with the price tags on TJ Maxx picture frames, huh? I know you know.)

So anyway. That’s not the life changing part. Here it is. Guess what I found just beneath that little sticky square of seemingly innocent onion peel? Are you ready for this?

A LITTLE EFFING ONION PEEL-SHAPED SQUARE OF WHITE FLOOR.

White, you guys. Ok, maybe I’m exaggerating. Let’s call it eggshell. Whatever.
But still. WHITE floor.

Is this registering? Maybe I need to clarify that for MORE THAN THREE YEARS, I thought my floors were TAUPE.
Sick sick sick sick sick.

Rice Noodles w/ Coconut-Braised Bison & Peppers (gluten-free, paleo-ish) // the pig & quill

So in case you’re wondering what my plans are for this weekend, there ya go.
Me. My supposedly WHITE floors. And a shit-ton of elbow grease.

Oh, and leftovers of this super freaking tasty Thai-bison-noodle thing, which kind of speaks for itself.

Now would be a good time to buy stock in Magic Erasers.

Rice Noodles w/ Coconut-Braised Bison & Peppers (gluten-free, paleo-ish) // the pig & quill

Rice Noodles w/ Coconut-Braised Bison & Peppers (gluten-free, paleo-ish) // the pig & quill

Rice Noodles w/ Coconut-Braised Bison & Peppers (gluten-free, paleo-ish) // the pig & quill

Rice Noodles w/ Coconut-Braised Bison & Peppers (gluten-free, paleo-ish) // the pig & quill

Rice Noodles w/ Coconut-Braised Bison & Peppers (gluten-free, paleo-ish) // the pig & quill

Rice Noodles w/ Coconut-Braised Bison & Peppers (gluten-free, paleo-ish)
By Emily Stoffel
Cook time: 30 mins | Serves 4 (very hungry) –  6 (normal people)

Note: 1) How much jalapeño you’ll want in this recipe depends on the heat of the pepper(s) and your personal taste. If you’re sensitive to heat, take a teensy taste of your pepper to see if it’s a hot one before erring on the side of…lots. The first time I did this recipe, one was more than enough. The second time, two were perfect. 2) Don’t be alarmed when the coconut milk magically does this thing where it loses its ‘milkyness’ in the simmering process. It literally melts right into the bison and just adds savory richness and aroma that is so, so good. 3) “Banh pho” noodles can be found in almost every Asian market and even some larger grocery chains on the ethnic foods aisle. They’re often sold in either 14 or 16oz packages, depending on the brand. Either will do!

Ingredients:

  • 1 T coconut oil
  • 5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1″ piece of fresh (or frozen) ginger, peeled and chopped
  • 20 oz (1.25 lbs) ground bison
  • 1 tsp ground fennel seed
  • 1 tsp curry powder (we always use Penzey’s Vindaloo)
  • pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • 3 T fish sauce
  • 1 can light coconut milk
  • 1 large red bell pepper, finely sliced (reserve a few shreds for serving)
  • 1 – 2 jalapeños, finely chopped, plus extra for serving
  • 2 large handfuls fresh basil, shredded
  • 14 – 16oz  flat, medium-width rice noodles, such as “banh pho”

Instructions

Heat coconut oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over med-high heat. Add garlic and ginger and fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add bison, fennel, curry and red pepper flakes; stir to combine, lightly breaking up meat. Cook until bison is mostly cooked and spices have melded, about 5 minutes.

Add fish sauce and coconut milk. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook noodles in salted water according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cool water and set aside.

When bison is done simmering, add bell peppers and jalapeños and cook another minute until veggies are just crisp-tender. Add shredded basil and cooked noodles and heat through. Serve immediately topped with additional jalapeño, peppers and basil. Enjoy!

 20% off at @QSquaredNYC through April 30th 2014 with code PIGANDQUILL // the pig & quill

Don’t forget! From now until April 30th, Q Squared NYC is offering P&Q readers 20% off (PLUS Free Shipping on all orders over $50)! Just shop online and enter PIGANDQUILL at checkout. The promo is good sitewide, including everything you see from the Madison BloomHeritage and Victorian collections in this post. Happy shopping!

Disclosure: This post is part of an ongoing partnership with Q Squared NYC, maker of the lovely serveware showcased in the images above. As always, I recommend only those items that I truly find to be a good fit in The Pig & Quill kitchen, and any opinions expressed across the site, be they negative or positive, are 100% my own.

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6 Comments on “Rice Noodles w/ Coconut-Braised Bison & Peppers (gluten-free, paleo-ish)”

  1. My kitchen floors are brown. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. I wonder though, does onion have magical properties. I’ve heard that a cut onion in your bedroom wards off sickness. Sounds like voodoo magic to me.

    Yummy recipe by the way. I’ve been reading about buffalo and bison lately. I don’t think they exist here in New Zealand but I’ll continue to want them.

    1. I can’t imagine there’s no bison over there — it’s so tasty. Just keep your eyes peeled! (In the meantime, you could absolutely do this with ground beef, chicken or pork. I imagine the latter would be pretty darn good.)

      And of course your kitchen floors are brown. 😉

    1. Yep, it’s leaner than beef with less saturated fat – and somehow it’s both more flavorful and (I think) cooks up juicier. We love it!

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