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Cooking Rice Noodles
One of the most common questions people new to the food-allergic community ask is "how do you cook rice noodles?" Home from the natural foods store and excited to find an allergy-free pasta, you cook them just as you would "normal" wheat noodles. They usually end up really "gummy" or "mooshy" on your first try. Suddenly, you get discouraged and feel like you'll never get to eat noodles again. Have no fear! Other food allergics have faced the same problems, and have found out through trial and error how to cook pasta to make it "the way you remember it." So hang tight, read the tips below, and get cooking! :)
I use spiral noodles as a side-dish. Take a can of allergy-free chicken broth and about a can of water, and add salt. Bring these to a boil and add spirals -- stir them and allow them to boil and move freely. Check every few minutes so they do not get over-done. You can toss with parsley, basil, etc. If you are going to use in a pasta casserole, don't get them overdone. (From: Nancy.)
I cook with rice noodles quite often. The trick is to salt the water lightly, put a little oil into the water before it boils, boil the noodles briefly, then drain and rinse with water. Never leave rice noodles sitting in water. (From: YGG)
For spaghetti noodles use a large pot (such as a pressure cooker). Put in water 1-2 inches from the top. Boil water -- use 8 oz. spaghetti and break in half. Put into water and stir. Stir every few minutes. When cooked to desired doneness (do not over-cook) dump into collander and rinse with cold water. Put back into pan and keep warm. (From: Nancy)
For Maifun noodles (very thin, long, Oriental all-rice noodles), I've found a quick and easy way to make a soup. I take a handful, and add it to a casserole dish containing chicken broth (the chicken broth should completely cover the noodles). I then microwave this for about four minutes. Afterward, I remove it from the microwave and let it sit to slightly cool, with the cover still on. By then, the noodles are perfectly done. Since all microwaves are different, it may take a while to find the exact time that this method works with your specific machine, but few people would believe it can be this easy to make a dish with rice noodles! By the way, if you're not big on soup, just drain off the broth for chicken-flavored noodles (we do both). (From: Melissa T.)
Make sure you start out by getting a good brand. I personally use DeBoles brand (all rice ingredients). (From: Nancy)
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