Over two hundred doctors, health professionals, and members of the Northwest Arkansas community turned out to support NFCA’s first ever Celiac Awareness & Education day event held July 10th, 2009 in Springdale, Arkansas.

Attendees enjoyed day of educational programming delivered by top experts including renown dietitians Shelley Case and Ann Lee, a networking luncheon, and vendor fair featuring dozens of gluten-free merchants.

Northwest Arkansas area resident Carolyn McKinley will also be the honoree and spokesperson for the event. Carolyn has been a valued NFCA volunteer since 2007, and her passionate efforts on behalf of the cause of celiac awareness stem from her experience with the autoimmune disorder.

Read more about Carolyn’s efforts on behalf of the Northwest Arkansas celiac disease community and NFCA’s Northwest Arkansas Celiac Awareness & Education Day in the NWA Morning News July 24th, 2009 article entitled, “Not Going To Give Up’; Celiac Diagnosis Spurs McKinley To Advocacy,” on the Morning News website.

NFCA would like to thank all our guests, sponsors, participants, vendors and volunteers for making this celiac awareness month celebration a success.

Recipes below are from the 2009 Northwest Arkansas Celiac Awareness & Education Day luncheon courtesy of event sponsor Thai Kitchen.

Cold Rice Noodle Salad with Spicy Lime Vinaigrette

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Makes 14 (1 cup) servings

Spicy Lime Vinaigrette Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp Thai Kitchen® Premium Fish Sauce
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt

Other ingredients:
1 box (14 ounces) Thai Kitchen® Stir-Fry Rice Noodles
2 small cucumbers, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped fresh Thai basil or Italian basil
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup thin red onion slices

Directions:

1. Mix all vinaigrette ingredients in medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Bring large pot of water to boil. Remove from heat. Add rice noodles; let stand 10 minutes or until noodles are tender but firm.
3. Rinse under cold water; drain well.
4. Place noodles in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and vinaigrette; toss gently. Cover.
5. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors.

Shrimp with Red Curry 10-Minute Simmer Sauce

Total Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Cook Time: 15 minutes
Makes 3 servings

Ingredients:

1 jar (11.09 ounces) THAI KITCHEN® Red Curry 10-Minute Simmer Sauce
2 cups assorted cut-up vegetables, such as broccoli florets, diagonally sliced carrots, red bell pepper strips and snow pea pods
1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced (optional)

Directions:

1. Bring Simmer Sauce to boil in 3-quart saucepan on high heat. Reduce heat to medium.
2. Add vegetables; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in shrimp; simmer 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink, stirring occasionally.
4. Add basil, if desired.
5. Serve with cooked THAI KITCHEN® Jasmine Rice, if desired.

Chicken Satay

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Refrigerate: 1 hour
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Makes 8 appetizer servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Thai Kitchen® Coconut Milk
2 Tbsp Thai Kitchen® Premium Fish Sauce
2 Tbsp Thai Kitchen® Red Curry Paste
2 tsp minced fresh lemon grass
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch strips
1/2 cup Thai Kitchen® Peanut Satay Sauce
Bamboo skewers

Directions:

1. Mix coconut milk, fish sauce, curry paste and lemon grass in small bowl until well blended.
2. Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag or glass dish. Add marinade; toss to coat well. Refrigerate 1 hour, or longer for extra flavor.
3. Soak bamboo skewers thoroughly in water for at least 30 minutes before threading with chicken. This prevents them from burning when on the grill.
4. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard any remaining marinade. Thread chicken strips onto skewers.
5. Broil or grill over medium-high heat 3 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through.
6. Serve with Peanut Satay Sauce for dipping.

Thai Sweet & Spicy Broccoli

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 cups broccoli florets
1⁄4 cup water
2 Tbsp Thai Kitchen® Sweet Red Chili Sauce
1⁄2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Heat oil in hot wok or large skillet 1 minute on medium-high heat.
2. Add broccoli; toss until bright green.
3. Add water; cover tightly. Reduce heat to medium and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until tender crisp.
4. Add red chili dipping sauce and salt; toss to coat well.
5. Serve warm, at room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve.