Low Carb Pasta

Going into the 9th week of a new lifestyle of eating and 40 pounds later (WOO-HOO), I was getting the urge for something different. So I decided I would try Miracle Noodles Low Carb Pasta. After placing the order, there was some anticipation. I have read where some people did not like the product. Was this going to be a let down or would I be able to incorporate this into my low carb lifestyle?

A little research on the product revealed its a product made in the USA. It has been known for its  health benefits for over 2000 years in China and Japan. Also called Shirataki Pasta, it is made only from the soluble fiber from the root of a plant called the Konnyaku Imo. As such it only contains a healthy soluble fiber known as Glucomannan. And since it is made from soluble fiber, it has ZERO calories. This isn’t some product that is made from 842 different chemicals, mono-poly-hydrogenated-silly putty-mumbo jumbo. It has 3 ingredients: Purified water, Konnyaku (Glucomannan), and Calcium Hydroxide. By the way, Calcium Hydroxide has long been used in Native American and Latin American cooking. Its also used in baby formula as well as soft drinks.

So the research was great but, Will I like it??? Well….four days after placing the order, the package came. The noodles are packaged in pouches about the size of a flattened out soda can. But the package is not flat. There are 7 oz. of noodles in each package. They come packed in water and have somewhat of a fishy odor when you first open them. Not to worry. As soon as you rinse them for about three minutes in a colander, you cant smell anything. They are somewhat translucent and fairly sturdy when you work with them.  After the rinse, place them between a couple of paper towels and press down to dry the noodles. I like to put them in a non-stick skillet and “dry roast” them for about one minute. then they are ready to go.

I made spaghetti and meat sauce for the first time in 3 months. It was fantastic. If you were to put the Miracle Noodles on one plate and regular pasta on the other. Blindfolded, it would be difficult to tell the difference. The noodles absorb the taste of whatever you use them in. The only difference I could tell was the Miracle Noodles were more sturdy than regular pasta. However, they were not difficult to eat at all. This is definitely a product I intend to keep around as I continue to low carb it. I plan to try some of the other low carb pasta available but it can be a slippery slope when you are counting carbs and different products say only a few carbs per serving. I suggest you become and avid label reader if you don’t want to blow your low carb diet.

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Let me confess first off two things. I have a fondness for rice that has existed since I was a very young boy. My father was a rice and gravy-meat-bread eater all of his life. So I guess I got that part honest. But I developed a love for Chinese food that would be hard to match. That second confession has been a major part of my downfall. I went from graduating high school at 300 pounds to over the last 25 years adding 145 pounds to that. To say I was in major trouble doesn’t even scratch the surface.

But today’s not about all of that. That’s just a little nugget for future talk. Today I want to share with you a low carb pasta alternative. It combines two of my favorite things. Rice and Chinese food! I was skeptical at best when I first tried this but let me say, this is a fantastic dish! So here we go! You’ll love this free recipe.

You Will Need:

3 cups raw cauliflower

1/3 cup green pepper (diced)

3 to 4 green onions

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 pound cooked shrimp (salad or cocktail-tail removed)

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 cup soy sauce

4 eggs (beaten)

salt and pepper to taste

1. If you don’t have a food processor with a grating blade (much easier) then use a cheese grater on the side with the largest holes and grate the cauliflower into a bowl. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the oil and butter. Add the pepper and onion and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.

3. Add the shrimp and garlic, stir for 1/2 minute.

4. Add the cauliflower and cook. Make sure to continue stirring constantly for 4 1/2 to five minutes. By now the cauliflower should be tender.

5. Add the soy sauce and stir. Move the mixture over in the pan to make a space to cook the eggs. Pour the eggs into the space and allow to cook for 1 1/2 minutes. (You can gently stir the eggs as they cook, but don’t mix them with the cauliflower at this point.)

6. At the point the eggs look soft scrambled, remove skillet from heat. Softly chop the eggs and fold into the cauliflower.

That’s it!! Serve with salt, pepper, and soy sauce available and enjoy!

This really will fool you. It will also satisfy that Chinese food craving for you low carbers.

Hope you enjoy this low carb pasta alternative. ALSO the sauce recipe on this page goes E-X-C-E-L-L-E-N-T !!! with this dish.

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