Tofu Shirataki noodles
A healthy alternative to pasta! I heard so many good/positive reviews about Shirataki that I decided to try it out for myself. I found them in the (Tofu section?) of my local Publix, basically in the produce section. The entire 8oz bag was only 40 calories, and the noodle itself is made from the root of the Konnyaku - a member of the yam family and tofu. And the price wasn't too bad at $2.39 (+ tax of course). It comes in three different varieties: Spaghetti, Fettuccine and Angel hair. Plus I was digging all the health claims on the package.
LOW CARB (only 3g of carbs per serving)
LOW CALORIE (20 calories per 4 oz serving)
NO CHOLESTEROL
NO SUGAR
GLUTEN-FREE
DAIRY-FREE
CONTAINS 10% CALCIUM
VEGAN
and GUILT-FREE (Oh YEA!)
The authentic aroma (LOL HA! Authentic) wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, kind of fishy. I rinsed the noodles thoroughly and heated them in the microwave for 1 minute per directions so why did my noodles come out smelling like hair relaxer?? That was my 1st red flag. You can also parboil the noodles but Uhhhh yea I was being lazy so anyways, I washed and re-heated the noodles at least 3 times to try and get rid of the relaxer smell authentic aroma. (2nd red flag)
Once I had the noodles smelling to my satisfaction, I added them to my chicken to make Chicken Lo mein.
Tasty meal indeed right?!
WRONG!!!
It was soooo not what I was expecting and I was highly disappointed. The noodles were very chewy and rubbery. I can't even begin to describe the taste, all I can think to say is blah! It tasted nothing like pasta, didn't even remind me of past except for the shape. Sadly I couldn't stomach to eat anymore. I had cereal for dinner that night.
Mine were not rubbery and I think its because I had read that after you rinse them really well and par boil them you should dry them out in a hot pan by cooking them up.
ReplyDeleteI hate that they came out bad because they are a great alternative to noodles.
Take them out of the bag, rinse and repeat. Throw out the bag. In boiling water with some salt, dump them in for a full 4 minutes. Rinse and then rinse again with cold water. Take the noodles out and put on a paper towel to dry. After 30 minutes, when dry, roll in the towel and throw them out.. Ugh.. Why bother at all...Try zuchinni strands..
ReplyDeleteSometimes the real thing is much better! I'm going to the asian store this weekend and taking pictures :) it'll be an interesting blog entry for sure!
ReplyDelete@ Ro: yea maybe I should have tried to boil them instead of using the microwave, but ugh I'll be sticking to whole wheat pasta for now.
ReplyDelete@ Allan: I've never tried zucchini before, I'll look into it.
@ safire: I can't wait for that post! :D
I rinse mine and then soak them in granulated Knorr chicken broth (low salt mixes would be better) with water and No salt seasoning. I like Perfect Pinch garlic pepper. I let it sit over night and cook them with stirfry. It fills my noodle need. But now I am gonna have to look for zuchinni strands. Hmmm....thanks Allan.
ReplyDeleteBut...my mom is from the Philippines and I used to eat the cellophane noodles that are made from bean mung. I love them in a traditional soup. I have seen them used inside spring rolls at a Korean Cafe.
Hello. I just found your site via your comment on Healthy Dreaming. Had to say hi, how much I enjoy your posts, and that I will visit often. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDelete