911 for your New Year's Resolution!
My dear Hub'ers::)) I wish Happy 2009 Year to you and your families and if you already made your New Year's resolution, this is the right time to get your noodles and start getting in shape.
Shirataki noodles: how it all started
I have a confession to make: I am now officially addicted to creating hub pages and after my "fun" hub about Russian borsch, this page is also unrelated to my business. I was regularly updating our blog readers about the "borsch hub" experiment and one of them has recently created a hub about Wagg.it. I am glad that someone was inspired by all my efforts and started creating hubs!
I was recently reading a women's magazine while waiting for my appointment with the doctor and I got hooked on an article about "miracle noodles" that help you lose weight. These noodles are from Japan and called "shirataki". They are every dieter's dream: you are loosing weight fast and stay healthy. Just like any woman, I was immediately interested in what they were and what people said about these noodles. I barely trust "before" and "after" pictures, but I trust the label "Made in Japan" and in general for all Asian cuisine.
Before I even start talking more about these noodles, take a look at my "guilty pleasure". These pictures have been taken by Nikon D300 and look so beautiful that I simply coulnd't miss this chance to share them here:).
What are shirataki noodles?
They have different brands and some are made with tofu ( with only 40 calories) and some are made without tofu and called "Yam noodles" (these have 0 calories!). I have purchased various types of these noodles to experiment with and find which ones are to my taste. You can see a picture below with 3 different kinds of noodles that I've got. If you are living in CA, you can find them for only $1.80 in an Asian market, I can't speak for other states, let me know by the way. I have included some ebay listings that sell the noodles, as it might be a very good alternative if you can't find them in you local stores.
Shirataki noodles are slightly different
Now, here is something I want to tell all pasta lovers: they are not the same as regular spaghetti and if you are a real fan of spaghetti or egg noodles, you may never accept these noodles. If you are a spaghetti lover, below is a great recipe for you from a guy that was feeding "Google" for many years.
I first heard about this guy when a friend of mine was hired by Google for a full-time job in their Mountain View campus. He called me on his first day and couldn't talk about anything else except about their free lunch buffet. Charlie Ayers - the Chef at the time - who has now released his book with the recipe he used to feed Google's employees. He recently published a book with his recipes - "Food 2.0" (you can find it on the bottom), and here is one of the recipes from this book:
DRAGON BREATH NOODLES
1 tbsp vegetable oil 4 green onions, finely chopped 1 tsp dried chili flakes 2 tsp red miso paste ¾ cup boiling water 2 garlic cloves crushed 1 tbsp orange-blossom honey ½ toasted sesame seeds 4 tbsp smooth peanut butter 3 tbsp tamari 1 tsp finely chopped pickled ginger Juice of ½ lime 1 lb fresh egg noodles Sliced red chili or chopped red bell pepper for garnish
Heat the oil in a pan. Add the green onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients apart from the noodles. Cook it while stirring until thickened and smooth.
Add the noodles and toss gently until they are hot, 2-3 minutes should do it. Garnish with chili or bell pepper and serve with a crisp green salad.
How shirataki noodles help you loosing weight
These noodles are rich in a soluble fiber that works like a sponge in your stomach and you feel full on much less calories!
they lower "bad" cholesterol and balance blood sugar!
simply replace one full meal with these noodles 2-3 times a week will help you take off all extra pounds
Shirataki noodles recipes
Shirataki noodles are packaged "wet", that is, you purchase them pre-packaged in liquid and they are ready-to-eat out of the packet. You can prepare them by boiling them briefly or running them under hot water and combining them with other dishes, or adding things like tofu, garlic, spinach, or soy sauce to enhance the flavor.
Believe it or not, but my best recipe is as simple as an ordinary chicken soup recipe. The only thing that I changed is that after the chiken broth is ready, I am dividing it on 2 parts and making 2 separate disches. One is a classic chiken soup for my boys and the other one is my "worry-free" chiken soup. I am using shirataki noodles for my soup, and the regular egg noodles for the classic soup.
TOFU SHIRATAKI NOODLES
Ingredients:
1 Packet of Tofu Shirataki Fettuccine Shaped Tofu Noodles 1/2 Wedge of Laughing Cow Light Cheese 1 teaspoon Fat Free Sour Cream 2 teaspoons Kraft Reduced Fat Parmesan Cheese Salt & Pepper (if desired)
Rinse fettuccine noodles VERY well. Microwave them for one minute then drain them and pat dry. Add cheese and sour cream. Mix thoroughly and microwave again to help melt the cheese further and then mix some more. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Every shirataki noodles package has a recipe on its back, but I also included lins on the bottom where you can find more shirataki noodles recipes!
MY NEW SHIRATAKI NOODLES RECIPE!
Al right, I got it - I've been promising to post new recipes, but have to admit that I've been too busy. Here is my new shirataki noodles recipe that will help save time and prepare delicious dishes for a whole family. I call this recipe "my way chow mein noodles":)
Ingredients:
1 head cabbage
2 packages of shirataki noodles
2 onions, chopped
2 medium size carrots
5-6 mushrooms
salt, pepper
canola oil
Cooking:Shred the cabbage, carrots and saute them (use canola oil) in large skillet. Add mushrooms and continue cooking until cabbage is browned. Stir in the noodles and season with pepper and salt. Mix well and enjoy!
Variations: serve with chiken or fish!
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