extremely guilt-free pasta

These pasta noodles are life changing for those watching their carb intake.  I’m talking about “Tofu Shirataki Noodles” from House Foods.  Shirataki is made from the root of the Konnyaku (a member of the yam family) and tofu.  I recently decided that I’m going to change my eating habits after gaining some unwanted pounds and having these noodles on hand is a great way to quickly whip up a healthy figure friendly meal.  I first heard of them through dieting guru “Hungry Girl” on a talk-show appearance last year.  Check out her website www.hungrygirl.com, it’s full of awesome tips and recipes for dieters. I searched everywhere for these but realized they were only available in the US, until I stumbled across them in the tofu section at Whole Foods just recently. 

Last night I decided that I felt like pesto, without the guilt, so I cut open my Shirataki package and to my surprise, the smell was quite strong and stinky!  There is a warning on the package in regards to the smell, but don’t worry the manufacturer suggests you rinse them and boil them to rid them of their odour and trust me after those simple steps the smell was completely gone.  The suggestion is to also dry them thoroughly, make sure you do this as it’s the most important step in the process for a perfect noodle.  My pesto pasta was delicious,  I’m sure it was due to the actual pesto and the parmeggiano cheese but the noodles had a pretty good texture and they seemed to really soak up the flavours.  I really enjoyed my meal and best of all I didn’t feel bloated at all and didn’t have that heavy just ate pasta feeling.  These noodles are also great in thick sauces and I can’t wait to use them in an Asian stir-fry.

Here’s the best part:

They are low carb, only 3g of carbs per serving, that’s right 3 CARBS!!!

Low calorie, an unbelievable 20 calories for a 4oz serving.

No cholesterol

No Sugar

Gluten-free

Dairy-free

Contains 10% Calcium

Vegan

GUILT-FREE!!!



holy crap, this doesn't taste like crap!

While watching a repeat of "The Dragon's Den" the other night (love that show and inspire to be on it one day with the next new thing haha I wish I could come up with something that hasn't been done yet), I was intrigued to try this breakfast cereal made here in the Sunshine Coast called "Holy Crap".  Dragon, Jim Treliving of Boston Pizza just loved the product and invested in it without hesitation at full asking. 

This stuff really doesn't taste like crap at all.   I mean it's not outstanding in taste but still quite enjoyable.  I really love the texture and the health benefits seem extraordinary.  You definitely need to let it sit for a little bit before eating so that it can expand and soften up.  I found "Holy Crap" at Granville Island the other day, with a $12 price tag for a small bag probably 10-12 days worth of product, "Holy Crap" - this stuff isn't cheap when it comes to breakfast cereal.  But if the health benefits are as great as they claim to be then "Holy Crap" - it's worth it!!

The simple ingredients include:  Organic Chia, hulled hemp hearts, organic buckwheat, organic cranberries, organic raisins, apple bits, organic cinnamon.  Here's the skinny according to http://www.holycrap.ca/
"Super packed with Omega 3's and 6's, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, fibre and antioxidants".  "Chia is the world's healthiest whole food".  "Chia has more Omega 3's than fish oil flaxseed or marine algae".

Try it out!



tastiest butter chicken to ever come out of a jar

If you feel like Indian without going to a restaurant or slaving away at the stove I highly recommend "Amaya Butter Chicken Sauce".  I came across this gem in a jar at Whole Foods and I'm sure it's sold at other natural grocers as well.  It's a natural product with no preservatives, no artificial colors, flavours or fillers and it tastes absolutely delicious!  Apparently there is an Indian restaurant in Toronto called "Amaya The Indian Room" and this is their bottled sauce.  They carry a small line of products, the butter chicken sauce, a coconut curry sauce (which I wasn't a huge fan of), an Indian spicy ketchup and a mango mint chutney (which I haven't tried yet).  You can get more information on their sauces at http://www.amayagourmet.com/.

It's so convenient and makes for a super quick dinner as all you need to do is satay your chicken pieces then add the sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes or according to the instructions on the jar.  You could also add some heavy cream and fresh cilantro towards the end if you like.  I just paired up my meal with some yummy store bought Naan bread and made my girlfriends easy Raita recipe which I'm including.  If you're ever in Toronto, Amaya The Indian Room is located at 1701 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON.  I have never been but if you have, tell me if it's any good.  My husband is Indian and he loved this butter chicken so trust me, it's good!!!

Raita Recipe:

2 cups Greek Yogurt
1 Shredded Cucumber (drained)
1/2 Shredded Carrot (smaller shreds)
1 tsp Cumin
3 tbsp Lemon Juice
2 tbsp fresh mint (chopped)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Sugar or honey (just a very tiny pinch)

Just mix it all up and refrigerate for at least 30 min.

The tasty sauce

Delicious and super easy meal