Friday, January 4, 2008

Diet Noodles???

My desk is very close to the desk of a very kind Chinese lady. She introduced me to 2 types of noodles that she uses in her Chinese dishes, advising me to try them with classic American pasta dishes since the caloric count is so much lower than the classic egg and flour based noodles we eat. One type of noodle is pictured below and is made with Tofu. I have not tried this one yet, but have ordered it.
Another kind of Chinese noodle is made from Yams. This I tried last night and thought it was WONDERFUL! First of all let me tell you my exact reaction and experiences:

The refrigerated package comes with the noodles already prepared and water packed. These noodles are not quite as stiff as cooked egg-flour noodles and have a white, iridescent look to them. I opened the package and noticed a slight smell of fish. Per my friends instruction, I put the noodles in a strainer, drained off the water and rinsed the noodles for a few minutes. I then put them into a bowl, added more water and heated them in the microwave. Once hot, I drained the water and added some basic spaghetti sauce (store bought) stirred it together and then heated it a bit more. Topped that with Parmesan Cheese and took it to the table. I could not smell nor could I taste anything fishy. I was being very picky because my husband hates fish and I was hoping to be able to make this for him as well. My entire meal was maybe 125 calories! It was a small serving of noodles though - roughly 1 cup (20 calories) the sauce (75 calories) and the sprinkled cheese (30 calories??) If I had more noodles - I would have had another serving of it.

This will be one of my diet staples once I get more noodles. To get them though, I must venture into Houston to our Chinatown district. It is a bit of a drive, but I love going there anyway!

4 comments:

Greenie Gardens said...

This sounds very interesting. As a pasta lover who needs to not eat so much pasta, this might work. Keep us posted!

Justabeachkat said...

Hmmmm...interesting post, but I doubt I'll be able to find those here.

Hugs!
Kat

Michele said...

Julie, I buy the Shirataki noodles and like them! They're not the same as pasta, of course, but prepared properly (as you did), they are a nutritious, tasty alternative! Honestly, though, I prefer spaghetti squash when I have that pasta craving. It's packed with nutrients and is so filling!

La Tea Dah said...

Oh, I love these noodles! They are delish! High in protein, no-carb, they are perfect for dieting! I love them with chicken-style broth and a bit of garlic, made into a yummy soup. Around here I can purchase them at the regular grocery mart, which makes them easy to keep on hand.

I enjoyed visiting your blog today. The jackets are wonderful!!!

LaTeaDah