Miracle Noodles!- My low cal, low carb secret
Okay, I have a confession to make... the secrets to my low calorie, low carb pastas aren't in some secret sauce, it's in the noodles!
I recently stumbled upon these at Whole Foods and decided to give it a try. What did I have to lose!? Miracle Noodles have absolutely NO calories! Could they really be that good?
Confession #2, when I eat pasta it's always for the flavor of the sauce. I love my creamy, buttery, cheesy sauces and trying to find a low calorie version that tasted the same for me was one failed attempt after another. BUT if I could get rid of the calories and carbs of the noodles I could keep all those delicious calories of my sauce right?! ;) ....so thats exactly what I did!
Confession #3- yes they have a smell. If you are sensitive to smell then these noodles may not be for you! There are ways to properly prepare them to remove the smell you just have to be open enough to try it out!
Now there are a few brands of these Miracles Noodles but I'm just going to compare two- one that's actually called Miracle Noodles and the other called Shirataki.
Now at first glance, don't let the word tofu scare you. To me neither of these noodles bare any distinct taste or flavor so whatever sauce you pair them with will be the only taste that floods your mouth!
Miracle Noodles at first glance are a clear and gelatinous looking noodle. They have zero calorie, no distinct flavor and come in a variety of pastas including fettuccine, angel hair, and even rice! I've done a couple of experiments with this brand and I have found that I enjoy the rice and short noodles (like rotini) a bit more than the longer noodles (Fettuccine and angel hair). In an honest opinion, these noodles have a very "al dente" bite to them. Cooking the rice and smaller noodles always works out great however I haven't quite mastered how to get the chewiness out of the longer thicker noodles. If texture doesn't bother you then these are definitely to way to go! They also leave you feeling very, very full.
Shirataki Noodles look and have a texture much more similar to real noodles! They aren't quite zero calories, but still come in at a beautifully low, 20 calories per pack. They are my choice for when I am making any pasta that requires a longer noodle. They are a little bit softer to the bite than Miracle Noodles, and if you are a person where presentation matters and you eat with your eyes first, these definitely have the look and appeal of real noodles!
Here is a great link on how to properly prepare your noodles to get the most out of them!
https://ketodietapp.com/Blog/post/2015/03/26/how-to-cook-and-like-shirataki-noodles
I'll admit these noodles aren't for everybody. I've met people that love them, but I've also met people that don't care for them. All I'm saying is try it out! What do you have to lose? :) That's the great thing I love about cooking, experimenting until you find what's right for you!
And there you have it, my low cal, low carb pasta secret! Now go experiment with your own pasta sauces and see what creations you can make!
