For those of us who are dieting, yet crave noodles and pasta, Shirataki Noodles are a dream come true. Only 80 calories to the
pound with a trace of carbs, their only downside is a complete lack of taste on their own, along with a spongy yucky texture if not prepared properly.
I found the easiest way to make them edible, and even tasty is to follow this protocol before preparation:
1) remove from the package, drain and wash thoroughly
2) after washing, wrap in a dry cloth, squeeze gentle and let rest to remove excess water
3) when somewhat dry, toss in a fry pan or wok on low heat and keep stirring and turning until they are completely dry
Once the noodles are dry, the best way to prepare them is in a stir fry. Treating them 'western style' as a boiled pasta with sauce is a sure way to get disappointed by the (lack of) taste and gummy texture.
Here is a recipe for the noodles I tried yesterday:
1 bag of Shirataki noodles, prepped
1 green onion, chopped
8 ounces of your favorite meat, lightly seasoned
1/2 tablespoon of Gochujang (Korean red chile paste)
1 heaping spoonfull of napa kimchee
1/4 cup prepared Thai green or red curry sauce (a couple tablespoons mixed with water)
Add a trace amount of sesame oil to the pan, cook the meat and set aside. Add the dried Shirataki noodles to the nonstick pan, toss until hot, then add the curry sauce to coat the noodles while tossing. Add the meat and combine, then add the Gochujang and continue tossing. Add the kimchee and green onion at the end to heat, then serve.
Other options include combining cut up boiled chicken with some green vegetable, Shirataki noodles and toss in the pan with garlic, ginger, bottled black bean sauce and some chile sauce.
As long as you start with dry noodles and coat them with a fairly strong seasoned sauce, they will actually taste great and you can prepare a HUGE amount of food for under 200-300 calories all-in depending on the other ingredients.
