So-Yah

I have declared my love for Shirataki Noodles many a time so I am pleased to let you know that House Foods has come out with a line up of already prepared Shirataki Noodle dishes. The flavors are Creamy Coconut Curry and Red Vindaloo Curry. The great thing about these meals is that they are portion sized, calorie controlled (150-190 calories) and very easy to prepare! There is always a lot of confusion when it comes to preparing Shirataki Noodles so this takes the guess work out of it and even tops it with a yummy sauce. I am very partial to the Creamy Coconut Curry—it rocked my socks off! The Red Vindaloo Curry is also good and very spicy! I would buy the Creamy Curry Coconut on a regular basis to tote along to work. Generally, when you eat a dish with the words “Creamy”, “Coconut” and “Curry” in them you are looking at hundreds or even thousands of calories so these are perfect dishes without a splurge! Get them now and also pick up some regular Shirataki Noodles and make some of my recipes using them. Delish!

Pasta Recipe – Easy Weeknight Dinner

I have been on a spinach kick AND was really craving pasta—they go absolutely perfect together. Here is what I did: Took a serving of Mrs. Leepers Spaghetti and boiled it until al dente. In the meantime, I put a dash of Sciabica’s Basil Flavored Olive Oil* in my pan and added a huge amount of spinach. I let the spinach wilt while the noodles were cooking. Then all there was to it was draining the pasta and mixing with the spinach/ olive oil mixture. When I had it on my plate I topped with some Chevrai Goat’s Cheese from Woolwich Dairy.

*This olive oil made the dish—it was perfectly seasoned and produced by crushing fresh olives with fresh basil. It is an all natural cold pressed olive oil that is perfect for pasta for instant pesto flavor; salads with balsamic vinegar; sandwich spread; bread dipping.

Better than homemade

Occasionally I will make a passed down marinara recipe and save the leftovers for quick and awesome dinners. I will never have to slave over that tedious recipe again! I am a working woman with very little extra time on my hands people! I have yet to have a “jarred” sauce that I love. Maybe this is because I grew up in an Italian household with real sauces and authentic dishes.

So when I found out about Chicago based Couplaguys (LOVE the name clever and funny), I carefully read their ingredient list and it sounded like old fashioned sauce—how it is meant to be prepared. Last night, I was lucky enough to actually get to try Couplaguys marinara sauce. I could not believe how thick this sauce was (see it sitting on the spoon) and how hearty! I popped open the top and the aroma of the sauce literally filled the kitchen and made my stomach start grumbling. All I had to do was heat the sauce up and serve. The jar is perfectly proportioned to one pound of pasta but lucky for me I have some leftover waiting for me in the fridge, it will not make it to the weekend. Not only do they have a marinara sauce they have: Awesome Arrabiata, Buoy Base (read about this one—so cool), Crème de la Crimini (with sliced Cimini mushrooms), Perfect Puttanesca, Serious Sesame Sauce (this is right up my alley), and Terrific Tapenade (YUM).

I have to give a special shout out to my new friend Joe over at Couplaguys! I really enjoyed talking to him and he has a serious passion for food. I am on a personal mission for this sauce to be carried locally in Milwaukee, it is THAT good, but in the meantime you can order direct from their website.

Say it 10 times fast-- Allergaroo All Natural

Bet you can't do it! But you can enjoy Allegroo's All Natural rice (yes, rice) pasta style dishes. Catered towards kids with their bright packaging and alligator mascot the taste is surprisingly grown up. Thick, rich sauce and penne style noodles make this great for adults too. Plus the calorie count is ideal for adults if paired with a salad or another small side dish. All Allergaroo products are manufactured so that they maintain strict allergen protocols and contain none of the 8 most common food allergens (wheat (gluten), milk, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish and shellfish). There are three varieties of these noodles-- Spyglass (Penne Rice Pasta with Tomato Sauce), Spaghetti (Rice Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce) and Chili Mac (Elbow Rice Pasta with Mild Chili Sauce and Pinto Beans).