Fake Noodles

Pasta is probably one of the worst things you can put in your body. Nothing like processed food that sits in your stomach, and finally when digested, turns to sugar. What a yummy visual. That being said, it really is difficult to avoid this starchy villain because it's so good and it is literally everywhere. If you are trying to watch what you eat, be it a low carb diet or a low calorie diet, pasta looks you in the face and laughs at you.

Well you don't have to worry about that anymore! I've finally found what other health conscious people have discovered quite a bit ago...Shirataki Noodles. 

These bad boys are actually tofu, but have a surprisingly similar consistency to pasta. Since pasta is mostly tasteless, as is tofu, this stuff is actually an amazing substitute. You can put whatever you want on it, however this time I chose to go with an alfredo sauce. See below.

It almost seemed impossible to ever find a substitute for noodles, but I believe my brief pessimism was proven wrong, thank god. They sell the Shirataki Noodles in many different types. The image shows them in macaroni form, but my recipe used the fettucini version. Everyone should go out and buy some of these so I don't have to be the only one looked at strangely in the local grocery store. You can find them in most Whole Foods and any specialty store. ENJOY, pasta lovers!

Every Girl Has Her Secret Weapon!

So if you haven't figured it out by now, I love cooking. However, sometimes I just don't have time to cook. I mean, it's amazing that I cook as much as I do! So when you want to eat relatively healthy, can't cook and don't want to break the bank...what is a girl to do??

Trader Joe's - more specifically, the frozen food section.

I've been shopping at Trader Joe's on and off for a few years now and every time I go, I find myself hoping to find a reason to dislike it. I know, I need mental help. But I honestly can say that I've never found something there that I was not thrilled with, or at the very least, pleased with. More importantly, the food is dirt cheap!

Speaking of cheap - I have a side note to a previous post about almond flour! Apparently Trader Joe's sells a way cheaper package of almond meal, for about $4 as opposed to the $10 bag I mentioned. I learned about that from fellow Trader Joe's enthusiast Marianna, who happens to be my boyfriend's sister.

Anyway, back to the good stuff. Their frozen food section is full of delicious treats, appetizers and entrees that are gourmet enough to be served at a local restaurant. The quality is excellent and the options are abundant. I was inspired to write this post because tonight I didn't want to cook and I was thrilled with my dinner choice. Pizza Al Pollo Asado. It is corn masa with grilled chicken breast, refried beans, jack cheese and tomatillo salsa.

It was absolutely delicious, for 410 calories. The "pizza" is more like a bunch of mexican flavors on top of a semi crispy, but mostly cakey (which was good) corn cake. It was pretty large so I did NOT feel hungry after. I highly recommend this frozen item. I also highly recommend their french onion soup that almost rivals my own. Speaking of which, I think I will make french onion soup my next blog post! Healthy, yummy and delicious!

Until then ya'll!

Stir-Fry Can Be Anyone's Friend

I'm not sure why, but I've never been a fan of stir-fry. It's not even like I have a good reason as to why I've never liked it. I just woke up one day and decided I disliked it for no rational reason. People can be silly like that.

However it occurred to me a few days ago that I need to be more adventurous with the things that I make. This conclusion arose after my boyfriend was begging for me to make stir-fry. I've said "no" to his meal choices one too many times, so...stir-fry it was.

So we grabbed a bunch of veggies and some chicken and went home to cook! Let me tell you, the prep work for this dish took forever because you need to chop so many veggies. It's worth it though, because the dish is healthy!

I diced up some thin chicken pieces and put them in a bowl with some olive oil, garlic and fresh grated ginger to marinate for a bit. 30 minutes is basically the minimum amount of time you should allow for marinating. Then I tossed in some onions and garlic and let them cook for a few minutes. Once they were smelling delicious, I added some sugar snap peas, a diced red pepper, zucchini, and broccoli. I let that cook for about 10 minutes and then threw the chicken in there with some soy sauce. The soy sauce is all about personal taste, especially since it is very salty. Once all that clucking and salty goodness was in the pan, I covered it with a lid. Actually, since my boyfriend didn't have a lid, I covered it with a baking sheet.

However ill-prepared that is, it worked! So...once the chicken was cooked through I took the pan off the heat and served it.

Voila! Delicious and healthy. You can eat this yummy meal with rice or on its own. And I'll tell you this much, I am no longer a stir-fry hater. Although, I may be a veggie cutting hater, but that is a different story all-together.

Who needs bread anyway?

This recipe goes out to all the non low-carb dieters, and simply to those who count calories or who just hate bread (?). I have developed, in my kitchen, a recipe for fake bread. Now, I know what you are thinking...how can you make fake bread? Well, it isn't a replica and by no means is it hearty. BUT, and I mean a big BUT...you won't have to count calories while eating these little rounds, and they aren't half bad for diet food.

I would like to introduce you to egg white buns. Not sold in stores near you, but they can be made in advance for convenience! They are technically meringues without the sugar. Without said sugar, these round things are like little bread wafers. I've put tuna salad on it, a burger, and I'm sure the options are endless! I bet you could also tweak with the seasonings to get certain flavors. Perhaps garlic flavor or something of that sort.

All you have to do is pour some egg whites into a bowl. Add a dash of salt, as well as cream of tarter. You are going to beat these egg whites until they form peaks. Tip - when you beat egg whites, it's always easier to do this when the eggs are at room temp. If the egg whites don't form little peaks after beating with a hand mixer for a few minutes..well, you did something wrong.

Once you have the correct consistency, you can dollop the whites onto a parchment papered baking sheet. Don't forget to spray with Pam. Spread the dollops so they are reminiscent of burger buns and bake in the over for 20ish minutes at 225 degrees.

They should look like the above picture when finished. They aren't like Panera's bread, or like the awesome twist bread that my local Staten Island bakery sells, but it will do.
Just another awesome recipe for you dieters out there. Best yet, it will only cost you about 7 calories and 0 carbs per "bread" piece.

Is that DIET??

Every time I try to fall off the low-carb wagon, I get reinvigorated by silly things. Like for example, last week I was about to throw the towel in. I'm only 2 pounds from my goal, and frankly, I'm getting bored...but then I realized I can eat chicken wings.
I've only ever had boneless wings and I love them, but they are battered. Shame. However, original wings (bone-in wings?) are not battered and therefore have very few carbs.

WELL this is a low carb dieters jackpot. How much easier can dieting get? I can order 15 wings and dip it in ranch dressing and not feel guilty!


I must add however that every time I eat these I need to take a nice big dose of Prilosec...so it might not be something to fancy too much. And on that note, I digress. I decided to find even more delicious things that I love that can somehow work on this diet. What do I love more than anything? Why, french cooking...Julia Child style!


The most decadent and delicious item in this entire cookbook is the Supremes De Volaille A Blanc - A.K.A Breast of Chicken with/in Cream. I can eat this! I can also eat spinach...so let me throw some creamed spinach into this mix.


Well let me tell you, this meal was awesome. I didn't have to make any substitutions (COUGH, splenda isn't the healthiest COUGH), so that was great! I'm going to post these recipes on my true recipe blog Tried and True Recipes because it is a little more in-depth then just giving you a generic run-down. Also, DONT WORRY, the mashed potatoes on this plate were not consumed by me. They were for my loving boyfriend who can't eat a single meal without them. :-)

Cheddar Laces

I love drinking wine. My favorite part about it is that there are so many varieties, that the selection is endless, and it's always fun when you find a new gem. Along with wine, I love having snacks, and I just found this amazing little snack recipe that will go with any glass of wine. More importantly, it's cheap, easy and would fit really well at a wine party.

Cheddar Laces - low carb if you are wondering. Infact, practically zero carbs.
When you start to make these, you can't help but wonder what kind of crappy recipe am I partaking in, but once you see the finished product, you will be relieved.

First you butter up a non-stick baking pan and turn the oven on to 400 degree. Sprinkle little circles of mild cheddar shreds on the pan and stick in the oven. Once they begin baking they will look like this...


However, once they are done baking, they will look like this!


Exact timing really depends (I'd say about 10 minutes) but make sure you don't take these out of the oven until they are a nice brown color, or else they will be gooey instead of crispy.
You can also bend them as soon as you take them out of the oven to make them into little "Pringle" shapes. So cute, and addicting!!!

Sorta Diet Almond Cookies

Continuing on my adventure to find low carb foods that are actually foods I will make when I'm no longer on the diet.....in walks Low Carb Almond Cookies.

I love dessert and again, a recipe stemming from my desire to eat more dessert on this diet. Let me tell you, this cookie really does the trick. It's almost like a sugar cookie, but its got a much more almondy flavor. The almond flavor comes from the almond meal that you use instead of flour. Almond meal is a decent substitute when baking on a low carb diet, but it isn't exactly wallet friendly. It cost about $10 in New York to buy this 16oz bag. However, if you a desperate enough (like me) for some flour substitutes..this will definitely do the trick.



Back to the cookies...
All you have to do is leave a stick (1/2 cup) of butter out for a few hours until it softens. Once it is softened, you can begin the baking process!
Preheat oven to 350. Cream the butter in one bowl. In another, mix together 2 cups of the almond meal with 1 1/3 cup of Splenda and about a teaspoon of salt. Then add a little of that mixture to the butter and stir. Once a little is incorporated, crack an egg into the butter mixture and add a teaspoon of vanilla. Then slowly add the remaining dry mix and incorporate until the dough is set. Place teaspoon size balls on a cookie sheet and bake for about 10 minutes.

The top may be a little spiky...haha who knew cooking could be spiky, but it still tastes yummy.


I will honestly make these cookies when I'm no longer on this diet. That is, if I can justify spending extra cash on the almond meal.

Nevertheless, enjoy!