Spaghetti Showdown – Squash v. Shirataki
Let me start with the Enraging Fact of the Day: The suggested serving size of regular, gluten-laden pasta is 2 ounces.
2 ounces of pasta is what I eat just to make sure it’s done. Enraging.
Here’s another fact: People who say things like “Spaghetti squash tastes just like spaghetti! It’s a much healthier alternative!” make me want to punch them in the face. Squash is not spaghetti, please stop talking and Leave. The. Room.
Which brings me to Day 6 of Gluten Free, and being just a tiny bit cranky. It was today that I really started eyeing the candy jar at work and wishing I could have a piece of pizza for lunch. So I decided to try a Spaghetti Showdown for dinner- the oft mentioned Spaghetti Squash v. the relatively new discovery of Shirataki noodles.
Shirataki noodles are found near the tofu in your grocery store, and are made from konjac root. One whole package contains 1 1/3 cups of pasta (which they suggest is two servings but is really just barely one), but has only 40 calories, 8 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber, and no fat or gluten.
Spaghetti squash is a big yellow squash that has 43 calories per cup, no fat, 10 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of fiber. The innards of one squash is enough for one really hungry person (me, most nights), or two moderately hungry people.
Actual spaghetti (made with wheat flour, and thus, gluten), has 200 calories per enraging 2 oz serving, 1 gram of fat, and 41 grams of carbs per serving. God I miss spaghetti. But I can see why both squash and shirataki are healthier.
I cooked both and topped with a gluten-free vodka sauce and turkey meatballs, and was completely shocked to find that I preferred the squash to the noodles. For me, it came down to the consistency – Shirataki noodles are a little too mushy, and the squash was a little too crunchy, but I’d rather the crunch. And you can actually twirl the squash around your fork, which I appreciated. Neither one “tastes just like spaghetti!” but I will admit that both are legitimate substitutes. Check below for directions on how to cook each one.
Spaghetti Squash
Pre-heat oven to 375. Cut squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes. Gently fork the squash so that it resembles long strands (or noodles) – just rake a fork through the middle and you’ll see that it starts becoming strand-like. Top with whatever sauce you are eating for dinner. Or, you can pull out the strands and mix with butter, herbs, and salt, and have a meal right there.
Shirataki Noodles
Rinse and drain thoroughly. In a non-stick pan, toss pasta over medium heat until dry, about 2 minutes. You may have to spoon out the water to aid the process. Add to whatever sauce or broth you are using, stir to combine.
Food: Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs
Gluten Free Turkey Meatballs
1/2 lb ground white meat turkey
1 egg
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated (plus another 1/2 cup for topping)
1 tsp salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 pinches black pepper
1/2 onion, chopped
1 garlic glove, minced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Toss all ingredients in a bowl, mix completely. These meatballs will be looser than you might expect – if you need to add more parmesan so that they will form into balls, go ahead. Throw a few tbsp of olive oil in a large pot and put it on medium heat. Saute the meatballs until they are browned on all sides and keep their shape, then add whatever sauce you want (should at least cover the meatballs) and simmer the whole thing for an hour or more, until turkey is completely cooked. Makes 6 medium-sized meatballs.
Gluten Free Update: Day 4
This is the start of Gluten Free Day 4, and things are going ok so far. I don’t feel insanely hungry, but I do feel like my belt is a bit looser.
My breakfasts – admittedly a meal I don’t normally eat – have been hard-boiled eggs. My lunches have centered around salads with full fat dressings (Cindy’s Kitchen Sugar free Rosemary and Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette and Asiago and Cracked Peppercorn – both Gluten Free). Dinner on Day 1 was grilled chicken, Day 2 was chili (with sour cream and cheese), and Day 3 was sashimi (sushi that is just the fish, no rice). So far, so good – all normal, easy to find items that I genuinely enjoy.
I’m learning that steering clear of gluten is still pretty challenging. For example, I think I may have erred with my sushi order when I included some balsamic and soy glazed vegetables – some soy sauce has wheat in it. Several times I’ve picked up a seemingly innocuous product only to check the ingredients and put it down. I’ve heard that sometimes shredded cheese even contains wheat, used to powder the cheese to keep it from sticking. I’ve also learned that a lot of products don’t say they are Gluten Free (a costly certification process), but they will list wheat on the back on the box, as it is a major allergen. Check it out – at the end of the ingredients it will say something like: “Contains: Milk, Soy, Wheat.”
The big thing with this diet is that I keep getting steered back into fresh, unprocessed foods, and foods that I cook myself. Nothing wrong with this, but what’s going to happen when I try to go out to eat in the non-gluten free world?
The thing I miss the most right now is my nightly bowl of Brigham’s Ice Cream. I didn’t realize how much I looked forward to it until it became forbidden. And so, I tried my first “substitute” product, pictured above – Arctic Zero. This is an all natural ice cream substitute, very low in carbs and calories, fat-free and gluten-free. I tried both the Vanilla Maple flavor and the Chocolate Peanut Butter…and I really wished I had my Brigham’s back. For what it is (150 calories in an entire pint!), Arctic Zero is a valiant effort, but I’m going to try out some other dessert options before I stick with this one. For now, a few pieces of Green & Black 72% dark chocolate is a much more palatable gluten-free snack.
The next challenge – what to eat during the Super Bowl when the rest of the room could be eating chips and pizza. So far the plan is guacamole with dried vegetable chips (or carrot sticks) and chicken wings. Doesn’t sound too bad!
Gluten Free Sliced Bread – Day 1
I’ve spent the last month working out religiously and trying to eat at least moderately well. And the numbers on the scale are going up, not down. Infuriating.
So I’m looking for a kick-start before things get too out of control, and I think I’ve found it: a gluten-free diet. I’ve just finished reading “Wheat Belly,” and if everything Dr. Davis says is true, eliminating gluten can help me lose 14 lbs in two weeks. Too good to be true?
Davis‘ main point is that modern day wheat has changed so much that it wreaks havoc on every part of our system. Wheat raises your blood sugar and makes food addictive, so you want more bagels, more pizza, more muffins. The fat we store from wheat sits on our bellies and causes all manner of health problems. Lose the wheat and you can reverse diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, even aging. I’m really just looking to reverse the direction of the scale right now, but at this point I will try anything.
I’m a prime candidate for this because I’m extremely wheat dependent. I can eat three bowls of pasta for dinner – every night of the week- no sweat. So I’m hoping that this program will be such a shock to my system that it will show some serious results. I’m not expecting it will be easy, and I know I’ll never be able to give up my beloved pasta for good, but I’m going to do this right for at least one month.
What “doing it right” entails:
1. Lots of fresh vegetables (except for potatoes and corn- not allowed), but minimal fruit (tomatoes and berries are ok, but others can raise blood sugar too much). Minimal beans (1/2 cup per serving or less), these also raise blood sugar. Highlighting lots of fresh vegetables and fresh, unprocessed food in general is a major tenant.
2. Unrestricted meat, fish, cheese, raw nuts, eggs, and olive oil – fat is perfectly acceptable on this diet. (Though Davis specifies that certain fats – fried food etc. – is never ok.)
3. No pasta, bread, cereal, etc. Nothing made with wheat. This is tricky because wheat pops up in a lot of things you wouldn’t expect. Soy sauce, some salad dressings, ketchup – I just found out my vitamins have wheat, so I can’t even take those anymore. But you can have crackers or products made with flax.
4. No “gluten-free” alternative foods like crackers or bread, not even brown rice pasta – these are often made with substitutes that can spike your blood sugar just as much, if not more, than wheat.
5. No sugary desserts like ice cream – the carbohydrates in things like this will just derail you. I’ll be looking for some sugar-free alternatives, but they’ll need to be made with stevia or truvia – other sweeteners can spike blood sugar. “Sugar free” alternatives are also to be approached with caution- if they have more than 10 grams of carbs per serving, they’re no good. Dark chocolate, in moderation, is allowed – the darker (and thus, less sweetened), the better.
6. No beer or hard liquor. Fortunately, red wine is allowed. (Phew.)
Today, I’m starting off by clearing the excess wheat products out of my fridge, and shopping for some alternatives. I’ll report back and let you know just how bad my wheat withdrawal becomes, but in general I’m looking forward to giving this a shot. Check in for recommendations on recipes I’ll test and products I’ll try. Ready…set go!
Food: Deviled Eggs
I’m not advocating for deviled eggs as a health food, but they are surprisingly less bad for you than I thought. This recipe makes them only slightly worse for you than just eating a hard-boiled egg. And while the jury is still out on eggs are good for you vs. eggs are bad for you, I think a little extra protein in moderation is ok. So just don’t eat too many of these.
Deviled Eggs (serves 5 with 4 pieces per person)
10 eggs, hard-boiled
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp red onion, minced
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp parsley, chopped
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp skim milk plus more if needed to thin mixture
To hard boil the eggs: Put eggs in a covered pot with cold, salted water, eggs should be covered with water by at least 1/2 inch. Bring eggs to a boil and then remove covered pot from heat, leaving eggs in hot water for 15 minutes. Pour cold water over eggs and remove from pan. Peel – tap eggs lightly on their side and peel until you can get the thin membrane away from the egg, this will make it much easier to peel. Slice lengthwise and put yolks into a bowl, carefully reserving the whites to be filled later.
Combine yolks, mayo, garlic, onion, lemon juice, parsley, mustard, and milk in a bowl with a fork until it forms a paste. This is the filling to your eggs, spoon back into the whites. These are best when refrigerated overnight but can be served immediately. These are also best with a slight chill, so if you are making a day ahead take out of the fridge just before guests arrive. I topped these with fried onion straws, you can top with parsley, chopped bacon, paprika, chopped olives, etc.
Food: New Year’s Resolution Food #1 – Roasted Chickpeas
Chickpeas fall into the “healthy yet still high in calories” food category. But, definitely a better snack than potato chips or ice cream, and filling so you don’t need to eat too many. Plus, easy to make and easy to experiment with. Below is a basic recipe, but change up the spices to your taste – add herbs, lemon juice, cinnamon and sugar, whatever you like.
Roasted Chickpeas, basic recipe:
2 cans chickpeas
garlic salt
paprika
olive oil
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Drain and rinse chickpeas, put into small bowl. Coat lightly with olive oil, add seasonings to taste. Put in a single layer on a jelly roll pan. Roast at 400 for 30-40 minutes. The longer you roast, the crunchier they will be, and you should give them a toss around 30 minutes if you plan to go for 40.
New Year’s Resolutions
Most years it feels like a hardship to make my normal resolution to lose weight and eat more healthfully. But after all of my shameless indulgences this holiday season, I’m actually looking forward to a reprieve. Check out the photos for this holiday’s greatest hits, and the reason I’m making crazy statements like “maybe I’ll try going vegan again.”
Christmas Food: Ugly Mash
Someone once told me that the uglier the dish, the better it tastes. I think that person was my mother, and I think she was trying to make me feel better after I cooked something hideous. I was mentally giving myself the same pep talk when I came to the end of cooking this recipe, adapted from Saveur’s Skillet Cooked Potatoes and Cheese. It seemed clear that this was going to be a disaster, but I was pleasantly surprised – this is one ugly mash, but it is savory, hearty, bacon-y, and tangy in all the right spots.
Ugly Mash
2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, very thinly sliced (you can use a knife, don’t need a mandolin)
1 stick butter
3 strips bacon, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp chopped chives
1 cup Gruyere, grated
8 oz Farmer’s cheese
salt to taste
Heat butter in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until its fat has become liquid with the butter. Add sliced potatoes to the skillet. Cover the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally and crushing potatoes into chunks with a wooden spoon, until potatoes are tender (approx. 30 minutes). Add cheeses and garlic to skillet, stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook, scraping bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon, until cheese is melted and the potatoes are mashed, about 5 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Sprinkle with chives.
Christmas Food: Raw Cranberry Relish
Image from: “Fat Free Vegan Kitchen” fatfreevegan.com
A lot of holiday foods just can not be made healthy. I usually seem intent on making them less healthy – cream cheese in your potatoes or bacon in your vegetables, anyone? But a friend made this recipe for me at work last week and I loved it. It’s refreshing and unabashedly good for you. More importantly, it’s the kind of food that makes it seem ok to put more stuffing on your plate. And after Christmas, I plan to eat it for dessert when I’m desperately trying to shed those holidays pounds.
Raw Cranberry Relish (adapted from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen)
1 cup fresh cranberries
zest of 1 orange
1 orange, peeled and sectioned
1 apple, quartered
5 pitted dates
1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Place all ingredients in good blender or food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped – you want it to have some texture and not be mush. Eat immediately or refrigerate overnight to let flavors blend.
Christmas Food: Bacon Wrapped Scallions
This is even easier than Fried Halloumi with Lemon and Oregano, and equally as impressive. Best while it’s hot but still good at room temperature, this can be done and laid out while you put the finishing touches on your main dish.
Bacon Wrapped Scallions
1 lb bacon
1 large bunch scallions, trimmed
Wrap strips of bacon around strands of scallions, you may want to use toothpicks at either end to keep bacon in place while grilling. Place on grill pan or in non stick skillet on medium heat. Turn gently with tongs until bacon is cooked and scallions are wilted.
Christmas Food: Fried Halloumi with Lemon and Oregano
This is a really easy holiday appetizer, quick enough for a crowd but adjustable for dinner for two (or one). You could substitute parsley for the oregano, or add capers if you like. Do not add salt, halloumi is a very salty cheese. Be generous with the lemon, and whatever herbs you choose.
Halloumi with Lemon and Oregano
(serves 4, just double recipe for more – fry cheese in two batches)
1 8oz block halloumi cheese, cut into cubes
juice from 1 lemon
2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
good quality olive oil, for frying (you will taste the olive oil, don’t skimp)
Put 1/4 inch olive oil in small non stick skillet, heat until crackling. Add halloumi, being careful not to crowd the pan – fry in more than one batch if you need to. Turn cheese cubes gently for 2-3 minutes until browned. Drain cheese, put in serving bowl, top with lemon juice and oregano. Toss. Serve.
Christmas Food: Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
I’ve been deeply disappointed by mashed potatoes with cream cheese before. I’m not interested in the cream cheese making them fluffier or richer – butter can do that. If I’m going to add something fatty to my potatoes, I want to taste it. This recipe makes the cream cheese the star. Enjoy.
Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
2 lbs unpeeled yukon gold potatoes, cut into cubes, boiled until soft
16 oz whipped cream cheese (2 x 8oz containers)
1/2 stick unsalted butter
salt
chives
Mash potatoes and butter together in a bowl (use a fork, a hand blender, a masher, whichever) until roughly combined. Add 8oz cream cheese and mash until they have a rustic texture- lumpy but still creamy. Taste, add more cream cheese if necessary. Salt to taste, top with dollops of leftover cream cheese and chives.
Christmas Food: Creamed Spinach with Garlic
We never had creamed spinach growing up, presumably because my mother realized spinach is supposed to be a healthy food, not deliciously smothered in butter and eggs. Unfortunately, I’ve discovered it is quite easy to prepare, so it may make more and more appearances on my family’s Christmas table.
Creamed Spinach with Garlic
1.5 lbs fresh spinach, roughly chopped, steamed, and drained of any water
5-6 cloves roasted garlic
2 cups whole milk
3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
salt
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Whisk in milk until mixture boils and thickens. Reduce heat, add spinach and garlic, stir slowly over low heat. Just before serving, remove from heat, salt to taste and add egg and yolk, stirring to completely combine.
Feast: Mario’s Ristorante
On Sunday Dave and I made plans to go to Rino’s, and it’s all I’ve been able to think about. I’ve turned down at least four different foodstuffs in the past few days in anticipation of truly gorging myself on their lobster ravioli. But yesterday afternoon (at a beat-the-crowd 5pm) we found ourselves at the hostess desk being told there were already 8 parties ahead of us, and thus no hope of eating any time soon. I was crestfallen.
Undaunted, Dave escorted me a few blocks away to Mario’s Ristorante. Open the double doors, and welcome to your Italian Grandma’s kitchen. A quick snapshot of the ambiance: the sole waitress made a phone call during which someone on the other end asked if she was busy. “Four tables,” she said, then chuckled “and of course, the free-loader” gesturing to a man eating alone at a table. Next to him, another woman (maybe the owner, Ursula?) played with his child. “Is it almost time for you to go home, take a bath, put on some feetie pajamas?” she asked the little girl. Dave and I both agreed that sounded like an excellent plan for the evening.
Mario’s hasn’t had Rino’s recent slick renovation, and their dining room seems a bit larger and unjustly emptier. But the atmosphere is cozy and warm, conversation at one table often extends to the next – or the whole room- and you can tell everyone is family here. When the “free-loader” (clearly a beloved regular, or maybe actual family) and his daughter left, the little sprite wished every single patron Merry Christmas, AND a happy new year. Proud of her, the waitress remarked “isn’t she something?” and really, she was. This kind of thing doesn’t happen at Rino’s.
And the food? Equally as impressive. Charbroiled sausages for an appetizer had just enough fennel, and were served with wrinkled, salt-cured olives. Veal Alla Ursula – scallopini breaded and pan fried, topped with eggplant, mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce, was not oily in the least. The scallopini was thin, tender, and flavorful, topped with a thin layer of crunchy eggplant. The red sauce was scarpetta worthy. Before I ordered, I notice the waitress eating a dish with wide noodles, something that didn’t appear to be on the menu. (I have a weirdly accurate eye for noodles.) I asked her what her favorite dish was, and she named several and then said “also tonight, we have a pappardelle with bolognese” – clearly what she had been eating – and I was sold. It was perfect. The sauce was creamy and flavorful, full of veal and pork, topped with parmesan and one basil leaf. The noodles were an Italian al dente, just soft enough to curl around a fork. The smooth house Chianti was just icing on the cake.
As we left, everyone in the dining room wished us a Merry Christmas, again. I felt like I was leaving my relative’s house – I half expected Ursula to force ricotta pie on us – and I can’t wait to go back.
just like “mamma’s kitchen”
An Italian Thanksgiving – Uncle John’s Gravy
Last week at work I gave (what I hope was) an impassioned speech about how everyone has a certain holiday food that just *makes* the season for them, something without which their Thanksgiving day is not complete. My family has about 10 of these food traditions associated with Thanksgiving (and Christmas, and birthdays, 4th of July, Flag Day, etc.). One that sits firmly on Uncle John’s empty seat is his special “gravy” (Italian for “meat sauce”). Only an Italian family will understand this, but each Thanksgiving with him started with a heaping plate of ravioli and gravy. There was still turkey, gravy, chestnut stuffing, creamed onions, blueberry muffins, green beans, etc. – but we always started with the ravioli and gravy. And we looked forward to it all year long.
This recipe is the closest I can come to Uncle John’s masterpiece. I wish that I had asked him more details about it when I had the chance, but I hope that he’ll be looking down on us this holiday season, thinking that I did a pretty good job, and giving me pointers from afar.
Uncle John’s Gravy
yields: enough for 4. or 2 really hungry people.
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 oz (or 1/2 of 1 small can – nothing fancy) tomato paste
8 oz tomato sauce (canned, plain – again, not fancy – plus another 8 oz reserved)
28 oz crushed tomatoes (I used San Marzano)
1 tbsp chopped fresh marjoram
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 bay leaf
1/3 lb ground beef
1/3 lb ground pork
1/3 lb ground veal
1 cup sliced pepperoni (must be sliced off of an actual pepperoni link, thickness of two quarters – not pizza pepperoni slices)
salt to taste
Brown all meats, onion and garlic at the same time, stirring constantly. Add tomato paste, sauce, and crushed tomatoes, plus a pinch of salt, still stirring until sauce reaches a boil. Add herbs and bay leaf, as well as pepperoni. Continue to cook on very low heat for as long as you can – at least two hours but overnight is preferable. If you cook overnight you may need to add the reserved tomato sauce to thin out a bit. Sauce should be a deep, bright red. Serve over plain ricotta ravioli, before your turkey dinner.
Also good without the turkey.
The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread 