Girl Food

he experts tell us we shouldn’t diet, we should just eat healthy all the time, that’s what they say and I’m sure they’re right, but I don’t actually know anyone who does this. My girlfriends and I feel like the normal ones; we drink wine, have a hidden stash of chocolate, recently ate a fruitcake (it was little!), have pumpkin pie for breakfast, drown the stuffing in gravy, put marshmallows in the hot chocolate, dribble chocolate syrup in the coffee, fry left-over mashed potatoes in butter, and enjoy every minute of it. Then we pay.

f that’s you too, I have a gift to deliver to you that’s going to make pay-back a lot easier this year. It’s a brand-new-to-the-market TOTALLY HEALTHY food item I just found, and fell in love with (no, I don’t own this company or know these people…I’ve already told all my girlfriends, now it’s your turn–miracles are meant to be shared!)

t’s a PASTA made from tofu, and it tastes truly delicious! It feels, looks, acts, and tastes just like pasta. But it’s not, it’s tofu! So, it’s good for you, but there’s more, are you sitting down? It has 20 calories per serving (so you can have 6 servings if you want!). And only 3 grams of carb per serving! No fat, and it’s gluten free! Is your heart beating faster with the thought of it? And it’s good for you! You should eat it anyway! I was suspicious at first, but it’s everything it says it is. Plus, the package we bought yesterday says it will keep in my fridge until May (so I can fill the fridge with it!). It has it all!

ast night, for dinner, I had a big filling bowl of spaghetti; it was 80 calories! That’s about the same calories as in an apple! You use this new miracle food just like you would regular pasta; put
it in your Homemade Chicken Soup, have Linguini in Clam Sauce, make spaghetti, or use it in the recipe I’m going to give you below, with no guilt!

 hope you can find it in your market, it’s called Tofu Shirataki; comes in fettuccini, spaghetti, and angel hair; is made by House Foods … if you go to their web site, they will tell you where to find it:
http://www.house-foods.com/Tofu/tofu_shirataki.aspx
It was with the other fresh pasta in my market, refrigerated, in a squishy pouch, because like all Tofu, it’s kept in a liquid. And so, there you go, kiss those calories good-bye, tell all your girlfriends!

ere’s my delicious recipe for Chicken and Vegetables that is perfect for winter eating, I even have it for breakfast on snowy mornings! You start with your own homemade CHICKEN STOCK, which is what makes this so good. Lovely to make in winter, the pot of long-cooking stock bubbles comfortingly on the stove for hours, warms up your kitchen and smells wonderful. You remove the fat from the top and you have pure health, the broth is filled with the goodness of onions and carrots and parsley. You can make delicious things with it (like the dishes suggested on the Chicken Stock recipe), or this cozy one-pan meal:

HICKEN AND VEGETABLES WITH the AMAZING NOODLES… this serves two, but it’s the kind of recipe you can add to, change, and create just the way you like it. Make it with chicken thighs as they are much more moist and delicious than breasts. Put a cup of homemade chicken stock (really, in this case, nothing substitutes for the real thing) in a frying pan along with a clove of minced garlic, and boil it down for a moment or two to thicken slightly. Add four skinless, boneless, rinsed, and dried chicken thighs; cover the pan and cook for about 2 min., turn the thighs over, add a couple of carrots cut into matchsticks, broccoli (or broccoli slaw), sauteed mushrooms,
or whatever vegetables you like (in fact that’s all up to you….you are after the gravy here; which is what makes it so delicious). Cover and cook until chicken is almost done and vegetables are tender — at the last moment you can add a quarter of a cup of minced ginger, and a handful of spinach leaves (or any other dark leafy greens) to the pan (you’ll get the hang of the timing after making this once or twice, it isn’t hard), cover for another moment until greens are wilted. Salt and pepper to taste, and serve as is, or feel free to pour it all over your new favorite NOODLES. It’s comfort food you can believe in…

HAPPY COOKING!

20 Responses to Girl Food

  1. Karen P says:

    Oooohhhhh! Love the tofu noodle tip! I’m going to look for it the next time I’m at the store ’cause pasta is one of my favs! Thanks, Susan!

  2. Christl says:

    I have been making these noodles for a long time. I was so excited to see Susan likes them too! Once in a while when I get hungry after I’ve eaten dinner, I’ll make a batch of these noodles. I put two of the Laughing Cow wedges (the lower calorie ones are delicious too) in with the noodles in the pan. The cheese melts down and the meal is like a warm Fettucini with much fewer calories. Feels and tastes like comfort food when you want it, but no shame or guilt for the delicious indulgence! Enjoy!

  3. Susan says:

    Thanks loads! Gotta go shopping NOW!!

  4. Marian Malone says:

    I can’t wait to try this. I absolutely love pasta dishes but can’t eat much of any that I make because of the carbs (source of belly fat). I am always looking for healthy comfort foods. Thank you soooooo much.

  5. janet says:

    Hi Susan – I was having a gloomy – no energy day – thinking of decorating for Christmas, but missing my 5 married kids and their families – not motivated to write cards . . . . I found your blog from a fellow quilter’s blog and have spent the morning reading all of your wonderful recipes and “tasting” each of them in my imagination! All of a sudden I feel like singing :-D I love your drawings and use of color, and your love of the warmth of home and beauty of nature and friendship! – thank you. – janet

  6. I need to know how to get the print outs for the recipes plus recipe card I can print out as per instructions in the Nov-Dec Wisconsin Country Register.
    Love the gift basket ideas. Corina

  7. theresa says:

    Don’t it figure, I live in a state that doesn’t sell it anywhere!!!! Would really like to try it. : (

    • sbranch says:

      Wait til you or someone you know goes on vacation!!

    • sandi says:

      theresa, you may want to check on line…there are all kinds of websites who sell groceries. just google what you are looking for or google for online grocery shopping. i was looking for a certain rice noodle this way a few years ago. no one in my area carried them, not even the local asian market. so i found them online and they mailed them to me. good luck!

  8. I tried the noodles, the angel hair kind, and fully expected them to taste sort of… funny. You know, good for me, but not good in the taste department. I was shocked at how delicious they were and begged my local health food co-op to carry them. I put them in a miso soup with a handful of mushrooms, shredded veggies etc. SO good. Thanks for the tip!

    • sbranch says:

      Aren’t they just amazing? I’ve been waiting for them all my life! :-) Wait until you try the fettuccine noodles! Yes, as long as you do a good job rinsing the tofu water off them, you can barely tell the difference between them and regular pasta!

  9. Karen Booher says:

    My mom and I both love your books and I love everything on your site, all your ideas, recipes,pics, garden ideas and stickers for scrapbooking. Everything. I think its awsome. Karen

  10. Mary McCatherine says:

    So yummy!

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