Name of Noodles

[bboop]

I know it was on this forum and somebody introduced some noodles...I think they are Chinese, not 100% sure.  Anyway, does anybody remember them?

I'm trying to find them in the stores and haven't been able to.  They are like the noodles that have a fishy aftertaste, but these don't.

Thanks everybody.

[musicdiva]

Not sure if this is what your looking for but the ones that come to my mind are called " Miracle Noodles".

[goodkel]

No idea. Sorry.

But, great thread.

[bboop]

The package had green on it, and I'm really not sure if they are the Miracle noodles or not. I remember looking them up on the net and it said Walmart had them...I went to Walmart and didn't see them. Maybe I need to look in the refrigerated section.

[Misty]

I think you may be looking for shirataki noodles. They are a traditional Japanese noodle made from yam root. This noodle is low carb. My husband is 100% Japanese so I'm in the Asian markets often. In the Asian markets I always find them in the refrigerated section. The fishy smell that you get from some of theses noodles can easily be rinsed away and once mixed into a dish, they completely take on the taste and smell of the dish. I'm very sensitive to the fishy smell (really turns my stomach). The miracle noodle brand I've seen at Wegmans, not sure if you have that locally. The brand really doesn't matter in my opinion. I've tried many and rinsing well should take care of the smell. Another type of similar noodle is kelp noodles. The brand I have is Gold Mine. I think I got that at Costco. 

Hope this helps.

[muffinsmom]

Yes, shirataki. They come packed in a liquid. They are, for all intents and purposes, calorie free. There are two kinds, one made with tofu that looks more opaque and one without tofu that's pretty clear - Miracle brand is the latter, and for some reason the Miracle packs don't need to be refrigerated. I ordered them from Amazon, but found a better price (on the tofu version) at Whole Foods (believe it or not!) in the refrigerated section. The Miracle ones come in different shapes, like fettucini, angel hair, even rice-like.

Straight out of the package, I find the smell more briny than fishy, but that goes away with a good cold-water rinse and some nuking. They're pretty handy, you only need to count, from a macro nutrients POV, whatever topping you put on them.

If you get them, try this. Let a piece sit out on the counter and dry out, like overnite. It turns so skinny it's like a hair, LOL! So you're mostly eating water. Even so, I like them.

[bboop]

OK, I'll go and get...Miracle noodles. I'm going to a restaurant on a street that should have them..it's an Aisan market. It's in Austin, and it used to be there...hope it still is. It's been a few years since I lived in Austin.

Thanks everybody. I haven't had pasta in solo long and I want it again, but I don't trust Dreamfields so I'll try these.

[niknak]

Look in the tofu section of the grocery store...sometimes it is next to the organic produce in the fridge section. Albertsons has it there, next to all the tofu products, and precut carrot sticks etc. I think I have seen them at walmart in the fridge section of produce area as well.

[jpcello]

It's so weird that in today's Huffington Post there was an article about these:

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/03/shiritaki-noodles-miraculous-or-what_n_5750022.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

There's a reason shirataki noodles are branded as "Miracle Noodles." These translucent, gelatinous Japanese noodles, which are made from the konjac yam, are low in calories and carbohydrates and can be substituted in a variety of recipes that call for pasta.

If you're in search of carb-free noodles that perfectly mimic the taste and texture of regular spaghetti -- a true miracle -- keep looking. Like pasta, shirataki noodles are mostly neutral in flavor and can absorb the tastes you cook with. But, shirataki has a slimier consistency and you won't be able to choose the hardness of your pasta -- al dente or otherwise -- because the noodles are already "cooked."

And, very unlike generic, boxed spaghetti, shirataki noodles come pre-packaged in liquid, portioned out in a plastic bag that gets refrigerated. The noodles are watery and emanate a faint, fishy odor (though they're 100 percent vegan), which comes from the plant they are made from. Shirataki noodle manufacturers recommend rinsing, draining and drying the noodles before using them in dishes -- this'll help reduce the smell. Nevertheless, the pasta alternative is a smart choice for those looking for something gluten-free, low-carb or lighter in calories.

Shirataki noodles are available in many shapes -- spaghetti, fettucini, macaroni -- and can be purchased plain. Products like Miracle Noodle and NoOodle Noodles sell this type, which tends to be extra-slippery, nutritionally void (they are mostly made up of water) and close to calorie-free. Other brands, like House Foods and Nasoya's Pasta Zero blend the yam flour with tofu or chickpeas, which adds just a few calories and grams of carbohydrates and fiber.

A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that a low-carb diet was more effective for losing weight and reducing cardiovascular risks than the low-fat diet, and shirataki noodles certainly earn a win from this nutritional angle.
pasta faceoff

A 4-ounce serving of House Foods Tofu Shirataki Spaghetti contains 10 calories, .5 grams of fat, 3 grams of carbohydrates and less than 1 gram of protein. A 2-ounce serving (the weight is different because shiritaki noodles are already cooked) of Barilla Angel Hair pasta contains 200 calories, 1 gram of fat, 42 grams of carbohydrates and 7 grams of protein.

When it comes to price, however, classic spaghetti takes the cake. You can snag a box of Barilla at Target for $1.29, which comes out to about 16 cents per serving.

A bag of House Foods' costs about $3.00 on Amazon, which comes out to $1.50 per serving.

When cooking with shirataki, remember texture: It's more like the glass or cellophane noodles you find in Asian stir fries, soups and dumplings. So, if you're trying to recreate a meal without compromising familiarity, use shirataki for these sorts of recipes.

(follow link above for recipes)

Even still, if you're willing to adjust your noodle expectations, shirataki can certainly work in more traditional Italian dishes. Try this Spaghetti-Esque recipe by Burpees In The Kitchen:

(follow link above for recipes)

There's a lot you can do with a package of shirataki in your fridge. Flavor them with the seasoning packet that comes with a serving of ramen (and toss the dried noodles by the wayside). Or, add them to a can of your favorite soup for a bit more volume. Just use your noodle (heh), and you'll be sure to find something that tastes miraculous.

[bboop]

Thanks. I snagged two kinds today, one made of tofu and the other with yams. I went to an Aisan market in Austin. They are both in liquid and came from the fridge. I haven't tried them yet, but here's hoping. I'll check out your links and see if I can replicate them for my use.

Thanks again.

[Girlrocker]

Ahhhh, yes, shirataki noodles! I like them a lot. I do find that I prefer them in asian type dishes, have never worked for me personally substituting them for regular pasta with marianra or cheese sauces. I love making sesame peanut noodles with chicken with them, or like noodle bowls. They're packed in a brine, I'm used to it since I cook thai dishes and use fish sauce. Stinky but tastes so good! I rinse them too and will let them soak in chicken or vegetable broth, adds nice flavor. When I want "real" pasta I eat brown rice pasta nor quinoa pasta. Higher in carb, but also a complex carb and I keep the portion small, totally scratches my itch.

[maggiesara]

I'm with Sharyl. I used to work with shirataki noodles a lot, and while I did come up with a method of preparing them that, to my taste, does away with most of the smell and texture problems, I still don't think they work at all in Western dishes.

To be honest, I think they're a bad choice for DSers. If you have to be maniacally focused on calories, then yeah, shiratakis can make a halfway decent snack, with soy sauce and shredded scallion and ginger and maybe a drop of sesame oil. But for anyone who can choose instead to eat, say, a piece of cheese or some sliced steak....eh, why bother? They're really pretty awful, all things considered. FWIW, I would much rather have a small and very occasional portion of real pasta, maybe bulked the hell out with meat sauce or even with something like zucchini "noodles."

[bboop]

Mine are still sitting in the fridge...I may try them tonight and see how I like them...if I hate them, then I may give them to my DIL...she's a food fanatic...she eats clean and does cross fit. You get the picture.

I think I'll try them with chicken in soy, SF brown sugar, Sesame Oil and garlic...I put that on the chicken cut up in cubes. I also bought some boc choy so I'll add some of that....perhaps make it like an Aisan dish. I'll probably barf, but I have to try them at least once. Maybe I'll toss them in a little of the Sesame oil and see how that tastes.

Thanks for the warning.

[Girlrocker]

Sept 14, 2014 13:18:05 GMT -5 bboop said:

Mine are still sitting in the fridge...I may try them tonight and see how I like them...if I hate them, then I may give them to my DIL...she's a food fanatic...she eats clean and does cross fit. You get the picture.

I think I'll try them with chicken in soy, SF brown sugar, Sesame Oil and garlic...I put that on the chicken cut up in cubes. I also bought some boc choy so I'll add some of that....perhaps make it like an Aisan dish. I'll probably barf, but I have to try them at least once. Maybe I'll toss them in a little of the Sesame oil and see how that tastes.

Thanks for the warning.

I think this sounds like a great dish! Really, I do genuinely like them, I'm a big asian cuisine fan. I love pad thai and pad see ew; after you rinse the noodles, definitely stir fry them in this mixture above, don't just 'pour' the ingredients over the noodles

You know, I don't think it has to be an either/or situation. There are certain carb foods we all love and a lot of inventive ways to eat them now. Some options - like the shirataki noodles, or the cream cheese pancakes cauliflower cheese crust - offer a guilt free way to eat them more frequently, or have a nice big portion, or prevent one from kick starting carb cravings (that sugar thing - eat it, the body craves it) . It took me a long time to get to the place where I am now, that I can, actually, eat pasta, rice, bread even (!!!) but that's also because I'm an admitted carb addict with the emotional/compulsive eating to go with it. So in the end whatever works, whatever scratches the itch in a good way, whether it's alternative food options, smaller portions, or both. I think it's pretty great that we actually have a variety of options now, so much more than when I had surgery the first time in 2002. Gluten free/white flour alternative eating has become a lot more mainstream which I think is great. Let us know how this turns out!

[bboop]

I will, in a few minutes...I'm off to wash them now. I sure hope they will cook ok in my wok, this is an experiment and I sure am hungry...it better work!

[angelise]

Shirataki noodles work well in Asian dishes as the texture is more like rice noodles. Must rinse in water prior to usage or else the fishy smell will stay. Usually I rinse with hot and cold.

Shirataki usually absorbs flavors so I've had good experience with them in a fake Pho type dish where the soften and absorb the broth flavors. I've also done Pad See Ew with them and Yakisoba type dishes.

If interested as well, I've also used the cheaper Shirataki blocks (basically the same material as Miracle noodles but un-cut) which I've rinsed, sliced into flat strips, dried with paper towel then pan fried with butter, soy sauce, and Splenda. The soy and butter absorb and flavor the Shirataki. Then I add meat or eggs and stir fry with some veggies and its a nice meal.

[bboop]

I just tried the Shirataki noodles..used the spaghetti type and they were fine. I did rinse the heck of them and then put them in the microwave. Finally I tossed them in the wok with the chicken and bok chou. Not bad, not bad at all. No fish, brine or other flavor could be detected.

I'm going to try the remaining noodles with a cheese and ground meat dish I make and see how they do.

Where do you get the blocks? I will see if I can find them at an Aisan market.

[Joanne]

I've had the Shirataki before, and they are ok. Definitely would use them in an Asian dish, but probably not Italian.

I just wanted to give a plug for zucchini noodles. I take a green zucchini and a veggie peeler. All you need to do is make ribbons with the peeler. Put them on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt to dry them a bit. I like them sauteed in olive oil. No, you wont ever mistake them for pasta, but they do have that slippery toothsome feel.

But for the most part, when I do eat pasta, I just reverse the way I eat it with the sauce / pasta ratio. Just last night my family requested pasta with a sausage sauce. I made a big pot of homemade tomato sauce with a ton of sausage. I reserved a bit for me. I cooked the pasta and tossed theirs together. For me, I made a bowl of sauce, and added maybe a 1/4 c of the pasta on top. Then I added grated parm and fresh mozzarella. I'll typically do something like that.

[angelise]

+1 on Zucchini noodles too. A quick blanch of the noodles makes for a refreshing meal. The peeler is very affordable as well. www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Julienne-Peeler/dp/B0000CCY1S

 Also if anyone else is interested, these noodles are also pretty good. They have minimal beany taste and although a bit higher in carbs 17 net carbs per 2 oz. But protein is very high. 25 g protein per serving.
www26.netrition.com/explore_asian_organic_black_bean_spaghetti.html

 

[bboop]

I might try the soy bean noodles - the Shirataki noodles seem to work for me.

Two ounces is a lot of noodles so you could reduce the amount you are using and I think that would work. Too bad they are black...not that I don't like black but I'm wondering how they would look with cheese sauce?

Thanks everybody for the help on noodles...I've got the itch so I'm going to keep experimenting.

Does anybody know where to find the blocks of Shirataki? That way I can cut off what I want...I was thinking of making lasagna for dinner.

[angelise]

They also have mung bean and soy bean noodles too. Not just black bean. I just like the black bean the best in terms of lack of taste. The texture is pretty good on all of them, not mushy at all.

Shriataki blocks should be next to the Miracle noodles in the chilled section. If you go to an Asian grocery store, they will be there in the chilled section. They are usually white or black/brown in color.

Below is a site with some background, pictures, and a recipe: justhungry.com/2007/01/konnyaku_and_shirataki_ojftmhy.html

[maggiesara]

You can also make your own noodles by mixing glucomannan powder with water. If you go to the Low Carb Friends board on Netrition.com, you will find TONS of posts about shirataki and glucomannan.

Glue is interesting stuff. On the one hand it's a terrific thickener, so you can make a nice pudding with it with no starch. But it also has this weird ability to suck up flavor, literally. If, say, you mix up a small amount of sugar and cocoa and cream and water, and you have a tasty mix, and then you add in some Glu, and stir it around and let it thicken, and stick it in the fridge thinking, oh goody, chocolate pudding tomorrow....when you taste it the next day, all the sweetness from the sugar and all the flavor from the cocoa will have disappeared. It's deeply weird.