Shirataki noodles

My dear friend Karen recently turned me on to a gluten-free noodle product. The noodles are made from either tofu or white yams. The brand is Shirataki and they can be found locally at Sprouts and Fry’s. At Sprouts the everyday price is $1.69 each, at Fry’s a bag is regularly $2.29. They are found in the refrigerated section, near the tofu.

(Thanks to a kind comment from LCDC, I learned that the brand of the noodles I found is House Foods and that Shirataki is the type of noodle. I happily stand corrected. Thank you, LCDC!)

I was skeptical at first, considering they come packaged in a water and look a bit slimy … but they were delicious! Shirataki noodles are quite a bit more expensive than dry noodles, but considering they are precooked, quick to use, and the yam variety has zero calories, the tofu style – only 20 calories… it may be worth the extra dough.

They have a long (about 3 months) expiration date, so if you find them on sale, stock up!

Spicy Shrimp and Shirataki Noodles

Spice Mix
3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika

Two 8-ounce packages House Foods Tofu or Yam Shirataki spaghetti or angel hair noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
2 green onions (white and light green portions), trimmed and diced
1  1/2 pounds large raw  shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Spice Mix: In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients of the spice mix, and set aside.

Open the noodle packages and place them in a strainer to drain, rinse, then use your hands to separate the noodles as you rinse them a second time. Drain again and set aside. (tofu noodles on the left, white yam noodles on the right)

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add olive oil.

When the oil is hot, sauté the peppers, green onion, shrimp, and garlic.

As the shrimp begin to turn pink, add the lime juice and the spice mix, tossing to combine. Continue to sauté until the shrimp are completely pink, about 5 minutes.

Add the Shirataki noodles and continue to cook, tossing often for an additional 2 or 3 minutes, until the noodles are hot.

Remove from heat and toss in the cherry tomato halves and cilantro.

Serves 2