Sunday, April 01, 2012

easy shirataki pasta recipe and vegan cream cheese
giveaway contest

Holy shirataki noodles, Batman.  
I live near Chinatown and often spy several varieties of shirataki noodles, made from yams and often flavored with lime or seaweed, dotting the refrigerated shelves in the Asian grocery stores. But lately, a "Westernized" version has been popping up at Whole Foods. It's made from tofu and therefore, tastes blander and therefore, more familiar to American palates. An entire bag contains – get this – only 40 calories and 6 grams of carbs, while providing 20% of your daily calcium allotment. At $2 a pop, though, they seemed like a splurge. And I wasn't sure of what to do with them.

Then nice folks at Galaxy Foods sent me some samples of their fabulous new vegan cream cheeses. Unlike other versions, these little tubs of yumminess are ultra-creamy and most importantly, lack the "plasticine" taste of other vegan cream cheeses on the market. I happily slathered them on my morning bagels. And their garlic and chive cream cheese provided me with the inspiration I needed to dive into shirataki noodles.

Galaxy is giving away a yummy sample of their new cream cheeses. If you'd like to enter to win, please leave a comment here. Be you have some sort of contact info. [US residents only, please].

And now for the recipe. I am continually experimenting in the kitchen, but I have to say that this is one of my new favorites, because it provides a lot of flavor for very little effort. Plus, it's fairly low in fat, thanks to water-sauteeing. I've made this recipe twice in the last week, once with cremini and and once with shiitake mushrooms – both with good results.

If you're new to shirataki noodles, please don't expect them to taste like white flour pasta. Respect their uniqueness and taste them as you would taste any new food, with an open mind. Personally, I love their slightly al dente texture and will be adding them to my weekly repertoire! [If you like them, they are actually cheaper on Amazon, which is how I am now buying them.]

Shirataki Noodles with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
  • 1 8 oz bag shirataki noodles[fettucine cut], rinsed very well 
  • 3 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced very thinly [any kind: cremini, portobello, shiitake, oyster]
  • 1/2-1 cup vegetable broth, or more [I recommend Better Than Bouillon, No Chicken Base]
  • 2 T Galaxy Garlic and Chive Cream Cheese
  • Salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

Serves 1 [Noodle bag says it  contain 2 servings, but c'mon! Little old me ate the whole thing in one sitting]

Heat a large sauté pan over medium. Add half of the broth and "water sauté" garlic, adding more broth or water as needed until "bite" of garlic abates, about 10-15 minutes. [Take your time here and make sure to cook it until it mellows. If the garlic is not cooked enough, it will be too overpowering.]

Add mushrooms, and cook until soft, adding more broth or water until soft, about 10 more minutes. You can also add a splash of white wine here.

Cook noodles according to the package directions and drain well.

Add cooked noodles to the pan, along with cream cheese. Gently toss with a fork until the cream cheese melts. Season to taste and serve.


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39 comments:

JMM said...

I'm really glad to see this :) I always see these noodles and never- EVER- know what I would do with them. I will be giving this recipe a try... at 20 calories per serving, how could I not? Are they gluten-free too?

And of course, I would love to win some Galaxy cream cheese :)

urban vegan said...

Jessica: They're just made from tofu so I believe they are gluten-free!

Rebecca said...

I would love to try one of Galaxy's new cream cheeses!

Anonymous said...

I would like to win some vegan cream cheese!

-Jae

Jordan said...

Those noodles are so intriguing, I have to try them. And I'd love to try some vegan cream cheese!

radioactivegan said...

I've never tried these noodles, but I've seen them in stores. I'll have to pick up a bag now that I have a recipe for them. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I've been looking for info about how to try these noodles, thanks! And I've been hesitant to try vegan cream cheese, but my loves loves the regular stuff...would like to try a more kind version! Quinny619@gmail.com

christina h said...

plasticine.. i could never figure out how to describe that awkward taste of tofutti but you nailed it!

would love to try the galaxy version.. i made an "alfredo" with almond milk, garlic & agar agar last time i had shirataki noodles.. can't believe i didn't think to add mushrooms- definitely taking your cue next time :)

VeggieLow said...

ooooh i love galaxy brand cream cheese... i've only tried the plain kind... didn't even know they had flavored kinds now... very exciting!

Southern Purple Veggie said...

I love Galaxy Foods cream cheese , they are the best. Intact I though they only had just plain but now knowing there are other flavors lookout.

Ahudson9988(@)gmail(dot)com

Libby said...

I would love to try one of the Galaxy cream cheeses!

m said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
meridith said...

i've seen these noodles at whole foods also and have been curious about them myself. and vegan cream cheese is one of my favorite products in existence! i haven't tried galaxy's plain version yet, but i have tried tofutti which i found to be a bit too sweet for my taste.

moonsword said...

Honestly, those noodle bag servings are meant for Lilliputians! ;)
Thanks for the great recipe...cheers!

Tanya said...

I would love to try those Galaxy cream cheeses, I am not a fan of the "plasticine" flavor of others. You nailed that description.

Meg said...

I just had to buy cream cheese for a recipe this weekend. I don't want to eat the leftovers. :( I would love to try a new kind!

Chris said...

I've never tried Galaxy's cream cheeses before.
dumbsnowflake@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I would like some creamy cheese...

-Priscilla

Anonymous said...

I have never tried the veggie cream cheese before--it sounds good!

Bianca said...

I MUST try this recipe! I love shirataki noodles, and this is a fun way to eat them.

And thanks for the Galaxy cream cheese review. I've been hesitant to try it because I'm such a long-time fan of Tofutti. But now I know it's good!

JMM said...

i thought so- thanks for the confirmation :) i will probably be making this recipe in the coming week or two; i'm eager to try it out.

erin32mc said...

would love to try a new cream cheese...thanks so much for the chance.

T.M. said...

Stop putting so many good recipes on the blog...between the cookbook and the blog I can't keep up!! Thanks for the chance to win the cream cheese.

kelly g. said...

Garlic & chive cream cheese? Sign me up!

Vegiegail said...

I love shiratake! I love cremini mushrooms. I love vegan cream cheese. Oh, and I love you. That's all I have to say.

Anonymous said...

Ooh, I'd love to try some new veggie cream cheese! I'm curious about shirataki noodles...
I will definitely be trying this recipe soon!
-Tara E.

newsie15 said...

Vegan cream cheese. Yum!

bfeh0402 (at) gmail (dot) com

panda with cookie said...

I haven't tried the Galaxy brand cream cheese. I am always down for a new bagel spread.

agentprovocateur said...

I've been wanting to try the Galaxy Foods cream cheese for so long but it's pretty darn difficult to get it in my nearest supermarkets ( unfortunately one supermarket sells another brand of so called vegan cream cheese-- that I shall not name--that had trans fats and I'm not touching that!).

But based on how much I enjoyed the mozzarella cheese made from rice milk, I've no doubt that I'll enjoy the cream cheese (which I haven't had in years!), if only I can get my hands on some!

ErinS said...

Yum! This look amazing. Can't wait to try it.

eclairre said...

i'd love to win.

eclairre(at)ymail(dot)com

Unknown said...

Just came back from buying myself a bag of the noodles. I can't wait to try them.

Also, Yes, I wold love to win some Galaxy cream Cheese!

Lisa said...

I would love to try the cream cheese. My tiny health food store probs won't have it! They do carry the noodles . I have bought those from time to time. One thing though to get rid of the funky smell - heat up a dry skillet and "sauté" them till dry after rinsing them really good. Works every time. I like putting them in miso soup or tossing with veggies and marinara.

Shirataki Noodles said...

its look just fantastic, thanks for share !!

Unknown said...

Very good recipe! It has a great flavor!

Shirataki Noodles said...

i love pasta & try this recipe its looking awesome..thanks for share with us. !!

Tofu Shirataki Noodles said...

Love this meal..looking very nice

Anonymous said...

I would like to know if this recipe is safe for a pregnant woman.

Unknown said...

I had shirataki noodles a few years ago and didn't like it at all. Now that I'm more "mature" maybe I should give it another shot. Thanks for sharing your recipe. I looks so yummy! I've always wanted to try Galaxy's cream cheese, but haven't gotten the opportunity to yet.