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.