Low(er) Carb Pad Thai

  

Low(er) Carb Pad Thai

 

 

If you spend time on Facebook or Pinterest you've likely seen the quick videos from Tasty outlining how to make various, scrumptious looking dishes.  I don't think they typically have anyone's health or diet in mind... but boy do they inspire!

 

Today I watched several of their video tutorials and I ended up combining two to make a low carb Pad Thai dish.  First I was inspired by their video on spaghetti squash three ways (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/554857616570185628/).  Then I saw their Pad Thai video (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/554857616570196990/),

 

Put the two together and you have a really fantastic lower carb noodle dish!

 

Just a word of caution before you get too far into this... If you prepare this to my exact specifications, you'll end up with a pot with the following nutritional profile:
-132 g Carbs
-34 g Fiber
-103 g Protein
-149 g Fat
- 2,200 Calories

You can split this into 4 large servings or 6 medium sized servings.  If you do 4 servings, that means you'll have a dish with 24 grams net carbs.  If you do 6 servings, you'll have 16 grams net carbs.  So while the carbs aren't super low, they are much better than if you use actual noodles.

With Spaghetti Squash:  24 g net carbs
With Spaghetti Pasta:     58 g net carbs
With Rice Noodles:         68 g net carbs

Ingredients:
- 1 med/large Spaghetti Squash
- 2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 Eggs
- 1 diced Chicken Breast
- 8 oz diced Firm Tofu
- 1/4 cup of diced Shallots
Sauce:
- 1/8 cup fish sauce
- 1/8 cup rice vinegar
- 1/8 cup soy sauce 
- 1/8 cup lime juice
- 1/8 cup sriracha sauce (increase or decrease according to the level of heat you like)
- 4 packet of splenda (or other sugar substitute you like)
- 1/4 cup of natural peanut butter

Directions:
Prepare your "noodles" by  puncturing your spaghetti squash several times with a knife (apparently if you don't it may explode as you heat it up!).  Microwave that baby for 4 - 6 minutes (depending on the size of your squash).  When it's done cooking, you'll have to let it cool a bit before you can handle it.  Once you can, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds (like you would a pumpkin),  and then use a fork to strip the noodles out.  Toss in 1 Tbsp of olive oil and 1 Tbsp of sesame oil, and then set your spaghetti squash noodles aside.

Next prepare your sauce by mixing up all the sauce ingredients above.

Pour 1/2 Tbsp of sesame oil into your pot and scramble your eggs. When the eggs are finished cooking, set aside. Pour another 1/2 Tbsp of sesame oil and 1 Tbsp olive oil into the pot and add your shallots, chicken, and tofu. Once chicken is fully cooked add your "noodles" and pour in your pad thai sauce, mix up well.  Then add your eggs back and stir in.

My husband and my 4 year old both really enjoyed this, as did I.  The spaghetti squash noodles were a bit crispy, but that was really the only difference I noticed from a regular noodle.  Other than the slight crunch, they took on the pad thai flavoring wonderfully!  Also, I added 1/4 cup of the sriracha sauce and while my little girl liked the dish, it was a bit too spicy for her.  Next time I will stick with 1 - 2 Tbsp of sriracha.

Egg Drop Soup Plus+++

 

 

Egg Drop Soup +

 

 

We finally got a taste of fall temperatures today in the Low Country.  It makes me ready for soup.  I love egg drop soup and miso soup, but I never attempted to make them myself before.  While this soup is technically neither, I think it will satisfy your craving for either. 

 

This is also the very first time I have ever made anything with tofu in it.  I don't have anything against it, but it's just not something I've experimented with before.  My 4 year old did not like it, but I really enjoyed it!  I will cut the tofu into smaller pieces next time, but otherwise, it was great!

 

As this is a soup, you're not going to get an exact recipe from me... more like guidelines.  You are free to play with the tastes as you like!

 

I started out with about 5 cups of chicken broth in a sauce pan on medium high.  You can make your broth from scratch, bouillon, or buy it straight up... whatever!  I added about 6 oz of diced, firm tofu right away to get it adsorbing the flavors.  I added 6 green onions stalks, chopped (save another 2 stalks to garnish later).  I sprinkled in garlic powder, anise seed, and black pepper (to taste - I like garlic so I do that up, anise I kept to a pinch).  Last I added a tablespoon of sesame oil and a tablespoon of rice vinegar.  I think both or either of these could be left out if you don't already have them in your pantry, but they add some depth to the soup if you do happen to have them.

 

Next comes the fun part... Bring your soup to a boil.  While heating up, beat three eggs in another bowl.  Once boiling add the egg to the soup pan slowly while stirring.  Once the egg is added and mixed in, reduce to a simmer.  This is when a sliced a couple of radishes super thin and added them.  Again, probably not necessary, but I like the color and I had them in the fridge!

 

You can pretty much serve this immediately!  Or you can set on low for an hour or so until you're ready to eat.

 

Have fun experimenting, as I did, with different elements.



Cabbage and Sausage

Even if you think you don't like cabbage, you may want to try this one!

My husband doesn't like cabbage (so he says), but he really enjoyed this meal.  Even my 4 year old ate it with a smile – and a bit of ketchup!

For 3 very large servings - or 4 less-gargantuan servings - I used 6 Oscar Meyers' Smokies smoked sausage dogs, half of a large head of cabbage, a half stick of butter, and a good glob of bacon grease! This all got sautéed in a large skillet on medium-high heat for around 20 minutes. I stirred it frequently, but put the lid on between stirrings. I also added salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.

The Oscar Meyers’ Smokies are made of beef and pork and have no carbs.  We’ve never tried them before, but they turned out to be really good.  I will be buying them again.  Of course you can use whatever carb-free sausage you’d like!  The high heat and frequent stirring was important for “caramelizing” the cabbage, which I think adds to the flavor.

We both stayed full all evening after eating this - even after my husband made the statement, "This is good, but I'm going to need a snack later..."

I had a smaller, leftover portion for lunch the next day with a side salad.  Perfect!

What is a Ketogenic Diet?

The goal of a low carb, high fat diet (also known as ketogenic diet) is to lose wieght or improve health through switching the body's metabolism to burn fat instead of sugar or glucose.

When you consume carbohydrates your pancreas secretes insulin.  Insulin causes fat absorption into your muscle and fat cells for "storage" and also prevents fat from being released from those cells to be used as energy.  Eating fat and protein does NOT raise your insulin level like carbs do.  Therefore, if you want to burn fat you need to avoid releasing insulin into your body and you can do that by staying away from carbs.

So simple.

Obviously, there's a whole lot more science involved in the process than that, but that's the extremely boiled-down explanation!

If you're satisfied with that logic and are willing to take my word for it, great! (Disclaimer: I am only relating to you my own research and experience on this topic. What you choose to do with it, is up to you!)

But you'll likely want more information. I'm not going to completely re-write an in-depth, scientifically accurate explanation when there are actual experts out there who already have...

For the mildly more curious -
This fellow explains what a ketogenic diet is, why it works, gives pointers for implementing it, and even tells you what to expect. Click Here to read it. I found it very much in line with all the other research I've been doing on the subject.

And if you are still more curious yet, I'd recommend reading Gary Taubes' book "Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It."


While calorie counting and restriction is not necessary for following this diet plan, tracking the calories and nutrients that you consume is probably a good idea, especially at the beginning.  It will vary for each individual on the exact proportion of nutrients required for ketosis and optimized fat burning, but the general recommendations I’ve seen are:

Carbs:             5-10%
Protein:         20-25%
Fat:                 70-75%

If you track your calories and which nutrients they are coming from, along with your progress, then you can look back and determine what proportions worked best for you and make adjustments as needed.

Zucchini Parmesan Chips - a satisfying snack or side dish

I do like kale chips, but they are a bit like eating air and therefore not so filling... THESE on the other hand are actually very satisfying and quite delicious.  If you like the taste of pizza, then you surely will like these!

I used my mandolin slicer set with it's thinnest blade to cut an entire zucchini squash into little disks.  I'm sure you could cut thin slices with a regular knife and cutting board, but the mandolin makes it quick and easy.

I laid these out flat on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  I sprinkled a liberal amount of garlic powder and a less liberal amount of salt over the zucchini before adding a healthy pinch of shredded Parmesan to the top of each slice.  Then I put them in the preheated oven @ 425F. 

I'm sure the cook time will vary depending on the exact thickness of the slices, but I know mine were in for at least 30 minutes before I felt they were done.  And even so, there were some that were crispy and some that were not so much.  Another 5 minutes might have been just perfect, but even so, they were scrumptious!  And I ate the entire batch for my lunch (guilt-free!).

Addicted to Sugar? That's not really real... is it?

If you know me, you know that I've never been considered "skinny" or "thin" or anything svelte-like...

I've always carried around extra weight.  Even when I was extremely active and fit, I was overweight.

Today, at the age of 34, I weigh more than I ever have.  I've dieted to lose weight in the past, and I've been successful at it... But in recent years, I have not been successful.  I have been the opposite of successful.  I have been failing miserably.

What's the deal?  It's simple to lose weight, right?  Calories in must be less than calories out... easy peasy!  Then why is it soooo hard?

I think the answer is right in front of me, and has been for some time, but I just wasn't willing to see it.

Back in 2010 I bought and read Gary Taubes' book "Why We Get Fat: And What To Do About It."  I remember thinking to myself, "Well, that makes so much sense!"  Why has it taken me 5 years to let the ideas he presented sink in?  I don't know exactly... maybe I wasn't ready for that kind of lifestyle change, maybe I didn't really BELIEVE it?   Or maybe, just maybe... I've been addicted to SUGAR all this time!  And as an addict... well, you know, I'm addicted! 

I know, I know... sugar addiction?  I've read about it before.  Didn't think it was a real thing.  Just figured it was people making up excuses for themselves.  I mean, I know first-hand, it takes real will-power to cut calories enough to lose weight.  You are basically starving yourself.  That's no fun. 

So, instead of starving myself... something that I'm apparently not able to do for more than a few weeks at a time... I'm trying something different.  Something that research, and even history, is telling me will work... I am cutting out sugar (and all carbohydrates)!

I'm on day 3 of restricting my carbohydrates (as much as humanly possible -  zero carbs is an unrealistic goal!).  I just had a hearty meal of wings.  Yes, fried, crispy, delicious wings!  My belly is full... very full actually...
Then why on earth is my brain is saying, "FEED ME!!!"  I almost feel like I'm going crazy!  The very same thing happened to me last night after eating a wonderful steak and spinach dinner.  Again, I was filled up and quite satisfied... for 10 minutes.  The rest of the evening was spent trying to distract myself from the sweet cravings I was having.

Now, if I thought this was how I was going to feel indefinitely, I certainly wouldn't stick with LCHF (low carb, high fat).  The sugar addiction would win and I would go back to my old habits.  But I have been assured by a number of friends that this "withdrawal" phase will pass.  Once my body adjusts, I am told that I will feel full longer and stay satisfied without the excess carbs.  That is when I will reap the health benefits of a more natural and carb-free diet - aka become willowy and be able to run marathons! 

Ok, I'm not that naive - but I do really think this is worth attempting.  I will only know if I try, and I'm willing to give it a good go!  And lucky you, I'm going to document the whole thing, good and bad, right here so you can follow along!

Oh Christmas Tree!

Our animal friends don’t really understand the meaning of Christmas, or any other holiday for that matter.  How could they?  Everyday is a holiday for them!  They get to do the things I enjoy doing on my holidays all the time… nap around the house all day, get tasty treats, don’t have to worry about being anywhere at any particular time, etc.  So the only thing that really makes Christmas any different or special is the fact that there is a tree INSIDE the house!  Yes, I said INSIDE!!!  Oh the joy!

Dogs get gitty and cats go bonkers when you first bring that fresh, pine smelling piece of the outdoors into your home.  They know you got it just for them and their pleasure.  So as you’re laying flat on your stomach, trying to secure the screws in the stand, you’re also batting away the furry bodies.  Then, as you’re stringing the lights round and round, you’re tripping over the same furry bodies as they’re attempting to get closer to the gift you brought them.  Once the lights are up and the tree is in place, you think perhaps they’ve learned their lesson about getting near the tree, as you’ve kicked, stepped on, and back-handed each of them at least 15 times already.

You would be wrong.

As soon as you turn your back, you have 3 cats doing acrobatics in the tree and a dog thinking you brought him a new indoor potty.   Well, at least, in my case, since I have 3 cats and a dog.  The dog you can scold and he’ll get the idea that he shouldn’t mess with the tree.  The cats, on the other hand, will be in and out of the tree all evening no matter what you do.  This is why I have found it best to put up the tree for at least a day or two before trying to adorn it with any ornaments.  Let the cats have their fun before putting anything breakable on it.  Usually the novelty of it wears off in a day or so and they will calm down a good bit.  Not to say they will leave it completely alone, but the worst of the shenanigans are out of their system.

Another trick I have learned is strategic ornament placement and securing.  Anything within three feet of the floor should be your least precious and non-breakable ornaments.  Also, you will need to secure these to the tree with twisty ties.  They make green and black twisty ties that work perfectly for this, you don’t even see them.  Also take the time to secure any especially precious and breakable ornaments with twisty ties as well, no matter how far from the floor they are.  This is like an insurance policy.  Of course there’s not much you can do if all three cats are in the tree at the same time and then shift all their weight to one side and manage to take the whole tree down.  It’s pretty much a guarantee that your favorite ornament will be at the bottom of the wreckage broken into tiny little pieces.

Sorry about that.