For awhile, I made spaghetti for my family but I started replacing 1/2 of my pasta with julienned zucchini or oriental veggies, then really decided I really wasn't missing the real noodles, and just ditched them all together.
Here is my Faux Spaghetti recipe (oriental version) that allows me to eat a great meal, get in lots of veggies, and still feel really satisfied and not missin' a thing! Let me know how you like it! It comes in at around 350 calories using 90% lean ground beef but you can use any type of meat you like.
Easy Faux Spaghetti (Oriental version)
Below are measurements for one serving, but you can easily adjust the quantities and make enough of the sauce for your whole family & use reg. spaghetti noodles.
Time:
15-20 minutes
Ingredients:
- Makes 1 serving
- 3 ounces lean ground beef
- 1 cup of Ragu Chunky Garden Combination pasta sauce
If I have extra veggies in the fridge, I'll chop up and put in the sauce too - 1 small can LaChoy Chop Suey Vegetables
- 1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions:
- Brown however much meat you need for your family for the sauce, then portion out 3 oz. of meat for yourself, and set aside.
- Open and drain a can of LaChoy Chop Suey veggies. Make sure its the small can because there's also a huge can.
- Place drained veggies into a few paper towels and press down several times to remove the remaining water - Otherwise it tends to be too watery. I use the whole can as one serving for this.
- Portion out 1 cup of sauce from the jar before you mix in with your family's meat., set aside.
- Mix your portion of meat and sauce together
- Put your "Faux noodles" on a plate and top with meat sauce. I usually reheat for a minute or so in the microwave again.
- Add Parmesan cheese
- Enjoy!!
Have other great healthy substitution ideas?? I'd love to hear them!
Just checking out your blog! I LOVE this recipe, never thought about subbing veggies for noodles, gotta try this out soon!! :)
ReplyDeleteI read it on the Biggest Loser page last year to replace 1/2 noodles with the zucchini. So I did, and honestly couldn't really tell the noodles were in there so I pulled them out all together. My favorite is using julienned zucchini strips. I cut them up and steam it in the microwave. Don't grate or shred it though, sort of becomes a pile of mush. Then found the oriental chop suey veggies, and they work awesome too!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the recipe! I can't wait to try it.
ReplyDeleteShannon,
ReplyDeleteThere is also a new one with "zucchini" noodles, that I just posted this past week. You can see it directly on my blog page. www.whyNOTme.us
Let me know how you like it!
I have never tried oriental vegetables. I add finely chopped yellow squash and/or zuchinni to my sauce to sneak in extra veggies for my family. No one ever notices and the sauce tastes great!
ReplyDelete