Better Late Than Never: Shirataki Primavera

Long-time readers will recall my "Livin' La Vida Shirataki Recipe Contest" from about a year ago with these five finalists making the cut.

I blogged quite extensively about these high-fiber low-carb Japanese wonder noodles, so I invite you to visit my "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Links" blog for a full listing of information, recipes, and where you can purchase shirataki noodles!

Although my contest ended long ago, that didn't stop a reader from submitting her shirataki recipe to me this week. And I'm happy to share it with you now. ENJOY!

SHIRATAKI PRIMAVERA

1 pound Konjac brand of shirataki
4 Tablespoons (1/4 cup butter) divided
1/2 cup small broccli florets, (blanched)
1 cup heavy cream
1 egg yolk
1clove garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup fresh basil chiffonade (cut into ribbons)
cherry, grape or other small tomatoes, sliced in half
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Drain and wash 1 pound of Shirataki noodles. Dry the noodles by absorbing extra water with paper towel or toss noodles in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until dry. Set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium saucepan over medium high-heat. Add broccoli and sautee for 1 minute.

In a separate bowl, whisk together cream and egg yolk and add to saucepan. Continue to whisk and cook for only 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly until heated through.

Remove from heat and stir in the remaining butter and chopped parsley. Pour over shirataki noodles and toss. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and tomatoes.

Add salt and fresh ground pepper if desired.

Freshly Made Low-Carb Bread Now Available From Francis Simun Bakery

Francis Simun Bakery serves outstanding low-carb bread

One of the most frequently asked questions I receive from my readers is this: "Where can I buy some good low-carb bread?" It seems the attempts to make a low-carb version of something that is traditionally shunned on the low-carb lifestyle have fallen way short of the mark. I've searched and searched to find a bakery who can not only make bread that is low-carb, but also moist, tasty, and enjoyable.

Well, you can look no further than the Dallas, TX-based bread company called Francis Simun Bakery to fulfill your low-carb bread needs from now on. Their marketing slogan is "Be Happy...Eat Healthy" and that's exactly what you'll be doing when you add this to your low-carb plan.

Had I not tasted their incredible breads for myself, I never would have believed this stuff was low-carb. But it is, it REALLY is! I took a bite, and then another, and then another before I finally let it sink in that low-carb bread CAN actually taste incredible! Francis Simun Bakery has convinced me of that.

Take a look for yourself at all the variety of breads Francis Simun Bakery has to offer people who are livin' la vida low-carb:


Click on the image above to see this low-carb bread up close

In addition to the Original Low-Carb Sliced Bread that's great for sandwiches, there are crunchy Low-Carb Bagel Chips for the perfect afternoon snack, Low-Carb Seasoned Croutons that'll go great on any low-carb salad or on top of green bean casserole, Low-Carb Breads Crumbs for homemade stuffing or as a coating mix, Low-Carb Bagels which taste incredible toasted with some full-fat cream cheese spread on them, Low-Carb Tortillas which are so versatile, Low-Carb Hot Dog Buns and Low-Carb Hamburger Buns when grilling out, and Low-Carb Pizza Crust for a quick and easy oven-baked low-carb pizza!


All the low-carb breads at Francis Simun Bakery Are Handmade

One of the things you'll immediately notice about these handmade breads are how fresh they are. That's because they don't bake the bread until you place an order for it. That way you can be confident that your low-carb bread is the highest quality of freshness it can possibly be when it is delivered to your home. Keep 'em in your freezer for a while so you can enjoy delicious and nutritious low-carb bread anytime.

Another distinctive characteristic of the Francis Simun Bakery low-carb breads is the rich signature aroma that will fill your kitchen when you warm them up! Whether it is French toast for breakfast or a grilled cheese for lunch, that unmistakable smell that fills the air from these remarkable breads will remind you that you have chosen the best possible low-carb breads for you and your family to enjoy.

The superiority of the ingredients in the Francis Simun Bakery low-carb breads is part of the secret to what makes them as wonderful as they are. These are what constitutes the basic recipe for these incredible breads:

Organic wheat gluten, yeast, filtered water, garbanzo flour, black bean flour, canola oil, golden flax seed, wheat germ, molasses, onion, and sea salt.

You'll notice the bread is high-fiber to make the net carb counts very low--less than 2.5g net carbs per slice of the Original Low-Carb Bread! That's a substantially lower number of carbohydrates from what you find in traditional white flour-based breads. And the taste comparison is unmatchable!

So how can you get your hands on this low-carb bread? If you live in the Dallas, TX area, then simply drive down to the Francis Simun Bakery located at 3106 Commerce Street in the 75226 zip code and pick up some during regular business hours.

But for the rest of us scattered all across the United States and Canada, they'll gladly take your order over the phone at 214-741-4242 or 214-742-5210, via fax at 214-744-7656, or by using their convenient online customer order form. Their friendly and efficient customer service team will quickly assist you with processing your order and getting it delivered to you promptly.

The hours of operation for the Francis Simun Bakery are Monday–Thursday from 9:00am-5:30pm, Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm, Saturday from 9:00am-2:00pm, and closed on Sunday. Contact them TODAY and let them know you want to try some of that fantastic bread Jimmy Moore from "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb" was raving about! Believe me when I say it is low-carb bread FINALLY worth writing home about!

Visit the Francis Simun Bakery web site to learn more about this bread company catering to people on the low-carb lifestyle! My wife Christine and I both came up with original recipes using this new low-carb bread which I will be sharing with you this week. You're gonna LOVE 'em!

La Tortilla Factory Low-Carb Wrap Packaging Getting A Makeover

La Tortilla Factory low-carb wraps are perennial bestsellers

When I started out on the Atkins diet in 2004, one of the biggest obstacles I faced was what I could eat as a healthy substitute for bread. It's nice have a bunless cheeseburger or a breadless deli meat and cheese sandwich for a while, but you start to get the inkling for SOMETHING to wrap your low-carb foods in.

That's why I was so happy to find La Tortilla Factory low-carb wraps and I've been a big fan of these ever since. In fact, I keep a couple of packages of these ever-versatile wraps on hand at all times.

About six months ago I noticed my local grocery store had stopped carrying these wraps despite the fact I bought so many packages of them. When I complained to the manager, he apologized profusely and brought in about 25 packages of each of the flavors: Original, Garlic & Herb, and Green Onion. "Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Man" has spoken. LOL!

Just one tortilla gives you a mere 50 calories, 5g protein, 2g fat, 8g dietary fiber, and just 3g net carbs. It really is the PERFECT wrap regardless of what your diet plan is. For years these excellent low-carb wraps have been endorsed right there on the packaging by Drs. Michael and Mary Dan Eades from Protein Power as well as low-carb cookbook author Fran McCullough.

But now they've decided to change their packaging. Uh oh! Does this mean they're taking my favorite low-carb wraps away because I've seen it happen before? Or, perhaps they are keeping the product exactly the same and merely changing the look and name to attract new customers--like with Calorie Countdown milk and Quaker's Q-Smart bars.

According to the square sticker I saw on the front of my latest package of La Tortilla Factory low-carb wraps, this is simply a "New Look...Same Great Product" which is coming soon to a grocery store shelf near you. If you've never seen these before, then allow me to show you the old packaging as well as the new packaging.

THE OLD PACKAGING:


THE NEW PACKAGING:


I like the new "festive" look of the new packaging as well as the name "Smart & Delicious" which is a good marketing strategy to distinguish this brand from the "dumb & nasty" high-carb tortillas made with white flour!

One thing I especially love about the new packaging is how "Low Carb" is such a prominent word on the label along with the use of "High Fiber" coming in a close second. The phrase "low-fat" doesn't even show up on the new packaging for the "Low-Carb" version of the wraps even though they fall into that category, too. You gotta love it! Of course, the low-fatties get their own version, too.

People who are livin' la vida low-carb need to continue to support companies that make products like La Tortilla Factory low-carb wraps because they are giving us healthy, delicious, and nutritious foods to make our low-carb lifestyle that much more enjoyable! Be looking for the Smart & Healthy Tortillas in your area and ask the grocery store manager to stock these.