Kelp noodles are made from the fiber in seaweed. They are a chewy “blank canvas” with almost no calories.
Kelp Fettuccine with Nori Cashews & Broccoli
Kelp noodles are a gluten-free, guilt-free “pasta.” Here’s what Sea Tangle, the company which makes kelp noodles under their name and under the Goldmine name, says:“Kelp Noodles are a sea vegetable in the form of an easy to eat raw noodle. Made of only kelp (a sea vegetable), sodium alginate (sodium salt extracted from a brown seaweed), and water, they are fat-free, gluten-free, very low in carbohydrates and calories. Their form and neutral taste allow for a variety of uses including salads, stir-fries, hot broths, and casseroles…. Best of all, no cooking is required. Rinse and add to any dish. They are ready to eat!”
How many calories do these puppies contain? The entire 12 ounce bag contains only 18 calories. Wow.
Speaking of seaweed, dulse, also used here, is ridiculously low in calories and surprisingly nutritious. It’s rich in the B vitamins, and a 1/3-C serving provides 19% of the daily value for iron and 9% for chromium. These amounts are rare for vegetarian food.
Makes 4 servings
| ¼ C coconut oil | ½ C Nicoise pitted olives |
| 1 12- or 16-oz package kelp noodles | 1 C roast cashews, ideally curried or nori-flavored |
| 6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed | 1 C Maine Coast dulse, torn to pieces |
| 4 C broccoli florets, coarse chopped | ½ C nutritional yeast |
| 1 tsp good salt |
In the meantime, open kelp noodles and rinse. Cut into 2-inch pieces to make easier to eat. Leave in a colander to drip dry for about 5 minutes.
When garlic and broccoli are tender, add remaining ingredients to the same skillet. Mix well so everything is well-coated. Cover and cook over low heat for another couple of minutes.
I can’t say this tastes like pasta with pecorino romano, but there’s crunch, there’s saltiness, and there’s a cheesy flavor as well. And I can eat the whole pot-full myself if I want without guilt! And don’t you love the fact that nutritional/brewer’s yeast is a rich source of the B vitamins, the nerve and stress vitamins, AND is said to help prevent the breakdown of collagen?????