Miracle Rice

You may have also heard of Shirataki, although these are not the same. Generally the Shirataki in the stores has soy, Miracle Noodle has none. I avoid soy and prefer this. If you are hoping this will be just like rice, it won't be, I will assure of that now. But if you are looking for a substitute, that has virtually zero calories and carbs, and has a similar texture and usage, this is your baby!

I have a bunch of rice, fettuccine and angel hair, I got it all on a special online deal. It is made of a healthy natural fiber called Glucomannan, you can pretty much eat as much as you want, feel full and satisfied and not worry about the calories. 

The bag also has health claims, but I am not aware of any real health benefits, only the fact that a bag of this won't cause your blood sugar to spike like a bowl or rice will! Now that Cooper has gone away to school, David and I are eating more of the same foods...not all the same but close. Tonight I was making some Miracle Noodles, Spanish style, he would have fingerling potatoes.

The noodles (rice)  smell when you open them, be sure to rinse them well, then boil a couple minutes and then place in a colander to drain, or on a paper towel. They will be heated later in the sauce.

I love to experiment and this one evolved quickly. I put a small amount of olive oil in a pan, and added three thinly sliced garlic cloves and let them heat just a couple minutes, I didn't brown them. I then added two large heirloom tomatoes that had been finely chopped, about a cup and a half (I found them in my purse, it's a long story but I was at a Tomato Dinner....).

I then let it cook down a bit and added a splash of balsamic vinegar, about a tablespoon. I decided it needed more so I added a teaspoon of Spanish smoked paprika, some black pepper and a big pinch of saffron threads. I love saffron and get big containers when I visit my brother in Spain, or he brings it here.

It was looking a little dry so I added some water, or you could add broth. I think I put in about a 1/4 cup. I wanted it slightly liquid, but not saucy, this would coat the rice only. I added the cooked Miracle Rice. 

I mixed the rice thoroughly in the sauce, until it was all nicely coated.

I then served it with grilled wild salmon and grilled radicchio that had been coated in a balsamic vinaigrette. I found a nice squeeze of lemon was superb on the rice. It was fantastic! This is a great side dish, and will help you feel like you ate a huge meal (if you want to feel that way).

Guess who ate several bites and asked if I might share it with him next time?

David!

I will be making this again and again, and have several ideas to change it up a bit.