Weight management has never been easy for me; I blame my Italian heritage for it 🙂 ! As I get older, I see my body changing and my slow metabolism becoming even slower. Other aspects of my life, such as food blogging (lots of eating and sitting most of the day in front of my computer), make things even more challenging and two pregnancies probably didn’t help either. Still, I try not to obsess too much about it. I keep fit with regular exercise and tend to balance out a restaurant review with light meals the next day.
My years of yo-yo dieting are definitely behind me though and I am much happier on a balanced diet than trying to lose weight by turning to meal replacements or starving myself.
Frustration often sets in when I want to eat something light, which is not salad, or if I am trying to shift a few extra pounds while still having a satisfying meal. A bowl of noodles or pasta is always high on my list of quick and easy fulfilling food.
A couple of weeks ago, I received some low-carb pasta and rice alternatives from Slendier to try out. Originally launched in Australia and New Zealand, their range of konjac noodles is now available from Morrisons and Amazon!
Konjac is a plant with a starchy corm high in a dietary fibre called glucomannan. Konjac flour is extracted from the corm to make the Slendier range of noodle, pasta and rice alternatives. The products are vegan as well as fat-free, sugar-free and gluten-free. They are also certified organic and suitable for coeliacs, diabetics and anyone on a FODMAP diet. All this with only 10 calories per 100g.
Rich in natural soluble fibre, the Slendier konjac range not only releases sugar slowly in your bloodstream but also keeps you fuller for longer.
Slendier konjac noodle, pasta and rice alternatives come pre-cooked and can be ready to use in just 1 minute. Each pack of 400g is enough for 2 servings. They are straightforward to prepare as you simply have to drain them and let them soak in hot water for a minute before draining them again. You can then add your favourite toppings.
Curious about how they would taste, I decided to try out the following recipes specifically developed by Slendier.
Slendier Primavera Pasta
I adapted the recipe below to suit seasonal ingredients and used vegetarian parmesan-style cheese. Still it was really tasty and I did enjoy this dish. The vermicelli-style noodles are similar to rice vermicelli noodles so maybe I personally would have preferred an Asian twist to this dish. The noodles were soft but not mushy or soggy. They held their shape really well, had a bit of a bite and did not stick together. This was an quick and easy meal to prepare. It made a really satisfying and filling healthy dinner.
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 pack of Slendier Vermicelli
½ lemon
½ cup frozen peas
½ bunch asparagus (thinly sliced)
75g snow peas (thinly sliced)
1 tsp olive oil
1 courgette (trimmed and thinly sliced)
4 courgette flowers
1 garlic clove (crushed)
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
150mL thickened cream (light)
2 Tbsp shaved parmesan cheese (to serve)
Method
- Prepare Slendier Vermicelli as per instructions on the back of the packet. Set aside.
- Use a peeler to remove the rind from half the lemon. Using a sharp small knife remove white pith from lemon rind and cut into thin strips.
- Juice the lemon into a jug.
- In a saucepan full of boiling water add the peas, asparagus and snow peas, cook for 1 minute or until bright green and crisp. Remove from water and drain.
- Heat oil in a frying pan over high heat. Add courgette and courgette flowers and cook tossing for 2 mins (or until tender). Transfer to bowl. Add garlic to the pan and cook for 1 min. Add mustard and cream, lemon juice and half the zest. Bring to the boil. Cook for 2 mins or until sauce thickens. Add courgette and Slendier Vermicelli and combine. Season with salt and pepper is necessary.
- Spoon mixture among bowls, top with lemon zest and parmesan. Serve warm.
Slendier Sicilian Lentil Spaghetti
Tasty and easy to prepare this dish makes a substantial and hearty meal. Slendier Konjac Spaghetti are slightly thicker than regular spaghetti and have an al-dente texture. I share this dish between two meals and the next day that pasta still held its shape, bite and did not clump together.
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 packet Slendier Spaghetti
2 cloves garlic crushed
400g can brown lentils, drained
1 teaspoon dry chilli powder
1 onion, finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1/2 courgette, sliced
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon olive oil
Parsley to garnish
Method
- Prepare Slendier Spaghetti as per instructions on the pack and set aside.
- In a large saucepan, add the oil and gently heat; add the onion, garlic and cook until softened.
- Add the celery and courgette to the pan. Cook until tender.
- Add the canned tomato, dry chilli and tomato puree.
- Reduce the heat and simmer. Add drained brown lentils and stir. Toss in the prepared Slendier Spaghetti and heat through.
Slendier Greek Style stuffed Tomato
This recipe was definitely the lighest option from the three recipes I tried. It takes no time to prepare and is really tasty. I like to blend of herbs, spices and feta. Slendier rice style is not as bulky as regular rice which means that these stuffed tomatoes are not as filling as conventional ones. But as the portions allows for three tomatoes per person we were quite full by the end of our meal.
Ingredients
1 Packet Slendier rice style
6 Large ripe tomatoes
2 Garlic cloves crushed
1 Small brown onion diced
1 Lemon Juiced
2 Teaspoons dried oregano
2 Teaspoon fresh parsley finely chopped
1 Teaspoon cinnamon
50 Grams low fat, reduced salt feta cheese crumbled
2 Teaspoons fresh mint
1 Teaspoon olive oil
Olive spray
Salt and pepper if desired
Tzatziki
1 /2 Cup low fat natural yogurt
1 Small cucumber, halved, seeded and grated
1 Teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 Cup fresh mint leaves finely chopped
Method
1. Prepare Slendier Rice style as per instructions on pack and set aside.
2. Pre heat the oven to Fan 180°C. Using a sharp knife cut about 2 cm off the stem end of the tomato. Reserve tops. Using a teaspoon, carefully hollow out the tomatoes leaving 1/2-1 cm thick shells be careful to not puncture the sides. Place tomato pulp in strainer and drain liquid. Roughly drained pulp and set aside.
3. Gently heat a medium frying pan add oil. Add crushed garlic, onion and cook until softened. Remove from heat.
4. In a large bowl add cooked garlic, onion, herbs, Slendier rice style, lemon juice, chopped tomato pulp, cinnamon and crumbled feta.
5. Spoon mixture evenly into tomato shells then place into a lightly greased baking dish. Place tomato lids on top of tomato ; lightly spray with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender.
7. Serve warm or cold with tzatziki.
Overall, I was quite impressed by Slendier konjac range. The products are really versatile, even though to my mind, their rice noodle texture suits Asian recipes best. I really like the fact that they
are so quick and easy to prepare. You can get a healthy meal in no time instead of reaching out for some unhealthy food. Slendier konjac has a neutral taste so it absorbs other flavours from the food it is being cooked with.
The low calorie content make Slendier konjac ideal if you want to lose some weight and in many ways they are a much better alternative for weight management than typical diet foods. The recipes I tried include tons of fresh ingredients which meant that I was left completely satisfied at the end of the meals. Also being high in dietary fibre means that I stayed fuller for longer, avoiding mid-afternoon cravings.
If you fancy trying out Slendier konjac range for yourself I have a bundle up for grabs below. It includes five products (rice, noodle, fettuccine, spaghetti and vermicelli), as well as a Slendier wooden spoon, apron, recipe book, nutritional guide and cotton bag. The perfect combo to get back in shape after the holiday season.
Slendier Konjac range is available from Morrisons SRP £2.50 per pack. You can find out more information about the range here.
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This is a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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