spaghetti squash alla carbonara

now I am not sick of these shitrataki noodles entirely but I wanted to try something tonight while sticking to our low cal tasty meals...  and as of late I am admittedly "into" the noodle sauce thing.  I'll get on to something else soon I promise but I'm not bored yet so here it is.
We have made some nice spaghetti squash dishes in the past, I usually make a marinara or fresh red sauce with it, sometimes a garlic butter sauce.
The other morning I left for McAllen I made myself some spaghetti (shirataki) alla carbonara I thought about the spaghetti squash I had lying around and wondered if this would work in a carbonara.  While I
cooked the squash i started the onions and bacon (I'm definitely getting some guanchale next time).   The bacon and onions cooked slowly for 30 mins or so on low.  Lotsa cracked pepper.  I threw Roma in (one diced flesh only) becuase it needed to be eaten before we go on our trip to Dallas.
I forked the squash and added to my bacon and onion mixture.  Took it off of the heat, then added the small egg whites, saving the yolk, then stirred in between a 1/4 and a 1/2 cup of parmesan reggiano.  plated in a bird nest and added the yolk just as I served...  it was the delicious.  I highly recommend it.

Spaghetti Squash  41 calories per cup x 5 cups = 205
bacon 41calories  per strip x 6 strips = 246
1 small cooked onion 26
1/4 cup parmesan 107
roma tomato 35
3 small eggs 53 x 3 =159

total calories for two servings 778
this meal was well under 5 bucks....

we had a salad too...

Rio Grande Valley

It's not a trip to the Rio Grande Valley with out a bowl of menudo.  This morning I had the pleasure of eating home made menudo.  I was hired to cook a 20 person poker party down here in the valley tonight and I arrived early to hang with my old friend, ex- restauranteur, and all around artistic tsunami.  He and his momma made this batch of "crudo" menudo for their annual new years day party (starts at 2am).  It's soothing and delicious and helped calm my stomach from the celebratory drinking the night before.
We decided on Paella...  it will be my take on the dish as it was shown to me by fellow chef and master guitarist, Diego Garcia.  the last one we did was on his birthday on an outdoor flame and we fed a hungry 12...  I have two pans and hope to food a hungry 20 poker playing men (and women) well.  I may sit on this game too and see what I can do.
We got 6 lbs of shrimp 8 lbs of chicken thighs and although Diego wold not approve of the combo, some andouille sausage...  the Rio Grande valley had a connection to New Orleans architecturally and I have noticed come ingredients made it here too.  Andouille is my homage to this bridge.

We found the proper carnaroli rice and saffron.  First task - the stock.  Players will be here in a couple of hours.  Pictures to come....   wish me luck.

Buray is heading to McAllen today to cook for 20 poker players, more on that later.  it's a five or six hour drive and I need some energy for that ride staying within my tasteful guidelines for a good meal.  Spaghetti alla carbonara
3 slices bacon - 129
shirataki noodles - 40
onion - 28
2 small eggs - 108
TBS pecorino romano - 22
total carbs = 327

total price
2 small eggs .25
shirataki noodles 1.25
onion .30
$1.80

begin by cubing the bacon and render fat on low heat.  add small diced onions (I used 3/4 of a small onion)  boil the water for noodles.  stir bacon and onion and add generous amount of cracked black pepper.  when the onions are soft (beyond translucent, starting to caramelize. do not burn) and the bacon is finished but not crispy.  add the drained shirataki to the boiling water for 2 minutes.  Turn off onions and bacon, drain noodles and add to onions and bacon.  stir with tongs and add two egg whites (save yolk) and stir with tongs....  add some pecorino romano or parmesan reggiano and stir.  plate and for a birds nest,  add the yolk in the center.

break yolk on plate and stir into noodles and enjoy.

Bury's momma thinks pictures are in order...  they are coming.  I ate this too soon.  and was unable to post  pic. 

low cal low cost going on here... look out spring!

did I mention that these calorie restricted meals are super cheap?  These shirataki noodles are fun to dress up.  I went to Sun Harvest on the way home today and here's what we ate.  Fettucini style noodles with an eggplant sauce.
2 packs noodles ($2.50)
I cubed and fried the eggplant ($0.88) in olive oil salt and pepper.  In a separate pan I slow cooked chopped garlic on low then added 1/4 onion and 1/2 stalk of celery I had lying around.  added two diced roma tomatoes ($0.43).
When the eggplant was done I added it to the garlic sauteing with onion and celery.  In the hot eggplant pan I sauteed about 3/4 lbs. chopped mushrooms ($1.23) in a little olive oil.  when they were done I transferred to the other pan and stirred before adding a 12 oz. can of fire roasted mur glen organic tomatoes ($1.50).
we sprinkled with pecorino romano

total cost for two bowls of fettucini with eggplant sauce $6.54 with left overs

as for calories lets try and figure them out too
small eggplant -- let's call it 250
2 roma tomato's (flesh only ) --  60
1/4 cup -- 15
2 packs shirataki noodles - 80
mur glen 14.5 can roasted tomatoes-- 140
TBS olive oil -- 119
pecorino romano- 40

that's a total of 704 calories for two big portions with left overs...

last nights dinner experiment + kid menu lunch

Italian sausage and Shiritaki noodles dressed with garlic and butter

Last night we tried shirataki noodles they have 40 calories per bag and are made up of tofu and yam flour.  They have a funny smell until you rinse them and cook them (don't overcook!)  I like the shiritaki.  You can load up on your topping and keep your caloric intake way down.  I chopped two large garlic cloves and let them simmer slow in a TBS of butter (120 calories) and at the last moment added one diced fresh roma tomato and TBS of chopped onion and green pepper to go with the grilled italian sausage.   Topped with pecorino romano.  I added the green pepper and onion only to subtly remind me of classic sausage and pepper dish found in lower Manhattan.  We were satisfied.  (I snuck in some dried new mexican green chili powder for heat)

Gluten free chicken strips with white gravy and honey dijon dip

lunch today will be a kid classic...  I pounded chicken tenders and removed the tendon.  dressed with garlic powder, salt and cayenne dredged in sorghum flour.  dipped in egg wash, and rolled in rice bread crumbs.  I fry them in a cast iron skillet with grape seed oil for health and it has a high burning point too.  and server with a white gravy....  made with 1 TBS sorghum flour and 1TBS butter for a roux add a couple of cups of milk and stir like hell.  when it's thick add salt and plenty of pepper to taste.  a white gravy is a basically a Bechamel sauce so i tossed a little pecorino Romano in there for flavor.

for kicks I made a dijon honey mustard sauce to there was a choice.

I will serve with a bird salad consisting of beets, cucumber, and avocado served over baby arugula and spinach with a store bought light blue cheese vinaigrette.  The bird loves her salad.  Normally I make a maple vinaigrette but we ran out of a crucial ingredient.  

1 part maple syrup

1 part dijon

1 part red wine vinegar

3 parts grape seed oil - add slow and whisk away until it emulsifies.

Buray and Cray Cray are goin on a diet

Buray is goin on a diet.  Buray does most of his own cooking around here and loves the flavor and the fat and tends to be heavy handed on the calories (which he is quite proud of).  Finding himself a few weeks past the holidays they with a few extra lbs. hangin around, he decided to cut 'em back a bit.
He decided to blog recipes and thoughts as he goes.
His girlfriends is Cray Cray and she has d'betes, he is gluten free and they both love to eat.  So this should be an interesting challenge.