Let's talk Kelp shall we? What is it & How to Eat it

Yesterday I was released (unsupervised) into my local Natural Food Store. What I came out with was my staple baking needs...and Kelp Noodles. When I got home and Brandon was unpacking the groceries he laughed when he saw them saying that when he met me he never thought that he'd find anything like 'kelp noodles' coming anywhere near me. Well SURPRISE!! Kelp noodles were purchased and after the past couple of days, I can promise you that there are here to stay.

I'm always looking for good pasta/carb alternatives that won't derail my nutrition goals, that are gluten-free and that above all, are delicious. Miracle noodles have been, well...a miracle for those nights where I want pasta or a really satisfying stirfry but now I have a new kid on the block...enter: Kelp Noodles. Found at many health food stores or asian grocery stores Kelp Noodles are a gluten-free, (almost) calorie-free option that come in a bag in the refrigerated section. My naturopath Erin Wiley has been trying to up my intake of sea veggies since I met because of their amazing nutrition benefits (including thyroid support for us hypothyroiders out there) but until now I hadn't found a way to stomach sea veggies. Now, after finding kelp noodles,  I think it's fair to say that my miracle noodles may get jealous because I've found a new love to explore.

Technically you can eat them right out of the bag. The texture raw is quite crunchy. You might prefer to eat them like that, or if you're like me and prefer them soft, you can blanch them and add them to salad, or add them to your stirfry early on and allow them to cook and soften up. They have a neutral flavour and will soak up whatever flavours you are cooking with (much in the same way as tofu).

For my first adventures with kelp noodles I tried out two recipes.

For the first, I used the curry sauce from my Easy Chicken Curry recipe and added in ground chicken. It was fabulous and so satisfying!

Then today I decided to make a shrimp stirfry. First using 1 tsp of coconut oil and lots of garlic powder I steamed and sauteed one bunch of chopped red chard. Once it was tender, I added in cooked shrimp, and 1/2 package of kelp noodles, with a ton of dried chili peppers and a tbsp of soya sauce. Once the noodles had softened I heaped the mixture on top of mixed greens, topped the whole business off with goat's cheese and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. It was awesome, very nutrient dense and totally guilt free!

Highly recommended!