Matt Lewis
10-21-2003, 08:48 AM
This recipe does contain protein in the form of tofu. However, as a sauce, it is up to the individual how much to add and therefore can be easily regulated. Remember, protein is important to everyone's diet, but cystinuria warrants careful protein monitoring.
I love this recipe!! A few notes about me... i LOVE italian food, i LOVE fettucine alfredo, and i absolutely won't eat tofu. I think the stuff is afwul. However, this is a tofu based recipe that i'd eat in a heartbeat, any night of the week. It's light, almost (or can be) dairy free, has a fraction of the fat normally associated with alfredo, has great vegtible content, and is just downright GOOD! Don't believe me? Give it a try... it's a very simple and fast recipe.
Leave yourself about 15 minutes from start to finish!
Here's what you're going to need:
1) fettucine pasta (i prefer a whole wheat or spinach-based), enough for about 4 people.
2) a good sized bushel of thin asparagus
3) 2 tablespoons of butter/margarine (i use "Smart Balance" spread and find it to be great!!)
4) 2 cloves garlic
5) one 12.3 oz package of firm silk Tofu.
6) 1/2 cup of milk (skim or lowfat.. i use 2%) Also, rice or soy milk can be subsituted.
7) 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
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First, get the asparagus steaming. I like to steam it for about 10 minutes so that it is cooked but still has a crispness to it.
Second, get the pasta cooking. Depending on what kind you get, you might want to start this later, when the asparagus is closer to being done. Fresh and some dried pastas cook up in
about 2 minutes. From a box it usually takes about 10. The packaging should be able to give you a better estimate.
Third, prepare the alfredo sauce!! This is the part that is pure magic to me. First, mince the 2 cloves of garlic, and saute them for about 2 or 3 minutes in the 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Then add to this in a food processer the package of silk tofu and the 1 teaspoon of salt. blent briefly until completely smooth and creamy... this shouldn't take long!! Take the sauce and heat it in a small pot until it's nice and warm. Stir in come cracked pepper.
When the asparagus and pasta are finished cooking (remember to drain the pasta!), add them together and top with the warmed sauce. I like to serve the pasta 1st, top it with asparagus and finally sauce, but if you're making it for more than two people you might just want to mix it all together before serving. I also like to top it with a little coarsely grated parmesian and a few sun dried tomatos, but these are both very optional.
There you have it. A super low fat, super low dairy alternative to the traditional fettucine alfredo, and it also makes a good meal for a cystinuric watching his or her protein intake because how much "protein" added is up to how much sauce you use!! The asparagus is great for vegtible content as well, which is also an important factor in a cystinurics diet. I hope you all enjoy!! Let me know what you think!
(sorry for the quick and messy spelling!)
Kind Regards,
matt
I love this recipe!! A few notes about me... i LOVE italian food, i LOVE fettucine alfredo, and i absolutely won't eat tofu. I think the stuff is afwul. However, this is a tofu based recipe that i'd eat in a heartbeat, any night of the week. It's light, almost (or can be) dairy free, has a fraction of the fat normally associated with alfredo, has great vegtible content, and is just downright GOOD! Don't believe me? Give it a try... it's a very simple and fast recipe.
Leave yourself about 15 minutes from start to finish!
Here's what you're going to need:
1) fettucine pasta (i prefer a whole wheat or spinach-based), enough for about 4 people.
2) a good sized bushel of thin asparagus
3) 2 tablespoons of butter/margarine (i use "Smart Balance" spread and find it to be great!!)
4) 2 cloves garlic
5) one 12.3 oz package of firm silk Tofu.
6) 1/2 cup of milk (skim or lowfat.. i use 2%) Also, rice or soy milk can be subsituted.
7) 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
--------------------------------------------------
First, get the asparagus steaming. I like to steam it for about 10 minutes so that it is cooked but still has a crispness to it.
Second, get the pasta cooking. Depending on what kind you get, you might want to start this later, when the asparagus is closer to being done. Fresh and some dried pastas cook up in
about 2 minutes. From a box it usually takes about 10. The packaging should be able to give you a better estimate.
Third, prepare the alfredo sauce!! This is the part that is pure magic to me. First, mince the 2 cloves of garlic, and saute them for about 2 or 3 minutes in the 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Then add to this in a food processer the package of silk tofu and the 1 teaspoon of salt. blent briefly until completely smooth and creamy... this shouldn't take long!! Take the sauce and heat it in a small pot until it's nice and warm. Stir in come cracked pepper.
When the asparagus and pasta are finished cooking (remember to drain the pasta!), add them together and top with the warmed sauce. I like to serve the pasta 1st, top it with asparagus and finally sauce, but if you're making it for more than two people you might just want to mix it all together before serving. I also like to top it with a little coarsely grated parmesian and a few sun dried tomatos, but these are both very optional.
There you have it. A super low fat, super low dairy alternative to the traditional fettucine alfredo, and it also makes a good meal for a cystinuric watching his or her protein intake because how much "protein" added is up to how much sauce you use!! The asparagus is great for vegtible content as well, which is also an important factor in a cystinurics diet. I hope you all enjoy!! Let me know what you think!
(sorry for the quick and messy spelling!)
Kind Regards,
matt