qetoe fettucine seafood marinara...is it better than the real deal?

 ok culinary peeps...the time has arrived to test the claims of qetoe organic low carb fettuccini. it's gluten free, high in protein, much lower in carbs and claims  to be like pasta, only better. mm...well i dare them to say that to a nonna or a member of the mob. i can tell you what might happen, the nonna will take off her slipper(sooshi mango style) and beat you senseless. and well the mob, let's just say, use your imagination, it won't be pretty. i am fairly sure they may consider that claim a heinous culinary crime.

i will clarify that i don't receive anything for this post, considering the number of followers i have, if i did it would most likely amount to a 30 cent discount, lol. first up let me say it is not exactly terrible and i was seduced by the insta ad spruiking the wonders of this miracle pasta alternative. being prone to diabetes and curious, i thought i would trial it and give you my verdict. but before you get excited and think this is the answer to your pasta dreams, go down to drakes and buy yourself a box before you invest your time and money, by purchasing online. a box of fettuccini set me back $6.55 which is considerably more than a generic brand or even a more recognised brand of pasta. i also thought being another gluten free alternative, some of my coeliac friends might consider it (but unlikely) after they finish reading my post, hee-hee.

however, there is definitely a nutritional difference between the two...so here is the comparison between 150 gram cooked portions

qetoe fettucini per 150gms contains 157 calories

18.6 gms of protein, 3.0 gms of fat, 9.3 gms of carbohydrates, 9.0 gms of fibre and 6mg of sodium

average nutritional analysis of cooked fettuccini per 150gms contains 196 calories

7.72 gms of protein, 1.58 gms of fat, 37.4 gms of carbohydrates and 9.0 gms of sodium, there was no fibre content listed

so there you have it viewers when you do the nutritional comparison, qetoe does appear superior. however, it is made from non GMO soybeans and that could be another nutritional debate but i am not here to argue about that, just deliver my verdict. and unbeknown to Lovie she is going to be my unsuspecting food guinea pig later on...

you can decide what you would like to serve with the qetoe fettuccini. i went for a tried and tested simple seafood marinara sauce, made with just one extra teaspoon of olive oil, to keep the fat and sugar content down.

i cooked the fettuccini according to the box instructions but for 4 mins instead of 5. i tasted it unflavored and it had a springy like texture, perhaps more of a nutty like flavour. it certainly was not terrible by any means ( and definitely better than those konjac noodles) but in my opinion if it ain't broke don't fix it. however, as an alternative for those who must adhere to a far more strict dietary regime and are happy to spend some extra dollars, then by all means try it and see what you think. this product did not affect my blood sugars at all. so a good reason to consider it.

my suggestion would be to cook half a box at a time, use the fettuccini as a noodle  or pasta substitute for two meals and save one meal for the next day. and for that unsuspecting Lovie? she tried it, said it was nice, definitely passable but you gotta remember she is a pensioner...HOW MUCH ??? 😂

the qetoe range comes in spaghetti, noodles and rice. they can be purchased on line at qetoefoods.com.au

so it is up to you peeps whether you feel it is worth an investment but if your blood sugar levels are normal and you are not a chubarella addicted to sugar then i would just stick to a normal serve of pasta and don't be a guts and go for seconds. i am not a fan of an incessant need to replace foods with their imposter alternatives. we live in a world where the diet/food industry makes billions of dollars making us believe there is magic. the magic is in the marketing designed to sell a ton of products to the consumer. out of curiosity and sometimes desperation i have tried many but for me it is not quite the same. give me some 70% dark chocolate anytime to the sugar free versions...

motherfodder teriyaki sauce

 

welcome to 2024 viewers. have you over indulged? helped yourself to 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th helpings? are you dare i say it in need of a health awakening? yes i am being kind, basically it is code for have you become a fat motherfodder? whether consciously or unconsciously? and  if you have women (predominantly) in your family circle who make master chef look like amateurs, well of course that is understandable. you know what? i don’t give a fud. you do you and i will do me, but 2024 involves no resolutions, just simple commitments and mine is to utilise my favourite drug of choice food against those aunties, mothers, grandmothers and whoever the fud else attacks you with a 5000-calorie bomb, designed to annihilate your resistance. rumour has it that the stara baba’s are the worst…and giving in to a friend’s suggestion i have gone for motherfodder instead of what i originally had in mind. besides fodder also means food and anyone who knows me, also knows that i am partial to infusing some colourful language into my vocabulary. apparently, it is a sign of high intelligence, so I’ll take it.

to begin the year i will be researching and investigating alternatives and actually also creating my own recipes for the blood sugar challenged, the gluten intolerant. but also, there will be no complete ban on sugar itself. those recipes will be more of hey i need a cake for a girl's catch up gossip session or something just too irresistible not to share. in fact, i have already found one for a lemon curd cake, mm…anything lemon or dark chocolate i am a complete food hostage but i shall save that for later…

so here we go viewers, first recipe off the rank is one that i found for a gluten free teriyaki sauce. i also made this sugar free using lakanto brown sugar replacement, it doesn’t affect one’s blood sugar and is derived from monk fruit. but if you prefer to use sugar then be my guest. and if you are not bothered by gluten free well consider yourself fortunate that you are not in the section of population that has to be seriously mindful. and if you have a visual intolerance, yes apparently that is a thing, then don’t bother, for fud’s sake just get over it or confine yourself to eating cardboard for the rest of your culinary life.

this recipe comes from onelovelylife.com under homemade teriyaki sauce. the taste is good but way too much corn flour as it congeals in the fridge. this can be offset by warming it up or loosening it with some hot water. next time I shall go for 1-2 tspns gluten free corn starch because i think that will work. it makes a good plus cupful and can be refrigerated for up to a week. my recommendation would be to use it to marinate chicken tenderloins which i did to make into chunk size chicken kebabs which is a fraction of the cost of those store-bought ones. an excellent protein snack that can be added to sandwiches, wraps, stir fry’s, salads, or just eaten on its own. i also used it to marinate my salmon chunks to test the viral salmon sushi cups that were all the culinary rage last year. yes, they look good, seaweed comes out crisp but not sure i am a fan of eating these warm. i suspect letting them cool will cause the seaweed to become soft. personally, i would use the sauce for the salmon again and the chicken and make regular sushi or alternatively salmon or chicken bowls.

3 of these salmon cups will set you back roughly and i say this as i am not going to be making any exact analysis. it's pretty simple, you eat too much and your guchas(undies) will know about it and constrict your blood flow. not good for blokes i suspect, hee-hee but some wives might consider that a bonus if one is to be believe the married sex myth. i will do my best where i can but roughly 30 gms of protein, 26gms of fat, 5gms of carbs and 375 calories. not bad for a lunch. i would just make a salmon rice bowl and add some veggies to it for added fibre and that will still make a relatively low carb and gluten free tasty option.

recipe (homemade teriyaki sauce based upon onelovelylife.com)

·         1/3 cup low-sodium gluten-free tamari (or soy sauce if not GF)

·         2/3 cup water

·         3 Tablespoons Lakanto brown sugar replacement (available from Coles) or brown sugar if you are not going SF

·         1 Tablespoon rice vinegar

·         1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

·         1 clove garlic

·         1/2 teaspoon black pepper

·         1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

·         2 tspns gluten free corn starch (or arrowroot, for paleo) + 1  Tablespoon water to make into a paste

·         Optional: 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

 

INSTRUCTIONS

TO MAKE TERIYAKI SAUCE:

1.   In a small saucepan, combine tamari, water, sugar, vinegar, ginger, garlic, 1/2 tsp. pepper and sesame oil. Whisk to combine.

2.   In a small bowl, whisk together corn starch and. water. Pour this slurry into the pan with the teriyaki sauce ingredients.

3.   Stir, cooking over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Stir 1-2 minutes, or until stir-fry sauce has thickened. Stir in sesame seeds, if using.

4.   Remove sauce from heat and enjoy! Pour over stir-fried veggies, brush onto chicken or salmon, or stir into rice.

5.   Storage Note: Sauce will thicken significantly in the refrigerator, so you’ll want to reheat it on the stove or in the microwave to loosen it up before using any leftovers. Teriyaki sauce will keep 1 week in the fridge.

Use as desired, as a stir-fry add to your ingredients towards the end to coat all veggie’s and proteins, as a marinade, let marinate for a couple of hours or overnight in the fridge.

sushi salmon cups, just follow the photo and bake at 200 degrees celsius for 15 mins ( cut sushi sheets into 4, add rice and press into a regular muffin tin)