Coffin Crisp, Glycemic Index

My all time favourite candy bar is Coffee Crisp. However the regular ones are someone full of calories. About a year ago, I found mini Coffee Crisps - presumably made for Hallowe'en. They are just the right size for me and are only 60 calories. I don't eat them often, but have just run out of the most recent packet (they usually come in 10s) so when we went shopping I went looking for more, couldn't see them anywhere. Then I spied Coffin Crisp!! Of course Hallowe'en is coming up again soon. This year they are packed differently and the candy bars themselves are wrapped in black paper instead of gold. Otherwise they are exactly the same as the other mini coffee crisps. Looking for pictures I see people have done all kinds of things with them like decorating with icing to make them look like mummies. Coffee Crisp wasn't available in North Carolina, or at least not where we lived, it is made by Nestlé and I could eat them til the cows come home, or I guess until they made me ill. I don't, of course.

Oops, I forgot, I am guest posting at The Really Real Housewives of America again today.

I found this interesting this morning on Good Morning America. The Glycemic Index has come under attack after research. I never bothered with it myself but I know many people did. It turns out that the same foods can have different effects on different people. Also, the same food can change according to the way it is cooked or prepared. As a diabetic I ate as sensibly as I knew how. and it appears to have worked in my case, especially having lost weight. I never followed diabetic recipes but just recipes for what I considered good food. Everything in moderation. I guess I am lucky in as much as my parents both were interested in food and preparing it although my mother did most of it. There was nothing she couldn't prepare. Julie and Julia was about a young woman following Julia Child's recipes, I guess you could say my mother would have been Grace and Isabella (Beeton). Originally that was my mother's bible and considering, when she met my father, she didn't even know how to make a bacon sandwich, she learnt a heck of a lot. She was a much better cook than I am.

This recipe is from Zoomer Magazine (I get an email version) and was part of 7 Marvellous Meatless Recipes. The first one I saw looked delicious but it turned out to be gnocchi which is one of the few things I do not like. Don't know why. This one did appeal to me though.

Creamy Peanut Noodles with Tofu

If there was ever a customizable recipe, this is it. As written, tender udon noodles are tossed in a smooth and creamy peanut butter sauce (so lip-smackingly good it should be bottled!), along with sautéed tofu, red peppers and edamame. Don't prefer tofu? Swap it out for chicken or shrimp and add veggies of your choice, with the same delicious results.

Ingredients

1lb udon noodles
1(350g/12oz) package extra firm tofu
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups shelled edamame, steamed and drained
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely grated
1 cup bean sprouts

Creamy Peanut Butter Sauce

½ cup smooth peanut butter
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup warm water
¼ cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp honey
½ tsp lime zest
¼ tsp chili sauce, we like Sriracha

Garnish

1/3 cup chopped roasted, salted peanuts
2 tbsp chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
Lime wedges

Directions

1) In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook udon noodles until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again and set aside.

2) Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes lay on paper towels to absorb excess moisture. Heat vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the tofu for 2-3 minutes on each side to lightly sear the outside set aside.

3) For the peanut sauce, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, water, parsley, rice vinegar, lime juice, honey, lime zest and chili sauce in a blender until smooth.

4) In a large bowl, toss together udon noodles, tofu, peanut sauce, edamame, red pepper, carrots and bean sprouts. Mix to coat well. Garnish with chopped peanuts, parsley and lime wedges. Serve immediately.

Serves 6-8

Have a great day