October 1, 2011

Turkey Taco Pasta Skillet (Low Carb) + a Giveaway

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Can you believe it’s October 1st already? Astonishing how fast the days can go, especially in the whirlwind that comes with the start of school and a new routine. Did you know that October is National Pasta Month? For once, I am actually in the know with these food holidays, and I am getting out in front by posting a pasta recipe on the very first day of the month. You may not think that as a diabetic I have much to celebrate during National Pasta Month, and it’s true that I don’t eat a lot of pasta. But this pasta is a little different. This is Dreamfields – perhaps you’ve heard of it. It’s on more and more grocery store shelves these days, and as a diabetic, it’s the only pasta I eat.

I first heard of Dreamfields when I started posting on some diabetes forums, trying to figure out how to manage my glucose levels. There were numerous threads about it, because Dreamfields pasta is technically low carb. How so, you ask? Well, although a serving has 41g of carbs (about the same as other pastas), it only has 5g of DIGESTIBLE carbs. The rest are fiber and “protected carbs”, which are indigestible by the body. I don’t know the whys and the wherefores of how they make it this way, and as it’s a patent-pending process, they are not really telling on their website. But they have run clinical studies on their product and it appears to work for a lot of people. Dreamfields has a much lower glycemic index than other pastas, so it’s a good product for anyone watching their carbs. And I can say from personal experience that in taste and texture, it is exactly like regular pasta. So when they contacted me and asked if I’d be interested in developing a recipe and doing a giveaway, I jumped at the chance.

But it couldn’t be just any recipe. It had to be a Stovetop Savior recipe. Huh? A what? Dreamfields challenged a few of us bloggers to come up with a one-pot pasta dish, one that was made entirely on the stove-top and didn’t require multiple pots for the sauce and the pasta. The sort of meal you can make in under an hour, with minimal clean-up. In my house, we call these skillet pastas and we have a number of good recipes from other cookbooks. So the challenge for me was to come up with my own version, one that would appeal to my kids and could be made in a single pot. So how to put my own little twist on this? I spied a package of ground turkey in our freezer and it all came to me. My kids adore a quick meal my husband makes that we simply call Turkey Tacos, which we usually serve with tortillas. Why not put the taco fixings all in one pot, along with the pasta?

Now, before I get to the recipe and the giveaway, I want to say a few quick things about Dreamfields pasta. As a diabetic who manages her glucose through diet and exercise alone, it is imperative to me that I don’t raise my blood sugar too high. Diabetes is a strange disease, and what works for one person doesn’t always work for another. So while I find that Dreamfields is not bad on my glucose levels, others may not find the same thing. I also stick well within the suggested serving size, because it’s no longer very low carb if I go to town on it. It is also very important to not overcook this pasta…doing so renders the “protected carbs” more digestible and therefore more likely to spike one’s glucose. And because of this, reheating the leftovers is also an issue for diabetics. I actually undercook it by a minute or two and have found that it’s still nicely al dente and perfect for eating.

I don’t allow myself pasta very often, but if I’m craving it as a comfort meal, Dreamfields is the only one I make.

The Giveaway:

Dreamfields will send one lucky reader a few boxes of their pasta, which comes in 7 different varieties.

US residents only please!

To enter: Leave me a comment and tell me how much you love me. Or just leave a comment.

Additional Entries (leave a separate comment for each):
1. Follow me on Twitter
2. Follow me on Facebook
3. Retweet this giveaway and let me know you did.

Contest will run until midnight on Thursday, October 6th, at which time I will pick a winner randomly.

***And please, please, please leave me a way to get ahold of you!!!***

And now for the RECIPE! Which, by the way, was a fabulous meal. Kids loved it, husband loved it, didn’t take overly long to prepare and there was only one pan to clean afterwards. And I tested my glucose afterwards and was in range. It’s a keeper!

If carbs aren’t an issue for you, you can make this with regular pasta too. The instructions are the same. I added some beans to this recipe, but I eat around them to stay lower carb. They are more for my husband and kids.

Turkey Taco Pasta Skillet

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 lb ground turkey
1 package taco seasoning (I use Trader Joe’s brand, just spices, no preservatives or MSG)
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1 lb Dreamfields Rotini
2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth (I use homemade)
2 cups cooked black beans (optional – I put these in for my kids and husband)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese, divided
1 avocado, chopped, for garnish

In a large, 12 -inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add onion and salt and cook until soft and translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the ground turkey and taco seasoning and cook until turkey is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Break up any clumps with the back of a wooden spoon.

Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juices, and then add rotini. Pour broth over pasta and stir to combine. Cover and bring to a simmer, then lower heat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is cooked, 9 to 10 minutes.

Stir in 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese. Serve with avocados and remaining cheese for garnish.

Serves 8. Each serving has a total of 38g of carbs and 5.75g of fiber. But if you take the “protected carbs” of the pasta into account, each serving has only 7.25g of carbs. (Note that this carb count does NOT include the beans, as I assume that those on a low carb diet will skip the beans).

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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