Low-Carb Hawaiian Haystacks

Low-Carb Hawaiian Haystacks

Now, I know that some of you who are reading this are scratching your head and thinking,

"What the heck is a Hawaiian Haystack?"

while the other half is thinking,

"I've had those before!"

While pretty much nobody can find the origination of the "Hawaiian Haystack", we can pretty much assume that it didn't come from Hawaii. It must be the pineapple and coconut on top that makes us housewives all it "Hawaiian".

I have desperately missed the wonderful combination of flavors while on this low-carb adventure of mine, and thought of a way to make it work for my new lifestyle. A "normal" hawaiian recipe a bowl of a hodge podge of ingredients that really shouldn't go together but magically do. Usually a towering bowl of rice, chicken in a creamy mushroom sauce, cheese, veggies and fruit and topped with slivered almonds, it is not- low carb friendly. Well, here is my low-carb version my friends...

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Hawaiian Haystacks

7 Net carbs per serving (if you include all the toppings)

3 from veggies

Serves 6

Base:

4 chicken breasts sliced in bite-size pieces

5 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup onion

2 garlic cloves

1 package (about 3 cups) mushrooms

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

3 packages shirataki noodles

toppings:

2 celery stalks, sliced.

cheddar cheese

1/2 unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup FRESH pineapple

1 1/2 cups cut green beans (warmed thorough)

1/2 cup slivered, blanched almonds

Tamari soy sauce if wanted

1. Cook chicken in a large nonstick skillet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray until browned and cooked through. Set aside.

2. In the same pan over high heat, add butter and let melt until no longer bubbling. Add onion and garlic cloves and cook until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds-1 minute. Add in 1/2 cup chicken broth and let simmer until reduced by about half (about 8 minutes). Reduce heat to medium and while continuously stirring, add in the 1 cup of cream. Keep stirring until thickened, about 5 minutes, set aside.

3. Drain and heat your shirataki noodles according to package directions. Divide into six bowls.

4. Add a scoop of the chicken and mushroom mixture to each bowl and top with cheese, green beans, celery, coconut, pineapple and almonds. Add Tamari to taste.

Enjoy!