Guest Post #3 - A Carb Dilemma?

This Retro WW Guest Post Submission comes to us all the way from Australia. Yes, folks... The Retro WW love is spreading world-wide! We are officially an International movement for Pete's Sake! Please do enjoy my new friend Georgia's rendition of an old favorite...

Hi, I’m Georgia, food lover and former Weight Watcher. You can find my ramblings over at http://fabulousfoodandalittlefrolicking.blogspot.com/.

As a lover of all Italian carbs (who isn’t?!), I was initially thrilled when Mimi sent me my Retro WW Recipe for “Spaghetti”. However, those pesky inverted commas got the better of me, and my “Spaghetti” was...umm…rather lacking in the carb department! Here’s why:

“Spaghetti” (1966)

2 tsp dehydrated onion flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper
12 oz. tomato juice
1 tsp sugar substitute
large can bean sprouts

Cook first 6 ingredients together to make think sauce. Simmer about 1 hour. Drain & rinse sprouts. Cook until soft. Dry thoroughly. Pour sauce over sprouts.

Sadly, I was unable to emulate the recipe in full – tinned bean sprouts are not available in Australian supermarkets. I suspect they were circa 1966, but can only be thankful that the fresh variety has superseded their canned counterpart.

So what can I say? Unnecessarily sweet, insipid and a ridiculously long cooking time (I can’t begin to describe how strange it feels to simmer what is essentially just tomato juice for an hour), and yet kinda brilliant...in a 1960s onion flakey, bean shoot-y way!

I’m not sure that I can say I’m an advocate of the sauce, but in a moment of health-inspired madness, the concept of using bean sprouts as a pasta substitute could just be a winner. Next time perhaps the bean shoots could be paired with a more traditional meaty bolognaise sauce…but let’s not forget to keep the 1960s theme alive with a prawn cocktail for starters and a nice cherry brandy to round out the meal. On second thought, perhaps not!