A Very Salty Guest Post #6

My friend Roz at Weightingfor50 is a fun & fitness loving foodie with flair! So I knew she would turn this 1974 recipe for "Jackstraw LoMein" into a gourmet feast! She put her own spin on a Retro WW classic and made it into a modern day instant hit!

Jackstraw LoMein

8 onz cooked beef – cut into match like sticks

1 cup sliced celery

1/2 cup boiling water

1 cup shredded lettuce

1 1/3 cups cooked spaghetti

1 cup bean sprouts

1/4 cup beef bouillon

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tsp dry mustard

Several things went through my mind when I saw the recipe: “shredded lettuce that is going to be cooked – gross”? “I see sodium in my future, and lots of it.” “thank God there is no liver in this dish” and “this may not end well”. BUT….I gathered and prepared all the necessary ingredients and went forth.

Combine celery and boiling water in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 6 minutes. Water brought to a boil, celery in, timer set for 6 minutes. Check!

Add lettuce and cook for 2 minutes longer. Lettuce in, timer set for 2 more minutes. Check!

Drain. No check, pan was already dry.

Add spaghetti, bean sprouts and beef. Check!

Combine bouillon, soy sauce and mustard – mix well and pour over mixture in saucepan. Check!


Toss gently and serve. Not check.

Know what, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be (seems cooked lettuce has basically no flavour or texture at all) however, it was UBER salty (despite my lower sodium broth and soy sauce) but BLAND! (all capitals, VERY VERY bland!)

Luckily, I had a 2011 “contingency plan” on the counter in case it wasn’t to our tastes. Sorry Mimi and Jean Nidetch! I confess, I added some steamed red and yellow peppers, a bit of sesame oil, some hoisin sauce, garlic and some Chinese 5 spice powder.

Served with chopsticks…..and there you have it. The “Weighting for 50″ 1972 Retro Weight Watchers Experiment (with a 2011 twist).

Was the recipe edible? Absolutely! Was it enjoyable? No, can’t say it was, but once I doctored it up, dinner was a-ok! Our sodium levels are likely through the roof tonight, but other than that, I’d say the experiment was a success!