Stolen from “Maria Mind Body and Health” as posted on Facebook today.....
What exactly is imitation crab? First of all per serving, it has 15 to 20 grams of carbs! The last I checked crab didn't have any carbohydrates. So where do they come from? It starts with an overly processed white fish (Cod) and fortified with sugar, sugar, and more sugar. Cod is used primarily because it has a mild flavor that easily takes on the flavor of real crab meat, but also because it is cheap.
To create the "crab meat", they mince up the flesh of the fish, and suck out the water to make a thick paste known as surimi. Then they add starch (usually wheat or tapioca) to stiffen up the mixture. It wouldn't be our modern food supply without sugar...so they add that for a preservative so it can last forever in our fridge! Then they add egg whites to stabilize the "crab" which adds gloss and shine. Vegetable oil are also usually added to enhance the texture. If that wasn't gross enough... to create the proper color and flavor, manufacturers add a variety of artificial flavorings; such as, carmine, caramel, paprika, and annatto extract – which, also adds the pink color found in real crab meat. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is also found in some brands to help enhance the flavor. Now is that something you really want to eat?
So - there we go - if you have to have crab - splurge and go for the real stuff or better yet - wait for crab season next year and treat yourself to some locally made ‘crab backs’ - that’s something worth splurging on! But probably best avoided whilst on the serious IP phases because I’m sure it’s cooked with lashings of butter!
As for some interesting IP friendly nibbles - for those of you who have yet to try kale chips - get yourself a head of kale - chop off the stalks - make sure it’s super super dry then pop it on a baking sheet with a spray of olive oil, some sea salt and black pepper and some garlic and/or onion powder (optional) - pop it in the oven at around 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes and enjoy some crispy crunchy ‘chips’ - makes a good pre dinner nibble - you’ll want to eat it straight from the oven though as the kale doesn’t hold its crispiness for long.
Bon apetit!
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