DROP IT LIKE ITS HOT

LASDI©

It is SO HARD during the holidays to eat healthy, isn't it??  What is it about the season that makes us (me included!) think that it's a free-for-all?  Well this year I have been super-intentional about making sure The Hubster and I don't constantly indulge, but rather try to make healthy foods that taste rich and delicious; like we're not missing out.

So for Meatless Monday (which does NOT sound rich and delicious, does it?) I decided to make something souper-rich (see what I did just there?) with an Asian flare.  And this low-almost-no carb meatless dish did NOT disappoint!  Hot soup on a cold day!  PS  This is so easy it shouldn't taste like the indulgence we experienced!

CARAMELIZED ONION AND EGG DROP SOUP

1 onion, halved, both halves sliced thinly

3 tbs extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

1 tsp sea salt

pepper

32 oz box chicken broth

1/4 cup soy sauce

3 green onion, chopped coarsely

3 eggs

1 tbs water

2 tbs sesame oil

Sprinkle evoo into a soup pot and heat on medium-high for about one minute.  Add onions, stir, and let them cook, untouched, for about three minutes.  Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste, stir, and let them cook, untouched, for another three minutes.  Stir, and let cook, untouched for another five minutes. or until caramelized and brown.  Pour chicken broth and soy sauce over onion and bring to a boil, add green onions then turn heat down to low.  Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes and turn heat back up to medium.  Whisk eggs and water in a separate bowl until well-blended and a little frothy.  Slowly pour into the soup mixture, whisking the soup as the eggs go in.  Cook an additional minute or two.  Turn off heat, add sesame oil and gently stir.  Serve with garlic sesame not-bread sticks. 

NOTES: I garnished with chopped parsley, but cilantro would also work here, or no garnish at all would still be yum!

GARLIC SESAME NOT-BREAD STICKS.

(a variation of Fat Head Dough)

3/4 cups almond flour

2 tbs cream cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

1 tbs garlic powder

pinch of sea salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 egg

1/4 cup sesame oil

sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a bowl, add almond flour, cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper.  Microwave for one minute.  Stir and microwave another 20 seconds.  Add egg and stir until egg is blended into dough.  place between two pieces of parchment paper (see notes) and shape into a rectangle about 1-inch thick.  Remove top piece of parchment paper and bake for about fifteen minutes or until just golden brown.  Spread sesame oil over top of baked dough, sprinkle with desired amount of sesame seeds and bake another five minutes.  Take pizza cutter and slice into bread sticks.  DIP INTO CARAMELIZED ONION AND EGG DROP SOUP!!

NOTES: Parchment paper is key here.  I've tried this with foil and it is sorely disappointing.  PARCHMENT PAPER.  Trust me.

This combo is PERFECT and comforting for this cold holiday weather as well!  Merry Christmas!

FISH BOWL

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used.

Well.  What do you do when your chiropractor and The Hubster go fishing and catch some real beauts and you've made (the most awesome ever) fish tacos and still have some left??  ASIAN FISH SOUP.  And let me just tell you - it was OUT - STAND - ING.

ASIAN FISH SOUP

3 tbs peanut oil

4 radishes, sliced thin

1 red bell pepper, sliced thin

1 small bunch bok choy, chopped

6 button mushrooms, sliced thin

4 cups vegetable stock (or broth)

2 cups leftover fish taco meat, flaked (or fresh-cooked of your choice)

3 tbs hot oil

1 cup soy sauce

pepper, to taste

3 tbs sesame oil

1/2 cup cilantro

Watch how easy this is: In a large soup pot, heat the peanut oil on medium heat for one minute.  Add radish,  bell pepper, bok choy, and button mushrooms and cook for two minutes, until cooked to al dente.  Add the fish, and cook another minute before adding the broth.  Bring to a slow boil, add hot oil, soy sauce, and pepper and cook another five minutes on low heat.  Remove from heat and add sesame oil and cilantro.  Then EAT IT UP!

NOTES: I use all organic ingredients whenever I can, including the soy sauce.  This is for clean-eating purposes only, and in this particular recipe does not make a difference in the flavor - the star is the fish!  Be careful not to salt this soup, as the soy sauce acts as the salt.  Look for your hot oil on the International aisle in your local grocery store.  In order to get organic I had to order mine online.  Omit if you don't want the heat, but it is definitely not overwhelming and rests on the back of your palette in a mild way.  This was perfect in a time pinch  

The Musical Soup

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I suppose I'm asking for trouble when I put cabbage AND beans together, if ya know what I mean!  I'll even sing the song for you: Beans and cabbage, the musical soup, the more you eat, the more you......" well, YOU KNOW THE REST!  But this is worth the song - TRUST ME!  We are a Meatless Monday family, and let me just tell you, this hearty and delicious soup will not have you missing the meat! I threw a toasty piece of cheesy bread in the middle and The Hubster LOVED IT.)   It is loaded with fiber, protein, and DELICIOUSNESS, and it is inexpensive and EASY, too.  So sing along to the Cabbage & White Bean Soup Song!!

CABBAGE & WHITE BEAN SOUP

This image is © 2015 by Life As She Does It. Please link back or credit if any content or images are used.

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

1 small onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 small carrots, sliced thinly

1 small head green cabbage, chopped coarsely

1/2 container grape tomatoes, diced

2 cans cannellini (navy) beans

 1 container power greens (or 5 oz spinach, kale or other greens)

2 containers vegetable broth (it's Meatless Monday, after all!)

sea salt

pepper

2 tbs cumin

1 tbs nutmeg

Coat the bottom of a heavy soup pot (see notes) with the evoo on medium-high heat.  Toss in the onion, garlic, carrots and cabbage, adding sprinkling the sea salt and pepper over it, and then adding remaining spices, and cook until brown, stirring every once in a while.  Add tomatoes and broth, turning down your heat to low.  Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.  Turn heat back to medium and add beans and power greens.  Cook until power greens are just wilted.  Add more sea salt and pepper to taste.

NOTES:  I used my cast-iron Dutch oven to make this soup (I use it for practically everything!),  but any heavy soup pot will do.  As you can see, I try to use organic ingredients whenever possible for clean eating, but this recipe is actually a take on Italian Peasant Soup, so organic is not necessary for this to be flavorful.  Now, I added the cheesy toasty in the middle and some extra cheese on the actual soup, but for low-carb eating, just omit!