FISH BOWL

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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  

Creamy Dreamy (Leftovers?)

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I had leftover pasta from sausage ragu night.  I had leftover roasted chicken from Sunday Supper.  I had leftover salad I had used as a side.  I loathe waste so I can't throw it all away!  What's a girl to do?  Simple!  Throw it all into a bowl and smother it in a creamy, dreamy sauce and give it a name everyone is familiar with, like Pasta Chicken Salad, and voila!    No more leftovers!

CREAMY PASTA CHICKEN SALAD

leftover pasta (or just make some!)

leftover roasted chicken, de-boned and shredded (or some store-bought rotisserie)

leftover salad, consisting of spinach, lettuce, carrots, celery, green onion and cucumber (or cut up these veggies or any veggies you like!)

Toss this all together in a bowl.  Await dressing.

CREAMY DREAMY DRESSING

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk

1 tbs prepared horse radish

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

sea salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

slight squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Put all ingredients into a jar with lid and shake or place in a bowl and whip with a whisk.  Pour over pasta chicken salad and eat.  Close your eyes, let out a slight moan of deliciousness.  Repeat.

NOTES: Carb-free or low-carb?  Prepare the chicken and salad with dressing first and set some aside.   Add pasta for everyone else and mix!

Patty Cake

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I loathe waste and love leftovers.  Great combination for magic in the kitchen.  That means leftover mashed potatoes from steak-and-mashed-potato-night turns into awesome potato patties.  And I DO MEAN AWESOME.

POTATO PATTIES

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2 cups leftover (or fresh!) mashed potatoes

4 green onions, cut all the way to the ends

2 eggs

 1 cup shredded cheddar

sea salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

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

Mix all ingredients except the evoo.  Heat enough evoo in a heavy pan to cover the bottom and heat on medium flame.

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

With an ice cream scoop, put enough of the potato mixture to fill the scoop, and press with your palm.  Plop out into warm oil, press gently with your fingers to flatten slightly, and cook until golden brown.  Carefully flip and when golden brown on the other side, lay on paper towel to blot.  

NOTES:  I use my cast iron skillet for this, but any heavy pan will do.  Never put more than four patties in the warm oil at a time for best browning.  Oh!!   I almost forgot to tell you that sour cream goes PERFECT on top!!

Steak-Garlic Vinaigrette

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Two cloves of garlic, used from Under Five-Minute Steak, chopped finely

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp pepper

Place all ingredients in a small jar with a lid - I just used an old mason jar.  Shake until good and mixed up.  Pour over hearty lettuce, like Romaine, to go with your awesome steak.

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This turned out to be one of the most-flavorful (but also one of the fastest AND easiest!) dinners we have ever had, believe it or not!  Now, to finish it off, a friend of ours, Terry McCanless (we call him T-Bone, totally appropriate for this particular post!), created a masterpiece that The Hubster ate after this steak-creation.  

Boys and girls, don't try this ooey-gooey goodness at home!  Oh, who am I kidding?!?  DEFINITELY TRY THIS AT HOME!!  (Thanks, T-Bone!!)

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Wanna see how the Under Five-Minute Steak was made?  In REAL-TIME?  Click HERE!  Don't forget to like the video and subscribe to the channel!

Poor Man's Stew

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This is called what it is called literally because it's just plain ole rice and beans with a tiny twist.  You really can make of this what you want, adding or taking away an ingredient here and there and have it nine ways to Sunday!  (and back)

POOR MAN'S STEW

1 bag dry pinto beans

2 pkgs turkey summer sausage or keilbasa, chopped into chunks

ro-tel

sea salt

pepper

garlic powder

cumin

onion powder

Penzey's Forward (or some other rich, but summery spice)

4 bay leaves

This is easy.  Watch this. Throw all ingredients (spices to taste) (see notes) into the crock pot, fill to the top of the pot with water, and set on low.  Go on about your business.  When it is done cooking, add a few more spices (see notes).  Serve over rice.

NOTES: Remember the Pizza Panini from the other night?  I only used about a tablespoonful of ro-tel and put the rest in a baggie to save.  Well, that's the leftovers in the Poor Man's Stew!  Crock pots tend to mute your seasoning so it is always a good idea to season again before you serve.  Just be careful!  You can ALWAYS add, but can never take away, and you don't want this to be too salty. (She said, from experience)

POOR MAN'S RICE

2 1/2 cups rice

5 1/2 cups juice from the Poor Man's Stew once it is cooked

So get this: throw both ingredients into a pot, bring to a boil, and then cover and simmer until desired consistency.  Fo' realz.  It's THAT EASY.  (see notes)

NOTES: I used a box of organic Yoga light brown rice for this.  But the juice makes for a rich (Poor Man's Stew, get it??  RICH!!) rice!

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