Chicken Pho Fabulous! Hot and SPICY Vietnamese Soup!

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thai_peppers.jpg
By Daniel Risacher (Own work) [GFDL
(http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)
or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0
 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)],
via Wikimedia Commons

Beautiful Thai Pepper Bush! 
Wouldn't you agree?!

(And, BTW, after just a few days of R+R, my stomach is feeling better and way ready to resume a spicier diet! Yea! And, FYI, believe it or not, in spite of a lot of disbelief in this, a lot of chili peppers really are kinder to your digestion that you might have guessed.)









Chicken Pho Fabulous! Hot and SPICY Vietnamese Soup!

I am not a big fan of commercially pre-made soup base or soup starter. But I do believe in great chicken or vegetable stock and Pacific is a great brand and food producers are getting savvier. So, when I saw this:

www.pacificfoods.com

 "

Organic Chicken Pho Soup Base

"Inspired by the traditional Vietnamese Pho (pronounced ‘fuh’), our delicious Organic Chicken Pho Base makes it simple to prepare authentic Pho at home.

INGREDIENTS

• Organic Chicken Broth (Water, Organic Chicken, Organic Spices, Organic Garlic Powder, Organic Onion Powder)
• Organic Cane Sugar
• Sea Salt
• Organic Lemon Juice
• Organic Spice Extracts
• Organic Lime Oil
• Organic Rosemary Extract

SUITABLE FOR THESE SPECIAL DIETS

1. Low Fat
2. Gluten Free
3. Dairy Free
4. Corn Free
5. Soy Free
6. Wheat Free
7. Yeast Free                "

in my local grocery store's health food section, I thought, why not give it a whirl. I've rarely had a Vietnamese soup and I'm always up for a healthy culinary adventure!

But, as I cannot help myself, I did go wild with the ingredients. I followed some of the suggested directions and most (Okay, ALL of them except for onions) of the ingredients plus a few of my own and all I can say is:  WOW!!!  WOW!!! WOW!!!!

So here's the Ingredients I used:

1 box (4 cups) of Pacific Chicken Pho soup base.

I bought a 6.75 oz. package of Dynasty Maifun Rice Sticks (thin rice noodles). (Now this is important because some rice noodles taste like cooked cardboard (like the last ones I bought for my husband to use, that had a name I couldn't read in Chinese, and that ruined my husband's triple batch of Thai crab cakes). Others are awesome delicate and beautiful to behold. But I am still getting used to which ingredients work for my recipes and which ones don't, so I like to mention them.)

I cut up a package of three fresh full size boneless, skinless chicken breasts. (I am very fussy about my chicken. It has to be organic, fresh, no hormones or antibiotics, and it has to look good. I split my pieces in three piles: The gristle that I'll cook later with some rice for the dogs that I add, now and then, to their dog food, about 2-21/2 cups of quarter size pieces for the soup, and about 2 cups of medallions that I'll use in another dish later this week. I double bagged the two piles for later and put them away in the fridge.)

6 Tablespoons of hot chili sauce. I use Sriraja Panich Chili Sauce. VERY awesome.
(And note: in my experience,  hot chili sauces can vary widely. A wrong one can overpower or underwhelm or even ruin a good recipe, whereas a great one, like Sriraja Panich, can make your dish beautiful! Sriraja Panich has this lovely way of adding spicy and heat and dimension by blending with smokey undertones and doesn't stand out. I have tested about a dozen different hot chili sauces so far and thrown many of them out. The right ones, like this one, can make a huge difference to the success of so many of my Asian and Thai dishes that I have made a point of knowing where to buy this one locally, how it is shelved -which can be in a different location that other hot chili or "Sriraja" sauces in some stores- or how to get it online.)

3 Tablespoons of  House of Tsang Hoisin Sauce (Note; it has a little wheat in it,  so if that's out for you, I also have in my cupboard a gluten free brand, Sun Luck, but I confess I haven't used it yet and a little bit of wheat doesn't throw me off these days.)

3 to 5 cups of fresh bean sprouts

1-1/2 to 2 organic limes

Fresh Basil

Fresh Cilantro

Black Pepper to Taste (about a teaspoon)

1 Hot Red fresh Thai Chili Pepper with the seeds (cut up into tiny pieces with a scissors, I am getting cleverer, but still wear cooking gloves. Warning: chili peppers are hot!)

1-1/2 - 2 Fresh Red Fresno Peppers (These are about 2 inches long.) Note that on these chili peppers: Don't use the seeds or inside meat. These I cut with a knife into strips and then into pieces. These peppers look like this:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fresno_pepper_7.jpg
By Nadiatalent (Own work)
[CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)],
via Wikimedia Commons

And here's how I made it:  i.e., The Directions:


1. I boiled about 3 quarts of water while I cut up the chicken. After it came to a full boil, I turned it off and let it sit a few minutes.

2. The rice sticks come in three bundles. I took two or 2/3's of the package and put them in a metal bowl and poured the hot water over them, covered them and let them sit for 10 minutes.

3. I drained the noodles in a colander. Then I cut them up with a scissors and put them back in the metal bowl.

4. I rinsed the beansprouts in the colander and cut those with a scissors and left them there.

5. I scissor cut my Thai chili pepper including the seeds into pieces and knife cut 1-1/2 of my (cleaned of inner skin and seeded) Frenso chili peppers all on the same plate.

6. I poured the whole 4 cup box of Pacific Chicken Pho soup starter into the deep soup pan I boiled my water in. At first I didn't like the smell of the soup so much, but if that happens to you, just wait until the soup is brought to completion.

7.  When the soup starter mix came to a full boil, I threw in the 2-1/2 cups of cut up chicken, covered and turned the heat down to medium low. The chicken was cooked thoroughly in about 2-4 minutes.

7. Then I threw in my rice noodles, about 3 cups of my beansprouts, the chopped peppers and scissor cut a few fresh basil leaves, zested about 1/2 of a lime and squeezed 1-1/2 lime juice into it. I added 3 Tbsp. of Hoisin sauce, 6 Tbsp. of the Chili Sauce and black pepper to taste. Swished it around on simmer for about 1-2 minutes and served with fresh cilantro.

Yummmmm!

Now for the calorie countdown:

If you cook it like I just described above, 1/4th of the whole batch (a pretty big serving amounting to about two cups worth between the broth, the vegetables, the ingredients, and rice noodles) is about 194 calories. (1/8th is abut 97 calories.)

If you add in the extra two cups of beansprouts,  1/4 of the whole batch (a pretty big serving) is about 211 calories. (1/8th is about 106 calories.)

If you cook it using the above recipe, but use only 1/3 the package of rice sticks, then 1/4th of the whole batch is about 136 calories. Again a pretty big serving. (1/8th is about 68 calories.)

If you cook it with the extra two cups of beansprouts and don't use the rice sticks, a 1/4th serving then amounts to 93 calories. (1/8th is about 46 calories.)

If you use the gluten-free hoisin sauce, add 15 calories to 1/4th serving (or 8 calories to 1/8th).

You CAN have your rice and awesome taste and keep your diet too!

I can't wait to test drive this soup on my husband when he comes home tonight!

Bon Appétit!

And Kindest Regards from,

bbffair 

Note: 
This recipe is good for about eight servings, which can be perfect for a guest party first course. However, if you're not going to serve it on the first and second day, I'd recommend going with 1/2 of the above recipe as a better choice, because (due to the delicacy of both the bean sprouts and the rice sticks) it has a shorter refrigerator life than other soups.

Soup To Sooth A Delicate Tummy

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For The Delicate Stomach

Ever have some of those unhappy tummy days or nights?

They can be brought on by stress, too much acidic food or drink, and any number of things that might upset the balance we need to live well and happy lives.

Well, I have been having just so much of this the last month that I've looked into what I might do to sooth my tummy ache.


Here is what I've come up with. I am foregoing many of my favorite (and if you've read my posts, you know I love it spicy!) foods. Not forever, but just until I get my digestion and my stomach (and its distress) back in balance.

I am limiting my intake of acidic foods, spicy foods, dairy, gassy foods, heavy foods, gluten, wheat, sugar, and, (sigh), wine, and, (shaking my head), coffee. Just for a while.  I am upping my intake of probiotics to daily, along with my good fish oil, vitamin D, and other good vitamins and supplements that my health provider likes me to take.

And today, I needed a very digestible chicken-type soup and I came up with two very soothing, actually nicely satisfying soup recipes that can be made together. (I did anyway).  Easy to make, easy to digest, nourishing, and low in calories (so a good diet or detox soup too). (Always yea for that!).

Ingredients To Make Both Soups:

1-1/2 boxes of Pacific Organic Chicken Stock or Broth

2 cups of water

2 stalks of lemon grass

2 Tbsps of fresh grated ginger

1 handful of sliced  shiitake mushrooms

1 fresh zucchini

1 fresh yellow squash

pepper


 Soup #1:   Chicken Ginger Lemongrass Shiitake Soup

Preparation:

Peel the two lemon grass stalks by peeling and tossing out the outer layers to reveal the soft inside layer. Cut the buttery inside pieces from the base or root of the stalk upward into little, thin pieces. When you hear the "crunch," stop cutting. Throw the thin soft cut slices into a Magic Bullet and give it a few chops there. Add a half cup of water, shake it all up and set aside.

Cut the crunchy tops of the two peeled lemongrass stalks into thirds and bend.

Cut about two-three inches off a piece of fresh ginger. Peel by scraping the entire piece with the edge of a spoon until all the skin is removed. Then, over a bowl, grate the piece so that the stringy pieces stay on your side of the grater (that you will throw away) and the soft edible juice and pieces go into the bowl. You should have about 2 Tbsps.

Cut the stalks off the shiitake mushrooms and slice thin.

Cut up the zucchini and the yellow squash. Add pepper. Add about a cup of water and a cup of chicken stock and mix together in blender until it's all a thick liquid. Add a bit more chicken broth if it it resists blending.

Cooking Directions:

Bring one box (4 cups) of Organic Pacific Chicken Stock to a boil

Add in the big lemongrass pieces that you bent. (If you have one, use a Chinese strainer underneath.)  Boil for 4 minutes. Then Remove. (These pieces are too crunchy to be edible but add flavor.)

Add in the cut pieces and juice from your Magic Bullet. Boil another 4 minutes. You can add up to a cup of water and another cup of the chicken stock as it boils down.

Add in the grated ginger, medium boil another four minutes.

Add in the shiitake mushromms and simmer about 4 minutes on low.

Cover and keep on low.



(Time to start the second soup.)


Soup #2:   Soothing Squash Soup

You've already prepped so this will be very simple.

Cooking Directions:

Pour the zucchini and squash mixture into its own sauce pan.

Using a strainer and a soup ladle (that is typically a half cup in size), pour 2 cups (or four ladles) of the first soup into the squash soup.   Return the strained pieces and mushrooms to the first soup.

Mix the broth in. Bring to a boil, then immediately return to simmer and cover. Set the timer for 10-15 minutes.

Voila!


Now you have two extremely soothing soups that are both gentle and nourishing as well as tasty.

The mushroom soup has about 60 calories in the whole batch or 15 calories a cup.

The squash soup has 40-60 calories in the whole batch or about 10-15 calories a cup.

You can sip it or have several bowls of this throughout the day and keep your stomach happy, coated, nourished, and thus also more able to repair a tummy distress.

I added a cup of unsweetened almond milk to my afternoon for a little, gentle protein boost (1 gram) and 30 more calories and felt greatly healed.

Enjoy and here's hoping this makes even the most delicate stomach feel loved.

Kindest Regards,

bbffair

Yummy Summer Health Drinks! Wheat Grass and Strawberry Almond Smoothies

    

Yummy Summer Health Drinks:  

Wheat Grass  and Strawberry Almond Smoothies

I have a fab health drink that gets me balanced again on those days that I feel somewhat off, like I can't quite figure our what I need: fruit? more greens?  protein? missing vitamins? You know that feeling where there is sort of a hole or a need and you don't know what it is, but you definitely need something!

Well, I have a perfect solution for that, as well as a great low calorie pick-me-up:  It's my simple, handy-dandy (drum roll please):

"Strawberry Milk" by Rawich @  http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/agree-terms.php?id=10086166

 

Wheat Grass Smoothie:

It calls for 1 Cup of chilled Unsweetened (gluten free) Almond Milk (40 calories) 

and 

1 scoop of Amazing Grass (gluten free and raw) Wheat Grass Powder (another 35 calories)

  

 (+ sometimes some probiotics for good measure)

 

Give it a shake, throw it in the Magic Bullet and Voilà!

or

(Since it's SummerTime!)

"Pile Of Strawberries" by Ambro courtesy of http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/agree-terms.php

A Nice Strawberry Almond Smoothie:

 

This is such a pretty, as well as tasty, summer drink! 

 

Just add a half cup of fresh strawberries (23 calories) 

to

 1/2 cup of cold Almond Milk (20 calories)

Toss in the old blender

and  

Voilà again!

Hint: About 3 big strawberries = 1/2 cup, but I like to chop up three more (another 23 calories) to much along with my  smoothie)

 

Total Calories:  Wheat Grass Smoothie: 75 calories

Strawberry Almond Smoothie: 43 calories

Strawberry Almond Smoothie with 3 extra big strawberries to munch on too:  66 calories

and

!ALL OF IT IS GOOD FOR YOU!

 

Bon Appétit!

-bbffair

 

Note:  You can add the strawberries into the wheat grass smoothie if you want, but the strawberries will get lost in there, so I'd eat them on the side if you want a combo.

My Tom Yum(m) Soup - Very Spicy

Tom Yum(m) Soup

Where have I been? You guessed it! On an adventure into Thai cooking!

OMG! I LOVE Thai food! And now I have  just a few beautiful recipes to share that I have made my own.

For today, here is my Tom Yum(m) Soup! The picture on this post is of my lunch. Isn't it beautiful!

I make it extra, extra hot and spicy!


Okay, here goes:

My Tom Yum(m) Soup

Ingredients List:

6-8 cups (1-1/2 to 2 boxes ) Chicken Stock (Organic Pacifica brand is very good)

2 stalks of lemon grass

Zest of 1 medium lime
       (Note: Some recipes call for Tafir (lime) leaves. They are hard to find for me right now, but lime zest works great as a substitute.)

5-6 red Thai chili peppers (wear gloves for handling these -they WILL burn you or your eyes!)
      Take off stems and slice lengthwise into 2 or 4 strips and then chop and put aside, keep seeds for cooking too

2-3 tiny fresh red cherry peppers (the size of a cherry tomato) (do not use these seeds - they might make you cough) -or 1/4-1/5 of a fresh red bell pepper - sliced thin

Generous handful of Shitake  mushrooms (can be substituted with brown mushrooms) sliced thin

1 lb. package of frozen large raw peeled and devined shrimp (thawed in cold water while you prep recipe)
      (or fresh raw peeled and devined large shrimp)

Juice of medium lime

1/3 cup fresh cilantro

1-3 T. of high quality fish sauce

Broccoli - one large stalk chop up the stem into thin pieces and also the flowers into little pieces

1-4 short dollops of Chili sauce* (I use Sriraja Paniich or Taste of Thai Garlic Chili Sauce)
(*Note: I like this better than regular garlic which I don't really like to handle and find it integrates very nicely and doesn't "stand out" if you know what I mean.)

1/2 package of ripe fresh cherry tomatoes
 
 ~~

Prep:

Prepare all the ingredients as directed above and in step 2 below before beginning.

~~

Directions:

1.  Pour chicken stock into a pan and bring to boil.

2.  Cut off the bulb and any brown tops of the lemongrass and peel the outer layers. Chop the good (edible) white portion of the lemongrass into tiny pieces. Cut the upper stems in 3-4 places slightly (not all the way through) and then bruise (hammer and bend) and add the pieces and the bruised stems into the now boiling chicken broth for about 2 minutes

3.  Add the garlic sauce dollops to taste (I use 4 good ones). Add the cut up Thai peppers and seeds, the red peppers, lime zest, and mushrooms. Reduce heat to medium-simmer for 2 minutes.

4.  Add shrimp and broccoli and simmer medium for 4 minutes until shrimp is pink and done.

5.  Reduce heat to med-low. Add fish sauce, juice from one whole medium lime, and tomatoes.
Can cover, if desired. Cook about 3 minutes. Stir well -gently simmer.

(Usually this is about perfect for my tastes. But test it for yourself. If too salty, add more lime juice. If too sour, add 1/4 t. sugar. Not spicy enough for your taste, maybe another dollop of chili sauce will take it there!)


*Options:   1/4 t.  sea salt
                  1/4 t.  sugar
                  1/2 can evaporated milk or coconut milk

(Note: I don't add milk to mine or sugar)


6.  Remove lemongrass stalks and discard. (They add flavor to the soup but are not edible like the chopped parts.)

7.  Serve with fresh cilantro and/or Thai chili sauce.

~~

As you can see above, I make mine VERY spicy! I swear by this soup! It will clean you up, clean you out, make your eyes water, wash out your sinuses, possibly helps prevent cancer (yes. really! see this link!), and fill you up, satisfy your hunger and appetite, and for almost no calories.  Let me repeat: almost NO CALORIES!

My recipe comes to about 78 calories a cup or 155 calories for a 2-cup serving.

For a more traditional recipe with coconut milk where I got my inspiration (I don't like coconut and like mine spicier.):  http://thaifood.about.com/od/thairecipes/r/tomyumkung.htm

1-2 cups equals a very nice serving. I save the extra soup right in a sauce pan and reheat it and have lunch for three or four  days.

It is grrreeat for detoxing and dieting as well as hot Thai taste and great nutrition!

Enjoy!

-bbffair

Omelet Béarnaise

Fresh Baby Spinach and Mushroom Omelet with Béarnaise Sauce


This is my favorite omelet.





  

[Spinach Farmers Market Baby by mcolletterogers courtesy of photobucket.com]

Grocery List:

-eggs
-whole milk
-Sunflower Oil
-Soy Free Earth Balance Spread or Unsalted or Lightly Salted Grass Fed Butter

-Pam Olive Oil

-dry Béarnaise Sauce package (like Knorrs or other dry package, some are better than others, I like mine less salty)

-fresh ground pepper

-fresh baby spinach
-fresh brown and white mushrooms
-one tomato

~~

Slice a tomato on your plate and set aside.

In a small sauce-pan mix the Béarnaise sauce altering the directions by using 2TBSPs of Soy Free Earth Balance or 2 TBSPs Butter (in place of 4 TBSPs of richer butter or margarine, you don't need that much). Set-off the heat when cooked, but leave the burner on.

In a small skillet or frying pan, sprayed with Pam Olive Oil and 2 teaspoons of Smart Balance saute a whole pan of sliced mushrooms until browned. Move them to a small plate.

Beat 2 eggs in a bowl with a splash of whole milk.

Add another teaspoon of Smart Balance or butter to the pan and, on medium heat, add in the eggs.

When a bottom has formed on the omelet cover the egg mixture with fresh baby spinach (it will wilt) and all of the mushrooms. (If you have too many for this to cook right, put them on the plate with the tomatoes, but I love mushrooms. More is better!)

When ready, and slightly browned, flip egg over and cook the rest and rewarm the Béarnaise sauce.

Put omelet on the plate and cover with about 1/4 of the Béarnaise sauce.

Yumm.

375 calories and lots of flavor and vegies!

-bbffair

Note:
Béarnaise sauce (French: Sauce béarnaise) [be.aʁnɛz]^[1] is a sauce made of clarified butter emulsified in egg yolks and flavored with herbs. It is considered to be a 'child' of the mother Hollandaise sauce, one^[2] of the five sauces in the French haute cuisine mother sauce repertoire. The difference is only in their flavoring: Béarnaise uses shallot, chervil, peppercorn, and tarragon, while Hollandaise uses lemon juice.
In appearance it is light yellow and opaque, smooth and creamy.
Béarnaise is a traditional sauce for steak*.     (*But I love it on eggs too!)

[copied from wikipedia @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9arnaise_sauce]

Southwestern Hit-It-Hot Omelet

I'm Hungry! This is no time to mess around. I need nourishment now.

Here is one of my sure fixes. It's a Southwestern Hit-It-Hot Omelet.

[Orange Bell Pepper by Sirenne Courtesy of Photobucket.com]

For your Grocery List, you will need:

-2 Eggs
-2 TBSP Soy Free Earth Balance (cooler health food section) or Fresh Butter
-2 Big Fresh Brown Mushrooms (or 1 white, 1 brown)
-Slices from 1 red or orange and 1 yellow sweet pepper
-1 Tomato
-Baby Spinach
-1/8 Avocado
-Fresh Black Pepper
-Dried Parsley Flakes
-Chi-Chi's medium thick and chunky salsa
-Shaken Cold Tropicana Orange Juice

~~

In a small skillet or frying pan sprayed with Pam Olive Oil, add 1 TBSP Earth Balance or Butter and heat up pan hot to about level seven (medium high).
Cut a 1 inch section from each of your two peppers and cut into thin strips and toss into the pan.
Cut the 2 mushrooms into thin strips and then again and throw the pin size pieces into the pan after the pepper. Make sure the peppers really, really cook while sauteing the mixture. Let the mushrooms get good and brown too. Pepper and add dried parsley flakes.

Chop 2/3 of the tomato into small pieces and 1/3 into bite size pieces. Put the 1/3 part on a plate along with 1/8 of an avocado wedged.

When the peppers and mushrooms are nice and tender and browned, throw in the 2/3 tomato pieces and add another TBSP of Earth Balance.

Beat two eggs with a dash of whole milk in a bowl.

When the liquid reduces from the tomatoes, throw in a big handful of fresh baby spinach. Fold in and cook for another 30-60 seconds. Then throw in the beaten eggs over it all and let it sort itself out and do what it's going to do. Reduce heat to medium (about level 6) once you've added the eggs.

Pour your orange juice. Put fresh cracked or ground pepper on the table and the salsa and wait for it.

The bottom will brown nicely and then flip it. When it looks fully cooked, slide it onto the plate with the 1/3 tomato and the avocado wedges. Go ahead and cover it over with Salsa because there are only 10 calories in 2 TBSPs. You can have 6 TBSPs if you love salsa like I do.

Enjoy.

This filling meal, orange juice included, with 6 TBSPs of salsa will cost you 632 calories.

You can even have a big mug-sized cup of freshly brewed coffee with 1/4 cup of whole milk and call it 675.

You will be out of the danger-zone and feeling no hunger pain and have worked your flavor well. You'll have used your calories where they added flavor but did the least amount of harm, all while taking care of your appetite and eating a balanced and balancing meal.

-bbffair

Notes:

1.)  I can't usually eat sweet peppers because they give me kick-back, but once in awhile, when I just have to indulge, I have discovered that if I cook them nice and tender and browned that they are no problem at all.

2.)  Sometimes you just have to have a 700-800 calorie meal to get rid of the "I'm hungry's!" It's better that you have a few ideas of where to run for the right meal than taking a more calorie costly turn, (i.e., a "plan-of-action" :-D )!

Sweet Summer Seared Sea Scallops - Dinner!

Seared Sea Scallops! And so many ways to enjoy them!


I love this combo because it offers such a variety of taste sensations. It is tasty, light, and fast.






From the grocery list:

-Pacific Natural Foods All Natural Thai Sweet Potato Soup (Small box - 2 servings a box.) (Note: This soup is divine!)

- fresh big sea scallops (1/4 pound a person is good about 3-5 each)

-fresh limes
-fresh cucumber
-fresh radishes
-fresh avocado
-fresh baby spinach


-fresh ground pepper


-Pam Olive Oil
-Soy Free Earth Balance or Sweet Fresh Butter (from grass fed cows)
-Korean Sweet and Spicy Sauce (*There are a number of brands. I'm still experimenting. One has 100 calories and another 45 per serving. I like the spicy, less sugary variety and, so far, nothing beats the kitchen-made sauce that our local Thai restaurant puts together. Grin!)

~~

Heat the soup up on the back burner.

Cut up limes for the table and put out small saucers by each plate with about 2 TBSPs each of the Korean Sweet and Spicy Sauce.

Cut up thick wedges of avocado.
Cut up slices of cucumber and radishes.

Arrange on each plate a small pile of baby spinach, about 1/4 avocado wedges, and the cucumbers and radishes slices to be eaten raw or dipped in the Korean Sweet and Spicy Sauce.

Spray Pam Olive Oil in a frying pan and add 1 TBSP of Butter or Soy Free Earth Balance. Heat up nicely, about medium high. Throw in the rinsed fresh scallops. Pepper to taste. Let sear, cooking until brown on one side then turn and brown the other.

Put on the opposite side of the plate of the vegies with lime squeeze garnish and serve the soup at the same time on the side.

All of these tastes together are wonderful. And it's so quick! I can make this during a commercial break while watching a television show. Total calorie count = about 475 delicious calories

Please let me know how you liked this one!

-bbffair

[photo courtesy of liveruralnl.com]

South of the Border Sunday

Meet my dogs! Who (as you will learn) approved this dinner, though not for the obvious reasons of their getting the leftovers.

On Sunday, my husband picked up some freshwater shrimp, which are wonderful. We get them with the shells cracked-open and they broil up like little lobster tails and the meat easily pulls out of the shell. (Cook the same way as I described for grilled shrimp, except these you don't have to flip.) He had the dip in mind too, but forgot to buy the buttermilk.

But it was Sunday and he didn't feel like another trip to the store, so we did a little survey. Sometimes you look in the fridge and you need to eat one of those meals working with what you've got before your next shop.

So I pulled out that box of Cuban Black Bean Soup with 2 cups still in it (Note: You really have to cut the box open at this point, the soup is so thick!), threw in the leftover half-can of the stewed tomatoes and chopped up two white mushrooms and put it on the stove. I grilled the freshwater shrimp just the way I like (above link), then chopped the meat up after taking it out of the shell (These guys are big!) and put the pieces in two bowls and poured the soup mix over the shrimp. Then I dolloped out 2 TBSPs of salsa and 1 tsp (it really does go a long way - you could use even less, but why?) of sour cream in each bowl, and on the side of the plate, I tossed the last of my leftover fresh baby spinach, lime wedges and pieces from 1/2 an avocado (1/4th on each plate) (all of which we ended up tossing into the soup too). :-D

It was wonderful with a nice glass of red wine. A very hearty meal with a lot of zest in a few inspired moments. Healthy and about 445 calories (or a little more with a glass of red). Then, instead of an extra trip to the store, we threw the Frisbee with the sheepdogs.

-bbffair