Shrimp And Spinach Soup With Cilantro And Lime

This soup is fat-free, low-carb and my new favorite for Phase Two of the HCG Diet.  If you're on Phase Three or Atkin's, start out by sauteing the garlic in a pat of butter.  Then add the broth and go from there.

Ingredients (one serving):

1 cup broth (I used salt-free chicken broth because I didn't have any veggie broth on-hand)
1 garlic clove
1 lime
100 g frozen shrimp
3 cups spinach, chopped
2/3 cup cilantro, chopped
Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Blend
salt and pepper

Crush and chop the garlic clove and saute it in the broth.  Add the shrimp and juice the lime into pan.  Let the shrimp warm up, then add the spinach and seasoning to taste.  Once the shrimp is heated through and the spinach wilts, remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro.

I like my flavors bold and bright.  If you don't, you might want to halve the amount of lime juice and cilantro. 

This soup is a snap to make but no one has to know.  Serve it at a family dinner and tell them you spent hours in the kitchen.  For a non-dieting crowd, saute the garlic in butter as a first step, reduce the amount of broth, skip the spinach, and serve over brown rice.  And don't forget to give them some healthy veggies on the side.

Coconut Jasmine Rice With Green Onions And Cilantro

I have to ask… do you call them green onions or scallions? My mom always called them scallions but I think most people call them green onions.

Anyhoo *Bitch Cakes* posted a recipe from the cookbook The Balanced Plate by Renee Loux. It called for cilantro and lemongrass. I love those. It called for coconut milk. I was intrigued. It called for jasmine rice. I have never cooked with jasmine rice and that + cilantro and lemongrass love + coconut milk intrigue = I must try this!

I scoured the grocery store but wasn’t able to find any lemongrass, not even the lemongrass powder that Bitch Cakes had to resort to using. So I was stuck with using lemon juice and lemon zest because I couldn't wait any longer to try this recipe!

First you put the rice on to boil after rinsing it a few times. I did three rinses, swirling it in a bowl of water and then draining it through a mesh strainer. Combine the rice with 2 ¼ cups water or broth (I used water) and 12 ounces off coconut milk. Bring to a boil then cover, reducing the heat. Check on it in 20 minutes. If it goes like mine did, you’ll check it in 10 more minutes and then in 10 more.

Meanwhile chop enough green onion for ¾ cup, and tear enough cilantro leaves for ½ cup. I chopped my cilantro; I thought it would help release the flavor since you don’t add it until the rice is cooked.

On to the lemon. This was a battle second only to the oatmeal can. I was already miffed that I could not find lemongrass. I got all set to zest the lemon.

It would not zest! The skin was impervious to my grater! I resorted to slicing off zest and chopping it. Sigh.

Once the rice is done remove it from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 10 more minutes. Then add a pinch of sea salt, the cilantro, green onions, a teaspoon of lemon zest and a tablespoon of lemon juice. I ended up adding the juice of an entire lemon after I tried it.

It was good! I was mystified be the absence of coconut flavor; I had been looking forward to a coconutty/cilantro/lemony taste sensation. So it was not what I expected. But it was tasty and went really well with the chicken breasts I sautéed with some lemon juice and salt and pepper. The jasmine rice was lovely. I have not had white rice in forever and this is of course a very special white rice. I will probably try it with brown rice next time. It will not be the same, but one must make concessions in the quest for more fiber. I will make this again for sure, and in the meantime I will be on the lookout for lemongrass so I can get the full experience! Thanks to Bitch Cakes for sharing the recipe.

And let me know... do you say green onions or scallions?