Asian Braised String Beans or Asparagus

Heat wok or skillet over high heat.
Add 2 TBSP peanut oil and heat for a minute or two.

Then add:

2 TBSP minced garlic
1 TBSP grated fresh ginger

Saute for 1-2 minutes. Add:

1 lb string beans, ends trimmed or asparagus
1/4 tsp hot red pepper flakes (optional)

Saute for approximately 5 minutes, until the skin bubbles. The beans should be tender, but still a little crispy.

Add:

1/4 cup soy sauce

Saute for another 30 seconds or so. Serve immediately.

Italian Sausage Soup

Brown in a skillet:

2 TBSP Olive Oil
1/2 to 1 lb of sausage (I used Jimmy Dean's regular sausage roll)
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (I did NOT add onions, I used onion powder instead)

In VitaMix Blender, mix just enough to create small carrot chunks:

2 large peeled carrots or 2-3 cups baby carrots
1 14oz can cut tomatoes, undrained
1 14 oz can of chicken broth (2 cups)

Put all in the crockpot and add:

2 stalks celery, chopped
1 chopped garlic clove
1 tsp basil
1 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp dried sage
4 more cups chicken broth
1-2 cans 14oz can kidney beans, undrained
1 more 14oz can cut tomatoes, undrained

Cook on LOW 5-6 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.

In the original recipe: about 30 minutes before dinner, add 1 uncooked cup of elbow macaroni or pasta of your choice. I obviously will leave this out when eating low carb. This recipe can also be done on the stove top. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the vegetables are tender.

Original recipe can be found on our crock pot blog: The Family Crockpot

Green Goddess Salad Dressing

4 scallions or 1 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
Juice from 2 limes (or 1/4 cup of bottled lime juice)
1 tsp sugar (optional)

Trim the ends of the scallions of you're using those. Roughly chop the white and green parts and place in a blender. Chop until coarsely ground.

Add the mayonnaise and lime juice and puree until smooth. Dressing will store in the fridge for a week in a sealed container.

Lemon-Garlic Salad Dressing

2 TBSP lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
6 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil

Place the lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper to taste into a mixing cup. Add the olive oil in a slow stream, constantly whisking until the oil is emulsified OR mix it all in the Magic Bullet blender. (this is quicker)

Stracciatella Soup

8 cups chicken broth (4 cans)
10 oz spinach: fresh, or frozen - thawed and drained
4 eggs, lightly beaten
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
4 oz cooked chicken (optional)

Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add spinach and chicken and simmer for about 4 minutes. Quickly stir in eggs and continue to stir vigorously until eggs have coagulated and turned white.

Ladle into soup bowls and season with salt and pepper. Spoon Parmesan cheese on top if you like. Serve immediately.