I joined my son and his girlfriend at a local chain Deli for dinner recently and was distressed with the lack of healthy options on their menu. I ordered a meat sandwich plain and left the bread on the plate - HOWEVER, I was sorely tempted by their creamy chowder served in a bread bowl, which lingered in my mind for days. After a great deal of research, thought and lots of experimentation, I bring you:
Protein Bread Bowl Clam ChowdaNutrition FactsServings 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories 449
Total Fat 27.0g
Saturated Fat 16.8g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 189mg
Sodium 1952mg
Total Carbohydrates 12.3g
Dietary Fiber 1.6g
Sugars 4.9g
Protein 39.4g
To make the bread bowl:
1 cup unflavored whey protein
6 tsp butter (or coconut oil), melted (plus extra for greasing)
1 cup milk (cow, almond, soy, elephant,...)
1 cup chicken broth (or 1 more cup milk)
4 eggs
1/2 tsp sea salt
Preheat the oven to 425 degree F.
Grease 6 oven proof soup bowls with butter or coconut oil.
Place the bowls on a sheet pan in the hot oven for at least 8 minutes. You want the bowls to be HOT when the batter hits them - sort of like making Yorkshire Pudding.
Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl blend together the whey, milk, broth, eggs and salt.
Carefully remove hot soup bowls from oven.
Dollop 1 tsp of melted butter or coconut oil into each hot bowl and pour the batter in until 2/3 full.
Bake for 15 minutes at 425F.
Leave the oven closed and reduce heat to 325F to bake for an additional 10 minutes. DO NOT PEEK!!!
Makes 6 servings.
Set aside.
Once totally cool, cut the top off the bread bowl and fill with soup.
The Chowda:
4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (You can use Turkey Bacon if you really MUST)
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup cauliflower, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp Vietnamese fish sauce (optional)
1 8 oz package low fat cream cheese
3 cans minced clams (6.5 ounce each)
salt and ground black pepper to taste
In a large pot, fry the bacon until crisp - remove.
In the same pan, drain juice from clams over onion, celery, and cauliflower pieces.
Add chicken broth to cover, and cook over medium heat until veggies are tender.
Add in the cream cheese, remaining broth and fish sauce, stir constantly until thick and smooth.
Heat through, but DO NOT BOIL.
Stir in clams just before serving. If they cook too much they get tough.
When clams are heated through season with salt and pepper.
Spoon into bread bowls.
Optionally garnish with crisp bacon crumbles.
Makes 6 servings
Cooks Notes: The cauliflower substitutes admirably for its starchy garden neighbor, the potato. You could substitute cubed turnip as well.
I've been experimenting with coconut oil as a butter replacement - and it works really well, but I'm a Southern boy and "a stick-a-butta" is just much easier to say than "8 tablespoons of melted coconut oil" - and doesn't prompt NEARLY as many questions!
If you've never tried fish sauce, I recommend you grab a bottle (it's CHEAP!) from your favorite oriental market. Think of it as oriental Worcestershire sauce. It's salty and yummy and an excellent add-on for seafood dishes. It also makes an incredible tangy/sweet "Nuoc Cham" (Google it) dipping sauce for fresh spring rolls or thinly sliced fresh garden veggies.
RECIPES