Most days, whether at home or the office I’ll have an Egg White Omelet Bowl for breakfast.  A bed of spinach (getting my calcium anywhere I can), a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of fresh herbs and scallions, and an egg white omelet packed with herbs.  Today, my herb of choice was Thai Basil which is thriving in our Aero Garden presently.  This Thai Basil Egg White Omelet Bowl fits in so nicely with my Healthy Choices plan.

You’ll notice top left is a quart of All Whites.  Liquid egg whites are so versatile and a staple in our house.  You’ll notice middle left is my trusty microwave egg poacher.  If you don’t own one, they are available at Walmart in the kitchen gadget for cheap.  They will change your egg white omelet life, especially at work.

Simply pour in the liquid egg whites.  Sprinkle in your favorite herbs or aromatics.  Sometimes I make a western omelet with tomatoes & jalapeno, sometimes it’s all herbs, or like today I added shredded carrot, scallions and red chilis to my herbs.

Pop it in the microwave for 1 – 1 1/2 minutes (depending on volume) and voila.  Perfectly cooked eggs whites bursting with flavor.

I like to cover mine with cheese.  I used a slice of baby Swiss.  A little extra protein AND it is an omelet after all, cheese is a must. Just top hot omelet with cheese and close the lid for a minute for melty goodness.

I built a salad of spinach, shredded blanched carrots, sliced scallion, fresh Thai basil & cilantro leaves, sliced red chilis, a simple drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of salt & pepper.  I happen to have a collection of flavored olive oils which allows me to further add flavor.  The beauty of ‘Bowl’ meals is they are prepared according to ingredients already on hand, with endless possibilities.

Print

Thai Basil Egg White Omelet Bowl

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 minutes minutes

Total Time 7 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup liquid egg whites or two egg whites
• 1/2 cup fresh herbs chopped (I used Thai basil & cilantro)
• 2 scallions thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots blanched
• 1 red chili pepper thinly sliced
• 1 slice Swiss cheese
• 3 cups fresh spinach leaves
• 1-2 tsp. olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

• Pour egg whites into microwave egg poacher (or for stove-top, use non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray).
• Sprinkle in a couple of tablespoons of the chopped herbs and scallion. Add a few shredded carrots and chili slices. Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes on high. Remove and add slice of cheese. Close lid and let rest for 1 minute.
• Meanwhile prepare a salad of spinach leaves, fresh Thai basil & cilantro leaves, remaining chopped herbs, shredded carrots, sliced chili. Drizzle with olive oil and salt & pepper. Top with egg white omelet.

Notes

This delicious and filling bowl weighs in at 3 WW Pts+

The post Thai Basil Egg White Omelet Bowl appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Vietnamese Beef Pho.

Let me just say this about that.  I don’t think I’ve ever delivered so much flavor with so little effort.  When I got home from work I assembled everything I needed, put the broth and seasoning on to simmer, all in about 5 minutes.  I did also pop our beef filet into the freezer, which later helped with getting a nice thin slice.

I was introduced to Pho, a year ago or so, during a Sundays with Shelby outing (thankfully she’s taught me that it’s properly pronounced “fuh” not “fo”).  While the amazing broth captured my attention, being a big time sucker for lots and lots of accoutrements is what was so special about this dish.  I was a bit giddy about building my own bowl of fun.

This dish can easily be made at home.  Infuse beef broth with a tea ball filled with 3 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 cardamom pods, 8 peppercorns, and a piece of ginger for about 30 minutes (low simmer).

You’ll want to serve the hot broth with a good assortment of fresh basil (Thai basil is recommended), fresh mint, scallion, jalapenos, bean sprouts, lime wedges and of course the thin sliced beef.  Let us not forget the noodles.  Here’s where I veered off course a bit.  A classic Pho calls for rice noodles.  I wanted to make this dish on Tuesday.  There were no rice noodles in sight.  I opted for fresh linguine noodles available at my local grocer.  They were just fine.

To serve Vietnamese Beef Pho, I add cooked noodles and bean sprouts into oversized soup bowls.  I add several pieces of very thinly sliced raw beef (you could substitute raw peeled shrimp or have both).  When the hot seasoned broth is poured over the beef it cooks it instantly. I then add my herbs and aromatics and a good squeeze of lime juice.  You can also kick up the heat with a squeeze of Sriracha sauce, but I find the fresh jalapeno slices give me the heat I need.  I’m really enjoying all of the Vietnamese dishes I’ve recreated at home.  Bánh mì‘s (crazy incredible sandwiches loaded with flavor) are next up on my radar.  Enjoy.

Print

Vietnamese Beef Pho

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the broth

• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 Tbl. fish sauce
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 star anise
• 2 cardamom pods
• 8 peppercorns
• 1 piece of fresh ginger about 1/4-inch thick

For the assembly…

• 1 5 ounce beef tenderloin filet
• 4 ounces rice noodles or fresh linguine cooked according to package instructions
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 lime cut into wedges
• 2 scallions thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeno sliced
• a good handful of fresh basil leaves preferably Thai basil
• a good handful of fresh mint leaves

Instructions

To prepare…

• Warm beef broth and fish sauce in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. Add cinnamon stick, star anise, cardamom pods, peppercorns, and ginger in a spice bag or tea ball. Simmer for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, freeze beef filet wrapped in plastic wrap for 30 minutes, then using sharp knife slice as thinly as possible.
• Prepare noodles according to package instructions, then cool to stop cooking; reserve.
• Assemble all remaining ingredients for serving.

To serve…

• Place 1/2 of the noodles and bean sprouts in two bowls. Serve with hot beef broth, sliced beef, aromatics, and herbs.

Other Vietnamese dishes you might enjoy.

Vietnamese Pork Tenderloin

Grilled Vietnamese Chicken Thighs

The post Vietnamese Beef Pho appeared first on Lemony Thyme.