PC Day 13: The Holy Grail

So it's Day 13 of this Paleo Challenge and we're staying strong! Minus yesterday when we celebrated the Caveman's college graduation by going to Disneyland! (You don't even want to know what we gorged on! Eek!) Well at least we quickly got back on the horse today.. but before I post about our dinner tonight, I'm gonna post about my recent trip to the Holy Grail of grocery stores... the asian market!

So why exactly do I consider asian super markets the "Holy Grail"?:
1) Produce is at least 40% cheaper than typical grocery stores. I'm not even kidding. Fruits and vegetables, including the exotic and not-in-season are seriously inexpensive!
2) Many products are without additives or are minimally processed. IE. paleo-friendly coconut milk!
3) Sea food is plentiful! Which brings me to the golden nugget of this post...

Crab Soup - (Filipino Style)
Recipe:
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion
3-4 cloves garlic
6 small blue crabs
4-5 baby bok choy
2-3 cups chicken broth (liquid amounts dependent on how much broth you want)
2 cups water
2-3 bay leaves
3 green onions, cut into 2-inch long pieces

1 tbsp salt or 2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp fresh cracked pepper
pinch of paprika for heat

Method:
Clean your crabs under cool, running water VERY WELL! (I used a scrubbing brush to get into the crevices. Seafood carries all types of bacteria and nothing ruins a good meal like an upset stomach.) Saute onions and chopped garlic in olive oil till fragrant. Add in broth, water, paprika and bay leaves. This is where salt and peppering to your individual taste comes in (or use the fish sauce). Bring broth to a simmer or almost-boil then place the cleaned crabs in the pot. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes until done. You'll know they're done when the shells turn bright orange-red! Lastly, add in green onions and place baby bok choy (leaves separated) over the top of the crabs. Cover pot and let simmer until greens have wilted. Serve immediately!

If I was at my parents house I would probably nom one crab with a whole mess of rice. (The soup is similar in taste to the filipino dish sinigang) But since I'm not at my mom's, and because of the PC challenge, I cooked and ate it more as a soup. But I managed to truly enjoy the crab meat of two crabs instead of one.. along with the simple, yet delicious broth. Yum!

Until next time feeding time.. Happy Eating!