Bacon Zucchini Hash (Paleo, Keto, Whole 30) – Delishar

Oh, how I missed all of you!! I miss our interactions online, the private messages, the comments, and most of all the emails. I had to cut back on blogging for a bit as I have been extremely busy cooking up a storm at Wholesome Eats by Cookit‘s kitchen. Recently, I’ve been working on creating a new menu that is both Keto and Paleo compliant. It’s still a work in progress. Needless to say, I’m pretty excited about it. 

Looking through past recipes, I see a lack of breakfast food yet it is something that is so important to us! I believe in starting the day right with delicious, nutritious, and gorgeous breakfast that is easy to put together. 

This recipe is a spin-off from a regular hash, minus the carbs. I usually prepare my ingredients the night before and saute it in the morning. Here is how you make it.

Prepare all the ingredients.

Heat pan on medium high heat with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add bacon and cook for 2 minutes.

Then add zucchini, red pepper, and shimeiji mushrooms. If pan is dry, add 1-2 tsp olive oil, continue cooking for 5 minutes until zucchini is tender.

Add kale, season with spice mix, salt & pepper. Cook until kale is wilted, and serve.

Bacon Zucchini Hash (Keto, Paleo, Whole 30)

delishar

  • 1 medium 300g Zucchini, diced
  • ½ red pepper diced
  • 50 g shimeiji mushrooms ends removed
  • 2 cups 40g kale, chopped
  • 3 strips bacon slice into ½ inch pieces
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Heat pan on medium high heat with 1 tbsp olive oil.

  • Add bacon and cook for 2 minutes.

  • Then add zucchini, red pepper, and shimeiji mushrooms.

  • If pan is dry, add 1-2 tsp olive oil, continue cooking for 5 minutes until zucchini is tender.

  • Add kale, season with onion powder, garlic salt, salt & pepper.

  • Cook until kale is wilted, and serve.

 

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Pork Belly Adobo (Paleo, Keto, Whole30) – Delishar

Been trying to get back into the grove of eating better after falling off the wagon while we were in the USA. At the same time, trying to modify familiar Asian flavours to be compliant. To be honest, it’s not all that hard when you have the knowledge on how to substitute seasoning sauces. 

We love adobo at the Kay household. It’s difficult not to, given the serious seasonings that go into such a simple dish that produces an end product with deep flavours. You don’t have to brown your meat like I did, but browning the meat on its own without the marinade brings it to another dimension. 

Let the marinade cook down into a glaze, allow the meat to absorb all the flavours. Do it on a very low fire, but keep an eye out to make sure it doesn’t dry out and burn. Add water if necessary. Serve it with cauliflower rice for a complete meal. Use bone-in chicken thighs if you do not eat pork. Here’s how you make it.

First, slice the pork belly into bite size pieces, and marinate in seasonings and spices. Marinate for 4-24 hours.

Remove pork belly from marinade, and reserve marinade.

In a pan over medium heat, render fat of pork belly and allow it to brown. No extra oil is needed.

Once browned, add in the reserved marinade. Lower heat to cook for 30-40 minutes until sauce has been fully absorbed. 

Pork Belly Adobo

Delishar

Serves 4 as a side

  • 1 kg pork belly sliced into bite size
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup tamari / coconut aminos
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tbsp whole black peppercorn
  • 3-4 bay leaves
  • 6 cloves garlic smashed
  • 1/2 yellow onion sliced
  • Cilantro for garnish
  • Place all the ingredients into a container.

  • Allow to marinate for 4-24 hours.

  • Remove pork belly from marinade.

  • Reserve marinade.

  • Heat a pan over medium heat, brown pork.

  • Once browned, add in the reserved marinade.

  • Turn heat to low, cover, and allow to cook until tender and marinade absorbed.

  • Check every now and then to make sure it doesn’t dry up and burn.

  • Garnish with cilantro and serve.

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Pulled Pork & Coleslaw (Keto, Paleo, Whole 30) – Delishar

Went to the market and got me a big hunk of pork shoulder because I have been craving so hard for pulled pork & coleslaw. Something similar to this one that I have made sometime back. If you are not eating Keto, Paleo, or Whole 30, check out this recipe. 

There are huge differences between the 2 recipes. This has no nasties like sugar or store bought sauces. Well, except for the hot sauce which is compliant but also completely optional. However, it tastes just as good and it’s also much faster to cook too. I assure you, you are going to feel good about eating this one. My little girl kept picking on the pulled pork and secretly stuffing her mouth when I look away. I used the leftover pulled pork to saute with some zoodles the next day for lunch. So. freaking. good.

In this recipe, I used this Homemade Mayo. Click on the link for the video recipe. Oh, btw this goes really well with keto buns too! Let’s start cooking, shall we?

Mix all the herbs and spices together in a small bowl.

Cut pork into 1.5 inch thick steaks. Generously spoon the seasoning mix over the pork.

Rub in the seasoning mix on both sides of the pork.

Transfer pork into the pot of the pressure cooker. Add 1/3 cup water. Cook in pressure cooker over high pressure for 40 minutes.

Remove from the pressure cooker, and pull with 2 forks.

Remove 3/4 of the liquid in the pressure cooker, then add the pulled pork back into the rest of the liquid to keep warm.

Mix the mayo, apple cider vinegar, dijon, celery salt, sweetener, salt & pepper together in a bowl.
Pour over shredded cabbage, spring onion, and carrot. Toss to combine, keep chilled until ready to serve.

To serve, use lettuce leaves as wraps. Spoon coleslaw into the vessel. Top with pulled pork, garnish and drizzle a little hot sauce to taste. Enjoy!

Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork & Coleslaw (Keto, Paleo, Whole 30)

Delishar

Pulled Pork

  • 1 kg pork shoulders cut into steaks
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup water

Coleslaw

  • 4 cups shredded cabbage about 1/2 head
  • 1/4 cup shredded carrot
  • 2 tbsp chopped spring onions
  • 1/4 cup mayo
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp celery salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp powdered erythritol keto or coconut sugar (paleo), optional
  • Salt to taste

To serve

  • 2 heads romaine lettuces cleaned
  • Cilantro to garnish
  • Hot sauce

Pulled pork

  • Mix all the spices together in a bowl, reserving the water for later.

  • Rub the dry spice mix on both sides of the pork.

  • Place in pressure cooker, and pour in the 1/3 cup water.

  • Cook in pressure cooker over high pressure for 40 minutes.

  • Remove from pressure cooker, and pull with 2 fork.

  • Remove 3/4 of the liquid in the pressure cooker, then add the pulled pork back into the rest of the liquid to keep warm.

Coleslaw

  • Mix the mayo, apple cider vinegar, dijon, celery salt, sweetener, salt & pepper together in a bowl.

  • Pour over shredded cabbage, spring onion, and carrot.

  • Toss to combine, keep chilled until ready to serve.

To serve

  • Using lettuce leaves as wraps, spoon coleslaw into vessel.

  • Top with pulled pork, garnish, and drizzle a little hot sauce to taste.

  • Enjoy!

You can always add more toppings like sliced avocado, tomatoes and shredded cheese.

 

 

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Browned Butter Seared Scallops with Cauli-couscous & Pumpkin Puree (Keto, Paleo, Whole 30) – Delishar

While grocery shopping, I saw some really pretty wild caught scallops that inspired this meal. I was planning to make pumpkin soup but quickly deviated from the original plan to make this ultra luscious and velvety pumpkin puree instead. So glad I did it though! I swear it was so delish and so easy to put together too! To pair, I made a low-carb version of couscous made using cauliflower and seasoned it with fresh herbs with a touch of citrus. The star of the meal is the sweet, meaty, and tender pan-seared scallops drizzled with browned butter that we can’t stop eating! 

I know, I know… Keto folks will start saying that pumpkin is high in carbs. However, as with all ingredients, it’s all about the serving size. This recipe works out to be about 12g of total carbs, bearing in mind serving size. Do watch your serving size: 50g (1/4 cup) of pumpkin puree, 100g (1 cup) cauliflower couscous, and 125g scallops = Total Carbohydrates: 12.26 g, and 3.2 g Fiber. We had leftover pumpkin puree & cauliflower couscous from this recipe for me to have lunch the next day. 

This recipe consists of 3 different recipes/dishes put together. The pan-seared scallops with browned butter sauce, the silky pumpkin puree, and the lemon parsley cauliflower-couscous. Feel free to deconstruct it and pair it with something else that you fancy. 

The cauliflower couscous works very well as a staple on its own. Pairs beautifully with any kind of protein, especially seafood. Don’t be intimidated by the use of Xanthan Gum in this recipe. The Xanthan gum helps bind the puree together and give it a silky gooey texture. It’ll work without Xanthan as well. This is my kind of perfect low-carb meal and the colours on the plate are just visually very appealing! 

Browned Butter Scallops on Cauli-couscous & Pumpkin Puree

Delishar

Pumpkin Puree

  • 500 g pumpkin peeled and seeded (Butternut if you aren’t concern about carb count)
  • 1/4 tsp Xanthan gum optional
  • Salt to taste

Lemon Parsley Cauli-Couscous

  • 500 g Cauliflower
  • 3 tbsp chopped italian parsley
  • 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Pan Seared Scallops

  • 500 g Wild Caught Large Scallops
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • 3 tbsp butter for browned butter

Pumpkin Puree

  • Slice pumpkin into thin slices and steam over high heat for 10 minutes until soft and tender.

  • Drain any excess liquid and transfer to blender.

  • Season with salt, add Xanthan gum and blend until pureed.

  • Pour the puree through a sieve to remove larger lumps.

  • Use a spoon to push the puree through the sieve.

Lemon Parsley Cauli-Couscous

  • Clean cauliflower, remove stalk, and separate into florets.

  • Using a food processor, process florets into the size of couscous.

  • Heat pan on high heat with oil.

  • Stir-fry cauliflower until dried and slightly brown. (About 8 minutes)

  • Season with salt and black pepper.

  • Remove from heat, stir in chopped parsley, lemon juice, and 1-2 tsp lemon zest.

  • Save some lemon zest for garnish later.

Pan Seared Scallops

  • Pat dry scallops with kitchen towel.

  • Season generously with salt and black pepper.

  • In a pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil.

  • When oil is heated, add scallops on by one, taking care not to overcrowd the pan.

  • You might have to work in batches.

  • Allow to cook for about 2 minutes untouched. This will give the scallops a golden crust.

  • Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes, do not over cook it.

  • In another smaller clean pan, melt butter over medium heat.

  • Allow to cook until slightly browned and smell nutty.

  • Remove from heat immediately and transfer into a bowl.

Putting it together

  • Ladle the puree on the plate, using the back of the ladle to spread the puree in a circular motion.

  • My ladle is small about 1/4 cup.

  • Top with cauli-couscous & scallops.

  • Spoon browned butter over scallops.

  • Garnish with reserved lemon zest.

Xanthan helps bind the puree and give a more gooey texture. But this is absolutely optional.
Paleo & Whole 30: Strain the browned butter to remove milk solids. This will give you browned ghee.
Keto: Watch serving size 50g of pumpkin puree, 100g cauliflower couscous, and 125g scallops =
Total Carbohydrates: 12.26 g, 3.2 g Fiber

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Steak Dinner (Keto, Paleo, Whole 30) – Delishar

Now that I have a little more time, I’m beginning to explore and learn more about my Anova sous vide machine. I’m growing quite fond of it, but the wait is sometimes a slow torture. The saying “Good things come to those who wait” applies adequately like this.  Don’t worry if you do not have a SV machine, just cook it on the pan using the timing given on the chart below.

Use the finger test to help you test for your desired done-ness.

My Mr Kay-husband has mentioned to me about wanting a piece of steak. Being the cheapskate prudent wife that I am, I bought a whole slab of meat and portioned it out for the family. Seized the chance to pull out my SV machine as well. The turn out for the dinner was amazing! Delicious steak, just the way we like it. Everyone at home, including my helper and very picky kid loved it. 

The grilled beefsteak tomatoes were sweet, savoury, and extremely juicy. If you have not had grilled tomatoes before, you should. My favourite part of the dinner was that chimichurri sauce, I was trying so hard not to eat it by the spoonful. So. Freaking. Good. 

Remember, if you are eating Keto or LCHF, adjust the recipe to fit your macros. I’d suggest eating only 1/2 of the beefsteak tomato. I’ve attached the nutritional breakdown to the bottom of this post. 

Steak Dinner with Chimichurri Sauce

Delishar

Steak

  • 4 New York Striploin about an inch thick
  • 4 cloves garlic peeled & smashed
  • Sprigs of thyme
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Olive oil

Chimichurri Sauce

  • 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley tightly packed
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro tightly packed
  • 2 shallots peeled
  • 3 cloves of garlic peeled
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Sides

  • 4 beef steak tomatoes halved
  • 300 g Thai asparagus tough ends removed
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Olive oil

Steak

  • Set sous vide machine to 54C.

  • Season striploin with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

  • Place in vacuum/ziplock bag, then place a clove of smashed garlic and thyme on top of the steak. Vacuum and seal.

  • Cook in water bath at 54C for 90 mins.

  • When done, sear it on a hot pan for a minute each side with some butter & olive oil.

Sides

  • Brush grill pan with olive oil.

  • Grill asparagus until soft, season with salt and black pepper.

  • Grill tomato for 3-4 minutes each side, season with salt and black pepper.

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One Pan Cajun Shrimp & Sausage Skillet (Keto, Whole 30, Paleo) – Delishar

When the weekend rolls in, I used to be a little conflicted with wanting to stock up my fridge with fresh ingredients and using up whatever is left in my fridge. I can be quite challenging at times especially when there are changes in plans which can result in a fridge with more or fewer scraps and pieces of produce to work with. 

 

Slowly, I grew to like ‘clear out weekends’. It allowed me to think on my feet and be creative with leftovers in my fridge. The purge and emptied fridge make the stocking up experience all the more enjoyable. Oh, the little things in life that make me so happy.

While I was digging through my fridge over a weekend, a popular video recipe that I saw on FB immediately came to mind. Inspired by that, I made my version of Shrimp and Sausage Cajun Skillet. This recipe is extremely easy to put together, takes no time at all to cook, and works well with whatever vegetables you have in your fridge. Swap out the sausages for chicken, I’m sure it’ll turn out great too!

One Pan Cajun Skillet (Keto, Whole 30, Paleo)

  • 10 large shrimp peeled & deveined
  • 2 compliant sausages sliced
  • 1 medium sized zucchini sliced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper diced
  • 1/2 yellow pepper diced
  • 1/4 yellow onion sliced
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp Cajun Seasoning
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Lemon slices
  • Parsley chopped to garnish
  • In a bowl add the shrimp, and toss with 1 tsp of cajun seasonsing.

  • Heat oil in a large skillet on medium high.

  • Cook zucchini, and set aside.

  • In the same pan, add onion, peppers, and sausages to cook for 3-5 minutes.

  • Then add garlic, shrimp, zucchini, and seasonings.

  • Cook until shrimp is cooked through.

  • Remove from heat, spritz in a little lemon juice and toss.

  • Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

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Teriyaki Salmon Zoodles (Keto, lchf, gluten-free) – Delishar

So after my partner and I decided to end the operation of our Wholesome Eats by Cookit restaurant on East Coast Road, we were planning on looking for a new place somewhere in the business district. However, after serious discussions and considerations, we have decided not to venture into having a physical restaurant but to be closer to everyone’s home instead. 

Albeit working 13-14 long hard hours a day, with lots of burns, cuts, and a body that was basically falling apart. I truly enjoyed my time at the restaurant. If I could turn back the time, would I do it again? Yes, absolutely. Our time at the restaurant taught us a lot. I’ve learned so much from my customers when I step out of the kitchen to interact with them. I hear their struggles, cravings, and wants when they are on a specific diet. So we decided to concentrate on producing sauces instead. Sauces that would be friendly to their diet, sauces that have been our customers’ favourites. This is one of them. 

Popular among the young and old, a taste so familiar. Sweet, savoury, and slightly tangy. The few differences is that we use a sugar substitute that is very low calories, carbs, will not affect the blood glucose level. “Erythritol is said to add sweetness to foods and beverages without adding calories, spiking blood sugar, or causing tooth decay.” – Healthline

Also keeping to Cookit’s gluten-free roots, this keto, diabetic friendly & cholesterol-free sauce is made from ingredients that are free from gluten, egg, dairy and nuts with no added sugar, preservatives or MSG. 

Leading brand teriyaki sauces in the market contain 8-16g of carbs per tbsp serving. Cookit’s Teriyaki Sauce has a total carb of 3g and a net carb of 1g. This sauce is also one of the most popular sauce from the range of growing ready-made sauces. The sauce works the same way as all the teriyaki sauces out there in the market. Use it as a marinade, for stir-frying, for baking or broiling. 

For this recipe, I used it to cook the salmon and drizzle the remaining sauce to coat the zoodles. If you have a suggestion on the kind of Keto compliant sauce that you’d like to see, I’d love to hear from you. Leave me a comment or DM at Cookit FB page. 

Teriyaki Salmon Zoodles

delishar

  • 1 medium zucchini spiralized into zoodles
  • 130-150 g salmon fillet
  • 2 tbsp Cookit teriyaki sauce or to your preference
  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Sesame seeds to garnish
  • Coriander leaves to garnish
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Season salmon lightly with salt and black pepper.

  • In a pan over medium high heat, add 1 tsp oil.

  • Add salmon, skin side down, turn heat to medium and cook about 5 minutes.

  • Flip, and cook for 1-2 minutes.

  • Pour teriyaki sauce over salmon, and allow to cook and coat fish, about 30 seconds.

  • Transfer salmon and sauce on a plate.

  • In the same pan, saute garlic over medium heat with remaining oil until fragrant.

  • Add zoodles, and remove from heat, toss to combine oil and garlic.

  • Season with salt and black pepper.

  • Serve with teriyaki salmon and remaining sauce.

  • Garnish with sesame seeds & coriander leaves.

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Palak Paneer / Spinach Cottage Cheese (Gluten-free, Keto) – Delishar

Alongside Aloo Gobi, we would always order Palak Paneer when we visit an Indian restaurant. We love the combination of warm spices marrying with creamy spinach puree. It works so well as a dip for flatbread and as a saucy dish that goes perfectly with basmati rice. My husband and girls aren’t too fond of paneer, which means I get to have them all to myself. Win for me, I’d say. When we had our homemade Indian dinner, it was a no-brainer for me to make our own Palak Paneer (IG cooking story here). 

The struggle we usually have while dining out, especially when spices are involved is that most places aren’t able to truly tone down the spiciness level to suit the kids’ tolerance to heat. Most of the time, it’s too spicy for them even if the kitchen tried to tone it down a notch. 

The good thing is that home-cooking allows us to cater to our family’s preference and tailor the spices to suit the kids’ tolerance level. That way, everyone at home will be able to enjoy all the dishes. Cooking at home also saves us quite a bit of $$ as compared to dining out! Here’s how I made my Palak Paneer. 

Palak Paneer (Gluten-free, Keto)

Sharon Lam

Spinach puree:

  • 300 g Spinach
  • 1 green chilli , chopped & seeded (optional)

Spice mix:

  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp chilli powder (optional)
  • 1 tsp garam masala

Others:

  • 200 g paneer/cottage cheese or tofu
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 1 tomato diced
  • 2 tbsp garlic ginger paste
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 1 tsp fenugreek leaves
  • Salt to taste

Garnish:

  • 2 tbsp Cream / coconut milk
  • Julienned red chilli
  • Julienned ginger
  • Bring a pot of water to boil, then blanch spinach for 30 seconds.

  • Dunk spinach in ice water to stop the cooking process.

  • Drain and transfer to food processor together with green chilli. Blend to puree.

  • In a pan, melt ghee and add cumin seeds to cook for 30 seconds.

  • Add onion, tomato, and bay leaf. Cook until soften.

  • Add garlic ginger paste and spice mix. Continue cooking until well blended.

  • Add spinach puree and mix to combine.

  • Season with salt to taste and add water to your desired consistency.

  • Allow to simmer on low heat for 5-6 minutes.

  • Then add the paneer or tofu and cook for another minute.

  • Garnish and serve.

Use tofu and coconut milk for dairy-free option.
Ghee is lactose-free but can be substituted with coconut oil.

Keyword cheese, delishar, easy, gluten-free, indian, keto, simple, spices, spicy, spinach, tofu, vegetarian

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Tom Kha Gai Enoodle Bowl (Keto, Whole30) – Delishar

Yes, I coined a new word, Enoodle. Ha! It’s actually Enoki mushrooms or straw mushrooms, I used it in place of regular noodles to make this Tom Kha Gai Keto and Whole30 friendly! It’s a great way to reduce carbs in your diet. Yet, still enjoy that long QQ texture that we love with noodles. Using mushrooms also adds a depth of earthiness to the spicy, creamy, savoury, and sour soup. Talk about a party for the tastebuds!

If you are not on a specific diet or if you are a carb lover, feel free to swab out the enoki mushrooms with your favourite carb. My girls love this soup sans chilli with rice instead of Enoodles. Kinda like the ever trending Pao Fan (泡饭) isn’t it? Please share with me your favourite way to enjoy this flavour-bomb.

Check out my other recipes for Keto lovers and Whole30 lovers. Follow me on my Instagram for as I share cooking highlights.

Tom Kha Gai Enoodles

Keto, Paleo, and Whole30 friendly

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

  • 1 chicken breast sliced
  • 200 g Enoki mushroom bottom part removed
  • 4 cherry tomatoes halved
  • 5 slices galangal
  • 2 lemongrass bruised and cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 1-2 lime leaves
  • 1 sprig coriander root separated
  • 1 shallot
  • 1 chilli padi sliced half (optional if not taking spicy)
  • 2 cloves garlic smashed
  • 500 ml chicken stock Imagine no-chicken stock
  • 100 ml coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp red boat fish sauce
  • 1 lime halved
  • Place lemongrass, lime leaves, coriander root, shallot, chilli padi, and garlic into saucepan/pot.

  • Pour in chicken stock and bring to boil on high heat.

  • Add chicken slices and bring back to a boil.

  • Lower to medium heat, season with fish sauce, and allow to cook for 5 minutes.

  • Pour in coconut milk, enoki mushroom, and cherry tomatoes.

  • Bring it back up to a boil, and allow to cook for 2 1-2 minutes.

  • Remove from heat, and squeeze in lime juice to your liking.

  • Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Keyword 30 mins, asian, easy, gluten-free, keto, paleo, soup, spicy, Thai, whole30

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