I know the recipe sounds weird, instead of heavy cream, I used cream cheese. This added an amazing flavor without extra calories, 1 TBS of cream is 50 calories, 1 TBS of cream cheese is also 50 calories. Since you only need a small amount of cream cheese for the thickness and the flavor, you save a lot of calories this way.
1 bag Trader Joe's lobster
3 TBS butter
1 leek, halved lengthwise
1/2 onion, halved
1 stalk celery, in big chunks
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 strips orange zest
2 TBS tomato paste
8 ounces cream cheese
3 cups chicken broth
Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Finely chopped chives, for garnish
OPTIONAL: a splash of congac (for flavor, I didn't use)
Grilled Brie and Tomato, optional, recipe follows
Heat butter in a saucepan. Add the leeks, onion, celery, 1/2 the thyme, 1/2 the orange zest and the tomato paste. Cook about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the cream cheese and the broth and bring to a boil. Immediately decrease the heat and gently simmer until the soup is reduced and thickened, about 30 to 45 minutes. Strain this into a clean pot and season with salt and pepper if needed; keep warm. Open the bag of lobster and add it to the strained bisque. To serve, ladle the bisque into warmed soup bowls. Top with the Grilled Brie and Tomato, if desired. Makes 4 servings.
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per 1 cup)
Traditional Lobster Bisque = 250 calories, 13 carbs, trace fiber
"Healthified" Bisque = 209 calories, 3 carbs, trace fiber
PROTEIN BREAD:
3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup unflavored egg white or whey protein
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 tsp onion powder (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Separate the eggs (save the yolks for a different recipe...creme brule???), and whip the whites for a few minutes until VERY stiff. Slowly fold in the whey protein and onion powder if using. Then slowly fold in the cream cheese into the whites (making sure the whites don't fall). Grease a bread pan and fill with "dough." Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Let completely cool before cutting or the bread will fall.
Grilled Brie and Tomato on Crusty Bread:
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 TBS butter, softened
6 (1/2-inch thick) slices PROTEIN BREAD
1/2 pound brie, sliced thin
Heat the broiler. Put the cherry tomatoes onto a baking sheet, drizzle them with olive oil, and season them with salt and pepper. Broil them until they burst; set them aside.
Butter the protein bread on both sides and top each with several slices of brie. Broil until the cheese is bubbling and slightly browned. Top with the tomatoes. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per grilled cheese)
Traditional Grilled Cheese = 380 calories, 28 carbs, 1 g fiber
"Healthified" Grilled Cheese = 176 calories, 2.8 carbs, 0.6 g fiber (2.2 effective carbs)
