Nothing like having some soup during this non-stop rainy time in Northern Ohio. Amazing, how the other night I went to sleep while it was still raining, then woke up and it was still raining, went out later in the day....raining, came home later in the evening....raining. Next day, oh wait!.....a moment of no rain! Few minutes later......RAIN! 
Not trying to sound like I am complaining, because I will take rain over snow ANY DAY! 
Of course, being a healthy-ish flexitarian, decided to make a soup with cabbage. Cabbage is known to be a digestive detox and helps to lose weight. But, that is if you don't put it with a dish that has greasy, fatty meat or a lot of cheese or high in fatty carbs like pasta. 
Put a twist on a cabbage soup and infused it with Asian flavors:

• 1/4-1/2 cabbage- chopped big
• 10-12 green onions- chopped
• 12 cherry tomatoes- sliced and chopped
• 1/2-3/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar (or regular vinegar)
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1/2 by leaf
• 1-2 tsp roasted sesame (better roasted)
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 cup veggie stock or 1 veggie bouillon
• 1/4 tsp siracha green dragon sauce (optional for a bit of a kick)
• 1/4 tsp oyster sauce
• 1.5 cup water
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• olive oil & garlic or garlic oil

Turn cooker on early to high. 15 minutes later either add oil and garlic or garlic oil. 10 minutes later add cabbage. Mix and cover to slow cook for 1 hour. Add green onion, tomatoes, ginger, pepper- mix and cover to cook for another 1/2 hour. Add rest of ingredients and cover for an hour, then turn on low for 1-2 hours.
OR, if you want to do this before work or going out for a while, then add all ingredients, mix it up and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. ***This is if you are using a 3.5 quart or higher. If making a smaller soup (like me) in a 2 1/2 quart, you don't need that much time. Estimate about half the amount. A 2-2.5 quart can serve 4-5 servings- believe it or not. Well, unless you have a really big bowl of soup! :-)
Feel free to top with more green onions or cilantro!
Enjoy!

Feel like a bit of some Asian takeout? BUT, don't want to digest all that extra fat, sugar, salt and starch?
Maybe make a little stir fry of your own!

Ingredients:

• bag - thawed scallops (patted dry)
• 15-20 - precooked shrimp (save on time) (chopped big)
• 6-8  - scallions (from the market?) (chopped big)
• 10-12 - fresh button mushrooms (chopped big)
• garlic cloves - 2
• 1 or 2 belle pepper - (chopped big)
• 12 - baby carrots cooked and chopped long and thin
• 2 tsp - black pepper
• 2 tbsp - soy sauce
• 2 tbsp - oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp - fish sauce
• 1 tbsp - sesame oil
• dash of ginger
• 1 tbsp - sunflower oil (SO)

With SO and 1 garlic, saute scallops for a 5-10 min on med-low heat. Set a-side. A little more SO on med-heat and add bell pepper for several minutes, then add mushrooms and scallions for another several minutes. Then add cooked carrots, shrimp and scallops and other garlic and cook on med-low for a few minutes. Then add pepper, soy, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil and ginger, then cover and cook on low for about 10ish minutes. Uncover and stir-it-up! Taste test and add a bit if you'd like! The, serve it up!!
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I love a Sundays, in the fall, when I have the TV on the game and I cook while watching! For Browns games, I really can't just sit and watch. Giving all my attention and care only to have it crushed and disappointed all the time.
Now, giving my attention and care to my cooking is never crushing or disappointing. Well, can't say never, but at the very opposite spectrum!
Not your A-typical fall-like football game watching recipe. But, I'm not your A-typical girl.....neither is my recipes! Who says you have to have pizza or burgers-n-such to watch a game? Step out of your comfort, typical, that's what my parents did zone of doing things! :-)
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So.......who wants Pad Thai?...... Me!..... You?

Ingreeeedients:

• pad thai noodles (rice noodles) - 1/4 of bag for 4-5 servings (cooked to instructions)
• fresh spinach - 1-2 cups (your preference)
• red onion - 1/2 to 1 (all-depending on how much you like onions & how many people you are feeding) I used 1/4 red & 1/4 white.
• 2 garlic cloves
• jar of pimentos
• 1 or 2 cans of mushrooms (or fresh if got- 1/2-1 cup) chopped
• 1 can of baby corn chopped big
• can of mung bean sprouts (chopped big)
• 1/4-1/2 cup fish sauce
• 1/2 ish soy sauce
• 1/4-1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4-1/2 cup sesame oil
• 1/4 cup in mix / 1 tbsp for topping - sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup in mix / 1 tsp for topping - cilantro
• 1 tbsp of pepper
• couple shakes of the red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup of cashews / 1/4 cup of almonds (or less) -chopped in blender- part for mix/ part for topping
• cooking spray

Spray pan and add chopped onions and garlic. Saute for several minutes. Add spinach and cover on medium for a few minutes. Add mushrooms, pimentos, baby corn and mungs sprouts. Cover on medium-low for several minutes. Add fish sauce, soy, rice vinegar, sesame oil, pepper, cilantro, red pepper flakes, nuts and noodles. Cover on low for 10ish minutes, then add toppings and serve!