115 Bootcampers find themselves in week 4, the last week of L2 where one can indulge in two carb servings at a meal every other day! So today I'm sharing some carby soups and sides. Not just one recipe but FIVE!

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, sliced thin
• 3/4 lb kale, tough stems removed, leaves washed well and shredded
• 3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut or coconut almond milk
• 1 cup cooked brown rice

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over med-low heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, ~5 min. Stir in garlic and jalapeño and cook, stirring, until fragrant, ~30 secs. Stir in kale, sweet potatoes, broth, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, ~20 min. Add coconut milk and heat through. Put mound of rice in center of each bowl. Ladle soup around the rice. This will make 6 servings that count as one carb or if you'd like, on L2 Day 2, you could have 1/3 of the batch and count it as your two carb servings. Another option is to omit the rice, in which case this would make about 4 single-carb servings.

Sweet Potato, Chipotle and Apple Soup

• 2 tablespoons oil, plus 1 cup for frying
• 1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 Gala apples—peel, seed, chop
• 1 celery rib, thinly sliced crosswise
• 4 sweet potatoes, peel and slice thin
• 1 qt low-sodium broth
• 3 cups water
• 1 small canned chipotle in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Splenda
• 3 Ez tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch strips

1. In a medium soup pot, heat 2 tbsp of the oil until shimmering. Add onion, garlic and ginger and cook over low heat, stirring, until softened, ~7 min. Add apples and celery and cook for 5 min. Add sweet potatoes and cook for 5 min. Add chicken broth and water and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer over low heat until the fruit and vegetables are very tender, ~45 min. Stir in the chipotle.
2. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Season with salt and white pepper and return to the pot.
3. In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon and Splenda with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Heat remaining 1 cup of oil in a medium skillet. Add tortilla strips and fry over high heat, stirring, until crisp and golden, ~2 min. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Serve soup in shallow bowls and garnish with the fried tortilla strips.
4. This makes 6 single-carb servings. If you add the three large tortillas, that creates a total of 9 servings with tortilla strips evenly distributed. If you're confused, don't make the tortilla strips!

** Note this soup has no protein so add a protein in or with it to round out your meal.**

UNfried Rice

• 1 cup dry brown rice
• 2 tbsp sesame oil (divided)
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 1 cup peas
• 2 tbsp soy sauce or liquid aminos
• 1 O-3 egg
• salt to taste

Start by preparing brown rice. Dice the carrots. In a small bowl, prepare the dressing by whisking together 1 tbsp sesame oil and 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce.  Set aside until ready. Add 1 tbsp sesame oil to large non-stick skillet on med-high heat when rice is done. Add rice to skillet and stir often.  “Fry” the rice for ~5 min to help give it that great fried rice texture, and to incorporate the flavors of the sesame oil. Next add diced carrots and peas, and stir to combine. After a few minutes, add the sesame-soy mixture… And quickly stir to coat – the sauce should sizzle and steam! Using your spatula, push rice to sides of the skillet, forming a hole in middle of the pan. While pan is still nice and hot, crack egg right in the center of that space – it should start to scramble right away. Use spatula to break yoke and quickly scramble the egg. Add chicken or shrimp to suit your preference.  As is, this makes 3 carb servings. Add 3-6 oz meat/serving to round out your meal!

Ezekiel Bread Dressing

• 2 slices Ez. bread
• Onion, celery, garlic, mushrooms
• ½ c low sodium chicken or veggie broth

Dry bread. Cut into ½-in cubes. Saute veggies in pan. Mix all ingredients. Bake 450 for 20 min or so. Makes 1 carb serving. Obviously can multiply it as necessary.

Sweet Potato Hash Browns