Zuppe Toscana! (Yummy Potato Soup)

What is the deal with soup lately? The Sassy Chefs certainly appear to love them, and this creamy potato soup is no different.

Ingredients
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 medium potatoes
1 package real bacon bits (about a cup)
1 pound Italian sausage
2 cans chicken broth
8 cups water
2 cups roughly chopped kale
salt and pepper to taste

optional:
scallions
cheese

Directions
1. Brown sausage. In the meantime, mince garlic, chop onion, and chop potatoes into bite-size pieces.
2. Put potatoes, onion, garlic, chicken broth, and water into large pot. Cook on medium heat until potatoes are tender.
3. Drain sausage. Add sausage and bacon to soup. Simmer on medium 10 minutes and reduce heat to low.
4. Add kale and cream.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat to serving temperature and serve.
6. Optional: Top with chopped scallions and / or shredded cheese.

Its a creamy and satisfying soup and even husbands and boyfriends will dig it because of the sausage and bacon. Yum! Thanks Kim for the recipe!

Kristy

Minestrone Soup

A yummy Italian classic... and warm for winter!

1 T olive oil
1 cup white beans (I use canned white beans and just drain them to save time)
4 garlic cloves, diced
1 onion
2 celery stalks
6 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth if you choose)
1 can diced tomatoes
1T safflower oil
1/2 cup red wine
1 T basil
1T oregano
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 medium red potatoes
3/4 cup fresh green beans
2 carrots, diced
1 1/2 cup macaroni (or any short pasta of your choice; it is easy to make this recipe gluten free by using gluten free pasta)

Directions:
1. Prepare all vegetables so they are ready to add when you need them.
2. Saute onions and garlic in 1 T olive oil
3. Add all other ingredients except pasta and bring to a boil.
4. Add pasta and let boil until tender.
5. Reduce heat and serve!

100 Calorie (or less) Snacks!

I am a snacker. My husband says I eat like a bird, but it's really because I eat little bits about 6 times a day. I have a favorite 100-calorie snack, and it doesn't come in a tiny little cellophane package either! It's crunchy, sweet, satisfying, and..... well... sassy!

All you need is a package of plain or lightly salted rice cakes and one other ingredient. Now before you go bashing the rice cake, let me explain my choice. I like the crunch of a rice cake, it's gluten free (does not contain wheat and other grains that make some people sick), and still has 9 grams of whole grain (it is whole grain brown rice) in each cake! Perhaps more impressively, it has a gram of protein and no fat.... and all of this at only 35 calories! The star ingredient is a spreadable one, so choosing a rice cake also cuts back on the calories you would get in a normal piece of bread... and let's face it... anytime a spreadable ingredient is involved, it's always the start.

Now that we're past the rice cake, you add the star ingredient..... reduced fat (you can't even tell, I promise!) strawberry cream cheese. YUUUUMMM! You don't want to overdo it with cream cheese, but truthfully, you will probably only use a tablespoon or two, and two tablespoons provides 2 grams of protein and a little bit of fat to keep you satisfied (0 grams trans. fat).

Don't knock it until you've tried it. It's delicious. Cellophane package not included (thank goodness) and cooking... not required.

Enjoy!

Tortilla Soup

I absolutely LOVE this version of tortilla soup. I literally CRAVE it every couple of weeks because of how fresh and homemade the taste it, and yet it is super easy to make. I got the original recipe from Real Simple Magazine, but did change several things to accomodate Brian and I's tastes and preferences. Since there are various ways to do this (and all will taste fabulous!) I'm going to post those options so you can decide what's best for you and your family!

Tortilla Soup

Option #1: Two 14-19oz. cans chicken noodle soup (Progresso is best), 1 c. frozen corn, 1 t. hot sauce

In med. saucepan, bring soup to simmer. Add corn & hot sauce, stirring until just heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Ladle into bowls & serve with avocado and tortilla chips.

OR:

Option #2: Two 14-19oz. can chicken noodle soup (Progresso is best) with chicken cubes removed, 1/2 lb. chicken, 1 medium green bell pepper, 1 c. frozen corn, 1 t. hot sauce

In large pot, boil chicken for approximately 30-45 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove and shred into small and medium pieces, set aside. In medium saucepan, bring soup to simmer. Chop bell pepper into medium and large chunks. Add bell pepper, corn, & hot sauce to soup, stirring until just heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Ladle into bowls & serve with avocado and tortilla chips.

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**My husband and I do like a little more spice, so we added more like 3 t. of hot sauce instead of 1. You can also add any of your other favorite veggies, red bell pepper, squash, etc., to give it a flavor that is perfect for your family!

Word of the Day: Egg Wash

An egg wash is a coating used on many baked goods to create a desired texture or shine on the surface of the pastry or bread. There are many different types of egg washes. Some require only the use of the egg white while others use the whole egg. In addition, some egg washes call only for egg while others call for the addition of milk, cream, water, or salt. If your recipe doesn't specify, consider how you would like the final product to look. A wash of yolks only will be very shiny while the addition of water will cause a more golden finish. If you only use the whites, the color will be light but the surface will be very crispy and flaky. The addition of milk causes a darker color finish.

Finally, water is typically added to savory items while milk or cream is added to egg washes used on sweet treats.

Creamy Tarragon Chicken

Both my husband and I really enjoy eating chicken as a dinner meat due to its ability to "fill" us, but to have much less fat and calories than its beef counterpart. However, occasionally I start to feel like chicken dishes can "run together" quickly, where they all start to taste the same! I wanted to find a fresh, creamy chicken to serve one night for dinner for Brian and I, and came across this recipe using tarragon. I edited it a little to accomodate our tastes and what I had at our apartment, and came up with the recipe below! Please do enjoy!

Creamy Tarragon Chicken
2 T. butter or margarine
2/3 c. milk
1/4 c. white wine
2 T. Dijon mustard
2 t. dried tarragon
1 t. garlic salt
1/2 t. of rosemary
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or cutlets
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend the margarine, milk, wine, mustard, tarragon, garlic salt, and rosemary. Salt and pepper chicken breasts to taste (massaging both into the chicken breast) and place them in baking dish, top with all the creamy mixture and bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until chicken is golden brown and no longer pink inside. Serve with yukon potatoes for a great hot meal! Serves 2 - 4.

*Please note: If you'd like, you can substitute the margarine and milk for 1/2c. of sour cream.

Enjoy!
Brittany

Is there BPA in your water bottle?

Last year, news broke about the link between a compound called bisphenol A (or BPA) and cancer. Though it caused a huge uproar, some of us tend to be skeptics when it seems like every day there is a new carcinogen out there. Maybe this will get your attention: this month, Shape Magazine summarizes a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that now links BPA to diabetes. According to the article, those with high levels of BPA in their bodies were more than twice as likely to have diabetes.

Look for the number 7 on the bottom of any plastic bottles that you may take to the gym or carry to work and get rid of them! Better safe than sorry!

Kristy