Easy Potato Soup

Most potato soups are cream based, but not this one! This recipe is simple, quick, healthy, and really really good! Trust me, I made it tonight for dinner!

1 bag (32oz) frozen hash browns

1 carton (32oz) chicken broth

1 cup water

3 Tbsp flour

1 cup milk (I use Soy Milk)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup real bacon bits

1/4 cup green onions, sliced

Optional:

1/2 diced onions

1 stalk celery, sliced

HOW TO...

1. Dump the hash browns, chicken broth, and water in a crockpot on low. (You can also add 1/2 cup onions and a stalk of celery if you wish, but I prefer it without.) Let this sit 6-8 hours.

2. After step one is finished, mix the milk and flour together in a small bowl and then add to the soup mixture. Turn the crockpot on high for 30 minutes and it should thicken.

3. Add the cheese, bacon bits, and green onions to the top of the soup.

Happy Cooking!

Korean Noodle Bowl

So, after my last post about Sushi, and wanting to further my hot recipes streak, I decided to try this new one, and DING DING, it's a winner! I used what I had at my house, so feel free to alter it based on whatever you have in the fridge!

Ingredients:

1 lb whole wheat linguini noodles

1 1-inch piece fresh ginger (I used pickled ginger that I already had instead)

2 large cloves of garlic, grated

1/4 cup dark soy sauce (I used low-sodium)

3 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp hot sauce (I used a Tbsp cause I like it hot!)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil (I used EVOO instead)

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken meat, cut into thin strips

1/4 c small cabbage, thinly sliced or chopped (I left this out because we didn't have any on hand)

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 bunch of scallions, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain. While the pasta is cooking...

2. Combine the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, honey, tomato paste, vinegar, sesame oil, and hot sauce and stir it up really well.

3. Chop all the remaining ingredients up for a quick stir fry. In a large hot skillet (high heat) using your EVOO or vegetable oil, add the chicken and cook until browned. Add the cabbage and bell pepper and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

4. Add the scallions and ginger sauce and toss for 1 minute. Pour over the drained noodles and top with the sesame seeds! Serve with hot sauce, of course!

Sushi Date $20

What happens when you're pregnant and want sushi? A veggie sushi date, of course! We made quite the amazing sushi at home the other day (and no I've never taken a class or done it before, so you can do it too!) so I wanted to share my recipes here in case you feel the need for a fun, healthy, $20 date! You can really choose any vegetables you wish, but these were some that Jonathan and I picked for ours. If you want to add crab meat or salmon, that's appropriate too, but I prefer to keep in simple.

Sushi Roll Ingredients:

Seaweed Sheets (also called nori) - plan on 2 per person

white sushi rice

1 red pepper

1 cucumber

1 jar of pickled ginger (not raw ginger)

1 avacado

rice vinegar

soy sauce (I use low sodium)

1 pkg cream cheese

Directions:

1. First, make 1 cup dry rice following to the package instructions (sushi rice is a little sticky, which is good). This will make approximately 2.5 cups after it's cooked.

2. While the rice is cooking, thinly slice your vegetables in long strips so they're easy to roll. You don't want them diced for this, trust me.

3. When your rice is finished, add 2-3 Tbsp of rice vinegar per 1 cup of rice and mix well.

4. On a wet surface (I used a wet cutting board), lay out a sheet of seaweed paper.

5. Spread a thin layer of rice on the seaweed, being careful not to get it too close to the edges. After all, you don't want a mess. You want pretty sushi.

6. Lay whatever vegetables you choose to use in a thin line and then roll as tightly and gently as you can with wetted fingers. (We just added ingredients that we wanted, not everything. You can see our sushi rolls below if you need suggestions.)

7. To get the roll to stick shut, just add water under the edge. The nori sheets will stick really well together with water.

8. To slice, make sure to use a very sharp, wetted knife and cut slowly. Each roll should make about 6-8 pieces. (It cuts much easier if you refrigerate it for 30 minutes...if you have the patience) I betcha it turned out great!

9. Make and use your sauces! Don't skimp! It's the best part! May I recommend the Sesame Ginger Sauce? A-MAZING.

Dynamite Sauce: (surprisingly good!)

1/2 cup low-fat mayo (I used fat-free miracle whip)

2 Tbsp hot sauce

1/4 tsp sesame oil

Sesame Ginger Sauce: (SUPER WINNER!)

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp dijon mustard

1/4 tsp sesame oil

1/4 tsp ginger root (I used chopped up pickled ginger from above ingredients)

2 1/2 tsp water

Jonathan's Sushi:

Red Pepper

Avacado

Cucumber

Michelle's Sushi:

Cream Cheese

Avacado

Cucumber

Ginger