I’m a sucker for a good soup, especially this time of year. I also love all things roasted red peppers. This Roasted Red Pepper Soup is on repeat at my household and pairs nicely with a grilled cheese, egg sandwich, or just by itself with some parmesan cheese. Upgrade your lunch OR dinner this week.

Soup Season

Can you believe it’s already December? When did that happen? It seems like yesterday it was just summer and we were talking about how hot it was. I think that’s normal to just want to talk about the weather. I never pay attention to what weather is coming, I normally just find out when I take the dog for a walk in the morning. These past few mornings have been brutal.

I’m not from Upstate NY and I’m not really sure I will ever become accustomed to the weather. Maryland had winters & seasons but they were never quite this extreme. I mean, my FACE hurts here. I go out to walk the dog and think I’ll be okay and then I come back and can’t even move my mouth because it’s frozen. WHAT IS THAT ABOUT.

That being said, when it gets cold out, one of the ways I cope with it is to make all the soups. I actually have a favorite from Pacific Foods that is their Roasted Red Pepper soup. I figured, why not try and make this on my own (a normal saying of mine)? Soup season gets me through the winter, somehow.

Easy Meals

Soups, in general, are very easy to make. I find people telling me all the time that they would cook from home if it wasn’t so hard to do. Let me tell you, as long as you have the right tools (if you don’t snag my gift guide here), soups are SO easy to make. The best part is you can blend in a ton of vegetables and hide them from yourself, your kids, your husband, etc. Win-win all around.

I am going to continue to find ways to bring you easy meals because I want you to eat healthy without thinking it takes HOURS to make. If you find that even a meal like this takes too long to make then you may need to invest in a cooking class or two. Cooking is an essential skill you should learn, and once you start learning you’ll realize how fun it can be.

Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup

This soup is my new favorite thing. It is light in flavor and can be paired with many things. My favorite this week has been making an egg & cheese sandwich/grilled cheese on the side and dipping the bread into. I also sometimes put frozen spinach and broccoli in the soup as well to bump the vegetable content and make it more filling.

If you’re into dairy & can handle it, I suggest adding the half & half and even some parmesan cheese to make it even creamier than it already is! Stop making excuses as to why you can’t eat more veggies or can’t cook from home. This soup is easy, just make sure you’re not wearing a white shirt while making it #rookiemistake.  Enjoy!

Pro Tip: grab yourself an immersion blender so that you can make blended soups all winter long. This one is my favorite.

xoxo,

Sassy

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I have to admit, to my knowledge, I have never had green bean casserole before. Every year I have looked it up and thought “why would I want that?” I guess my background serves me well in that case because I think processed non-enjoyable dish when I think of a traditional green bean casserole. Now, I’m sure many of you will argue that it’s delicious and I have no doubt that it is, it’s just not something I want to eat in the normal way it is made, end of story.

Thanksgiving Side Super Stars

As I showed you the other day, Thanksgiving can be healthy AND delicious, even if indulgent. I’m all for having my cake and eating it too, especially on Thanksgiving. What I’m not about? Eating food that isn’t delicious and doesn’t make me feel good. I’d rather pass on a food that may seem good now to forgo later digestive upset. It’s taken me YEARS to get there, so I don’t expect you all to be there yet. For many, it’s not a big deal, but for others, it can make all the difference in their health.

You should know that when you do find foods that don’t make you feel good, there is ALWAYS a way to make it in a way that serves you. If you can’t make substitutions, you can also swap it for something comparable. You just have to be creative and open to something new. This green bean casserole may be my new favorite side dish, and frankly, wish I could eat it year round….which I may do because what are food rules anyway?!

Classic Green Bean Casserole

I’m pretty sure I’ve never had green bean casserole before because I’m more into fresh ingredients than canned ones. When I picture the traditional casserole I think of onions from a package, condensed mushroom soup from a can, and soggy green beans. I mean, I know I’m exaggerating, but that’s what I think about!

Here are the ingredients of a traditional green bean casserole:

• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 dash black pepper
• 4 cups cooked cut green beans (frozen & canned recommended before fresh are, by the way…)
• 1-1/3 cups French’s French Fried Onions (yeah, no).

Hard pass.

Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole

While, once again, I’m sure the above tastes good, it’s just not that appetizing from me. I decided instead to make all parts of the recipe from scratch. You get fresh green beans, fresh onion topping, and your own easy-peasy condensed mushroom sauce.

Fun fact: I was going to use breadcrumbs for the onions but found a few bags of 4505 Pork Rinds in my cabinet from Expo East and thought, huh, I wonder if these will do?!

The flavor of the pork rinds was amazing and I’m so glad I decided to experiment. If you don’t have any pork rinds, or can’t find any, feel free to use bread crumbs instead, just reduce the amount probably in 1/2. However, I highly recommend trying something new 😀

Pro tip: Make this dish ahead of time and allow it to cool & set so that the mushroom sauce thickens and the dish becomes a bit more robust in flavor & texture.

Have you had green bean casserole before?! Do you love it or hate it?

xoxo,

Sassy

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I was at the gym the other day and was looking at the food we had on hand. I love what we offer at our gym because it’s pretty simple to grab & go, and real food-based. However, I’m always in the camp of “can I make this myself?” I looked at the Fuel for Fire in the fridge, and thought “huh? I wonder if I could make this myself.” Turns out, yes, in fact, I can (and you can too).

I wanted to try it out because, while I love the brand and the product they have, I also love to make things for myself. It’s also much cheaper to make them for yourself if you pay some upfront costs for the reusable pouches.

Cost-effective Copycat Fuel for Fire

Anytime I eat and/or see food, I always wonder if I could recreate it and/or make it better. I feel like that’s a very cocky thing to admit. I’m not saying it to sound cocky, instead, it’s just a challenge I like to give myself. I love food and I love cooking, so it’s a hobby of mine.

The other day when I looked in the fridge, I saw the Fuel for Fire and looked to see what they were selling for. They go for $3/pop. That’s about average for what you can find something like this for. So I did the math and figured out what I could make something like this for, here’s what I came up with:

8 reusable pouches: $14.99 (only for 1st batch)
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes (@99 cents/lb): $0.99
2 cups applesauce (@~ $5/48 oz.): $1.65
2 scoops protein powder (@ $42 for 27 scoops ): $3.00
1/4 cup peanut powder (@$4.64/6.5 oz.): $1.25

1st batch: $3.65/pouch
2nd batch and beyond: $1.15/pouch

Now, I’m not saying you HAVE to make these yourself because there is something to say for convenience. I just want you to have the option should you want to make them yourself!

Pre/Post Workout

So many people on Instagram asked what I was making these for. No, this is not baby food. Sure you could probably feed this to your kids, but these are not meant for infants. Instead, these are meant for adults and teens for pre & post workout snacks.

I get asked all the time what people should eat pre & post workout. My usual response is “real food”. However, for those who are struggling to find food that is convenient and/or easily digestible, I have recommended Fuel for Fire. I still recommend the brand! However, if you want to make some for yourself during meal prep, here is your option to do so. I’m going to be freezing some of these to ensure that they can last in the freezer. If so, I’d recommend making a large batch all at once and then you have snacks for days!

For pre/post workout, you generally want easy to digest carbs & protein sources. This fits the bill and should be consumed in conjunction with real food in a meal prior to the snack pre-workout (1-2 hours prior) and/or after the snack for a meal within 1-2 hours post-workout.

Sweet Potato Apple DIY Protein Pouches

I had the pleasure of meeting the founder of Fuel for Fire at FNCE. He was awesome and I’m loving what the company is doing. Since I cannot digest banana well, he gave me their Sweet Potato Apple flavor to try. I compared the two and they are very similar in texture, however, the taste was a little different. The Fuel for Fire is a bit more citrusy and fresh and mine is a bit more mellow & peanut buttery.

I will be working on more flavors because I feel like I’m on to something for my athletes. Stay tuned and please let me know if you’ve tried these and enjoyed them!  I had one today and I don’t love eating a lot pre-workout. I felt like I had a lot of energy and no digestive complaints, win-win.

Pro tip: add more water as needed to make the consistency thick but easy enough to eat! You can also try adding more protein powder, which will require more water!

This was my first go into a protein filled fruit & veggie pouch, I’m hoping to continue to try new flavors and combinations but would love your input:

What flavors are you hoping to see next?!

xoxo,

Sassy

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Let me set one thing straight before I start this post, spaghetti squash is not spaghetti. While I love the squash and use it in place of pasta, I will not sit here and tell you that it tastes the same or can replace pasta 1 for 1. I’m Italian after all, so I know good homemade pasta when I see it. So, while this post is dedicated to the spaghetti squash, I am under no impression that it is pasta because it’s not, it’s a vegetable, or more specifically a squash.

Spaghetti Squash

That being said, I love spaghetti squash and think more people should embrace the squash. The great thing about spaghetti squash is that it’s filling and a great vehicle for sauces and other items. It is super easy to make and really satisfying when it’s cooked. You feel somewhat accomplished when you cook this vegetable because when it’s done it lets you know. The strands pull out so easily and you’re not even sure how.

Haven’t made it before? Great, follow the recipe below so you too can feel satisfied both in your cooking skills and your ability to make yourself something healthy.

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash 2-Ways

So I was going to post how I cook spaghetti squash a while back. But then I got busy and forgot. I’m so glad I forgot to because during that time I learned how to make spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot.

To be honest I had really only been using my Instant Pot sporadically and with recipes, I knew by heart. Yes, I too get stuck in my ways. So I decided a few weeks ago to start figuring out new ways to use the Instant Pot because if I was going to be telling people they need it, I sure as heck need recipes to back it up. So now you have 2-ways to make spaghetti squash whether you have an Instant Pot or not.

I have a Spinach & Artichoke Chicken recipe that pairs nicely with this as well as a bolognese that I will get to posting soon so you have some options when it comes to your spaghetti squash, but in the meantime, you can pair it with any protein and vegetable you dang well please.

Pro Tip: Grab your favorite marinara sauce & frozen meatballs to make this the easiest (and healthiest) dinner you’ve made in a while.

Enjoy! Don’t have an Instant Pot? You’re missing out go get one for yourself #TreatYoSelf

xoxo,

Sassy

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If you don’t know, now you know. I am a fan of the Instant Pot and it’s been a lifesaver in the kitchen for me. I recently took a trip to a local Apple Orchard and I had apples coming out my ears. I didn’t have room for the apples in my house anymore and we couldn’t eat them fast enough so, applesauce AND butter it was!

While I love eating apples as-is or with a spoonful of peanut butter, I can only eat so many apples in a week. If you know me you know that I have more of a savory and salty preference so I’m far more likely to reach for carrots and sliced peppers than I am to grab for fruit. That’s not to say I don’t eat fruit it’s just that I probably only have 1-2 servings max per day. Vegetables? Endless.

That being said, I hate wasting food and I would’ve hated to waste our hard picked apples. So, I got to work last weekend in the kitchen. I’ve made applesauce before but figured I’d find a way to solidly do it in the Instant Pot AND also make some apple butter.

Applesauce

Growing up, my mom would give us applesauce as dessert. I preferred it warm and with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Then as I grew up I’d request different desserts (or no desserts) and really forgot about applesauce altogether. That was until I did a sugar-detox challenge back in grad school. I was craving something sweet so I figured I’d grab some applesauce (with no sugar added). I would often mix it with almond butter and cinnamon, which, by the way, is amazing.

Anywho, applesauce isn’t just for kids anymore. Anyone can enjoy applesauce and I promise homemade applesauce is nothing like the colorless plain, ill-tasting store-bought brands. If you spice it up correctly AND use the peel, you’ll get such a rich flavor you’ll be going back for more, both warm and cool.

Apple Butter

Say what?! Okay, when I hear apple butter (or pumpkin butter) I hear SUGAR LOADED DESSERT that people use for breakfast. Yeah, I know a bit dramatic, but I’m a dietitian, so forgive me.

The ingredient list of a typical apple butter include apples, apple cider or juice, spices, sugar, natural flavors, etc. So basically apples with sugar.

This ingredient list!? The same as applesauce just cooked longer, that’s it! When trying to thicken any food there are normally 3 main ways to do so: cook longer, add fat, and/or add flour. I figured, let’s see if cooking longer would allow the applesauce to thicken into apple butter. I figured if that didn’t work I’d add some cornstarch or other gluten-free flour. Well, it cooked down pretty fast and solidified enough once cooled.  Magic!

So now my refrigerator is stocked full of applesauce and apple butter. I’m going to need to give some away or get my canner back from my friend because I once again don’t want this to go to waste!

Applesauce & Apple Butter for Athletes

As a sports dietitian, I am always being asked what to eat pre & post workout. While apples can be somewhat high in fiber per serving, I have found that some athletes tolerate applesauce as it’s partially broken down for you already. I’d suggest if you are going to make these for training (maybe pack them in these—link for pouches), to make it without the peel. The flavor will still be the same but the color of the dish may be a bit different, no big deal.

For pre-workout or post-workout

Enjoy 1 cup for about 28g of carbohydrate. 1 cup only has between 2-3g of fiber as well (maybe a bit more if the peel is included), so you *shouldn’t* have any issues digesting pre-workout.

Ideas on Uses for Apple Sauce & Apple Butter

I’d be remiss to not give you other ideas on what to do with applesauce and/or apple butter. While you can certainly eat as-is as I often do, you may want some other ideas.

• Applesauce + 1-2 Tbsp. almond butter + dash of cinnamon
• Greek yogurt + 2 Tbsp. Apple Butter + 2 Tbsp roasted chickpeas
• Rice Cake + 1 Tbsp Peanut Butter + 1 Tbsp Apple Butter
• Mix 1-2 Tbsp  in your oatmeal
• Mix 2+Tbsp into a smoothie
• Make a peanut butter & Apple butter sandwich
• Warm up applesauce, top with cinnamon, walnuts and enjoy!

What other ways have you used or will you use your applesauce and/or apple butter?! I love learning from you guys, so please share in the comments, or better yet tag me on Instagram!

Pro tip:  add your own flavor by changing up the seasonings OR leave the spices out and add at time of consumption.

What is your favorite apple recipe?

xoxo,

Sassy

Ps. Have you grabbed my Real Food Snacks Guide yet?! Sign up for my e-mail to get your free 2-page guide!

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I used to hate broccoli growing up. It was like pulling teeth to get me to eat even a small bite. I’m sure I was being extra dramatic. Maybe I was just saving all my vegetable consumption until I was a dietitian?! Who knows. I wish I had known how good vegetables could taste, I was missing out on deliciousness like this broccolini.

Here’s the thing, while I’d love to force people to eat more vegetables, it’s not incredibly effective to be a dictator in that manner. Most people take some time to come around to vegetables. It could be that they don’t like the flavor, texture, color, or even thought of them. Whatever it is, it has to be slowly incorporated into their lives/diets so that they accept it.

That being said, if you don’t eat vegetables I’m not giving you an out or an excuse, I’m just acknowledging your dislike and that it will take time to adjust. The thing is, you must be willing to prioritize your health. Once you’ve done that you will realize that one common recommendation across all diets is to eat more vegetables. Sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to to get to the things we do want, which in this case is eating vegetables for your health.

Broccolini

Back up, did I even tell you what broccolini is?! Okay, one moment. Broccolini is a form of broccoli and could be in a 3-way tie for my favorite vegetable. It’s actually a hybrid vegetable that is a combo of broccoli and Chinese broccoli/kale. Frankly, kale is not the easiest vegetable to eat (because of texture and taste) so this is a FAR superior vegetable in my opinion.

This is one of those recipes/vegetables that I urge you to try. The flavor is mild, the texture is crunchy yet not impossible to chew and it’s easy to make. Sometimes you have to eat a vegetable to gain health, but feel free to mix it into the rest of your meal if you just hate the thought of eating something green. Trust me, you’ll live.

Easy Weeknight Side Dish

Now, maybe you love vegetables, more power to you. But, either way, it’s a good idea to have some side dishes you know are easy and tasty for weeknights (or whenever). If it’s easy you’ll make it all the time if it’s not, you’ll make time for excuses instead.

I made this while making my gnocchi recipe the other night. At the end of it all, I had 3 items to clean up and a lot of delicious food on the table in under 30 minutes, bonus points for a fast dinner! If you’re like me and love garlic, feel free to add an additional clove or 2 of garlic! You can also double/triple this recipe but I only had one bunch of broccolini otherwise I would’ve made a LOT more!

Pro Tip: You can use this method of cooking with broccolini, broccoli, or cauliflower, your choice!

Do you like vegetables or are you still trying to find a way to like them?!

xoxo,

Sassy

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