Italian Chicken Meatball Sliders & Alexia Sweet Potato Fries

Here's a fact that will surprise no one: I LOVE french fries. I love all varieties, flavors, sizes and textures. I love fries made of random ingredients and the traditional ones as well. I am also not ashamed to admit that I regularly indulge in fries of the frozen variety. I have been a longtime fan of Alexia products, mostly the waffle fries (SO GOOD) so I was thrilled when, as a Foodbuzz Tastemaker, I was offered the chance to sample a new product for free.

In order to truly enjoy the french fry experience, I knew I had to whip up some kind of burger as well. I decided on some yummy Italian meatball sliders. I wanted to make healthier chicken meatballs that would hold up well as a slider, so I used one half white meat ground chicken and one half chicken sausage. The result was incredibly flavorful but light. I used whole wheat buns and topped the burgers with a little bit of provolone and a crispy prosciutto slice.

At the store, I let Craig pick which type of fries he wanted with the sliders. Of course, he goes for the Spicy Sweet Potato Fries. They turned out to be super delicious. The sweetness of the potato worked really well with spicy chipotle pepper. They were a great compliment to the sliders. I was also thrilled with the nutrition info. A serving of 30 fries has only 130 calories. This made me VERY happy.

So all and all, this burgers & fries indulgence turned into a really quick and light weeknight meal.

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Winter Minestrone

We've been having an insane winter. No snow, and crazy temperature fluctuations. On Thursday, I went out to run an errand during lunch and it was 55 degrees. Today, it was 21. Super cold and windy, it was a perfect day for thick, hearty soup. Minestrone is the most ubiquitous Italian soup, there are so many different variations and flavors you can incorporate. Different regions of Italy have different preparations, and many vary seasonally as well. I love minestrone, but I find that in restaurants, it's usually quite salty. My goal with this recipe was to cut back on fat and sodium while adding a ton of protein and fiber.

I decided to make a tasty winter minestrone, that incorporates lots of gorgeous winter produce. Instead of pasta, which can get soggy in soup, I used farro, which has both a ton of fiber and a chewy texture that holds up well in the soup. In addition to farro and beans, I used carrots, turnips, kale and rainbow chard. I used a small amount of smoked bacon to add flavor, but you can omit for a vegetarian version. All and all, this soup takes around an hour to prepare and makes 6-8 servings. I made a huge pot of this to use for multiple lunches and dinners. Because it is packed with protein, fiber and healthy veggies, it is a totally complete meal.

Also: how completely adorable are these soup crocks? My amazing Grandma Jackie sent them to me. They are the perfect serving size and both oven and dishwasher safe. I am so excited to use these for all kinds of soup and stew!

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