Tablespoon For One

Another year, another Wine and Dine half marathon of selfies and food pics

August: the month I actually do fun things

This Sausage Tortellini Soup is one of my favorite Winter lunches!
•
It’s filling, cozy and packed with nutrients, while, of course, being wildly tasty!
•
I love making a big batch of soup on Sunday and eating it throughout the week and, when it’s this delicious, I definitely don’t get sick of it by week’s end!
•
Ingredients:

1 lb Italian style poultry sausage
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced onion
32 oz low sodium chicken broth
28 oz can Italian style crushed tomatoes
Salt
Pepper
Crushed red pepper (optional)
1 oz reduced fat cream cheese
4 cups baby spinach
4 oz dry tortellini

Instructions:

Heat sausage in a large soup pot over medium heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks

Once sausage meat is cooked through and crumbled, add garlic and onion to pot and stir well

Cook for 2-3 minutes, continuing to stir

Pour broth and crushed tomatoes into pot and season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper, if using

Bring to a boil then decrease heat and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes

Stir cream cheese and baby spinach into soup and cook until spinach wilts and cream cheese is incorporated, about 2-3 minutes

If you are serving immediately, add tortellini to soup and boil according to package directions

If you are eating this soup throughout the week, cook tortellini in a separate pot according to package directions and add to individual soup portions directly before eating

Approximate nutrition information for 1/6 of soup, about 1.25 cups:

Calories: 272
Fat: 11.5g
Carbs: 24.33g
Fiber: 3.83g
Protein: 20.67g

Adapted from EmilyBites

You might have noticed I just about never post anymore so believe me when I say that these Bacon Brat Bites are seriously something special!
•
This is one of the very few times I’m posting a recipe that isn’t the slightest bit lean or healthy but boy, is this one worth it. Sweet, spicy, salty and delicious, these bites are everything you could ask for in football food!
•
Ingredients:

2-3 12 oz cans light beer
4 uncooked bratwurst
8 slices bacon
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Bring beer to a boil in a large pot

Add uncooked bratwurst and boil for 10 minutes

Remove brats from beer and slice each sausage into 4 slices

Cut bacon slices in half

In a small dish, combine brown sugar and cayenne pepper

Wrap each slice of bratwurst with a slice of bacon. Roll in the brown sugar mixture

Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Place a wire cooling rack over prepared sheet

Place prepared brat pieces on the cooling rack and bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until bacon is browned and crisping