Sausage, Potato and Roasted Pepper Soup

I have really been trying to eat more soup.......its hard to make in our house with a picky husband that doesn't like a ton of really good veggies.....but we make it work by cutting them really small....anyway this soup was one that Nana and I made in Pullman......and it turned out great.....I added a bit more stock in this one to make more and it turned out just as good.....Its pretty freaking good soup.....and best with warm ciabatta bread slices or any good crusty bread.......to dip in it.....

Makes 8 servings

1 lb Hot Sausage (Jimmy Dean)

3 T Butter
1 T Olive Oil
1 Small Sweet Onion, diced
1/2-3/4 C Carrots, diced
1/2-3/4 C Celery, diced
3-4 Cloves Garlic, minced
3 T Flour

4 C Veggie Broth

4 C Chicken Broth

5 Med Red Potatoes

1 1/2 C Half & Half

1 6oz-8oz jar Roasted Red Peppers, drained & chopped

2 tsp Fresh Thyme
2 C Arugula, chopped

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Crusty Bread, optional

Fry Sausage in a stock pot over medium heat. Once browned and cooked through, drain in strainer. Wipe out some of the grease in the pan and return to heat. Over medium heat melt butter and then add in olive oil. Saute onions, carrots and celery for about 5-6 min until the onion is lightly browned season with salt and pepper. Stir in garlic, and continue to cook 1 min. Mix in the flour. Wisk in the broth and bring to a boil. Add back the sausage to the pot and add in the potatoes. Reduce heat to low and cook for 15 min or until potatoes are tender. Stir in the half & half, roasted peppers, arugula and thyme. Reseason with salt and pepper. Continue cooking on low until heated through about 5-8 min. Serve with crusty bread.

Capt-n-Crunch Chicken w/ Creole Mustard Sauce

I just love this recipe.....it is definitely one of my favorite not so great for you snacks...basically because it is fried. I suppose you could bake it but its so quick to fry up. Anyway if anyone has eaten or use to eat at Planet Hollywood (most seemed to be closed these days) this recipe is very similar to their Captain Crunch appetizer.....I first made this for the Twins 2nd birthday and it has been a hit every since.....both girls love it....one of our family favorites for Snack Saturday's......

9/22/08: Ok, so I am updating this, I just took chicken tenders, breaded them and cooked them in the oven @ 425 degrees for 12-13 min, or until done. They turned out great, the only change from the recipe below is I added a little bit of salt to the flour breading. I will tell you they are not as crispy but still really good. I will probably use this way in the future as we are trying to cut down on the frying.....Plus the girls really like the strips...I think Kiara ate 3-4 tenders....I have included a pic of the baked ones...

Serves: 6

4 C Captain Crunch Cereal

3 C Corn Flakes

1 Egg

1 C Milk

1 C Flour

1 tsp Onion Powder

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Pepper (Lil Salt if baking in oven)

6 Chicken Breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces

Vegetable Oil, for frying

Coarsely grind or crush the two cereals together and set aside. Beat the egg with milk and set aside. Stir together flour, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Dip cut up chicken pieces into the seasoned flour. Coat well and the shake off excess flour. Dip into egg mixture, coating well and then dip into the cereal mixture coating well. Heat oil in a large heavy pan (or deep fryer) to 325 degrees. Drop coated chicken pieces into the oil and cook until golden brown and fully cooked, 3-5 min depending on size. Drain on paper towels (I season with a little salt) and serve with Creole Mustard Sauce.

Creole Mustard Sauce :

1 C Mayonnaise

1/4 C Natural Stone Ground Mustard (Whole Mustard)

1 T Yellow Mustard or Spicy Brown Mustard

1 T Horseradish

1/2 tsp Cider Vinegar

1 Dash Worcestershire

1 tsp Red Wine Vinegar

1 tsp Water

1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (can use less if you want)

1/2 tsp Salt

1 T Green Onions, thinly sliced

1 T Crushed Garlic Packed in oil (or you can mince fresh with a dab of oil and salt)

1 tsp Green Bell Pepper, finely chopped

1 tsp Celery, finely chopped

1 tsp Onion, finely chopped

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. I like to chill mustard sauce about 2 hours before serving.