Amy's hacks to try at home

When you can't always cook from scratch

Wouldn't it be great if you could cook from scratch all the time? Most people don't have the time to do that. But it doesn't mean you should resort to poor forms of processed foods for your next meal(s).

All the products you can buy under the Amy's brand in the store (or online) are organic vegetarian. You may not be vegetarian, but that's okay, here a few ways to use Amy's as the base of a great meal you complete with just a few more ingredients.

Hack #1 - Chili

Amy's chili is, as said before, vegetarian. That means the world is your oyster when it comes to proteins. Cook up a pound of chicken, pork, ground beef, or steak and refrigerate or store it to use when you make this. Hot dogs (Applegate makes USDA organic ones) work too. We like to add a ¼ pound of the protein of choice, dice up some green onions, toss in a quarter cup of cheese and spike it a tad with chili flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Now there's a chili! You'll get two servings out of one can of chili.

Hack #2 - Split Pea Soup

Split pea soup without the ham - meh…! For us, it's gotta have the ham. Next time you roll by PCC Markets, pick up a package of Applegate Organics Hardwood Smoked Uncured Ham. Then grab a can of Amy's Organic Split Pea soup. Marry together ½ pound (or one 6 oz package) of the ham with one can of the soup, salt and pepper to taste and enjoy what is now two delightful servings of split pea soup the way it was meant to be.

You get where we're going here? This is some rocket science - right?!

Hack #3 - Your Invention

Look over the Amy's website and conjure up your own combination from their many soup and chili options. For protein add-in, consider cooking up a pound of the above-mentioned steak, ground beef, chicken, pork or even fish and storing it for up to 5 days in the fridge or freezing it for up to 6 months in the freezer. What about the addition of a veggie, like a freshly-sliced carrot, green onion, eggplant or ??? How about some dairy like cheese, or perhaps a shot of whipping cream? And don't forget the spices that will add your own signature touch.

By getting the soup/stew/chili factor behind you, eating better meals at home and making them quickly becomes much more of a reality.

Sussi Homeaecher/October 2019