It’s tough to truly enjoy “eating healthy.” Let’s be real here: when I’m snacking on red bell peppers and non-fat yogurt-based tzaziki, I’m not sighing with giddy delight. Grilled chicken breasts aren’t at the top of my favorite foods list. And if you can tell me with a straight face that you prefer [insert healthy alternative dessert] over a crisp, chewy, chocolate chip cookie… then you’re a very talented liar.

That’s not to say that you can’t enjoy the accomplishment of eating healthy. I’m sure that we all feel like Rocky at the top of the steps when we deny ourselves those same cookies in lieu of a healthy alternative. But being proud of yourself and truly loving every bite of whatever you’ve chosen to eat are two different things, especially in today’s health-conscious society.

I’m not going to lie to you and say that kale chips fill in that deep, heartfelt desire that we all have… which is to eat potato chips until our mouths are numb from the salt. (Or is that just me and my inner fat kid?) But I will say that if you love kale–or even if you’re okay with kale–chips are a great alternative.

I decided to combine my (relative) love of kale chips with my (undeniable) love of sriracha… and so came this recipe! It’s not rocket science by any means, but I hope you like it as much as I do–and by that, I mean that I ate the entire thing in one sitting after taking pictures of it.

Definitely cut down on that extra ½ Tbsp. of sriracha if you’re not into spice… as I’ve mentioned before, James & I are spice fiends, so my taste buds are probably a little sunburnt. The sugar goes a long way to temper the spiciness, but certainly not enough if you order your wings or Thai food “mild”. Also, I should mention that it is very easy to burn these chips–so don’t take the bake times as absolute, and do check on them a few minutes before the time listed just in case! Every oven is different.

And now, if you’ll excuse me… eating all of this kale has made me feel like I should contemplate working out…

James and I are very, very spoiled in Los Angeles: we are surrounded by and constantly patronize amazing restaurant. At first it was overwhelming–then it quickly became euphoric. We have our favorites… we have our regular haunts… but the first question on our minds when we decide to go out and grab food isn’t “What good food can we dig up around here?” but “Do we want to eat something we know is delicious, or discover something delicious today?” And chain restaurants? Yeah, they don’t usually fit in either category–especially with the amount of selection out here.

(I know I sound absolutely insufferable, but stay with me! I’m almost there.)

However, there are times in which we miss the things we grew up with–that we were so comfortable with when we didn’t have the options we have now. And during those times, I try to bypass eating at said chain restaurants by making them myself. James loved eating at Chili’s because he loved their steak fajitas–so I make them with fresh homemade tortillas and a jalapeno-lime marinade. We both can’t get enough of movie-theater popcorn, laden with untold amounts of trans-fat, fat and… more fat! So we pop and flavor the popcorn ourselves. And sometimes, we crave Olive Garden… so I make their trademark zuppa toscana soup and breadsticks.

Obviously the true recipe is secret and well-guarded so this is my copycat version of it, tweaked and adapted from a comment on a copycat recipe page. I haven’t had Olive Garden in a long time so I can’t speak to its 100% authenticity–but I do know that it is very tasty, and on our rotation for fall/winter fare. Even a friend of mine that popped by for dinner last night who normally turns up his nose at chains in general (and Olive Garden especially!) was won over by the rich, meaty and creamy flavor of this soup.

I’m not going to speak to the Italian authenticity of the soup, either–I mean, in my mind, Olive Garden is to Italian food as Panda Express is the Chinese food. But I guarantee that this soup will hit the spot if you’re looking for something filling on a cold night. The best part is that it gets better as it sits for longer–so you can make it a day ahead of time and heat it up for an even richer broth.

Lastly, I’ve made a separate page for the breadsticks recipe that you can find here. Can’t beat the combo of soup & breadsticks, right? Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the top comment here at food.com.