Quick Healthy Soups: Chicken Tortilla Soup, Jalapeno Turkey Chili, and Tomato Vegetable Soup

Quick Healthy Soups: Chicken Tortilla Soup, Jalapeno Turkey Chili, and Tomato Vegetable Soup

Here in California we barely had a real Winter this past year so when it rained for 3 or 4 days straight last week I took full advantage (knowing Spring and Summer weather is here to stay for months on end).  So I decided to soak up the gray stormy weather and make some delicious warm hearty soups. I made Tortilla soup, a SPICY chili, and a Tomato Vegetable soup.  

Tortilla Soup: The base of this soup is Chicken broth and canned diced organic tomatoes.  Its really simple! My husaband rarely cooks but he actually threw this together for me while I went to a gym class.  I just left him a simple recipe to follow and he did a great job, I love having a warm meal ready for me after a tough late night work out (no one ever wants to pump one out but i have to take those rare opportunities during the week that i get).  

• 4 c. chicken broth
• 3-4. whole chicken breasts
• 1 large can of diced tomatos (i used 1 and a half of trader joe's organic diced tomatos 14.5 ounce cans)
• 1 large onion, chopped 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. chili powder
• 2 Celery Stalks chopped (optional for added veggies and crunch.)
• 1 Jalapeno' , finely diced (optional for flavor)
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 lime
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (more to taste)
• avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, crushed tortilla chips ( I used trader joe's Veggie Flaxseed Tortilla chips, cilantro (didnt have any but it would be a great topping.
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• 1)Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic,onions, jalapeno and celery and cook, stirring, until onions begin to become translucent. 
• 2) Grill up some chicken breast in Olive oil, when fully cooked then slice or shred (whichever you prefer).
• 3)Add chicken to pot of onion/garlic. Add in crushed tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and juice of 1/2 lime. Bring to a boil, stir constantly so it doesnt burn. 
• 4)Then add in your chicken broth, reduce the heat to low, simmer soup for 15 minutes.
• 5) Top with toppings (avocado, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, chips).
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*You can add black beans and corn to this recipe if you'd like!

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Spicy Chili: My girlfriend Tori gave me this recipe, and it is soooo yummy! I made it for our couples bible study we host at our home and everyone loved it! The recipe calls for Pumpkin puree' but Tori said because its not in season to sub it out for Trader Joe's Organic Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup. Thats the only way i've made this soup so far and I think its perfect! 

Serves 6-8

Organic Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup

1/2 Cup Water

2 Jalepenos

1 Can of Red Kidney Beans (15 oz) rinse first

1 Can of diced tomatoes w/ liquid (again I used TJ's organic diced tomatoes 14.5 oz can)

1 lb of ground turkey

1 yellow onion chopped

1 green bell, seeded and cored, then chopped

2 garlic cloves diced

1 tbspn EVOO

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tspn salt

1 tbspn chili powder

pepper to taste

1)Heat oil in a large pan. Add bell pepper, onion, garlic, and jalapenos. Stir frequently, cook until tender.  

2)Add turkey, cook until browned.

3) Add tomatoes, the red pepper soup mix (i used about 1/2 of the box), water, chili powder, cumin and salt and pepper and bring to boil.

4) Reduce heat to medium and add beans. Cover and simmer for 30 mins stirring occasionally.

Serve!

Its even better the next day!!

Tomato Vegetable Soup: My girlfriend Chelsea had tried Tori's chili recipe and made a quick version but instead of doing chili she just made it into a simple soup. Its healthy, hearty and really yummy! We ate ours with a side of cheese bread (you gotta balance the healthy out with some gooey cheesey bread, right?!? lol). 

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

1 yellow bell pepper seeded, cored, chopped

3 celery stalks chopped

salt & pepper to taste

1 tbspn EVOO

I also added oregeno, cumin, basil to taste (probably 1/2 tspn for each)

1 lb ground turkey (i used TJ's kosher turkey, it has so much additional flavor!)

1 box of Tj's Organic Tomato And Roasted Red Pepper Soup (see bove)

1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 ounce organic traders can, see below)

1)Throw all of your veggies in a pan with EVOO and garlic, cook until tender.

2) Cook turkey in pan until browned.

3) Mix in all spices and add in tomatos and soup mix.

4) Heat until boiling, then simmer for 10 minutes or longer , stirring occasionally.

Serve.

Enjoy!! 

Tell me in the comments what you would like to see more of? What would you like me to cook? Or what are your favorite topics that I write about, ill try to encorporate more. I just want to hear from you! 



All submissions for the Iphone Case GIVEAWAY end tonight at 5pm Pacific time. Winner will be announced this weekend! Thanks all for your participation.  (Instructions to enter HERE if you havent already)

XO

Healthy Recipe's and Ideas: What I've Been Eating Lately

Healthy Recipe's and Ideas: What I've Been Eating Lately

Teriyaki Grilled Salmon: I didnt have time to marinate the salmon but you honestly could not even tell! Grill salmon in coconut oil or EVOO and then halfway through cooking each side add on Trader joe San Soyaki (my fav teriyaki sauce from Tj's).  We had made pasta a couple nights prior and I wanted to use the rest of our whole wheat noodles so i added in some parmesan and olive oil with a tiny bit of Trader Joe's fresh pesto sauce (Genova Pesto, comes in a small tub)... my husband honestly loved this..you could totally add in fresh tomatoes and basil if you wanted to.  I made a small side salad with a leafy blend, honeycrip apples, fresh strawberries, light feta, sliced almonds, and TJ's Cranberry Walnut and Gorgonzola salad dressing.  I added a salmon skewer that had big chunks of salmon, red and green bell peppers and onion on it.  These were also grilled in teriyaki sauce. I didnt really need the skewer but I had purchased them fresh from the seafood counter at Ralphs and wanted to use them while they were still fresh.  Really quick and simple meal! But so delicious and healthy!

My famous Banana Pancakes: My hubby dies for these and my healthy french toast (ill have to make that this sunday and post the recipe).  These banana pancakes are AMAZING and so easy to make.  They are made without any oil and with TJ's Multigrain  baking and pancake mix.  I made 6 pancakes (3 for each of us.. a serving is 150 calories for just the mix.. 230 cals prepared IF you follow their instructions and use whole eggs, regular milk and oil.  I used a little less than half cup of apple sauce instead of oil, almond milk instead of regular milk, and egg whites instead of the whole egg.  I also smashed in half a large banana into the mix and then diced up the other half to lay on top of the pancake while its cooking before i flipped them.  These are too die for! You can use blueberries or whatever fruit your little hearts desire. I make pancakes usually every sunday before church, its become our little family tradition, i cannot wait to make these for our son once hes here and can eat solids!

7 Layer Dip (Healthier version):  This was so amaze that it was gone in just 3 days between my hubby and I.  I first layered the bottom with whole organic black beans mixed with tj's refried organic black beans.  I cooked 99% lean ground turkey in trader's taco seasoning (used half the packet, 1 lb of meat), added in minced garlic (probably a clove or two), sauteed half a yellow onion all together in a pan with EVOO until cooked through.  I added the meaty combo on top of the beans.  Then i made a mixture of greek yogurt, a couple dashes of cayenne pepper and chili powder, and a tiny bit of lime and mixed that together.  I layered the greek yogurt mixture on top of the meat.  I then made guacamole with fresh avocado (1 1/2 small ones), lemon juice (1 tablespoon), 3-4 tablespoons of mild salsa and a dash of garlic salt. (As you can tell i make this up as i go so I never really measure things).  I then added on a mexican blend of mixed cheeses and on top of that did tomatoes, jalapenos,  diced green chills and salsa (i used red mild PACE salsa and TJ's salsa verde (green, my fav!). I baked this in the oven just to get the cheese a little hot (halfway melted), i didnt want it too hot because i wasnt sure how the greek yogurt and guac would hold up... but when we ate it the following two days i heated it and melted the cheese and it was to die for both ways!  We ate this with tortilla chips, you could do sweet potato chips for a healthier version or a whole wheat tortilla and make a burrito or taco.. its really up to you! This would be good in my taco lettuce wraps that i make as well! This is a must try though!

Grilled Chicken Salad:  Grill chicken in EVOO or coconut oil, add in 1 whole lime squeezed, salt and pepper to taste, 1 clove of minced garlic, and I used 2 tablespoons of honey.  I used left over kale salad (the recipe is sooooo yummy! its lemon, garlic, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and parmesan----simply delish), added the kale to a blend of leafy greens, chopped up some fresh pineapple, tomatoes, and feta cheese.  I made my own dressing using lemon, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper, and a little spicy mustard.  This was refreshing and we ate it all up!

Seafood Alfredo Pasta and Kale Salad:  My husband and I wanted to have a date night at home and cook a yummy meal together so we went and bought some fresh scallops and jumbo shrimp.  We sauteed the scallops carefully (YOU DO NOT WANT THESE TO OVERCOOK AND GET CHEWY) in EVOO and then set them aside and cooked the shrimp the same way and then set those aside.  I boiled whole wheat spaghetti noodles until they were cooked through and steamed chopped asparagus on top of the noodles while they were cooking.  I steamed up some spinach to layer my pasta on top of (I learned this a while ago and it helps fill you up! Spinach doesn't have much flavor so I hardly notice its there but get all the added health benefits!).  My hubby diced up some onion and tomato (along with a can of chopped tomatoes we purchased from the store and some light alfredo sauce).  In a separate pan i sautéed the onion, then added in tomato, asparagus, and 2/3 of the can of tomatoes, i added in a little bit of alfredo until the sauce looked like a good consistency (id say maybe 1/2 cup).  Once that has heated up a little bit add in the noodles and mix around in the sauce until covered, then gently add in the scallops and shrimp and fold into the sauce evenly.  Serve!

Kale Salad (Similar to true foods Kale salad)... I used a bag of organic chopped kale in a bag from traders already ready to go, on the side make a blend of 2 cloves of garlic, salt and pepper, half a lemon or more if youd like, 1/4 cup of EVOO.  Massage into the kale and let it sit for 15 minutes.  Then add in 1/2 cup of parmesan and a dash of red pepper flakes, mix around and let sit for 3-5 more minutes at room temperature.  Then serve! So yummy!