Taco Chili

Since this is the first open-windows day of the year, I am celebrating with some yummy (and healthy!) chili. I got this recipe from weight watchers and have been meaning to back it up for some time now, so this is great.

Ingredients:

• 1lb 97% fat free ground turkey
• 1 chopped onion
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 cups celery (not too finely chopped)
• 1 15oz can tomato sauce
• 1 small can diced green chilies
• 1 or 2 15oz cans of stewed tomatoes
• 4 16oz cans beans (mix or match pinto, black, kidney etc)
• 1 packet ranch dressing mix
• 1 Packet taco seasoning
  
• 2 teaspoons cumin (or more)
• 16oz bag frozen corn
• 1/2 cup water (optional- I usually don't need it after the canned tomatoes and beans)

Cooking Instructions:

Brown the turkey, add onions, garlic, and celery halfway through. One by one add the remaining ingredients. DON'T DRAIN ANYTHING. Heat through, simmer for a while if you like.

Tortilla Soup

I happen to be a soup junkie...so my post may have a common theme :P
This was sooo good! I used whole wheat carb-balance tortillas to make the chips. Also, if you aren't into too spicy, you may want to use a little less poblanos, but not much less. It was only slightly spicy. Just to make it easier, I used boneless, skinless chicken breast. I am not one to dissect chicken...

http://family.go.com/food/recipe-ew-631163-tortilla-soup-t/

Here’s a version of chicken tortilla soup that’s both super-easy and delicious. To make it even quicker, use crumbled baked tortilla chips in place of the homemade tortilla strips and skip Steps 1-2. Serve with vinegary coleslaw, lime wedges and hot sauce.

Prep Time:	30 minutes
Ready in:	45 minutes
Yield:	6 servings, about 1 1/3 cups each
Ease of Prep:	Easy

Recipe Ingredients
	8 corn tortillas , halved and thinly sliced
	Canola or olive oil cooking spray
	1 tablespoon canola oil
	3 Anaheim or poblano peppers , diced
	1 medium onion , diced
	1 teaspoon ground cumin
	1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs , trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (see Tip)
	4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
	1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles
	2 tablespoons lime juice
	1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
	1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Recipe Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Spread tortilla strips in an even layer on a baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Bake until browned and crispy, 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add peppers and onion and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add chicken, broth, tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in lime juice. Serve each portion topped with some of the baked tortilla strips, Cheddar and cilantro.

Tip: To trim boneless, skinless chicken thighs, we like to use kitchen shears to snip the fat away from the meat.

Health Advantages: low calorie, high fiber, low cholesterol, healthy weight.

Nutrition Information
Servings Per Recipe: 6
	Amount Per serving
	Calories:	288 cal					Carbohydrate Servings:	1 1/2
	Carbohydrates:	25 g		Dietary Fiber:	5 g		Cholesterol:	56 mg
	Fat:	12 g		Sodium:	483 mg		Saturated Fat:	4 g
	Protein:	20 g		Potassium:	404 mg		Monounsaturated Fat:	4 g
	Nutrition Bonus:	Vitamin A (40% daily value), Iron (15% dv).
	Exchanges:	1 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 lean meat, 1 fat

The Recipe That Started It All... Veggie Lover's Chicken Soup

Believe it or not, our joint obsession over this simple little soup recipe is what prompted the entire concept of this blog... Cassie made the soup first with her own modifications... I tried it the next night making a few changes of my own... then Cassie made it AGAIN a different way... then I added more ingrediants into my leftovers... Basically, this one simple recipe has fed us for a week and sparked our collective cooking creativity...

Here is the original: http://family.go.com/food/recipe-ew-504823-vegetable-lover-s-chicken-soup-t/

But here is our (highly superior!) revision:

Yield: 6 bowls of soup (Cassie makes less at a time, so 1/2 the recipe if you choose! I like to have the leftovers to take to lunch at work)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of your pot - you may need more if your veggies start to dry out or stick)

8 ounces chicken tenders , cut into bite-size chunks

2 cups finely diced veggies (I use zucchini, carrots, and celery; Cassie has also tried artichokes and broccoli... whatever you have/like seems to work just fine! If you use spinach, make sure not to add it until the end...)

1 large shallot , finely chopped (or 2-3 little ones)

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend

1/8 teaspoon salt (or garlic salt)

1 can italian style diced tomatos

32 ounces reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

4 tablespoons orzo or other tiny pasta, such as farfelline, or 4 tablespoons rice

Directions
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add veggies, shallot, garlic, Italian seasoning and salt and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened. Add tomatoes, broth, wine and orzo (or other pasta or rice); increase heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the pasta/rice is tender, about 8 minutes, or according to package directions. Stir in spinach (if using), the cooked chicken and any accumulated juices from the chicken; cook, stirring, until the chicken is heated through, about 2 minutes.

This is great to eat off of for a few days and it supposed to freeze well too (haven't tried that yet!) Enjoy!

-Lauren