Homemade Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Easy Tomato Soup Made Healthy

Homemade tomato soup will always be healthier even if you take advantage of some modern day conveniences. This recipe is fast enough to fit into our 17-minute meal category. Tomatoes are considered one of the top 10 “super foods” making this popular dish a nutrient powerhouse.

Purchase Quality Ingredients For Tomato Soup

Carefully purchasing your ingredients to ensure that your products are the best quality possible will create a dish that far exceeds the normal can or convenient soup mixes.  I have made some notes below about the items I use or look for when purchasing.  Take the time to check the INGREDIENT list of the canned goods and purchase products that are chemical- and sugar-free.

Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

This recipe is best topped with low fat sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, diced avocado and served with a squeeze of lime.

A side of whole grain wheat baked tortilla chips or organic blue corn chips will finish it off perfectly!

Soup Ingredients

28-30 oz of chicken broth (Pacifico brand or other sugar- and chemical-free stock/broth)

15 oz enchilada sauce (Wildtree brand or no sugar/chemicals added)

15 oz can black beans (wash and drain)

28-30 oz organic diced tomatoes (Muir Glenn)

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1-2 fresh jalapeno pepper – diced without seeds

1/2 rotisserie chicken – shredded (some of these have added sugars and chemicals… look at the ingredient list!)

16 oz bag organic frozen corn

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or 1 Tbs. Dry)

1. Put first 7 ingredients into a large sauce pot, cover and heat to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes.
2. Add corn, chicken and cilantro and heat another 4-5 minutes.

Halloween Cheesecake Dessert Recipe

Leaning Tower Of Cheesecake

In Italy they have the Leaning Tower Of Pisa…

Here in York County, PA our claim to fame is the Leaning Tower Of Cheese Cake!

This fun recipe is NOT healthy. We do make some small changes when creating it to upgrade the cake from totally decadent and NOT healthy to just plain bad for you.

Halloween Dessert

Anyway you slice it, desserts made from mixes are chemically-laden garbage…. but this is still fun and yummy for a special occasion dessert on Halloween!

This recipe can be made with any kind of jam, jello and fruit. In this case I used canned peaches, orange jello and peach preserves.  Sprinkle it with chocolate sprinkles and it is a perfect treat.

Make The Cake First

Cake mixes are full of hydrogenated fats (bad!) We make this mix a bit healthier with a couple of small changes.

1 pkg. (10-18 oz) Pound cake mix
1 lemon
lemon zest
water and lemon juice to add up to package instructions
4 oz. egg beaters/whites

1. Zest lemon into mixing bowl (reserve half of the zest for garnish), juice lemon and measure, combine water with lemon juice to equal package directions, setting aside 1 tablespoon lemon juice for later.
2. Add all other ingredients, and mix by hand until smooth.  Do not overmix.
3. Line Stoneware Bar pan with Parchment Paper, and pour mix in.
4. Bake at 375º for 20-25 minutes or until done. Cool thoroughly.

Assemble The Rest Of Your Recipe Ingredients

Make The Cheesecake Glaze

1/2 cup water
1 pkg. (.44 oz) sugar-free jello
1/4 cup jam of same flavor

1. Heat water to a boil.
2. Dissolve jello and stir in jam.
3. Set aside to cool.  Do not refrigerate.

 Make The Dessert Filling

1/3 cup skim milk
1 pkg. (8oz) fat-free cream cheese
1 pkg. (3.4 oz) instant cheesecake pudding and pie filling
(12 oz.) fat-free frozen whipped topping
1 Tbs. reserved lemon juice.
1 cup diced fruit of choice

1. Combine lemon juice and cream cheese.  Then add in milk until combined.
2. Put whipped topping in bowl on top of cheese mixture, then sprinkle with cheesecake pie filling powder.  Fold using spatula until combined, stir in fruit.

Assemble Your Halloween Cheesecake Dessert

1. Cut cooled pound cake into 4 equal sections.  Place one piece on platter and brush with glaze.  A dollop of goop in the center and spread it around.
2. Add another layer of cake and proceed as above till the top layer is on.
3. On the top layer, toss the extra fruit in the extra glaze and pour into the center of the cake.