Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 bell pepper
1 onion
2-4 cloves garlic
1 T olive oil
2 cups frozen corn
2 14 oz cans hominy, drained
1 14 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 14 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 10 oz can Rotel
salt and pepper to taste
1 t dried oregano
1 T ground cumin
1 t paprika
2 T chili powder
enough fat free chicken broth to cover (6-8 cups, maybe?)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
1 bunch cilantro, finely diced

Dice onion and green pepper and finely mince garlic. Saute in olive oil until soft. Add remaining ingredients through chicken broth and simmer on low for an hour or so. 

You can cook the chicken two ways - grill it or poach it. If you are going to grill it, just grill, shred and add to soup. If you are going to poach it, add it to the soup and poach until done, 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces. When poached, shred and add back to soup.

When shredded chicken has been added, stir in cilantro and serve. 

Serve with your favorite taco toppings - sour cream, cheese, avocado, pico de gallo, etc.

If you want to, you can replace the seasonings with 1-2 envelopes of taco seasoning mix.

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup

1 onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
2 celery stalk, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, do not drain
1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained, rinsed
1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed
3 cups fat free chicken broth
1 - 1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 - 1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups chopped fresh spinach (You can use defrosted frozen spinach, but the texture will be different)

Parmesan cheese - for serving

Rinse and drain beans. In a crock pot, combine all ingredients through salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Add fresh or frozen spinach for the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Serve with shredded parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Taco Pasta

Taco Pasta
Taco meat
8 oz of your favorite pasta shape 
1 cup cheddar cheese

Optional add-ins:
Sliced olives, drained and rinsed pinto, black or kidney beans, canned diced tomatoes, diced onions, sliced green onions, corn (if frozen, defrost), red or green peppers, salsa... etc.

Optional for serving:
Shredded lettuce, salsa, sour cream, diced tomatoes, diced onions, chopped fresh cilantro, sliced olives, tortilla chips... basically your favorite taco toppings.

Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, heat up the leftover taco meat in a large skillet. Drain pasta and mix with taco meat and any of the optional add-ins. Sprinkle cheese on top and cover to allow cheese to melt. Serve with your favorite taco toppings.

Some notes: If you add a lot of add-ins or your taco meat is a little dry, you may need to add a splash or two of beef broth.