Muy Delicioso Tortilla Soup

There is nothing like warming up with some delicious hearty soup. Soup is a great meal to make if you're a busy person needing to fix something quick and that will keep!

I threw this dish together one evening when I was wanting some comfort food. It definitely did the trick and the bold flavors and various textures were very satisfying!

What you will need: Serves 4-6 (Double if you are feeding a large family and/or want leftovers.)

-Two 32 fluid oz. containers of chicken broth. (I use Imagine's organic option because it has no MSG or sugar. This item is available at Whole Foods.)
-One 4 oz. can of green chiles. (I use La Preferid's organic option at Whole Foods and another local grocery.)
-2 large tomatillos. 1 1/2-2 cups, chopped.
-1 large yellow onion, chopped.
-1 can of black beans (another item to check the label for unnecessary ingredients, like sugar.)
-1/2 tablespoon chili powder
-1 tablespoon salt
-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
-Splash of paprika and pepper
-6 sprigs of cilantro, chopped.
-1 large avocado, or 2 small.
-1 large lime, or 2 small.
-Blue corn chips (*Please read information about what kind at the bottom of this post. It's a little lengthy but important!)
-Two 10 oz. cans of organic chicken. If you can't find organic, use 2 full chicken breasts, chopped into small pieces and cook on your stove top or oven before following these steps.

Let's get started!

-Pour broth, spices, chicken, green chiles, half of the chopped onion, and 4 sprigs of chopped cilantro in a large pot, on medium heat.
-Place sliced tomatillo and other half of the chopped onion in a food processor (I used my Ninja food prep) and fully blend into a thick liquid.
-Add blended mixture into the pot.
-Stir soup occasionally for 20 minutes.
-To serve, place crushed tortilla chips and sliced avocado on top of each serving.
-Optional: Garnish with remaining cilantro and lime wedge.


*When you're on an anti-candida diet, you can have organic, non-GMO blue corn. Like all packaged foods, it is very important to read the ingredients. Companies know that sugar is addicting and they tend to hide it in as much as they can get away with because it really has similar effects to MSG. Sugar is addicting. "Sugar" has many disguises on labels. I won't go through all of the terms because, unfortunately, there is a scary long list. Google it!

I have narrowed down the best blue corn chip brands with no added nonsense and that also use the healthiest oils..and to me, taste the best:

-365 (Whole Foods' brand)- Lightly Salted Blue Corn Tortilla Chips
-Simply Sprouted- Way Better Snacks- Simply Unbeatable Blues Tortilla Chips
-Salba Chia Snacks- Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips

Mexican Spaghetti with Cheese, Please!

Because of my dietary restrictions, I have to get creative when I get a craving for pasta, dairy, and dessert. A lot of the time, I have to order non-produce items online because finding a packaged food item I can actually have (an item lacking the unnecessary nonsense most companies, even organic ones, just have to put in their foods) is nearly impossible in good ol' Oklahoma. So, when I went to LA recently, I was pleasantly surprised to see the wonderful variety of noodles at their Whole Foods. In the Body Ecology Diet, the four grains allowed are: quinoa, amaranth, millet, and buckwheat. Quinoa is fabulous but finding a quinoa noodle without traces of rice or some sort of flour is impossible. And although I use quinoa in replacement for noodles frequently, a lot of the time, texture plays a big role in successfully curing a craving!

After strolling the isle, I was lucky enough to find 100% buckwheat noodles (which I will touch on in another entry) and Organic Black Bean Spaghetti. I was pleasantly intrigued because after Stage 1 of  B.E.D. (Body Ecology Diet), you are able to re-introduce some beans back into your diet, slowly. I was excited to see that the ingredients only contain organic black beans and water! They also contain 25 grams of protein per serving and were a whopping $4 for a bag that serves four people. Score! Now, I just needed to see if they were actually edible! (Spoiler alert: they are!)

Because they were a black bean noodle, I decided to create a Mexican-style spaghetti meal for my family. It consists of: ground taco beef, sauteed onions and red bell pepper, and vegan cheese. If you don't have the noodles in your grocery store, you can replace them with brown rice noodles or, this recipe can be easily made into a taco salad by replacing the noodles with lettuce and maybe adding some blue corn chips to add some heartiness. *Please note: people suffering from candida should avoid all grains other than the four listed above but brown rice is the best alternative for others.

Vegan cheese is a relatively new adventure for me because I just graduated to Stage 2 of the B.E.D.  Meaning, I can also add new nuts to my diet since soaked almonds are the only nut allowed during Stage 1. But all I can say is vegan cheese is magical! I was really excited to be able to have an excuse to make this "cheese" because it is so very satisfying and flavorful. (It actually tastes extremely similar to the cheese from the kid's snack packs with cheese dip and cracker sticks. If that sounds questionable, don't let it mislead you. It's fabulous!)

What you will need! (This meal serves 4.)

Taco Meat:
-2-2.5 lbs Ground beef (grass-fed is best). You can also use turkey, if preferred.

Taco/ Fajita Seasoning:
-2 teaspoons chili powder
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon paprika
-1/2 teaspoon onion powder
-1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
-1/4 teaspoon cumin

Vegetable Saute: (Feel free to add more veggies! Zucchini would be a great addition. I just used what I had.)
-1 clove of garlic
-2 onions
-2 red peppers
-1 Tbsp ghee (A wonderfully tasting, healthy option that cooks better at a higher temperature than butter. Available at Whole Foods and many other grocery stores.)

-1 bag of Explore Asian- Organic Black Bean Spaghetti

"Nacho" Cheese:
-1 cup- raw cashews that have been soaked in water for 2-3 hours (this softens the nut to create a smooth consistency and also makes it easier to digest).
-1/4 cup- chopped red bell pepper
-2 tablespoons- extra-virgin or virgin olive oil (meaning, it hasn't been exposed to chemicals)
-2 tablespoons- water
-1 1/2 tablespoons- lemon juice
-1/2 teaspoon- sea salt
-1 teaspoon- onion powder
-1/2 teaspoon- turmeric

Let's get started!

First, start with browning your meat on medium-high with the mixed taco meat seasoning. Stir occasionally.

While your meat is browning, cut vegetables and garlic. Place a tablespoon of ghee and chopped garlic in pan on medium-high heat, until garlic turns almost transparent. Then, add vegetables. Later, lower the temperature to medium-low to avoid over-cooking the peppers. You want them to stay crisp for texture and preserving nutrients.

Place 5-8 cups of water in a pot and set on high heat for noodles. Once water is boiling, add noodles, and stir frequently for 8-10 minutes. Drain noodles and immediately run cool water over them. (This is what the instructions on the bag stated but I also went ahead and added a tablespoon of ghee to the pot before I put noodles back in to prevent sticking.)

While items are on stove, place drained, soaked cashews in a food processor (both Cuisinart and Vitamix work well), along with all of the other ingredients, and blend until it turns into a creamy texture.

After everything is cooked, top to your liking, and enjoy!

I can definitely assure you that this meal is absolutely fabulous!!! There is a ton of great nutrients, protein, texture, and amazing flavor and it is very satisfying and filling!