Sweet Soy Dipping Sauce

½ c low-sodium soy sauce
2 T rice wine vinegar (balsamic will also work)
3 T brown sugar
2 T minced garlic
½ tsp ground ginger (or 1 tsp fresh grated ginger)

Mix together in a small jar and serve with egg rolls, pot stickers or wontons. Refrigerate leftovers.

Southwestern Chicken Soup

1 quart Chicken Broth
1 28oz can tomato sauce
1 28oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 15oz can enchilada sauce (hot or mild, depending on your taste)
3-4 T homemade taco seasoning (or 1 pkg taco seasoning)
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 T minced garlic
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 16oz pkg frozen corn
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 can black beans, drained (optional)


Combine all ingredients (except beans) in the Crock Pot on low (8-10 hrs) or high (4-6 hrs). Add beans in the last 45 mins of cook time, if you choose to add them.

Serve with crushed tortilla chips, fresh diced avocado or sour cream.

Hot and Sour Soup

1 carton Swanson's Chinese Hot and Sour infused broth
2 T soy sauce
1 T vinegar (I used white, but you can use Rice Wine)
1 bunch green onions, diced
½ block firm tofu, cubed
½ can bamboo shoots, julienned
3-4 chopped mushrooms (I used straw mushrooms, but you can use any kind)
1 T garlic powder
1 tsp chili garlic sauce (optional - adds INTENSE heat)
2 T corn starch
3 T cold water
1 egg, beaten

½ pkg won ton wrappers, sliced into strips
1 c hot oil for frying

Combine the first 8 ingredients (9 if you choose to add chili garlic sauce) in a large pot and bring to a boil. While that's heating, fry the won ton strips until golden brown and drain on a paper towel. Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl until mixed well. When the soup has come to a boil, slowly add the cornstarch thickener and stir. Simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly add beaten egg, stirring to incorporate egg strands throughout soup. Serve with fried won ton skins.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

In helping my mother-in-law clean out her pantry to prepare for a healthier lifestyle, we researched recipes for homemade seasonings for things like tacos, ranch dressing and spaghetti sauce. In doing so, I decided that I probably should start practicing what I preach, so I, too, bypassed the taco packets today at the store and decided to make it homemade instead. 

I combined several recipes I saw online and created my own.

½ c chili powder

¼ c onion powder

2T ground cumin

2T garlic powder

1T paprika (Spanish or smoked is fine)

1T dried oregano leaves

½ tsp cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

1T seasoned salt (you can omit this if you're on a low-sodium diet, just add more garlic powder)

1T corn starch

1T brown sugar

Combine everything in a lidded container such as a jar or Tupperware and shake well.

Use 3T seasoning with ¼-½ cup of water per ONE pound of ground meat (beef, turkey, chicken, etc.). Simmer over medium heat until desired consistency.

Swanson Thai Hot and Sour Soup (Tom Yum)

Ultimately, this is just a doctored recipe I got from Swanson. I take ZERO credit for it, I'm just adding my twist and since I hate people who take someone else's recipe and say, "it's the same thing, but I added this, this and this," I figured I'd post it here. Again, this is NOT my recipe with the exception of ONE added ingredient, so please don't quote it as mine. I don't need a lawsuit from Campbells, k? :)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 2-inch matchstick-thin strips (about 1/2 cup)
1 medium red pepper, cut into 2-inch matchstick-thin strips (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup sliced mushrooms (shiitake, oyster, cremini)
1 carton (32 ounces) Swanson® Thai Ginger Flavor Infused Broth
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 can (about 14 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

3 T Chili Garlic paste/sauce

1 . Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the carrot and pepper and cook for 5 minutes or until tender-crisp, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the mushrooms, if desired. (I left the mushrooms out, but they'd be great with them, too.)

2 . Add the broth to the saucepan and heat to a boil.  Stir in the chili garlic paste, too. Reduce the heat to medium-low.  Stir in the chicken and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is hot, stirring occasionally.

3 . Stir in the coconut milk and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling.  Stir in the lime juice and cilantro just before serving. Also, I added TWICE the amount of lime because I wanted more flavor. You may also add some onion and garlic powder or minced garlic, as well.

Tomato Basil Soup

This is an EXCELLENT recipe for almost all diet types. It's relatively low in sodium, fat and carbohydrates and you can always adjust ingredients to include lower sodium options, too.

2 - 28oz cans petite diced tomatoes
1 - 28oz can crushed tomatoes
2 c V-8 juice (low sodium)
2-3 T minced garlic
1-2 bunches fresh chopped basil
1 T olive or canola oil
2-3 T brown sugar

In a large soup pot, heat the oil and add the basil and garlic, sauteeing for a few minutes to bring out the flavor. Add the tomatoes,V-8 and brown sugar and bring to a low boil. Lower heat and simmer for about an hour or so. You can add less sugar if you prefer a tarter soup or more, if you like it sweeter. You can also omit the oil altogether if you don't want it.

For variety and added protein, add whole peeled shrimp to the soup after it comes to a boil. You could also add chopped kale or spinach, too.

Serve with crusty bread, shaved Parmesan and a healthy sprinkle of fresh cracked pepper.