1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium canellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)

2 carrots, diced (about 1/2 cup)

2 stalks celery, diced, (about 1/2 cup)

1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth

1 (14.5-ounce) can no salt added diced tomatoes

2 cups chopped baby spinach leaves

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional

In a small bowl mash half of the beans with a masher or the back of a spoon, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the broth and tomatoes with the juice and bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach leaves and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes more.

Serve topped with Parmesan, if desired.

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts*

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup chopped green onions (including whites, mince the whites)

2 jalapeños, seeded and minced (leave seeds if you want soup spicy, omit if you don’t like heat)

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth

2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/2 tsp ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

3 Tbsp fresh lime juice

3 medium avocados, peeled, cored and diced

Tortilla chips, Monterey jack cheese, sour cream for serving (optional)

In a large pot heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add green onions and jalapenos and saute until tender, about 2 minutes, adding garlic during last 30 seconds of sauteing.

Add chicken broth, tomatoes, cumin, season with salt and pepper to taste and add chicken breasts. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce heat to medium, cover with lid and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken has cooked through 10 – 15 minutes (cook time will vary based on thickness of chicken breasts).

Reduce burner to warm heat, remove chicken from pan and let rest on a cutting board 5 minutes, then shred chicken and return to soup. Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Add avocados to soup just before serving (if you don’t plan on serving the soup right away, I would recommend adding the avocados to each bowl individually, about 1/2 an avocado per serving). Serve with tortilla chips, cheese and sour cream if desired.

*For thicker chicken breasts, cut breasts in half through the length (thickness) of the breasts, they will cook faster and more evenly.

1/4 cup water (or vegetable broth)

1/2 of a red onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 celery stalks, diced

3 medium carrots, diced

1 small head of broccoli, florets

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon turmeric (I used powdered)

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste (optional)

fine-grain sea salt and black pepper, to taste

6 cups water (or 4 cups vegetable broth + 2 cups water)

2 cups kale, de-stemmed and torn in pieces

1 cup purple cabbage, chopped

juice from 1/2 of a small lemon (or a whole lemon, depending how much lemon flavor you prefer)

In a large pot, add the water and turn on the heat to medium-high. After it’s hot, add the onion and garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the celery, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes and fresh ginger. Stir and cook for 3 minutes, adding in extra water or broth as needed (another 1/4 cup). Stir in the turmeric, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper plus salt and pepper to taste.

Add in the water or vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Add in the kale, cabbage and lemon juice near the last 2-3 minutes of simmering.

Enjoy!

Notes

This cleansing recipe is oil-free because avoiding the use of oil during a cleansing meal is important for the detoxification process (and you won’t miss the oil at all due to all the flavor!) but if you feel like cooking with oil, use a minimal amount – 1 tablespoon or less.

Leftovers stay well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

1 tub of Cool Whip

1 box of Jello No Bake Cherry Cheesecake

1 can cherry pie filling

1 ½ cups milk

Honey Graham Crackers

In a large mixing bowl, mix milk and cheesecake filling together for 3 minutes until stiff

Fold in the tub of cool whip

Refrigerate one hour

To serve, place a big amount of the cheesecake mix in the center of a serving plate, then top with as much cherry pie filling as desired.  Place the graham crackers all around the dip and serve.

3 c. corn chex

2 c. wheat chex

2 c. mini pretzels

2 c. mini marshmallows

1 c. red and green M&Ms

20 oz. white chocolate

Red and green sprinkles, for garnish

In a large bowl, mix together Corn Chex, Wheat Chex, pretzels, mini marshmallows, and M&Ms.

Melt white chocolate and pour over mixture. Stir until fully coated.

Transfer mixture to a parchment-lined baking sheet or dish and top with sprinkles, then refrigerate until firm, 1 hour.

Break up into bite-size pieces and serve.

12 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
6 oz cream cheese, softened
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp salt
½ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp chili powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ c grated Parmesan cheese
1 c cheddar or mozzarella cheese
1 tube refrigerated thin crust pizza crust
2 Tbsp butter, melted
½ tsp each garlic salt and Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 400*
In a bowl combine spinach and cream cheese. Add garlic, salt, onion powder, pepper, chili powder, Italian seasoning and beat to combine. Add parmesan and ½ c cheddar or mozzarella and combine.
Roll out crust and cut from the top center to make the shape of a triangle
Spread the filling evenly onto the triangle
Shape the remaining tow pieces together to form a triangle and place on otp of the other
Using a pizza cutter cut small slices lengthwise, leaving about an inch down the center
Twist ends of dough, leaving the top and bottom unrolled
Bake for avout 20 minutes until golden brown on top and cooked through on the bottom. Melt butter and stir in garlic and seasoning, brush over breadstick. Serve warm.

½ c Honeycrisp apple, diced

½ c granny Smith apple, diced

1 lb cream cheese, room temperature

1 ½ c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 ½ tsp maple syrup

1 ½ cups pecans, toasted and chopped

Combine first 5 ingredients together and form into a ball.  Roll into the toasted peans and refrigerate 30 min before serving.

Serve with  butter crackers

3 cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries, chopped

1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 medium apple, chopped

2/3 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, mix first six ingredients. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.To serve, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream and walnuts into cranberry mixture. Yield: 16 servings (1/2 cup each).

3 cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries, chopped

1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 medium apple, chopped

2/3 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1. In a large bowl, mix first six ingredients. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.
2. To serve, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream and walnuts into cranberry mixture. Yield: 16 servings (1/2 cup each).

2 medium onions, chopped

1 tablespoon canola oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth

4 cups cubed cooked chicken

3 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Sour cream and sliced jalapeno peppers, optional

In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, saute onions in oil until tender. Stir in garlic, chilies, cumin, oregano, cayenne and cloves; cook and stir 2-3 minutes more. Add broth, chicken and beans; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish with sour cream and jalapeno peppers if desired. Yield: 6-8 servings (2-1/4 quarts).