RECIPE SWAP: COLD OF WINTER IS A GOOD TIME FOR NEW SOUP RECIPES

Brrrr! Our weather the past few days has really been soup weather. When I think about planning something for dinner I start thinking about all of my favorite recipes and then I instantly think, Scott probably wouldn't like having soup AGAIN. My dear husband, Scott, is truly a meat, potatoes and bread man. He has often joked and said, "it's just not worth sitting down to unless it came off of a hoof". So, I've learned that if I make hearty soups with, yes, lots of meat and potatoes he will eat and like it.

So this week I'm sharing a few of my favorite soup recipes with you and I hope you try and enjoy them.

Chicken Corn Chowder

1 whole chicken

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1 onion, chopped

1 c. sliced celery

1 c. sliced carrots

1 t. basil

1 t. lemon pepper

3 cans cream style corn

2 c. cooked noodles

Boil the chicken, garlic, salt and pepper until the chicken is done. Skin, bone and chop the chicken. Strain and reserve the broth.

Saute' the onion in a small amount of margarine until soft and transparent.

In a large Dutch oven, bring the broth to a boil. Add the celery and carrots to the broth and simmer until tender. Add the chicken, onion, basil, lemon pepper and cream style corn. Heat until thoroughly heated. Stir in the cooked noodles just before serving.

Tex-Mex Soup

1 pound ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 1/2 c. beef broth

3 c. tomato juice

2 (16 ounce) cans tomatoes, chopped

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies

1 T. chili powder

2 t. sugar

1 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1/2 t. oregano

corn chips, crushed

Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

In a large Dutch oven, brown the ground beef, onion and garlic until the beef is done and the onion is tender. Drain well.

To this same pot, add the remainder of the ingredients except for the chips and cheese. Heat and simmer until flavors are well blended.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with a generous portion of crushed chips and shredded cheese.

Corn Sausage Soup

1 pound pork sausage

1 c. chopped onion

4 c. peeled and cubed potatoes

1 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

2 c. water

1 (17 ounce) can cream style corn

1 (17 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained, reserving liquid

1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

In a Dutch oven, cook sausage and onion until the sausage is well browned. Drain well on paper towel. In this same pot, combine water, potatoes and salt. Cook potatoes until tender. Add the remaining ingredients and heat thoroughly, but do not boil.

Tip: sometimes I find that it is a little too thick, so I add the reserved juice from the corn. I also serve this with fresh baked apple muffins and apple butter. It is a delicious combination.

All American Sausage Stew

1 (10 1/2 ounce) can condensed beef broth

1 c. water

1/8 t. pepper

1 bay leaf

2 med. onions, quartered

6 carrots, pared, julienned pieces

1 1/2 c. dices celery

2 potatoes, pared, diced

2 T. water

1 T. flour

1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/2" pieces

salt to taste

grated Parmesan cheese, as garnish

Combine broth, 1 c. water, pepper, bay leaf, and vegetables in a 4 quart saucepan. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Add potatoes, cook until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf. Mix 2 T. water and the flour, stir into vegetables: add sausage; heat. Add salt, if desired.

To serve, top each bowl with grated Parmesan cheese.

Do you have a favorite soup recipe that you could share with us? I would love to hear from you with your favorite as well as what you serve with the soup or as a garnish.

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Last week we had a request from Greg Illers of Cape for a German style coffee cake. I have had many of these coffee cakes and I know there are many wonderful recipes floating around. Be sure to send in your favorite recipes to we can pass those on. That sounds like a great way to end the day, a nice cup of hot cocoa or coffee and a piece of coffee cake.

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Helen Childs of Cape is also looking for a recipe for a spice tea mix that makes a large batch and is used as desired by the cup. She had a mix but has used it up and would like to prepare another batch. I recall a Russian Tea mix that had Tang drink mix in it that was delicious. Maybe someone could find that recipe and send it in.

I hope you enjoy the soup recipes and Dimple, send in your Black Beans and Rice recipe. It is wonderful!

~Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Senior Center. Her cookbook collection tops 2,000 books.