Everyone's Favorite Spinach Salad

1 pound spinach
1 can mandarin oranges
bacon bits

Dressing:
1 small onion, chopped
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/3 cup white vinegar
2/3 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons mustard

Mom's Chicken Corn Chowder

1 - 3.5 pound chicken
3 quarts water
1 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery
1 tsp. white pepper
carrots
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tsp. celery seed
2.5 cups whole corn
2 cups creamed corn
1 can cream of celery soup
Pasta

1. In a large pot, place chicken, cover with water, carrots, onion, celery white pepper, salt and celery seed. Bring to a boil and then lower heat and simmer for about 2 hours. Remove chicken from pot. De-bone and discard bones. Dice the meat and return to pot.
2. Place corn, creamed corn, and cream of celery soup into pot and bring to boil. Add 1/2 bag pasta. Boil another 10 minutes, then simmer 1/2 hour.

Potato-Leek Soup

Ingredients:
1 T. of butter
2 medium leeks, whites only, sliced horizontally and cut into 1" pieces
1 small onion, cut into 1" pieces
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1-3/4 c. low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 c. water
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
3 T chopped chives


Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leeks and onion; sauté until soft, but not brown (approx. 5-8 minutes); stir occasionally.

Add potatoes, broth and water; cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until potatoes are soft, about 10-15 minutes.

Drain veggies, being sure to reserve cooking liquid. Allow cooking liquid to cool 5 minutes. Add half of the cooking liquid and half the solids to blender jar. Liquify in blender until smooth, about 15-20 seconds. Return pureed mixture to saucepan and repeat with remaining liquid and veggies. Add salt and white pepper; stir to combine. Garnish with chopped chives.

Yields 4 servings

Butternut Squash and Jalapeno Soup

This soup is a big hit every time we make it. I am actually giving you the doubled recipe since normally we always make it for a family gathering. We have tweaked the recipe a little bit here and there so this is what we now make!

Ingredients:

• 2 Butternut Squash (about 5 lbs total)
• 2 Oil (Canola, Olive, Corn - anything is fine)
• 1 Yellow Onion
• 1 Jalapeno Pepper
• 7 cups (56 oz.) low sodium chicken broth
• Salt to taste
• Croutons (optional garnish)

Directions:

• Peal the butternut squash, cut off the ends, and scoop out the seeds.
• Cut the squash up into chunks and then microwave for 20 minutes in a large microwaveable container.
• After the squash is done cook (e.g. it is soft), cut up the onion and, in a large pot like you would make pasta in, saute it in the oil for 5 minutes.
• Add the chicken brother, jalapeno, and squash to the pot. Stir, bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook (uncovered) for about 30 minutes.
• After the soup has been removed from the heat, working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until it is smooth.
• Taste and add salt as needed.
• Eat.

Homemade Tomato Soup (Grilled Cheese not included)

We found this recipe on the internet, modified it a little bit, and it was amazazing. Everyone in the house loved it. It was also a great way to get rid of extra tomatoes now that it is the end of the season.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 cups of chicken brother
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon of basil
  
• Olive oil
  

Directions:

• In a big pot (like for cooking soup), pour a few tablespoons of olive oil and saute your chopped garlic. After a minute or so add your chopped onion and saute until the onions are tender.
• Add the 4 cups of chopped tomatoes and bring to a boil.
• Once the tomatoes are bubbling away, add the chicken broth and cook on med/high for another 20 minutes. It can boil, but make sure it is a medium boil and not a BIG boil.
• A few minutes before the end of this cycle, throw in the tablespoon of basil and stir.
• After the 20 minutes is done, remove the pot from the heat and puree the soup in a blender (be careful, I burned my eyelid from splash!). Keep the pureed soup in a separate pot on the side.
  
• Rinse the old pot out and throw it back on the stove. Melt the butter over a medium heat.
• Once the butter is melted, whisk in the flour and sugar and cook it until it is medium brown (will cook very fast).
• Gradually whisk in the tomato mixture so that no lumps form. Stir in the rest.
• Season with salt to taste!

Enjoy your soup. We made it with some yummy grilled cheese sandwiches and it was the best!

Tuscan Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 1 cup packaged peeled baby carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 T olive oil
• (2) 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed & drained
• (1) 32-oz. box low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 or 3 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
• (1) 5-oz. package baby spinach
• freshly cracked black pepper (optional)

Directions

In a 4-quart pot cook and stir carrots and onion in 1 T olive oil over med-hi heat 3 minutes. Add beans, broth and seasoning. Bring to boiling; slightly mash beans. Reduce heat & simmer uncovered 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile in a large skillet heat remaining olive oil over med-hi heat. Add spinach and toss 1-2 minutes, just until wilted. Remove from heat. Ladle soup & top with spinach and ground pepper.

Spinach Tiropites

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb spinach, tough stems removed, well rinsed, and coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated kefalotiri, Parmesan, or pecorino cheese
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• salt and group pepper to taste
• 1/2 lb filo dough, thawed if frozen
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Directions

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the spinach with only the rinsing water clinging to the leaves, cover, and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Drain well on paper towels, then squeeze out as much of the remaining liquid as possible. Place in a large bowl and add the cheese, eggs, mint, and nutmeg. Stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat over to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Lightly butter a baking sheet. Cut the stack of filo sheets lengthwise into 3 equal strips. Remove 1 strip and cover the remaining filo with a slightly dampened kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out. Place the strip on a work surface and brush lightly with melted butter. Place another strip on top. Brush the second strip lightly with melted butter. Place a heaping teaspoonful of the filling about 1 inch from the bottom of the strip. Fold the uncovered end over the filling on the diagonal to form a triangular shape. Bring the bottom of the triangle up against the straight edge. Continue folding in this manner until the tip of the strip is reached, forming a triangular pastry. Brush lightly with melted butter. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining filo and filling.

Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a platter. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Makes 30 triangles; serves 6