TACO SOUP

1 med. onion

5-6 garlic cloves

1 lb. ground turkey

1 to 2 pks. taco seasoning

1 pk. Hidden Valley Ranch mix

2 cans fire roasted tomatoes

1 can hominy

1 can garbanzo beans

2 cans kidney beans

1 can black beans

Chicken stock or broth

Saute’ chopped onion and minced garlic in olive oil in

soup pot.

Brown turkey – season with 1 or 2 pks. of taco seasoning – add to

pot.

Add pkg. of Ranch mix. Add beans

Add chicken stock to desired consistency.

Cook 20-30 min.

Cathy made this for one of our Christmas “Girls Get-Togethers” and it was a huge hit.

Cathy Rudis

White Chili

3 pounds cooked Great Northern beans, canned or bottled

2 pounds boneless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 garlic cloves

2 medium onions, chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground oregano

2 – 4 ounce chopped green chiles

4 cups low sodium chicken stock

20 ounces grated Monterey jack cheese

Sour cream and jalapeno peppers for garnish

Place chicken in large saucepan. Add cold water to cover and bring to a simmer. Cook until tender, approximately 15-20 minutes. Remove from sauce pan and dice into ½” cubes.

Discard the water and using the same pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Stir in the garlic, chilies, cumin, cayenne pepper, oregano and cloves. Saute another 2-3 minutes.

Add the chicken, beans, chicken stock and 12 ounces of the cheese, mixing well. This can all be transferred to a crock pot at this point and put on low until the ghouls and goblins either make it to the party or back from trick or treating! Ladle into large bowls and top with more grated cheese, sour cream or the jalapeno peppers.

Crab and Corn Chowder

This soup recipe is from a cooking school (Nothing To It) in Reno, where on a cold winter night after a day on the slopes, this soup hits the spot! Pair it with the chardonnay or other white wine used in the recipe.

Crab & Corn Chowder

6 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped white onion (1 medium onion)

1 cup sliced celery (2 large stalks)

1 ½ cups peeled, diced russet potatoes (1 extra large or 2 medium potatoes)

½ cup fish stock or clam juice

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1 bay leaf

3 ears of corn, husked, rinsed, dried and brushed with olive oil

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 ½ cups milk

1 pint half & half

2 tablespoons dry white wine

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

8 ounces special grade crabmeat (already in bits and flakes and costs less than lump crab meat)

Fresh chives for garnish

Place prepared ears of corn on pre-heated grill. Grill until the corn is lightly browned – turning frequently so that the corn cooks evenly – approximately 10 minutes. When the corn has cooled, carefully cut the corn off the cob. This can be done in advance. In winter months, when fresh ears of corn are not available – 1 can of corn can be substituted in its place. Drain the corn, sauté in a non-stick pan with a small amount of olive oil.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until just tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Add the diced potatoes and cook 5 minutes ore. Add the fish stock or clam juice, chicken broth and bay leaf, simmer, covered for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and set aside.

In a 3 quart stock pot, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Gradually whisk in the milk and half & half and continue to stir until the mixture comes to a simmer and thickens.

Add the vegetables, corn and wine to the thickened milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the fresh crabmeat just before serving and heat through to a simmer. Serve immediately and garnish with chives.

A twist on a normal chili recipe – this is a perennial favorite for Halloween parties or before trick or treating!

Janet