Sharon's White Chili

Sharon's White Chili

1 pint of dried white Northern Beans
2 qts water
4 turkey necks (or chicken necks and backs sans skin)
1 chopped onion
3 peeled and sliced carrots
Salt and Pepper

Rinse your dried beans and put in crock pot with water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Put the onions, carrots and turkey necks in. I put the crock pot on high for 4 hours. Remove the turkey necks and let the vegetables continue cooking on high. Put the turkey necks in the refrigerator for an hour. Pull all the meat off the cooled turkey necks and put it in the crockpot with the beans. Let them simmer until the beans are soft. To serve, ladle into a bowl and sprinkle grated cheese on top. Also serve with cornbread or slices of avocado and sour cream. Fresh cilantro is wonderful added on top.

Source: Me!

Turkey Frame Soup

Don't throw that leftover turkey frame away. There is still meat on those bones! Make a delicious turkey soup with it.

Turkey Frame Soup

1 Turkey frame (the turkey carcas leftover from roasting a turkey)
1 can of chicken broth
2 cans of petite cut canned tomatoes
water to fill your soup pot 3/4 way full
Cut fresh carrots and celery, enough to satisfy your families veggie needs
1 chopped onion
2 fresh Sage leaves, 2 fresh sprigs of Oregano and 2 fresh sprigs of Thyme or dried Sage, Oregano and Thyme
Salt and pepper
Hold noodles to the side - Cooked wide noodles (enough for your family needs)

Boil until vegetables are soft. Remove all the turkey carcas/bones and place on a plate and let cool down. Remove the meat from the bones. Toss the bones in the trash and toss the chopped meat in the soup. Simmer until supper time. Add cooked noodles about 30 mins before serving so they don't get overcooked.

*Note* If you want to freeze some, freeze the soup without the noodles. If you anticipate saving some for lunch tomorrow, then put the soup in one container and the cooked noodles in another container and put them together before heating in the microwave.

Source: ME!

Sharon's Gazpacho

Sharon's Gazpacho

Gazpacho is a raw vegetable soup served cold. I like mine pureed but others just finely chopped vegetables. There are many variations and you can do a Google search to find them. This is my variation.

5 medium fresh tomatoes, washed and quartered
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 lg clove garlic, peeled
1 green bell pepper, washed, stem removed, membrane and seeds removed, chopped
2 ribs celery, washed and chopped
1 yellow crookneck summer squash, washed and chopped
Handful of fresh baby spinach, washed and chopped
1 carrot, washed, peeled and chopped
I grab a small handful of my fresh herbs (all total, maybe 1 couple of Tbsps of them altogether): parsley, rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme, and cilantro; wash and chop
1/3 cup of red wine vinegar
2-3 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
Tobasco Sauce to taste
Salt & Pepper to taste
Water

I use my Vitamix mixer to puree all these vegetables and herbs together. You learn to add enough water to make the soup a soup texture and not a glop. Start with maybe a pint of water and see if that gives you the consistency you want. Keep in the refrigerator and serve cold. You can garnish each bowl with a sprig of fresh cilantro and a tsp of sour cream or crutons.

Note: If you don't have Worcestershire Sauce, use some beef broth and hold back a little water.

Tomato Chicken Cheese Tortellini Soup

Tomato Chicken Cheese Tortellini Soup

1 package Cheese Tortellini
2 cans chicken broth
2 Chicken breasts cooked and shredded (option: canned chicken)
1 jar Alfredo sauce
1/2 jar sun dried tomatoes
3 handfuls of spinach

Cook chicken and shred. Cook tortellini according to directions and set aside. In large pot add chicken broth and Alfredo sauce and simmer on low (add a pinch of pepper if desired). Add chicken, sun dried tomatoes, and spinach to sauce. Cook for a few minutes until the spinach starts to wilt down a little. Then add tortellini and serve.
Source: http://aprongirls.blogspot.com/2010/02/sun-dried-tomato-chicken-tortellini.html