Russian Mushroom and Potato Soup

5 tbsp. butter, divided
2 leeks, chopped
2 large carrots, sliced
6 cups chicken broth
2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and diced
1 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup half-and-half
2 tsp. dried dill weed
2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup flour

Melt 3 tbsp. butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Mix in leeks and carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in broth. Season with dill, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Mix in potatoes, cover, and cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender but firm. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Melt the remaining butter in a skillet over medium heat and saute the mushrooms 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Stir into the soup.

In a small bowl, mix the half-and-half and flour until smooth. Stir into the soup to thicken.

chilled dilled new potatoes (Southern Living)

2lbs new potatoes, unpeeled and sliced---boil until tender, drain, leave skins intact (I salt the water)

COMBINE:
1/4c plus 1 Tb EVOO
1/4 c white wine vinegar
3 Tb finely chopped green onions
1 tsp dried dillweed
1/2tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lg garlic clove, minced (I use more, because I like garlic)

pour mixture over potatoes. Gently toss to coat thoroughly. Chill 5-8 hrs (or serve warm).

Pinto Beans with Chiles

2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed
2 cups boiling water
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 15-oz. cans pinto beans, rinsed, drained
1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Place chiles in bowl. Pour 2 cups boiling water over. Let soak until chiles are soft, about 20 minutes. Strain, reserving 1/2 cup soaking liquid. Seed chiles; place in processor. Add onion, garlic, cumin, salt and 1/2 cup soaking liquid; puree. (This can be made 2 days ahead. Cover, chill).

Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add chile puree; stir until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Add beans, broth, bay leaves, and pepper. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Peanut Butter Pie

Crust: (Make yourself or buy at store)

1 ¼ cups chocolate cookie crumbs (20 cookies)
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup butter or margarine, melted

Filling:

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp. butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Combine crust ingredients; press into a 9-in. pie plate. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, butter and vanilla until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Gently spoon into crust. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Spicy Asian Noodle & Chicken Salad

2-4 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar
2 tbsp. chili-garlic sauce, or to taste
1 tbsp. firmly packed golden brown sugar
1 tbsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
3 tbsp. (or more) reduced-sodium chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
¾ lb. linguine or dried udon noodles
4 cups thinly sliced cooked chicken, cut into strips
2 large carrots, coarsely grated
6 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
½ cup fresh cilantro leaves

Combine 2 tbsp. peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili-garlic sauce, brown sugar, ginger and 3 tbsp. broth in a food processor or blender; blend until smooth. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Add additional peanut butter, if desired.

Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, rinse with cold water to cool, and drain again. Transfer noodles to large bowl. Add chicken, carrots, green onions, bell pepper and cilantro; toss to blend. Pour dressing over and toss to coat, adding more broth by tablespoonfuls if dressing is too thick. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.

Artichoke, Asparagus, & Mushroom Quinoa Risotto

2 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
12 oz. mushrooms, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup onion, chopped
2 cups quinoa, rinsed
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 1/2 cups (or more) vegetable broth
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 8 oz. package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter with 1 tbsp. oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; saute until brown and tender, about 7 minutes. Add garlic; saute 2 minutes. Remove from pan.

Heat remaining 3 tbsp. oil. Add onion; saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add quinoa; saute 2 minutes. Add wine; cook until liquid is almost absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add 3 1/2 cups broth; cook 10 minutes. Add asparagus and artichoke hearts; simmer until quinoa and vegetables are tender, stirring often and adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls as needed, about 7 minutes. Add Parmesan cheese and reserved mushrooms. Stir until cheese melts and mushrooms are heated through, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add extra Parmesan cheese if desired.

Can be served as a main dish or a side dish.

Jill's Black Bean Salsa from Bunko!!

15 oz can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1/2 cup corn, drained
1/2 cup red pepper, chopped fine
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
8 gr. onions, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
3 T lime juice
2 T balsalmic vinegar

Mix and let chill then eat. Good with tortilla chips.

Artichoke Spinach Lasagna

9 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (14.5 oz) can vegetable broth
1 tbsp. chopped, fresh rosemary
1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1-2 tsp. Italian seasoning
2-3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 (4 oz.) package herb and garlic feta, crumbled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions (or use no-cook ones - even better!). Drain.

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium-high. Saute onion and garlic for 3 minutes, or until onion is tender-crisp. Stir in broth and rosemary; bring to a boil. Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach; reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes and Italian seasoning (the amount you want for your own taste).

Spread 1/4 of the artichoke mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish; top with 3 lasagna noodles. Sprinkle some mozzarella and parmesan cheese over the noodles. Repeat layers two more times, ending with artichoke mixture and cheese. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top.

Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, and bake 15 minutes more, or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Whit's Chicken Enchiladas...from Bunko!

INGREDIENTS

• 4 bone-in chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers, drained
• 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup water
• 8 (10 inch) flour tortillas
• 1 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the chicken breast halves into a saucepan, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove from the water, and set aside to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Remove the chicken meat from the breasts, and discard the skin and bones. Set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the green chilies, jalapeno and garlic. Cook and stir for a few minutes, until fragrant, then stir in the cream cheese and half of the Monterey Jack. As the cheese begins to melt, gradually stir in the water. Chop the chicken meat, and stir into the skillet. Remove from the heat.
4. Spoon the chicken mixture into tortillas, and roll up. Place the rolls seam side down in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining Monterey Jack cheese over the top, then pour cream over all.
5. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the enchiladas are golden brown on the top.

Sweet Corn Bread...from Bunko!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 15 oz can of creamed corn
  

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Combine the egg, sour cream, milk, creamed corn and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
2. Pour into a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Margaret's Bunco Chicken Salad

Cooked white meat chicken...shredded............about 4 or 5 breasts 2 boxes of uncle ben’s long grain and wild rice.orange box..............cookedHalf a box of golden raisins3/4 cup of roasted almonds (slivers or sliced)Green onions...........maybe 6 or 7, all cut up2 jars of lite house or maries honey mustard dressing.Mix it all up and refridge it overnight...............but only use one jar of the dressing............then mix in the other jar an hour or so before serving.

Pineapple Beef

Makes 4 servings, 337 calories, 6 gm fat

3/4 pound beef top round steak, cut 1/2 inch thick
1 8oz can pineapple slices (juice pack)
2 T dry sherry or water
1 T soy sauce
1 T molasses or brown sugar
1/8 to 1/4 t crushed red pepper
4 green onions, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 T cornstarch
1 med. Tomato cut into wedges
1 6 oz pkg frozen pea pods, thawed
2 C hot cooked rice

1. Partially freeze meat, remove excess fat, cut on bias into thin bite size strips. Drain pineapple reserving juice. Cut pineapple into quarters and set aside.
2. In bowl, stir pineapple juice, sherry or water, soy sauce, molasses or brown sugar, and red pepper. Add meat; stir till coated. Cover and marinate meat at room temp for 15 min. Drain, reserving marinade.
3. Spray a COLD large skillet or wok with nonstick spray. Add half of the meat. Stir-fry 2-3 min. or till browned. Removed meat. Stir-fry remaining meat and onions the same. Return all meat to the skillet. Push meat from center of skillet.
4. For sauce, stir cornstarch into reserved marinade. Add sauce to center of skillet. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Add tomato, pea pods, and pineapple. Stir ingredients together until coated with sauce. Cook and stir 2 minutes more or till heated through. Serve over hot cooked rice.
Better Homes and Gardens New Dieter's CookBook

Fruit and Pasta Salad

3 C uncooked pasta shells or any pasta sturdy enough for a cold salad
20 oz Pineapple chunks
1 Large Orange
1 C Red Grapes
1 C Green Grapes
1 Med. Apple
1 Large Banana
8 oz Plain Yogurt
1/4 C Orange Juice Concentrate

Cook pasta, drain, add fruit, combine yogurt and concentrate and toss. Serve cold.
(Great on a hot summer day!)

Beef Stew with Buttered Egg Noodles

This is one of my all-time favorite beef stew recipes. It takes some time to put together though!

2 1/2 to 3 pounds beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt & freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
5 tbsp. olive oil
5 tbsp. butter
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
2 cups beef broth
8 oz. egg noodles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the meat in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the flour and toss to coat. Ina large Dutch oven or ovenproof pot, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter over medium-high heat until the butter stops foaming. Add a quarter of the meat to the Dutch oven and brown, about 6 minutes; transfer with a slotted spoon to a platter. Cook the remaining meat in 3 batches, adding 1 more tbsp. olive oil and 1/2 tbsp. butter to the Dutch oven for each batch.

Add the onion, garlic and thyme to the Dutch oven and cook until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the browned beef, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, paprika, cinnamon, bay leaf and beef broth and bring to a simmer. Cover, transfer to the oven and cook until the beef is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

About 20 minutes before the stew is done, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the egg noodles until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain and toss with the remaining 2 1/2 tbsp. butter. Serve the stew over the noodles.

Chicken with Cider and Bacon Sauce

This is a recipe from Cooking Light magazine:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 bacon slices, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh onion
3/4 cup unsweetened apple cider
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan. Add chicken to drippings in pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

Add onion to pan; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring constantly. Add cider and broth; bring to a boil; scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until broth mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup (about 5 minutes). Stir in cooked bacon; serve sauce over chicken.

Bacon & Tomato Puffs

I made these for New Year's Eve and they're very yummy!

8 slices bacon
1 tomato, chopped
3 green onions, sliced
3 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. dried basil
1 (16 oz.) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until evenly brown. Drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon into a medium mixing bowl and mix with tomato, onion, swiss cheese, mayonnaise and basil.

Separate biscuits and cut into quarters. Roll each quarter into a ball and pinch with thumb into the shape of a small bowl. Place each piece on the baking sheet. Fill each piece with some of the bacon mixture.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until browned.

Southwest Shredded Beef

Here is the recipe you asked for, Missy. I've never added the cilantro or extra chiles and usually go lighter on the spices.

Southwest Shredded Beef
Serves 8 to 10
25 minutes under High Pressure

2 TBS olive oil
3 to 3-1/2 pound boneless chuck roast, cut into 1-1/2 inch chunks
2 cups minced yellow onion
6 or 7 cloves of fresh garlic, chopped
1 c. broth, water or beer
2 (14-1/2 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 (10 oz) Ro-tel
1 (7 oz) can diced green chilies
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 TBS cumin powder
2 TBS chili powder
1 teaspoon salt

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in cooker. Add just enough beef to cover the bottom of the pot, don’t crowd it or the meat will not brown properly. Brown the meat thoroughly on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and add another batch of beef, continuing to brown until all of the meat has been browned.

Add the onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until softened and golden, about 3 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with the broth, stirring up all of the cooked-on bits of meat and caramelized juices. Add the beef, tomatoes, Ro-tel, green chilies, cilantro, cumin, chili powder.

Bring the liquid to a boil, then lock the lid in place and over high heat bring to high pressure. Adjust the heat to maintain high pressure and cook for 25 minutes. Reduce pressure with a quick-release method, or by natural method.

Using two forks, stir through the meat mixture, shredding/pulling at the chunks of beef to loosen up the pieces and create a sort of chunky-shredded mixture. If necessary, return to heat and simmer off some of the liquid.

Leftovers freeze well in a bag if covered with juice.

Orange Fluff

1 sm. pkg sugar free orange jello
1 sm. pkg fat free vanilla instant pudding
1 8oz fat free cool whip
1 can Mandarine oranges

1. Prepare jello according to 'speed set' method
2. add pudding mix to jello and beat w/ elec. mixer for 2 min
3. set for 5 min in fridge
4. fold in thawed cool whip and drained oranges
5. refridgerate for several hours in a covered container

compliments of Cindy P

Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup

3 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp. dry sherry
2 tbsp. dark sesame oil, divided
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into thin strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. tahini
2 tbsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. or more chili-garlic sauce
4 cups chopped greens, such as spinach, chard, kale or napa cabbage
2 cups sliced mushrooms
6 green onions, both white and green parts, thinly sliced
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
1 14-oz. package of rice noodles or bean thread noodles

In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sherry and 1 tbsp. of sesame oil. Toss the chicken strips and let stand for 20 minutes or refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 hours.

In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, tahini, ginger, sugar, vinegar and chili-garlic sauce. Set aside.

In a large, heavy pot, heat the remaining 1 tbsp. of sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the greens, mushrooms and green onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the chicken with the marinade and the tahini-garlic mixture. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with chili-garlic sauce. The soup can be made to this point and refrigerated or frozen.

Cook the noodles according to package directions. Transfer the cooked noodles into soup bowls. Reheat the soup, ladle it over the noodles and serve.

Calzone Rolls

4 large, crusty Keiser Rolls
1 1/2 c ricotta cheese
Salt and Pepper
1/4 lb salami, chopped **use spinach instead for a veggie version**
1/4 c Parmigiano-Reggiano
8 slices mozzerella or provolone (skim or low-fat)
8 slices vine ripe tomato
8 fresh basil leaves, torn or sliced

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Slice the Keiser rolls in half, leaving the bottom slice thicker than the top. Scoop a little of the white soft insides out of the bottoms.

Season ricotta with S&P. Stir the salami (or spinach) and grated cheese into the ricotta. Fill the rolls with the ricotta mixture. Cover the ricotta with tomato and basil, then top with mozzerella/provolone slice. Set covers in place and bake to heat through 10-12 minutes.

Serve w/ Quick Zesty Marinara.

Quick Zesty Marinara

2 pints grape tomatoes
6-8 whole garlic cloves
EVOO

Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Rinse tomatoes, let air dry. Spray baking dish with nonstick spray or olive oil. Spread tomatoes out in baking dish with whole garlic cloves. Drizzle with EVOO. Season with S&P. Bake until tomatoes burst, about 10 min.

Transfer tomatoes and garlic to bowl, mash with potato masher. Serve hot with Calzone Rolls.

The BEST Low-Fat Banana Bread EVER!!!

1 1/2 c flour (I use oat flour, it makes the bread more dense, but healthier)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 lg egg whites, slightly beaten
3 lg ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 c sugar
2 tbsp oil (I use EVOO instead of veg, can't taste the difference)

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Is seperate mixing bowl, mix together egg whites, bananas, sugar and oil. Add wet mixture to dry mixture, mix until combined. Pour into greased or non-stick bread pan. Bake @ 350 for 50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Tips:

• Sprinkle sugar on top of bread batter prior to baking to give it a crispy sugar crust. If you want, feel free to reduce the sugar in the recipe by 1/8 c, and sprinkle on top instead, so you're not adding calories.
• You can also substitute apple sauce for oil, but I recommend leaving at least 1 tbsp of oil for best density.
  

Beef & Asparagus (or Green Beans or Broccoli)

1 lb. flank steak
2 tbsp. light soy sauce
3 tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 lbs. asparagus, green beans or broccoli
4 tbsp. peanut oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 slice fresh ginger, minced
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Thinly slice the steak and cut into 2-inch wide strips. Marinate the steak in a mixture of the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, cornstarch and sugar for about 1 hour.

Blanch the asparagus, green beans or broccoli until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Heat 2 tbsp. oil and stir fry the asparagus, green beans or broccoli for 2 minutes. Remove them from the pan.

Add 2 more tbsp. of oil to pan. Add the garlic, ginger and pepper seeds and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the meat and cook for 3 minutes (or cooked to desired doneness). Return vegetable to meat and stir together.

Serve with rice.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Leeks

1 leek, about 5-7 inches of the white-to-pale-green portion, sliced lengthwise
2 tbsp. olive oil (divided)
1 12-oz pork tenderloin
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. minced fresh herb (your choice)

Put each half-round length of leek flat side down and slice crosswise into 1/8-inch-wide half-rounds. Tumble the pieces by hand to separate the layers (they'll look kind of like wood shavings). With 1 tbsp. olive oil, lightly coat the pork and the bottom of a 5x9-inch baking dish. Grind pepper over the pork and set aside. Mound the leek shavings across the dish bottom in a layer about 2-3 inches wide. Sprinkle the coarse salt and minced fresh herb over the leek mound. Drizzle remaining tbsp. olive oil over the leeks and place the pork on top.

Roast on low to mid-oven rack until the pork reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the meat rest in the baking dish for 10 minutes. Slice the meat, place on a warm platter and spoon leeks on top.

**You can also put this in a crock-pot on low for 8 hours.

Grilled Chicken Soup

1 Serving

1 Can low sodium chicken broth
Sliced grilled chicken breast
Cooked Barley
Vegi's
(one serving each of the chicken, barley, vegi's)

Warm over medium heat or microwave...

Pizza

1 Serving

1 Whole wheat Pita
1 baked chicken breast
Fat Free or low sugar tomato sauce
1 oz. low or fat free mozarella sauce
vegi's of your choice (onions, peppers, etc...)

Bake until warm. (around 10 min)

Tortilla Chips

Cut Tortilla (whole wheat, plain, etc...) into triangles.
Bake about 1 hr at 250 degree's.

Add 1/2 C cottage cheese to 1/4 C salsa if you want to add protein and calcium.

Easy Muffins

1 - 15 oz can of Pumpkin
1 box of cake mix (any flavor)

Mix the two things. Non-stick spray your container. Bake 30 min (until no longer shiny). Makes 12 cupcakes. (don't use the cupcake papers)
A friend said this is only 2 pts. on weight watchers.
Very moist and needs no frosting...

Susan

Potato Leek Soup

2 large leeks
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons butter
2 strips bacon, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups chicken stock
1 to 1 1/4 pounds russet potatoes, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup heavy cream

1 pckg shredded monterey jack cheese

fresh chives (optional)

Using a sharp knife, halve the white part of the leek lengthwise and rinse well under cold running water to rid the leek of any sand. Slice thinly crosswise and set aside.

In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter and add the bacon. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is very crispy and has rendered most of its fat. Removed bacon, set aside for topping. Add the chopped leeks and garlic, cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the chicken stock, potatoes, thyme, salt and white pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are falling apart and the soup is very flavorful.

Stir in the heavy cream and cheese, adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Serve immediately, with chopped bacon and chives sprinkled over the top of each bowl of soup.