Fresh Cream of Asparagus Soup

• 1 pound fresh asparagus
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Place asparagus and onion in a saucepan with 1/2 cup vegetable broth. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer until the vegetables are tender. Reserve a few asparagus tips for garnish. Place remaining vegetable mixture in an electric blender and puree until smooth. Melt butter in the pan that was used for simmering the asparagus and onions. Stir while sprinkling flour, salt, and pepper into the butter. Do not let the flour brown. Allow the mixture to cook only 2 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth and increase the heat. Continue stirring until the mixture comes to a boil. Stir the vegetable puree and milk into the saucepan. Whisk yogurt into the mixture, followed by lemon juice. Stir until heated through, then ladle into bowls. Garnish with reserved asparagus tips. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1 cup masa harina
• 3 cups water, divided
• 1 cup enchilada sauce
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
In a large pot over medium heat, cook chicken breasts in oil until well browned on all sides. Remove and set aside. Cook onion and garlic in remaining oil until onions are translucent. Pour in chicken broth. In a bowl, whisk together masa harina and 2 cups water until well blended. Pour into pot with remaining 1 cup water, enchilada sauce, Cheddar, salt, chili powder and cumin. Bring to a boil. Shred cooked chicken and add it to the pot. Reduce heat and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, until thickened.

Green Chili Chicken Stew

I found this recipe in Sunset Magazine and thought it looked like a lot of fun to make. The original recipe says to just cook this in a pot, but I wanted to try it in my Crock Pot. This recipe was a hit and I love it! I made a few variations to accommodate our needs but you can play around with it. This picture is not the right picture and does not do justice to this recipe but I searched all over the internet and this was the best I could find.

Yield : 10 Servings

3-4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (shredded)
2 whole bay leaves
1 Tbsp. Whole black peppercorns
5 tsp. Salt
1 pkg (1 lb.) Frozen Corn (defrosted)
2 Green Bell Peppers halved, stemmed and seeded
4 Anaheim or New Mexico Green Chile's, halved, stemmed and seeded
4 Serrano Chile's, halved, stemmed and seeded
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Large Yellow Onions, chopped
2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
1 Tbsp ( ground cumin and ground coriander
2 Cans (12-15 oz each) Posole or Hominy Drained
2 Cans (15oz) White beans, drained
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatillos, drained and roughly chopped ( I couldn't find Tomatillos in Idaho so I used fresh tomatoes from my parents garden)
Lime Wedges, chopped cilantro, and tortilla chips

~Boil chicken breasts in chicken bouillon bay leaves and peppercorns. Once cooked, set aside to cool and discard spices.
~Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread corn on a baking pan and roast until it begins to turn bronze 15-20 min. Remove and cool.
~Reset over heat to broil. Arrange peppers and Chile's, cut side down, in 2 baking pans and broil 4-5 min until the skin of the peppers are black. Put inside a plastic bag or damp paper towel and rub to remove skin. Coarsely chop.
~Saute Onions and garlic. Add chopped peppers and corn and cook for 3 minutes.
~Add a few cups of chicken bouillon water to your crock pot with 1 bay leaf and cracked peppercorns. Add, sauteed onions, garlic, peppers, Chile's and corn to crock pot.
~Shred chicken in thin chunks and add to crock pot.
~Turn crock pot to low for 2-3 hours. After about an hour, add chopped tomatoes or tomatillo's. Finsh cooking for remaining time.
~Scoop into bowls, garnish with chopped Cilantro, lime Wedge and serve with fresh tortilla chips

Mom's Perfect Dumplings

Serves: 4
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
Mix water, eggs, salt and baking powder until well combined. Add flour. Mix well and drop spoon full’s into boiling soup (chicken soup etc). Dumplings will float to the top when cooked thoroughly.