Slow Cooker Potato Corn Chowder                                                                by Samantha Tingey

Ingredients

                  24 ounces red potato, diced

                  1 (16-ounce) package frozen corn

                  3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

                  6 cups chicken stock

                  1 teaspoon dried thyme

                  1 teaspoon dried oregano

                  1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

                  1/2 teaspoon onion powder

                  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

                  2 tablespoons unsalted butter

                  1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions

                  Place potatoes and corn into a slow cooker. Stir in flour and gently toss to combine. Stir in chicken stock, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper, to taste.

                  Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours.* Stir in butter and heavy cream.

                  Serve immediately.

Lentil Soup

by Samantha Tingey

Great for your budget and your waistline! So yummy!

INGREDIENTS

                  3 tablespoons olive oil

                  1 large onion, chopped

                  2 stalks celery, chopped

                  3 carrots, peeled and sliced

                  3 cloves garlic, chopped

                  6 sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped

                  1 cup dry white wine (optional)

                  8 cups vegetable or chicken broth, homemade or low sodium

                  2 cups lentils, sorted and rinsed

                  3-4 sprigs fresh parsley

                  3 sprigs fresh thyme

                  2 large bay leaves

                  2 large handfuls baby spinach

                  squeeze of fresh lemon juice

                  salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

         .      In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onions, celery and carrots just until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and the sun dried tomatoes. Continue sautéing for just a minute.

         .        Raise the heat to high and add the white wine, if using. Reduce for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and the lentils.

         .        With kitchen string, tie the parsley and thyme into a bouquet garni (basically, a bunch of herbs). Drop the bouquet garni into the pot with the bay leaves. Give it a stir. Once the pot comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and continue simmering.

         .        After one hour, check the lentils for doneness. If you'd like them softer, they should only need another 10 minutes or so.

         .        Remove the pot from the heat. Fish out the bouquet garni and bay leaves and discard.

         .        Add the handfuls of spinach, give it a stir, cover the pot and allow to sit for about 5 minutes. Finally, squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the pot to give it a bright freshness.

Avoglemono (Lemony chicken and rice soup)

by Samantha Tingey

Ingredients

      

         •        2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

         •        1 sweet onion, chopped

         •        6 pounds split chicken breasts

         •        2 carrots, each cut into 6 pieces

         •        1 leek, split (top discarded)

         •        2 bay leaves

         •        1/3-1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (start with 1/3 cup; add more at the end if you          prefer a stronger lemon flavor)

         •        4 eggs

         •        1 1/2 cups orzo pasta

         •        kosher salt, to taste (at least a few teaspoons)

         •        freshly ground black pepper, to taste (use liberally if desired, the pepper        and lemon contrast is wonderful)

Instructions

         1.    Sweat onions in a medium skillet with the evoo until soft and translucent, about five minutes.

         2.      Meanwhile, place chicken in a large pot or dutch oven. Add water until it's covered by 1 inch. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for an hour.

         3.      Remove chicken and set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove meat, discarding the bones. Add carrots, leek, bay leaves, chicken and onions back to pot; simmer another hour (or longer, I've simmered as long as two hours). Remove the carrots and leek (you can eat the carrots or discard).

         4.      Bring to a boil and add orzo pasta. Cook until the orzo is done according to package directions.

         5.      In a small bowl, beat the lemon juice and eggs together. Slowly stir in two cups of the broth, whisking continuously (this is called tempering). Pour the egg mixture back into the pot, stirring well.

         6.      Season to taste (don't skimp on the seasoning!) and serve. The mixture will thicken a lot after sitting overnight in the refrigerator (I like it best after it's thickened but it's delicious both ways).

Taco Soup

by Chelsy Marriott

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can corn

1 can black beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can garbanzo beans

1 can chili beans

1 can pork n’ beans

½ package taco seasoning

1.     Mix all ingredients together in a pot. Simmer on medium heat for 45 mins – 1 hour.

2.     Dish into bowls and top with grated cheese, sour cream and Fritos chips.