Hot Mushroom - Rice Soup

3/4 cup instant rice
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup medium picante sauce or salsa, as desired
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tbs Parmesan, grated
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp dried oregano

Heat oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven; add mushrooms, onion and garlic. Cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese, if desired.

Bennigan's Potato Soup Recipe

1 - 3/4 ounces ham base
2 quarts chicken stock
8 oz yellow onion - diced
6 oz margarine (two 3 oz. measurements)
2 lbs potatoes - cut bite size
1 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups milk
3 oz flour

Combine chicken stock in sauce pan with ham base. Stir until lumps are gone. In separate stock pot; melt first 3 oz. margarine measurement; add onion and saute until transparent. Add potato bite size pieces and pepper. Add chicken stock mix and stir until well mixed. Bring mixture to a boil.

In small pan, melt second 3 oz. margarine measure and add flour to create a roux. It should be light brown in color. When stock comes to a boil, add roux with a wire whisk. This will cause the soup to start thickening. Return to a boil. Slowly add the milk. If the soup is too thin, make additional roux and add it to the soup. If you need to do this, be sure to cook the roux until a tan color. This will get rid of the raw flour taste. If the soup is too thick, thin it out with more milk.

Chili Beef and Beans

A dish that is ready in 15 minutes on top of the stove.

1 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tsp chili powder
2 16-ounce cans Campbell's Pork and Beans in Tomato Sauce
1 10-ounce can tomatoes and green chilies

In a large saucepan brown beef and cook onion combined with garlic and chili powder, until tender (use shortening if necessary); stir to separate meat. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serves 6

Irish Stew

This recipe was put out by the Tabasco pepper sauce people in the 1940's.

3 lbs lamb; shoulder chops or breast
2 lg. potatoes per person
2 med onions per person
1 or 2 carrots per person
1 tsp Thyme
1 tsp Tabasco pepper sauce
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste
Water to cover

Arrange lamb, which have a minimum of fat, in alternating layers with potatoes, onions (thickly sliced) and carrots. Add the seasonings and just cover with water. Cover pot and either simmer on top of the stove or cook in a 325 degree oven for 1-1/2 or 2 hours, or until meat is tender. Test for seasoning and serve with crisp bread and a good salad.

Serves 4 to 6.

Beef Vegetable Soup

Beef Vegetable Soup

This is a good way to get rid of leftover roast.

• 2 lbs. beef ribs, or use leftover roast
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• ½ cup macaroni, or spaghetti broken into small pieces
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup potatoes, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 1 package (10 oz.) frozen lima beans and corn (i.e., succotash)
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
• 2 cans (16 oz. ea.) tomatoes, chopped, with juice

Put the beef in a large pot, covered with water, and simmer for 1-½ hours until tender. Remove from the pot and let cool, and then chop up the meat. Skim the fat off the cooking liquid. Strain the liquid and pour it back into the pot, adding water, if needed, to make 1-½ quarts of stock. Put the chopped meat, macaroni, and vegetables into the strained stock. Mix in seasoned salt. Let come to a boil, and then turn the heat to low and cook for about 1 hour. Makes 3 quarts.