Every year, my husband likes to start the New Year with a fast.  He traditionally starts with thicker liquids to transition from solid foods to just broths.  I like to make him this butternut squash bisque as a flavorful way to start this fast.  There are several different recipes for Butternut Squash soup, but I prefer this one because it incorporates a few other vegetables in the recipe to give a good variety of vitamins and minerals for him. Some people find peeling and cutting the squash a little difficult, so you can start this process but halving the squash, seeding it, and pre-cooking it in the microwave for about 12 minutes, or placing it in the oven at 375 F for about 45 minutes. The peel should come right off or you can scoop out the squash. Then just add the squash to the rest of the ingredients in the pot.  This recipe is very forgiving and you can vary the vegetable ratios or change the spices to your liking. A great recipe for those cold winter nights.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium butternut squash – peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 1 (32 fluid ounce) container chicken stock
• ½ tsp. Curry powder
• ¼ tsp. Cayenne pepper (optional)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• ½ cup half and half cream
• Dollop of sour cream per serving

1. Melt the butter in a large pot, and cook the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, potato and sweet potato, and squash until lightly browned and coated with butter, about 5 minutes. Pour in enough of the chicken stock to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 40 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.  
2. Allow soup to cool about 7 minutes and transfer to a blender or food processor. Add the half and half, curry powder, and cayenne pepper and blend until smooth (If you have a hand held immersion blender, you can blend in the pot). Return to pot, and mix in any remaining stock to attain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper and serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Submitted by: Tonya Wagner

My cousin Pat gave me this recipe in November of 2004. It is a favorite at my house. I double this recipe with no problem at all.  You can vary the degree of spiciness of this recipe by the type of Rotel tomatoes you use as they come in different styles.  This is great for Super Bowl Sunday, gang get-togethers, and family dinners.  I will usually serve with oyster crackers, grated cheese, sour cream.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 2 cans black beans, drained
• 1 can corn, drained
• 2 cans Rotel tomatoes
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup water
• 1 pkg Hidden Valley dressing mix
• 1 pkg taco seasoning

In a medium to large pan or skillet, brown ground beef. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft.  Drain any excess fat.  Add and mix rest of ingredients to the pan and simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour.  This soup is very spicy!

Submitted by: Sheri Evans

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/4 tsp. salt (optional)
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 small red onion\raw, cut in half
• 1/4 cup cilantro or basil leaves, tightly packed
• 1/2 jalapeño peppers, seeded
• 2 Tbsps. olive oil
• 1 ripe papaya, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 large ripe avocado, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 cup jicama or green apple, diced
• 1 head Romaine lettuce

Prepare grill or broiler. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Grill or broil about 5 inches from heat source 3-5 minutes per side, until browned. Cut into 1 inch chunks and set aside. Combine lime juice and next 3 ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process until finely chopped. With machine running, gradually add remaining oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer chicken with any accumulated juices to a salad bowl. Add papaya, avocado, jicama, and dressing. Toss gently and serve on a bed of lettuce.