Uncle Bills Tomato Soup With Feta Cheese Food

UNCLE BILL'S CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• In a large heavy bottom cooking pot, heat olive oil and butter over medium-high heat.
• Add onions, leeks, carrots celery and garlic and cook, stirring for about 3 minutes or until vegetables are slightly softened but not browned.
• Add chicken broth, water, bay leaf, thyme and rosemary.
• Bring to boil.
• Cut chicken into bite size pieces and add to soup along with the diced mushrooms.
• Add noodles and bring soup to boil.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender and the chicken is cooked through.
• Remove bay leaf and discard.
• Stir in parsley, salt and pepper.
• Adjust seasonings to taste.
• Serve soup hot.
• Refrigerate any unused portions.
• NOTE: Homemade Chicken or Turkey Stock is so much better than purchased broth.

CHICKEN FETA SOUP

Steps:

• Boil chicken in stock until cooked thoroughly.
• Add 1 lb diced fresh tomatoes.
• Add 16 oz. fresh baby spinach.
• Add 8 oz. crumbled feta cheese.
• Add 1/4 teaspoons oregano (more or less to taste).
• Add juice of one lemon.
• Add 1 lb. cooked bowtie pasta.
• Simmer and serve with crusty bread.

TOMATO SALSA - UNCLE BILL'S VERSION

Steps:

• In a large pot bring water to a rolling boil.
• Drop in tomatoes and scald for 2 minutes.
• Drain and immediately cover with cold water and some ice cubes and let sit for a few minutes.
• Remove skins and discard.
• Remove stem core and discard.
• Cut tomatoes into small chunks.
• Using a large cooking pot, add chopped tomatoes, Jalapeno peppers, red onion, green pepper, sweet red pepper, cilantro, basil, parsley, wine vinegar, lemon juice, ground cumin and liquid honey.
• Bring mixture to a boil.
• On medium-high heat, cook for about 5 minutes stirring frequently.
• Adjust spices and Jalapeno peppers to taste.
• Prepare 4- pint size canning jars by washing in soap and water, then rinsing in hot water.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Place washed jars upside down on oven rack and heat for 15 minutes.
• Prepare snap lids by boiling them in water for about 5 minutes.
• Fill jars with salsa mixture to within 1/4 inch of top of jars (for head space.) Remove any air bubbles by sliding a rubber spatula between glass and salsa; re-adjust head space to 1/4 inch.
• Wipe jar rims very clean to remove any stickiness.
• Place snap lids, then screw bands just until finger tight.
• Prepare a canner and bring water to boil.
• Place jars in canner rack and immerse in water.
• Process for 10 minutes.
• Remove jars from canner and place on a towel, then cover with another towel until cooled.
• Jars are sealed when lids"pop" and are concave (turned downward).
• Wipe jars clean and lable.
• Store jars in a cool, dry place.

UNCLE BILL'S LIGHT VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• In a large cooking pot, add broth, water and chicken soup base and bring to boil.
• In the meantime, in a frying pan on medium-high heat, melt butter, add onions and saute for 5 minutes or until translucent.
• Add tomatoes and cook until reduced and sauce starts to thicken, about 10 minutes; set aside.
• To the cooking pot, add carrots, potatoes, garlic, white pepper, salt, chili powder, hot red pepper flakes, dried dill weed and pasta and cook until pasta is el dente, about 10 minutes.
• Add onion/tomato sauce, celery and tiny peas and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Adjust seasonings to taste.
• Serve soup hot.
• Refrigerate any unused portions.
• You can use all water instead of chicken broth or vegetable broth. Use 1 vegetable bouillon cube or 1 teaspoon of chicken soup base for each 2 cups of water.
• You can also use a small penne pasta of your choice, or pearl barley, macaroni or basmati rice instead of small shell pasta.

UNCLE BILL'S BROCCOLI SOUP

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter.
• Add onions, carrots, garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally.
• In a medium size cooking pot, add water and chicken soup base and bring to boil.
• Add precooked onion/carrot/garlic to soup.
• Add broccoli florets, reserving (6- 8 pieces) of broccoli florets to be added near the end of cooking.
• Reduce heat and simmer covered, until broccoli is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• In a blender or food processor, puree' soup in batches and return to cooking pot.
• Stir in half and half cream and remaining broccoli florets.
• In a cup, mix together flour and 1/4 cup water to form a thin liquid.
• Bring soup to boil; add flour mixture to thicken soup as desired, stirring constantly.
• Add soy sauce, black pepper and stir well.
• Garnish with chopped parsley when serving.
• You can also use some carrot curls for garnish.
• Serve soup hot or cold.