Potato & Bacon Soup

• 2 tablespoons butter                                     
• 3/4 cup finely chopped onion                     
•  2 cups peeled and diced potatoes                    
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth                                      
• 1/2 teaspoon salt                    
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper                     
• 1 3/4 cups milk                    
• 4 slices bacon (cut into small bite size pieces)                                   
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley, or to taste                    

                                                         

Directions       

1. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir onion until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, chicken broth,  salt, and pepper to onion; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender and broth is almost all evaporated, at least 30 minutes.
2. Stir milk and bacon  into potato mixture; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir parsley into soup.

Classic Butternut Squash Soup

 Ingredients:   - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil   - 1 carrot, diced
   - 1 celery stalk, diced
   - 1 onion, diced
   - 4 cups cubed butternut squash, fresh or frozen
   - 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
   - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
   - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
   - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
 Method:

Heat oil in a large soup pot. Add carrot, celery and onion. Cook until
vegetables have begun to soften and onion turns translucent, 3 to 4
minutes. Stir in butternut squash, thyme, chicken broth, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until squash is fork-tender, about
30 minutes. Use an immersion blender to purée soup. Alternatively, let the
soup cool slightly and carefully purée in batches in an upright blender.*Two Twists**Apple, Gorgonzola and Almond* *Butternut Soup*Stir 1 cup unsweetened applesauce into puréed soup. Garnish each serving with crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, toasted almonds, a few slices of thinly
sliced apple and a small sprig of fresh thyme.*Thai-style Butternut Soup*Stir a tablespoon of red curry paste and 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger into carrot, celery and onion mixture. Add 1/2 cup coconut milk with broth.
Purée soup and garnish each serving with toasted coconut flakes and chopped
fresh cilantro.

Cilantro lime Rice (like costa vida)

1 cup. uncooked rice
1 T oil
1 tsp minced garlic (I use the jarred kind)
1 tsp fresh squeezed lime juice
2 cups chicken broth
1 T fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tsp sugar
3 T fresh chopped cilantro
In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a bowl combine lime juice, sugar and chopped cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.