This salad is so colorful and delicious!

8 cups fresh spinach
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
11 oz can mandarin oranges
1/4 cup julienned red onion

Dressing:
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp paprika

Combine all dressing ingredients and shake well to blend. Arrange spinach on plates, then layer onion, oranges and strawberries. Drizzle with dressing and serve immediately.

Turn this salad into a main course for a special lunch by adding strips of grilled chicken breast.

12 oz pkg dried soup bean mix
9 cups water
1 cup ham cubes or meaty ham bone
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
16 oz can tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp hot sauce (I like Frank’s)

In large pot, cover beans with water. Soak overnight. Drain and add 9 cups water, ham, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cook, uncovered for 3 hours or until beans are very tender (High altitude takes longer). If you used a ham bone, remove bone; remove meat from bone and chop into bite-size pieces. Return meat to pot. Add tomatoes, onion, celery, garlic, lemon juice and hot sauce. Simmer an additional 30 minutes. Garnish each serving with shredded cheese and/or homemade croûtons.

1 lb. ground beef
4 c. water
2 (16 oz.) cans stewed tomatoes (can be pureed in food processor)
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
20 oz. pkg. frozen mixed vegetables
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 tsp. sugar

Brown beef; drain off fat. Stir in 4 cups water, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, mixed vegetables, soup mix and sugar. Bring to boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

When we makes this, we often adds yellow and green zucchini slices with the other vegetables. Also, beans or cooked macaroni can be added to make an even more hearty soup.

1 (9-inch) pie pastry made from your favorite recipe (or use purchased crust)
1 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 Tbsp. butter
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 (10 oz.) pkg. chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed very dry (I wring it in a clean lint-free kitchen towel)
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. whipping cream
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. crushed garlic
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
6 strips bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1/3 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll pastry dough and fit into 9-inch pie pan, fluting edges. In small skillet, cook mushrooms in butter until soft. Drain on paper towel to absorb any remaining moisture. Sprinkle cheddar cheese in bottom of crust. In large bowl, combine spinach, eggs, cream, Worcestershire, sugar, garlic, onion salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly until combined. Stir in cooked mushrooms and crumbled bacon. Pour into crust, using fork to distribute ingredients evenly. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for50-60 minutes, until knife inserted in center comes out clean. If quiche browns too quickly, tent with foil. (I usually bake the quiche on the lowest oven rack). Remove from oven and let stand for 5-10 minutes before cutting. Makes 6 servings, or more if you’re thinking about moderation….

1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. chicken breasts, thinly sliced into bite-size pieces
4 cups chicken broth (or more, depending on how soupy you like it)
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
1 15 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 tsp. lemon pepper
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. Franks hot sauce
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
2-4 Tbsp. flour
½ cup water
salt and pepper to taste

Condiments: tortilla chips, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped cilantro (optional), additional hot sauce.

In a large saucepan, sauté onion and garlic in oil over medium heat until softened. Add chicken; sauté until no longer pink. Add chicken broth, green chilies, diced tomatoes, lemon pepper, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, corn, black beans and hot sauce. Simmer for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine flour with water. Add to soup, straining if lumpy. Bring the soup back to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Ladle into bowls and top with tortilla chips and condiments. Enjoy!

1 yellow onion, diced
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
3 ribs celery, sliced
2 carrots, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 red or green bell pepper, diced
2 zucchini, halved and sliced
1 pkg. turkey or beef kielbasa (halve, then slice lengthwise, then slice into bite-size pieces)
2 cartons chicken broth
1 can petite diced tomatoes (don’t drain)
1 can white kidney beans (or great northern)
fresh Italian parsley, chopped (optional)
few dashes of hot sauce (I like Frank’s), added to the pot or served on the side according to taste
freshly grated black pepper, kosher salt to taste
Grated cheddar cheese

In a soup pot, saute onions, garlic, celery, carrots and green pepper in small amount of olive oil until almost tender. Add zucchini and kielbasa and cook until mixture melds together and is fragrant. Add broth, tomatoes, and beans. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stir in parsley if using. Serve with hot sauce and grated cheese. Add crusty bread, and you’re gonna be happy!

To speed things up or if you don’t have all the fresh veggies on hand, saute onion, garlic and celery, add the kielbasa, then replace the other veggies with a bag or two of frozen mixed veggies. Add them with the broth. This recipe could be done many different ways according to what you like and have on hand. Try adding uncooked pasta toward the end of simmering time; it’s a great addition.

1 ½ cups water
1 Tbsp butter
1 ½ tsp chicken bouillon granules
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cups frozen shelled, deveined shrimp, thawed
1 cup uncooked couscous
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1/4 chopped red bell pepper

In medium saucepan, combine water, butter, bouillon and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. Add shrimp; return to boil. Stir in couscous, onions and bell pepper. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand until water is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff with fork. Serve hot or chilled.

1/2 cup creamy mustard-mayo blend (I just add a good squirt of mustard to some mayo; mix)
4 10-inch flour tortillas
4 large lettuce leaves
1/2 lb. thinly sliced smoked turkey
1/2 lb. thinly sliced ham
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
8 slices bacon, cooked until crisp (break into pieces or leave whole as desired)
salt and pepper if desired

Spread mustard-mayo blend over 1 side of each tortilla, leaving 1/2 inch border. Place 1 lettuce leaf on each tortilla, then layer turkey, ham, tomatoes, onion, bacon, salt and pepper. Top with shredded cheese. Wrap sides together and hold with toothpick. (Since this has a lot of filling, I wrap one side over the other, making sort of a V-shape, then I wrap a folded dinner napkin around the bottom half, edges of napkin meeting in the back. Helps hold it together when placed on a plate. Great presentation too!) Serve with a big pickle wedge, chips and fresh fruit cup.

1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 Tbsp. butter
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
4 cups pre-cooked chicken or beef strips
4 oz can diced green chilies
1/2 cup sliced black olives
2 cups salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
Large potatoes, baked at 400 degrees for 1-1 1/2 hrs until soft.

Sauté peppers and onions in butter until crisp-tender. Add mushrooms and taco seasoning; sauté until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in chilies, olives, and 2 cups of salsa. Add meat, stirring until heated through. To serve, make a large X in the top of each baked potato with a knife; squeeze to open. Top with meat mixture; sprinkle with cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses. Garnish with desired condiments: sour cream, salsa, jalapeños, etc.