hi cena, i feel for you! AND i have a really filling soup recipe that's great for this time of year. it's wonderful if you have leftover turkey, but if not, this is the time of year to find those huge turkey drumsticks in the meat section for cheap! now bear with me, i don't usually measure things out... TURKEY & LEEK SOUP Ingredients: * 2-3 Leeks, use both the white part and any green that isn't too tough * 2 whole turkey legs, skin and all or the carcass/bits and pieces of leftover turkey * 1 whole onion * 3 or so carrots * several stalks of celery * 1/2 pint of whipping cream * potatos--optional if you don't want too many carbs * optional: turkey drippings (absolutely! if you have some) * chicken stock, if necessary * kale, if you like (optional) this makes a big soup pot full chop and saute the veggies in olive oil until soft and then add in enough water to cover the two turkey legs or whatever bones and bits of leftover turkey you're using bring to boil and then simmer for at least 20-30 minutes, but definitely until the turkey legs are cooked through. strip meat from any bones and blend everything. put the mix back on the stove and add as much cream as you like--i add the whole half pint because i love it! salt & pepper to taste. add additional chicken stock or turkey drippings if you think the soup is too thick. you can add water if you don't have stock, but it may dilute the flavor. i like to simmer in some chopped kale to add texture, but it's not necessary. VOILA! serve with a dollop of sour cream or some cheese grated on top, if you're not counting calories. i made this soup for geoff's family right after thanksgiving (they were going to throw the turkey carcass out AND the drippings--blasphemy!). it was a big hit even though i think i added so much turkey that it overwhelmed the taste of leeks. maybe because i don't measure, but this soup always turns out different for me, texture-wise. i don't often add the potatos, but i have when i've had some i needed to use up. it really thickens up the soup, though, so be warned. this time of year, leeks should look their best in the supermarket AND kale (especially the lacinato variety) is especially sweet. at other times i've sauteed the veggies with various herbs in the first step, but i find the soup is hearty and flavorful enough without them. happy holidays, cena, and hope you make the switch to solids soon! -ming

Chicken ceasar pita wraps ========================= -cubed or shredded or strips of cooked chicken -a head of romaine lettuce, washed dried and torn -creamy ceaser dressing (I mince a clove of garlic and add it to mayo and parmesan cheese, cracked black pepper, a little salt, and add a small squeeze of lemon juice) -cooked drained and crumbled bacon or bacon bits (I use the bacon bits - lazy lazy lazy LOL) -peeled and sliced sweet onions -chopped tomatoes -greek style pita bread (not as chewy, no pocket) Defrost the chicken and heat on a grill pan or in a saute pan. Heat a skillet until hot with a spray of butter flavour cooking spray. Heat the pitas briefly on each side to warm. Okay to toast them a little, but don't burn them! Mix the lettuce, dressing, tomatoes, onions, bacon bits, and chicken in a bowl until all is well distributed. Make it a bit saucy, it is better that way. Place along the middle of a pita and roll up in waxed paper. Peel the paper down as you eat! The chicken and pita are warm, the salad is cold, and it is oh so good!

Here are two T&T recipes. Both have meat but you could leave it out. Found this one several years ago on Allrecipes. Don't recall who the original submitter was. Baked Ziti 1 pound dry ziti pasta 1 onion, chopped 1 pound lean ground beef 2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce 8 ounces provolone cheese, grated 1 cup sour cream 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted. And another T&T. You could sub ziti for the spaghetti. Three-Cheese Baked Spaghetti Yield: 6 servings Pasta Ingredients: 8 ounces spaghetti 2 tablespoons butter 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley 1 cup cottage cheese 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese* Sauce Ingredients: 8 ounces ground beef 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 onion, chopped 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 3 cups spaghetti sauce 1/2 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 2 ounces (1/2 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese, optional Instructions: 1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions (al dente). Drain and return to pan (remove from heat though!). Add butter and stir until butter is melted. Add remaining pasta ingredients, stirring to combine. Spread pasta-cheese mixture in the bottom of a greased 8-inch square baking dish. 2. Brown ground beef with the garlic and onion. Drain grease and return to pan. Add pepper, spaghetti sauce, sugar, and Italian seasoning. Stir well and then pour over the pasta, spreading evenly. Sprinkle cheese on top if desired. 3. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until top cheese is browned and spaghetti is bubbly. Additional Notes: *If desired, substitute part of the mozzarella cheese with shredded cheddar cheese. Linda

This is my recipe that I use for chili. I know, in Texas there should be no beans, but I add them anyway and call it: YANKEE CHILI SOUP 1 ½ to 2 pounds ground beef or ground pork or ground veal or a mixture of one, two or all (I like to use about 1 pound of ground beef and 1 pound of ground pork) 1 whole sweet yellow onion coarsely chopped 4 to 6 cloves of garlic finely chopped 2 large cans chopped tomatoes 1 or 2 cans Rotel tomatoes & green chilies 2 cans red kidney beans (drained) 1 large jar of Spicy V-8 juice ¼ cup cumin ¼ cup chili powder 1 whole jalapeno or can use any dried hot pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, either flakes or ground Freshly ground salt and pepper to taste Olive Oil Heat olive oil in a large pot and put in the yellow onion and cook till tender, then add the garlic and cook for just a few minutes so it wont turn brown and burn. Put this onion-garlic mixture aside into a bowl. Then add the ground beef or ground veal to the pot and brown. After it has browned, add the onion-garlic mixture into the ground beef, stir and then add the remainder of the ingredients. Heat over a medium burner until it is hot and then turn down to medium low or low and continue cooking. The longer it cooks, the more flavor it has. In fact it is best if refrigerated overnight, and then reheated the next day either on the stove or in a crock-pot. Serve with crunchy French bread. This will serve about 8 large bowls of chili. LINDAS BEAN SOUP This recipe is my own concoction. I adjust all the spices and ingredients to my taste, so Ill give you the basics, and you have to go with it from there. Be sure to go easy with the spices in the beginning because the flavors intensify as the cooking continues. You can always add more, but you cant remove what is already there. **-Beans, either dry 16 oz. Bag (must soak overnight or follow directions on package) or canned about 4 cans (drain); (I use pinto or black beans, but any beans will work) -Bacon cut up (about ½ to 1 pound for a large pot) -Onions & Garlic (chopped) (I use a large onion and a whole head of garlic) -Chicken broth (about 3 32 oz. cans or cartons of broth) -Sausage (4 or 5 links) -Tomatoes (both chopped and whole) (fresh or canned) about 2 cans chopped and 4 fresh whole tomatoes -Rotel tomatoes (one or two cans) -Peppers fresh (jalapeno, Serrano, habanero) (I use one each-whole) -Beer (one can) -Cilantro (one bunch; the whole bunch including stems) -Fresh Chives and/or green onions (one bunch) -Oregano (fresh or dried) if using fresh herbs always use 3 times that of dried herbs -Cumin (1/4 cup) -Cayenne Pepper (one tablespoon) -Chili Powder (1/4 cup) -Salt & Pepper (freshly ground) to taste -Green Pepper (optional) -Rice (Optional) I fry up the bacon and add the onions and garlic. Be sure not to overcook the garlic or it will get bitter. If this happens, you might as well start over because burned garlic is really bad. Then I add the sausage and brown it. Again make sure you dont overcook the garlic. Then I add the broth, beans, a beer, the tomatoes, Rotel peppers, fresh peppers (I use one of each) and all the spices and then finish with water to cover the beans by about 2". Bring to boil (do not allow it to burn) and then reduce heat to simmer. Depending on whether I use dried beans or fresh beans, the cooking time will vary. With dried beans, it takes about 2 to 3 hours to cook. You can then serve the beans with sour cream, fresh chives, fresh tomatoes, fresh onions, and fresh cilantro. Also if you want, you can add some rice (either cooked or uncooked) directly into the beans towards the end of the cooking period. Or you can just serve the beans over a bed of rice. I use yellow rice, but white rice works just as well. The rice will give you more of a full feeling, if you know what I mean. **When using black beans add 2 to 4 smoked ham hocks for great flavor. Lindas Chuck Roast ½ cup all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 3 to 4 pound chuck roast 3 tablespoons olive oil 6-8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 1 whole sweet onion 4-6 large carrots diced 3-4 stalks of celery cut into medium dice 3 leeks (white part only), well washed and chopped 2 cups roughly chopped mushrooms 2 cups chopped cabbage 1 head of fennel, chopped 2 plum tomatoes crushed 1 dried bay leaf 2 sprigs fresh thyme 2 springs fresh oregano 3 fresh sage leaves 3 springs fresh flat-leaf parsley (Italian parsley) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional) ¾ cup dry white wine and/or ½ cup cognac 2 large potatoes, roughly chopped 2-4 cups broth (beef, mushroom, or vegetable or a combination of these) Preheat over to 425 degrees. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper and dredge the roast with mixture. Use a large ovenproof pan over medium-high heat, and when it is hot, add the oil. Then add the roast and cook until it is deeply golden on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn over and cook until it is deeply golden on the bottom, about 2 more minutes. Transfer the roast to a plate. Add the olive oil and then to a hot pan add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, leeks, mushrooms, cabbage, fennel, tomatoes, dried bay leaf, fresh thyme, fresh oregano, sage, flat-leaf parsley, rosemary, and cook or wilt down for about 5 minutes. Then add the wine and/or cognac and broth mixture and continue to cook for 5 more minutes. Return the roast to the pan and place the chopped potatoes around the roast. Cover the roast with the herb-broth mixture. Cover pan and transfer to the oven. Cook at 425 degrees for approximately 30 minutes and then turn the oven down to 325 degrees and continue cooking for another 2 hours. Serve with a loaf of hot, crusty French bread. Lindas Osso Buco of Veal ½ cup all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon kosher salt 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon paprika 4 veal shanks, tied to secure meat to bone 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups chopped high-quality bacon 6-8 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced 1 whole sweet onion 2 large carrots diced 3 stalks of celery cut into medium dice 2 leeks (white part only), well washed and chopped 2 cups roughly chopped mushrooms 1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped (optional) 2 plum tomatoes crushed ½ lemon zest only 1 dried bay leaf 2 sprigs fresh thyme 3 fresh sage leaves 3 springs fresh flat-leaf parsley (Italian parsley) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary 1 teaspoon dried fennel seeds ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes ¾ cup dry white wine ½ cup cognac 4 cups broth (chicken, veal, mushroom, or vegetable) Preheat over to 425 degrees. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper and lightly dust shanks with mixture. Use a large ovenproof pan over medium-high heat, and when it is hot, add the oil. Then add the shanks and cook until they are deeply golden on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn over and cook until they are deeply golden on the bottom, about 2 more minutes. Transfer the shanks to a plate. Add the bacon to the pan and cook until it starts to render its fat, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, onion, carrot, celery, leeks, mushrooms, fennel bulb, tomatoes, lemon zest, dried bay leaf, fresh thyme, sage, flat-leaf parsley, rosemary, and fennel seeds and cook for about 10 minutes. Return the shanks to the pan and add the wine and cognac and broth. Be sure to cover the shanks with the herb mixture. Cover pan and transfer to the oven. Cook at 425 degrees for approximately 20 minutes and then turn the oven down to 325 degrees and continue cooking for another 1 hour and 40 minutes. Serve over risotto or basmatic rice. Also serve a loaf of crusty French bread for dipping. King Ranch Casserole By: Nancy H. Rosenberg Most versions of this popular entree involve Ro-Tel tomatoes and canned soup. So what if its not exactly gourmet fare? Its beloved nonetheless. FYI, no one knows where the name originated, but the dish didnt come from the King Ranch. The famed South Texas spread is known instead for its beef and game dishes. Yield: 10 to 12 servings. 1 (3- to 4-lb.) broiler-fryer, cut up 1 tsp. salt 1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of chicken soup 1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of mushroom soup 1 (10-oz.) can Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies 1 large onion, chopped 1 large green pepper, chopped 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder 12 corn tortillas 2 c. shredded Monterey Jack or "Mexican-style" cheese garlic powder to taste Place chicken pieces in a large Dutch oven, add water to cover and 1 tsp. salt. Simmer, covered, about 1 hour, or until chicken is tender. When cool, remove and bone chicken, reserving broth. Cut or tear meat into small pieces; set aside. In a separate bowl, combine soups with tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and chili powder, and mix well; set aside. Heat reserved chicken broth. Tear tortillas into fourths, dip each piece in warm chicken broth, and place half the tortillas on the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan or casserole. Continue layering, using half of chicken, half of soup-tomatoes mixture, and half of cheese. Sprinkle with garlic powder, and repeat layers with remaining ingredients. Bake, covered, at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes, or until cheese has melted and sides of casserole are bubbly.