Chunky Potato Soup

I hope everyone had a terrific Thanksgiving holiday. If you had any interesting dishes feel free to send them my way. I would love to try them before the Christmas get togethers!

Today I am going with a classic, potato soup. Soup is always a great choice to keep you nice and toasty during those cold months . This recipe takes just under an hour, but most of the time is spent on boiling the potatoes and cooking the soup.

Chunky Potato Soup
Serves 4-6

3 Medium red potatoes
2 Cups of water
1/2 Cup diced leek
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
Ground black pepper
3 Cups of milk
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 Cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. chives, diced
Garlic salt

• Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in large saucepan.
• Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes
• Add potatoes to boiling water and cook until tender.
• Set aside potatoes
• Measure one cup of the water from the boiling potatoes, set aside.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Add the leek and cook, stirring frequently, until leek is tender, but not browned.
• Add flour to saucepan and cook 3-4 minutes. Add black pepper to taste.
• Gradually add potatoes, the water from the potatoes, milk and sugar to the leek mixture in the saucepan; stir well. Then add cheese.
• Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. The soup will thicken as it cooks. Season with garlic salt to taste.
• Garnish with chives.

Seafood Chowder

If you like clam chowder, you'll love this recipe. It is quick, easy and makes you look like you really know what your doing. The only thing is that I don't recommend you having some as left overs, a day or two in the fridge leaves a fishy smell and it isn't very appetizing.

Seafood Chowder
serves 3-4

1 lb. fish fillets (cod or haddock work well)
2 Tbsp. margarine
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup celery, minced
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 1/2 cups of water
1 can minced clams
salt and pepper
2/3 cup white rose potatoes, peeled, cut into cubes
2 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried thyme

1 Tbsp. margarine
1/4 c. flour
1 3/4 cups milk

• Slice fish into cubes.
• Melt 2 Tbsp. margarine in a large saucepan and cook onion, celery and garlic until soft and slightly golden.
• Add fish to onions and pour in water.
• Cover and simmer gently about two minutes
• Add clams, salt, pepper, potatoes, parsley, and thyme. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes.
• Melt second Tbsp. of margarine in a separate bowl and add flour mixing well with a fork.
• Blend milk into mixture.
• Turn off heat under chowder and stir in milk and flour mixture.
• When stirred in turn heat up to medium and let thicken.
• Serve.