Rocky Mountain Potato Chowder

1/4 lb. (4-6 slices) bacon, cut into small pieces
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced (include green tops)
2-14 1/2 oz cans low-sodium chicken broth (3 1/2 cups)
3-4 potatoes (1 1/2 lbs.), peeled and cubed
1 cup sliced carrot
1 red bell pepper or 1/2 lb. tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 cup corn kernels
1/2 Tbsp. dried thyme
2 cups shredded or cubed cooked turkey or chicken
2 cups low-fat milk
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
Salt & pepper to taste

In a large heavy pot over medium heat, brown bacon. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

Pour off remaining bacon fat and add green onions (reserve 1/2 cup dark tops) to the pot; stir and cook for 1 minute.

Add broth and potatoes; cover and cook 10 minutes or until potatoes are not quite tender.

Add carrots, cooking 5 minutes more.

Add bell pepper, zucchini, corn and thyme; cook until vegetables are tender.

Add turkey/chicken and reserved onion tops.

Mix milk with cornstarch and add to soup.

Bring to boil, stirring constantly (about 1 minute), until soup begins to thicken slightly.

Season with salt and pepper. Top with bacon pieces right before serving.

Makes 2 1/2 quarts; 6 servings

Notes:

The original recipe calls for quartered potatoes. I like a smaller bite-size piece, so I adjusted the cooking time a bit so they wouldn't get mushy. Also, I like my bacon crispy, so instead of keeping it in the pot with all the vegetables and broth, I add the cooked pieces to the individual soup bowls before serving. I generally need to thin the chowder with a bit of water or broth when serving leftovers, as most of the liquid disappears with the initial servings. As with most soups, you can add or delete any of the vegetables to suit your personal tastes.

Turkey Tenderloins and Mixed Sweet Peppers

1 lb. turkey breast tenderloins
3 medium red, yellow, orange or green bell peppers, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Heat 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook turkey in skillet about 5 minutes, turning once, until brown. Remove turkey from skillet.

Heat olive oil in skillet. Add bell peppers and cook over medium heat about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender. Stir in broth, basil, salt and cayenne pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Return turkey to skillet. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until juice of turkey is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut.

Remove turkey from skillet; keep warm. Push bell peppers from the center of the skillet. In small bowl, mix vinegar and cornstarch; stir into liquid in skillet. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir peppers into sauce to coat. Cut turkey into thin slices. Serve turkey with sauce.

Notes: The original recipe didn't call for it, but I decided to add some olive oil to stir-fry the bell peppers. Next time, I plan to add more vegetables (broccoli, carrots, scallions, etc.). I also plan to use a little less red pepper, as this was a bit spicy. If you like, I think it would be delicious with basmati rice or soba noodles, although that would increase the carb count.

Adapted from Betty Crocker Low-Carb Lifestyle Cookbook: Easy and Delicious Recipes to Trim Carbs and Fat.

Turkey Soup

10 cups turkey stock
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
Turkey meat, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. sage
4 oz. egg noodles
salt & pepper to taste

Bring stock to boil, taste for strength - if weak, boil down.

In large frying pan, sauté onion, celery and carrots in oil and butter until just tender.

While vegetables are cooking, add remaining ingredients to stock. When noodles are done, add vegetables and serve immediately.

Notes: I substituted cooked rice for the egg noodles. Delicious!

Recipe adapted from Susan Branch's Vineyard Seasons

Turkey Stock

1 turkey carcass (recipe based on a 22 lb. bird)
2 carrots
1 onion
2 stalks celery
Handful of parsley
A few peppercorns
1-2 bay leaves
Water

Pick all the meat off the carcass and reserve. Put the carcass in a big pot and add carrots, onion, celery, and parsley - all unpeeled, but washed and coarsely chopped.

Add peppercorns and bay leaves. Add water to cover.

Bring to boil, then cover and simmer 6-10 hours.

Strain, refrigerate overnight, uncovered.

Remove fat from top of stock.

Recipe from Susan Branch's Vineyard Seasons