Combine diced potatoes, onion, chicken stock and cream of chicken soup in a crock pot, kettle or microwave safe dish.

Cover and cook in slow cooker on low 8-10 hours, on high 4-5 hours, or on stove or in microwave until potatoes are tender. It doesn’t matter how you cook the mixture so long as the potatoes cook in the broth and are covered while they cook.

Remove half of the cooked potatoes and set aside.

Add the cream cheese and blend mixture with cream cheese until smooth in consistency. Use an upright blender, hand held blender or food processor to achieve a uniform consistency.

Add back potatoes and any other ingredients you would like to add (basil pesto, cooked sausage, corn, peppers, etc)

Top with crumbled bacon and chives before serving.

In soup kettle, combine chicken broth, lime leaves, lemongrass, ginger root, and straw mushrooms over medium high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then add the coconut milk, dried chile and chicken.

Immediately reduce the heat to medium low and simmer gently, uncovered, until the chicken cooked through (2 min)

Just before serving, stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, salt green onions, and cilantro.

The kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass and whole chiles are for flavor only and are not to be consumed. You may wish to place them in a sachet while cooking and remove before serving.

Over medium high heat, melt the butter in a large pot. Add the sirloin and cook until the meat is browned. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes.

Stir in the broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.

In a separate saucepan, melt 3 T butter over medium high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 1-2 minutes, then add the milk and continue to whisk, working out all the lumps. You need to work fast on this step.

When the flour mixture is smooth, add it to the soup broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add in the pesto, shredded cheese, ketchup, mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir until the cheese is melted.

Remove from heat and serve (chopped pickles on top of the soup add a nice flavor…I know…it seems odd…but give it a try).

Melt butter in large pot over med high heat. Add leeks, sauté 3 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and ginger, sauté one additional minute.

Stir in carrots, sugar, salt, and cayenne. Continue to sauté for one minute.

Add wine. Continue to simmer until wine is nearly gone. Be sure to scrap the bits off the bottom to deglaze.

Stir in the broth and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes or until carrots are soft.

Remove pot and allow soup to cool for 10 minutes. Ladle into blender to puree (or use a hand blender).

Finish soup by adding freshly squeezed lemon juice, sweet basil pesto, and cream. Gently stir to combine.

Over med high heat, heat oil in large kettle. Add chicken pieces, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue to cook over med high heat until chicken is browned. Transfer chicken to plate.

To same kettle, add onion, curry powder, ginger, garlic, jalapeno and red pepper flakes. Continue to sauté over med high heat for 3 minutes.

Stir in chicken stock, tomatoes, and cilantro. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes.

Ladle out about 2 cups of hot broth. Set aside.

In a different smaller saucepan, melt butter over med high heat. Add flour and whisk over med high heat until smooth and bubbly, making a roux (pronounced ROO). Gradually add the ladled broth, continually whisking. Simmer and whisk for an additional minute. Remove from heat.

Add flour/broth mixture back to soup kettle. Simmer for 3 minutes. Add coconut milk and spinach. Remove from heat. Cover for 5 minutes. Stir.

Serve in a bowl over steamed rice.

Place your packaged spices (I’ve included a photo of the packaging in case you’re not sure what I mean…they are in the refrigerated produce section) and all of the other ingredients into a 16-20 quart stock pot.

Add 6 quarts of water. Bring to a boil.

Simmer, uncovered, for 4 hours.

Strain the entire pot with contents through a colander. Discard the solids (you may want to use the chicken in another recipe)

Chill the stock in the refrigerator overnight. Skim off the fat on the surface and discard it. Divide into 2 cup containers and freeze for up to three months or use immediately.