Nita's Colorado Vegetable Soup

This is the soup my parent's church made for the workers during the Christmas bazaar season in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Before Christmas, the church would get together and make pine wreaths from the bows of the trees on the mountains and decorate and sell them all over the country. This is a major fund raiser each year for the church and lasts for a few weeks. This is the soup served to the workers during that time.

Colorado Hamburger Vegetable Soup

1 pound ground beef browned with one chopped onion
2- 10 oz bags of frozen vegetables
2- 8 oz cans of tomato sauce
2- 15 or 16 oz cans of tomatoes
1 package of dried onion soup mix
2 T sugar
4 Cups of water
salt and pepper to taste
Brown beef and onions in soup pot. Salt and pepper as needed. Add vegetables, tomato sauce, canned tomatoes and onion soup mix. Add water and cook about an hour.

White Sauce

This is a very old fashioned recipe used before people put cream soups in everything. It could be the base for a cream soup. Very versatile and no additives and preservatives.

White Sauce (Medium)
2 T butter or margarine
2 T flour
1/4 t salt
1 C milk (works fastest if milk is heated first)

Melt butter in pan over low heat. Blend in flour and salt. A wire whisk works best for this. Add milk all at once. Stir until thickened.

For a thinner sauce, use 1 T butter and 1 T flour For thicker sauce, use 3 T butter and 3 T flour. Sauce can be flavored with any vegetable such as onions or mushrooms, sauteed and added. The more added, the more flavor. Shredded cheese is good. Herbs can be added. Tomatoes can be added and will be like canned tomato soups. Adding seafood will make it a seafood sauce or soup. Not sure about anything else like fruit but that could be interesting??? Creativity is good.

Shepherd's Pie

This is a dish my family enjoys. It is comforting and delicious. I adjust recipes to feed the size of the group I am feeding so, if anyone reads this, it may sound a bit different. Shepherd's Pie #1 Decide how many people are eating and choose a casserole dish that will hold the volume needed. Fill bottom of casserole about 1/3 full with precooked hamburger (precooked turkey or chicken okay too) Add cream of mushroom soup or gravy or make a white sauce to bind ingredients together. If you are not on a diet, sour cream can be added to the mix with the sauces, but it is fattening. Exact amount doesn't matter but get enough so it will not get too dry and stick to the pan badly (it still tastes good even if it is dry, just terrible to clean the pan). Add vegetables such as cooked carrot slices, corn, onions, celery, peas, chives, garlic or whatever you like to eat to bring the casserole up to 2/3 full. Herbs and spices are good. I added sage to the turkey one. I like parsley in everything. (Best to start this first since it takes the longest. I steam the potatoes. In a hurry, instant potatoes work, they just lack flavor and texture) Boil potatoes then mash with milk, butter, salt and pepper enough potatoes to make a topping over the casserole about 1 inch deep. Don't be too concerned about exact amounts. 2 inches deep, 1/2 inch deep, it all tastes good and with practice you can get it how you like it. We like to shred some cheddar or other cheese on top of the potatoes. We like lots of cheese so I keep shredding until the whole top is covered to my satisfaction. A little or a lot are all good. Mozzarella, Monterrey Jack,Velveeta, or any cheese that melts is all good. Put in the oven at about 325 to 350. It is ready when the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbling around the edges. This is a minimum of 1/2 hour and usually 45 minutes or more, depending on the size of the dish being cooked.