3 tablespoons corn oil
4 corn tortillas, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup fresh onion puree
1 tablespoon cumin powder
2 bay leaves
4 tablespoons canned tomato puree
2 quarts chicken stock
Salt to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste
1 cooked chicken breast, cut into strips
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 corn tortillas,cut into thin strips and fried crisp

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté tortillas with garlic and cilantro over medium heat until tortillas are soft. Add onions and fresh tomato puree and bring to boil. Add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, canned tomato puree and chicken stock. Bring to boil again, then reduce heat to simmer. Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes. Skim fat from surface if necessary. Strain and pour into warm soup bowls. Garnish each bowl with an equal portion of chicken breast, avocado, shredded cheese and crisp tortilla strips. Serve immediately. Makes 8-10 servings. From The Mansion on Turtle Creek Restaurant in Dallas, Texas.

3 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices (about 1-1/2 pounds)
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
12 fresh basil leaves
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Garnish: fresh basil sprig

Arrange tomatoes, cheese and basil alternately on a large serving plate, overlapping edges. Combine olive oil and lemon juice. Brush over top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate. Garnish, if desired. Makes 4-6 servings.

3-1/2 cups canned chicken broth, undiluted
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried whole oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup diced cooked chicken breast
2 tablespoons shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Tortilla chips

Combine first 11 ingredients in a large pan, stirring well. Bring to boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard bay leaf. Add chicken and cook until thoroughly heated. Ladle soup into individual bowls; top evenly with cheese. Serve with tortilla chips. Makes 4 cups (165 calories per cup.)

1 bunch green onions
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
8 cups chicken broth
4 cups loosely packed spinach leaves, chopped
Ground nutmeg
Ground pepper

Slice the green onions thin, use most of the green part as well as the white. You should have a very healthy cup. Gently cook the onions in butter until they are soft. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or so. Don?t let it brown. Add the broth and bring to a simmer for a few minutes. Meanwhile, wash, stem and roughly chop the spinach. Stir the spinach into the broth and cook for 2-3 minutes. Grate some nutmeg and grind some pepper into the soup and serve. Makes 4 servings.

1 pound scallops
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
1 large carrot, julienned
2 shallots, diced
1 celery heart, sliced thin
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ripe avocado
Coriander

Cook shallots in white wine. Add scallops and salt and pepper. Cook two minutes. Sauté celery and carrots in butter. Mix scallops into pan with veggies. Add fresh coriander. Quarter an avocado. Place slices on a plate then place scallops over slices.

Dressing:
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon powdered mustard
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 small garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients; mix well. Use over seafood, mixed vegetables and green salads. Makes 1 cup.

Shrimp salad: Pour 1/3 cup above salad dressing over 1 pound cooked shrimp; marinate for 15 minutes. In a large serving bowl place 1/2 pound torn spinach and 1 head bib lettuce leaves. Top with 1 peeled and sliced avocado, 1 tomato cut in wedges or slices and shrimp. Mix above dressing and pour salad. Toss gently. Makes about 4 servings.

2 cups shredded fresh beets or canned beets, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onion
2-1/2 cups brown stock or 1 10-1/2 oz. can condensed beef broth, plus one soup can of water
1 cup coarsely chopped cabbage
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Cook beets, carrots and chopped onion, covered, in 2-2/3 cups boiling salted water for 20 minutes. Add beef stock, cabbage and butter; cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Serve hot or chilled. Excellent with a dollop of sour cream. Serves 6-8. From St. Mark's Church in Bethesda, Maryland.

1 medium onion, finely diced
1 shallot, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 ears fresh corn
1 cup heavy cream or sour cream

Husk and wash the corn ears. Remove as much of the silk as you can. Dry the corn and rub with a little olive oil. Place in a pan in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and rub the ears of corn with a little salt and sugar. Put the corn back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove the corn from the oven and allow to cool. When cool enough to handle, cut the kernels off the cob with a sharp knife and save the corn in a dish and the cobs in a pile by themselves.

Place two cups of chicken stock in a pan. Put the corn cobs in the pan with the chicken stock and bring to boil. Simmer together for about one hour. The cobs have lot of flavor. Remove the cobs and discard. Keep stock warm. Heat a two or three quart pot over medium heat. Add one tablespoon olive oil. Add onion, shallot, garlic and jalapeno pepper to the pan and stir constantly for about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat if necessary to keep from burning. Add the hot stock, bring to simmer, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Place the contents of the pot and 2/3 of the corn in a food processor and process until most of the chunks are gone. Return to the pot and add the rest of the corn and the cream. Stir and taste. Add any salt or pepper needed at this time. This will be fairly thick, like a porridge. Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top and garnish with a slice of jalapeno and a sprinkle of chives.