Southwestern Corn and Potato Soup

1 cup finely chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 small fresh chile, seeded and minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups vegetable stock
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 medium sweet potato, diced (about 2 cups)
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
salt to taste
lime wedges
finely chopped cilantro leaves

          In a covered soup pot, simmer the onions, garlic, chile, and salt in 1 cup of the vegetable stock for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft.  In a small bowl, make a paste with the cumin and a tablespoon of the stock; stir it into the pot, and simmer for another 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the sweet potatoes and the remaining stock and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the sweet potatoes soften.  Add the bell pepper and the corn and simmer, covered, for another 10 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are tender.
          Puree about half of the soup in a blender or food processor and return it to the pot.  The soup will be creamy and thick.  Add salt to taste, and gently reheat on low heat.  If desired, serve with lime wedges and top with cilantro.

TIM'S NOTES: Not sure why you would want to add just one cup of stock in the first stage of cooking.  I thought this was a little fussy and just added all the stock in the beginning.  Also, the term "sweet potato" can be confusing.  Sweet potato, to me, has white flesh, and yams have orange flesh.  Botanically, yams ARE sweet potatoes, and some recipes calling for sweet potatoes are actually calling for yams.  So I have sometimes added yams as substitution for sweet potatoes.  I just happened to have a yam tonight, and it worked out just fine. You can use either in this recipe and I am sure it would work.

Caramelized Onions

2 medium yellow onions
1 1/2 Tablespoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Peel and trim onions.  Vertically slice 1/4 inch thick.
2. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onions and 1/4teaspoon salt.  Cook 8 minutes, stirring.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook for 35 minutes or until deep amber, stirring.  Use for pizzas, panini, or pasta tosses.  (I also use them in salads and soups!)

Lemon Noodles

1 pound spaghetti
1/4 pound butter
1 pint sour cream
juice of one juicy lemon
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup minced parsley
Parmesan cheese, to taste

          Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cook the noodles in boiling water; drain and put into a baking dish.  Melt butter in a small sauce pan; remove from heat.  Stir in sour cream, lemon juice, and lemon peel.  Pour over pasta, toss and bake 20-25 minutes.  Remove from oven, sprinkle on lots of freshly ground pepper, minced parsley, and Parmesan cheese.  Toss and eat.

TIM'S NOTES:  The recipe says these would be a good side dish for fish.  I think they would be.  I am not a big fan of spaghetti, and wondering if these could be made with another shape of pasta? Since I used gluten free pasta, my choices are limited, but I would like to try this next time with another kind of pasta.  I am also wondering if you couldn't use feta cheese instead of the Parmesan?  I think feta would go well with the lemon.