SOUPS & STEWS Crockpot Split Pea Soup This recipe is out of the Tampa Tribune and it is wonderful. I don't like split pea soup but I love this recipe. As the soup tends to thicken easily, you may want to add more broth when it is finished. 2 carrots 2 ribs of celery 1 large onion 1 parsnip 1 leek (3 inches of green left on) 1 ripe tomato 1ham hock 1 3/4 cups dried split peas 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon dried tarragon 4 cups defatted chicken broth or bouillion 4 cups water salt and pepper, to taste 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley Cut all of the vegetables into 1/4-inch dice and place them in the Crockpot. Add all of the remaining ingredients except the salt, pepper and parsley. Cover and cook on high heat for 7 hours. Remove the ham hock and set aside to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, shred any meat from the bone and return meat to the pot. Season the soup with salt and pepper, then stir in the parsley. For more ham I put a ham steak in about the last hour or two and cook then shred it. Serves 6. Per serving:345 calories,49g carbohydrates, 22g protein, 7g fat, 15mg cholesterol. Chicken Noodle Soup This recipe is out of the Tampa Tribune and is excellent. The recipe calls for 1- 3 to 4-pound chicken, halved but I use 4 to 6 chicken breasts with skin and bones. Broth Ingredients: 4-6 chicken breasts 2 stalks celery, halved 1 large onion, quartered 1 carrot, scraped and halved 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon tarragon 4 cups water 3 cups chicken broth Combine chicken, celery, onion, carrot, garlic, salt, pepper, tarragon, water and chicken broth in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; cook 45 minutes or until chicken is very tender. Remove chicken from broth; set broth mixture aside. Skin and bone chicken breasts; chop or shred chicken into small pieces and set aside. Pour broth mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a large bowl; discard cooked vegetables. Remove and discard fat from broth with a fat removing measuring cup or let set in freezer or refrigerator until fat settles to top and then skim off. Return defatted broth to Dutch overn. Soup ingredients: 4 ounces medium egg noodles, uncooked 1 large onion, chopped 2 stalks celery, sliced into 1/2" pieces 2 carrots, scraped and sliced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon tarragon Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain and set aside. Do not overcook. Add chopped onion, celery and carrots to chicken broth. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. Stir in chopped chicken and salt, pepper, and tarragon. Simmer for 5 minutes then add noodles and cook until thoroughly heated. Yields 10 cups. Lentil Stew 1 cup dry lentils (rinse and drain) 3 1/2 cups chicken broth or bouillion and water to make 3 1/2 cups 1 14 1/2-ounce can peeled Italian-style tomatoes, cut up 1 3-ounce can tomatoe paste 1 cup peeled and chopped potato 1/2 cup chopped carrot 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped onion 2 Tablespoons snipped parsley dry or fresh, more if prefer 1 Tablespoon dried basil, crushed, more if prefer 1 clove garlic, minced Dash pepper In a large saucepan combine lentils, chicken broth, undrained tomatoes, tomatoe paste, potato, carrot, celery, onion, parsley, basil, garlic, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1 hour or till lentils and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Makes 4 servings with 282 cal., 2g fat each. Seve with lo-cal cornbread from my bread section for a complete meal.