***Piraty Cooking: Easy Mock Turtle Soup...

               

     Of course, we can't make REAL turtle soup!...  The poor things are terribly endangered, probably because they were so tasty and easy to catch.  Pirates kept sea turtles alive for weeks by turning them on their backs on deck and pouring water over them, occaisionally.

     Here's how to make my easy Mock Turtle Soup:

     Take 2 pounds ground chuck and fry it in a skillet till it's done, drain on paper towels, set aside.  Get a big pot.  In it put 2 cans of mushroom soup, and one can of chicken broth, stir.  Add 2 cans of albacore tuna in oil.  (Yes, oil.  The kind of tuna packed in water just won't do.  You need the tuna tasting oil for this soup.)  Add one cup of cooked shrimp, --- minus the tails, of course!  Add 2 cups of frozen soup vegetables.  Add 2 peeled and well mashed avocados.  Stir, stir.  Heat all this up slowly, stir constantly so it doesn't burn.  Add 3 tbs. of butter.  Season with salt, pepper and onion and garlic powder, to taste.  Add the cooked ground chuck.

     If you like, add a few drops of green food color to this Mock Turtle Soup if you'd like it more green.  (Yes, turtle soup was definitely greenish because the fat of sea turtles is actually green.)  Just before serving I like to add 1/2 of sherry wine, because traditional turtle soup has sherry in it.  Top each bowl of soup with seasoned cheese flavor croutons.