Kahakai Kitchen

Opa! Kahakai Kitchen is Hosting My Big Fat Greek Wedding for February's Food 'N Flix!

2012-02-01T00:01:00.004-10:00

I am thrilled to be hosting Food 'N Flix for February! Even better, I picked one of my favorite feel-good romantic comedies with a foodie touch, My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

Toula: : Nice Greek girls are supposed to do three things in life: marry Greek boys,

make Greek babies, and feed everyone... until the day we die.

You may have watched this fun movie multiple times like me, but if you haven't seen it, My Big Fat Greek Wedding is the story of Toula Portokalos, a frumpy, single 30-year old woman who mans the cash register and coffee pot in her family's Greek diner. Toula longs for more in her life but her father Gus just wants her to find a nice Greek husband and start having kids. Toula's mother Maria helps convince Gus to let Toula take computer classes at the local college and Toula's world begins to expand--she starts dressing up, wearing make-up and even exchanging her glasses for contacts. Her mother and her aunt Voula help get her out of the diner and Toula starts running her aunt's travel agency where she meets teacher Ian Miller and falls in love. The problem? Ian is not Greek, comes from a small, quiet, tightly-laced WASP family and (horrors!) is even a vegetarian! Can Toula and Ian deal with the clash of cultures and the interference from her huge, loud Greek family while planning that big fat Greek wedding? Grab a copy of this movie to find out and enjoy lots of food, family, romance and fun!

Make your favorite Greek dish or a recipe you have always wanted to try. Maybe a cake--flower pot in the center optional. Roast some meat perhaps? Wait... You don't eat no meat?! ...That's OK, make lamb!

How to participate in Food 'n Flix:

Watch the chosen film (My Big Fat Greek Wedding). Taking inspiration from the film, head into the kitchen and cook or bake or make something.

Post about it on your blog with a link back to THIS post and a link to Food 'n Flix. Use of the Food 'N Flix logo is optional.
Your post must be current (during month of film). And of course we don't mind if your post is linked to other events...the more the merrier!
Have fun with it!
Email your entries to me at: debinhawaii@gmail.com and include:

Your name
Your blog's name and URL
The name of your dish and the permalink to the specific post you're submitting
Attach a photo of any size (or tell me which one to "pull" from your post)
Indicate "Food 'n Flix Submission" in the subject line

Deadline for submission is Monday February 27, and I'll be rounding up all the entries by February 29 (2012 is a leap year baby!)

Hope you join us!

Opa & Aloha!

Simple Cabbage Soup and a Review of Anna: Heart of a Peasant for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

2012-01-29T12:53:00.001-10:00

Cabbage Soup is not a very sexy dish, but it is good, hearty, stick-to-your-ribs fare. The basic, inexpensive ingredients made it something that peasants and the working class could make, often with ingredients from their own farms and gardens and it could be relied on to feed a large family.

My grandparents on my fathers side immigrated to America in the early 1900s from Denmark and Sweden, so I have always been interested in the immigrant experience. When my friend and co-host at Cook The Books, Rachel of The Crispy Cook, offered to send me a copy of Anna: Heart of A Peasant to read and cook from, I immediately said yes. The fact that Rachel's talented mother, Carol Marie Davis, wrote the book about her grandmother Anna (Rachel's great-grandmother), only sweetened the offer.

Anna: Heart of a Peasant is the story of Anna Anisovich Olchick, and follows her from her birth in a small village in Byelorussia to her journey to America through Ellis Island, and her life in an immigrant Hastings-on-Hudson in New York. Anna's life wasn't easy, she faced much adversity and adventure along the way, but she was smart, stubborn and resourceful. Author Davis did a lot of research to put Anna's life on paper in this fictionalized biography, recreating her childhood and weaving in the details of folklore and culture of Anna's Russian background. It makes for a quick (about 100 pages) and involving story.

Of course food plays a big role in the Anna's life, from the blinis, pierogi, kasha and borscht served at Anna's baptism celebration, to the kitchen garden she planted at her house in America, full of concord grapes, green beans, tomatoes, garlic and herbs, and used both to feed her family and in the folk medicine she relied on to care for them. The book includes a small section of Anna's Favorite Recipes at the back of the book and the charming little illustrations contained there are one of my favorite parts. Since there seemed to be an ever-present pot of soup on the stove throughout the store, usually containing cabbage, I decided to make Anna's simple and hearty vegetarian Cabbage Soup.

Cabbage Soup

From Anna: Heart of a Peasant by Carol Marie Davis

(Makes about 8 Servings)

2-3 pounds of cabbage sliced into ½-inch strips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup of chopped carrots
1 large onion, chopped
1 28-oz can pureed tomatoes
1 small can of tomato paste
½ cup of brown sugar (put in 1/4 cup)
¼ cup of lemon juice (I used juice of 2 lemons)
pinch of salt & black pepper
1 bay leaf

Heat oil and sauté garlic in a large soup pot over medium fire until garlic is soft, about 2 minutes. Add onion and sauté until soft as well. Add 3 cups of water, carrots, tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, bay leaf and simmer for 10 minutes until carrots are tender. Take out the bay leaf and discard.

Mash the above mixture in a bowl until it is a coarsely blended. Return the sauce mixture to the pot, add lemon juice, cabbage strips, and 3 cups of water. Simmer until cabbage is cooked about 2 hours. Add more water to desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with a topping of sour cream. (or a scoop of cooked brown rice)

Notes/Results: Simple, hearty and good for a cool, rainy, slightly blustery night. I added a scoop of warm brown rice to the bowl before serving to make it a more complete dinner, although bread would be excellent too. I was a bit concerned about the 1/2 cup of brown sugar, thinking it would be too sweet for my liking, so I reduced it down to about 1/4 cup. I still found it a bit sweet, so I balanced that with more lemon juice and that worked fine. I would probably omit the brown sugar entirely when making it again. Rather than mashing the carrot, onion, tomato broth mixture and Anna likely did, I popped my immersion blender in the pot and roughly pureed the mixture. Not very peasanty--but quick and effective. The tomato and cabbage stand out in this simple soup, which definitely has a rustic, peasant-food feel to it, and is a tasty way to make the most out of some basic ingredients.

Next month at The Crispy Cook, Rachel will be rounding up all of the dishes inspired by the book from the small group bloggers who had the opportunity to review this lovely little book, so be sure to stop by and check it out.

Now let's venture into the Souper Sunday kitchen and see some more wonderful soup and a salad and sandwich too.

Elizabeth from The Law Student's Cookbook has two soups to share this week. First up is her Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup, about which she says, "Crockpots work well for this quick kind of cooking I’m looking for. Though it does take all day for the meal to cook, when it’s time for me to eat, I can eat quick. I can wake up early in the morning, throw everything in the pot, turn it on, go about my day, and come home to a house smelling delicious and dinner hot and ready. It’s like having a personal cook. Except I’m the one doing the cooking. This chicken tortilla soup was packed with flavor. It was great the first day, but even better the second."

Elizabeth also made a Fish Stew and says, "This week my kitchen teleported itself to Northern Africa. I made a fish stew, which while simple was packed with delicious, comforting flavors. I also made a flat bread. In the past, I have tried to make naan. Naan is my only experience with unleavened bread and while the naan was tasty, I just couldn’t get it right. Now, I don’t know if this Algerian flat bread is right. But it definitely was flatter than the flat bread I’ve made in the past. It also was full of flavor (thank you turmeric.) The combination of the flavors of the soup and the bread was excellent, making a wonderful pair."

Graziana from Erbe in Cucina is stirring up wonderful things in her kitchen, this hearty and aromatic Peas Soup with Ginger. This one is brightened with lemon, thickened with potatoes and topped with bacon. Graziana says, "Add a piece of ginger to winter soups, and its slightly pungent aroma will make you feel warm and happy. Serve hot with the browned bacon and a few potato cubes." Love the color!

A new face to welcome to Souper Sundays this week, Dellene from Cooking and the City blogging all the way from Melbourne, Australia, and here for the first time at Souper Sundays with a nourishing Chicken and Pasta Soup. She says, "We are having an odd summer here in Melbourne weather wise. a few days really really hot then a few cold enough to have the heating on seems to be the norm atm. I made this soup on one of the colder days ;)" Welcome Dellene!

Tigerfish from Teczcape - An Escape to Food made an Oxtail Daikon Soup and says, "I tried Beef Brisket and Daikon Soup in a Chinese/Dim Sum restaurant months ago (again, the beef is not a want for me but a need to heal my injured elbow including bone, tendons, cartilage, muscles etc.) and inspired me on how I should cook the remaining oxtail at home. A clear broth of Oxtail and Daikon Soup it will be. It is super easy to make this soup and can be a nourishing soup for winter - replenishing iron in the body and improving blood/fluid circulation."

It's always a pleasure to have my friend Stephanie from Dispensing Happiness at Souper Sundays. This week she has a big bowl full of classic Irish Stew to share. Stephanie says, "It's not much to look at, I know. Simple, hearty stew from Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making - onions, potatoes (twice), bouquet garni, beef stock & stew meat. Hours of cooking, really great flavor (says Matt)."

Joanne of Eats Well With Others tried a Creamy Carrot and Parsnip Soup and says, "Parsnips may be the less vibrantly hued cousins of carrots, but anemic in anything other than color, they are not. While you can certainly simply roast parsnips with a hint of olive oil, salt and pepper, as you would just about any root vegetable, I love it pureed into soups. This soup in particular pairs parsnips with carrots, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano and basil, giving it a bit of Italian flair. Topped with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, it is anything but anemic, whether we’re talking flavor or complexion."

Janet of The Taste Space has our only salad this week, this Roasted Beet, Orange and Brown Rice Salad with an Orange Sesame Vinaigrette and says, "Beets work well with a lot of different flavours, but they definitely pair well with orange. I really enjoyed my chilled Orange and Beet Soup with miso, dill and carrots, and thought this rice-based salad sounded great. Adapted from Appetite for Reduction, beets and brown rice (wild rice would be good, too!) are coated in a zippy Asian-inspired orange sesame vinaigrette. Freshly squeezed orange juice is key to keeping this a light, flavourful dressing. The salad is spiked with currants for additional sweetness. Pile it overtop your favourite greens for a lovely meal-sized salad."

And one lovely sandwich from Heather at girlichef, this Cheddar, Pepperoni, and Egg Quesadilla Sandwich. She says, "Other than being in a "simple" mood, I was also intrigued by the combination of ingredients in this recipe. Pepperoni...eggs...marjoram(!)...wha!? Oh, they worked like you wouldn't imagine. You might be tempted to skip the marjoram, but I don't recommend giving in to that temptation. It's those miniscule little flecks of pine-tinged green that lend so beautifully to the warm eggs and slight spice from the pepperoni."

A great variety of dishes this week! Thanks to everyone who joined in. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the side bar for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week!

Garides Saganaki: Shrimp with Feta and Tomato... Getting My Feta On

2012-01-27T00:00:00.001-10:00

This meze/appetizer or as I like to call it...dinner, ;-) is a use-it-up-or-lose-it kind of dish. I had leftover feta in the fridge, a couple of green onions hiding in the veggie drawer, and pita bread and shrimps lurking in the freezer. Greek food seemed the logical solution, and a look through Food From Many Greek Kitchens led me to Garides Saganaki, or Shrimp with Feta and Tomato.

I made a few small additions/changes to the recipe such as reducing the amount of oil, adding a leftover half a green pepper, and it seems that a couple of tablespoons of capers just happened to make their way into the sauce as well. My changes are in red below.

Tessa Kiros says, "I have seen these baked as well as made on the stovetop. This recipe has lovely strong, clean flavors, and it works well as a meze with other seafood dishes. You really just need some bread with it."

Garides Saganaki
Adapted From Food From Many Greek Kitchens
(Serves 6 to 8 as part of a meze plate or 2 to 3 as an entree)

about 16 medium raw shrimp
5 Tbsp olive oil (reduced to 2 Tbsp)
1 3/4 oz green onions with some green, finely chopped (I used 3 green onions)

(added 1/2 green pepper, diced)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
14-oz can of crushed tomatoes (I used diced)

(added 2 Tbsp capers)
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 1/2 oz feta, crumbled

Peel the shrimp, leaving the tails intact, and devein them using a toothpick. Heat the oil in a wide nonstick pan that has a lid and sauté the onion on medium-low heat until softened. Add the garlic and fry until it smells good, then add the tomatoes, half the parsley and some salt and pepper. Put the lid on and simmer for 10 minutes or so.

Add the shrimp to the pan and turn through to cover all of them with sauce. Simmer, covered, for 3 to 4 minutes. Scatter the feta in, put the lid back on and cook until the feta just softens, about 5 minutes, rocking the pan once or twice. Serve with a good grind of pepper and the remaining parsley scattered on top, and some lovely Greek bread.

Notes/Results: Tomatoy-cheesy goodness spread out over soft grilled pita--there's a lot to love in this dish--it is quick and easy to make and tastes divine. I got to use my favorite French feta from the little market and wine store next to my favorite local "mostly-Greek" restaurant, and it is already so soft and buttery, it just melts into the tomato sauce. I highly recommend adding some capers--they add a nice salty tang. The shrimp are great, but it is the sauce that really makes this dish. I'd make it again but maybe just up the amount of peppers and feta and not even bother with the shrimp. Yum! I should be telling you how good it would be with a simple green salad, but I ate greens for breakfast and lunch and wasn't in the mood for salad at dinner. (More room for pita and sauce!)

It's January Potluck over at I Heart Cooking Clubs this week. Check out the post for links to the fabulous potluck dishes the other IHCC peeps will be making.

Happy Aloha Friday!

Super Quick Vegan Tomato Basil "Cream" Bucatini for Food 'N Flix: Eat Pray Love

2012-01-24T00:00:00.000-10:00

This month's Food 'n Flix movie selection is Eat Pray Love. A friend gave me the book by Elizabeth Gilbert when I was going through a life change of my own--leaving a longtime job that I was no longer loving, or even happy at and trying to figure out what I was going to do with the rest of my life. Basically trading security and money for passion and well... much, much less money. ;-) I liked the book. Many think it was self-indulgent and the author self-absorbed, and that's probably true, but I think when you are trying to find yourself and make sense of how you fit into the world, self-absorption is pretty much part of the deal. Although I couldn't afford to spend a year traveling the globe, I could relate to much of the "journey."

Enjoying the book and being a big Julia Roberts fan, I fully expected to love the movie. Ehh... not so much. There is some gorgeous scenery, wonderful food, Julia is just fine, and I find a little Javier Bardem to be quite yummy, but damn that movie drug on... and on... and on...! Tragically, I bought it, thinking I would want my own copy. I watched it once and had to split that viewing into two parts. A friend asked to borrow it many months ago and keeps apologizing that she hasn't watched it yet. I don't mind. ;-) This is 180 degrees from when I loaned another friend my copy of the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice (Colin Firth... I swoon!) and I missed that DVD from the very first day I lent it out and kept enquiring about it. Had she watched it yet? Did she love it? Was she thinking of watching it soon and returning it? I have none of the same feelings for my copy of Eat Pray Love, which is why I didn't watch it again for this month's Food 'n Flix. Bad me, but once was more than enough.

For my film inspired dish, I thought about making a Balinese dish or maybe some Indian curry, but I ended up with a strong pasta craving and a box of bucatini so Italian it was. I have had this Super Quick Tomato Basil Cream Sauce from Vegan Yum Yum: Decadent (But Doable) Animal-Free Recipes for Everyday by Lauren Ulm tagged to make for ages as I am into cashew cream right now. I am lucky enough to live where I can get locally-grown tomatoes and basil this time of year. Both help make this simple creamy sauce sing, so if you don't have access to good fresh tomatoes with flavor right now, bookmark this recipe and make it in the months when you do have them. It is fast, easy, full of flavor and the way it coats the pasta and slips into the holes in the bucatini is wonderful. There are a few less calories in the 1/2 cup raw cashews and more healthy fats than in a 1/2 cup of heavy cream and whether you are vegan, vegetarian or carnivore--you'll love the sauce.

Vegan Yum Yum says, "You can make this sauce in the time it takes to boil the pasta, so this simple sauce makes a 9-minute meal that's hard to beat. Cashews are the base of most of my favorite vegan cream sauces because they're very rich tasting and blend easily, allowing you to create a velvety smooth sauce in your blender."

Super Quick Tomato Basil Cream Pasta
From Vegan Yum Yum by Lauren Ulm
Serves Two

6 to 8 oz whole wheat spaghetti (I used bucatini)
1 to 2 large, ripe tomatoes (about 2 cups roughly chopped)
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp tomato paste (I used 1.5 Tbsp sundried tomato paste)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced, optional (I used all 4 cloves)

(I added 1 pinch of crushed red pepper flakes)
1 tsp salt
2 to 3 Tbsp wine or water, optional (I used white wine)
1 to 2 tsp freshly cracked, coarse black pepper
1 large handful fresh basil leaves, chopped

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the directions on the box.

As the pasta is cooking, core the tomato, then roughly chop it. Add it to your blender, seeds, skin and all. Add the cashews, water, and tomato paste. Blend until very smooth.

Add the olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden, being careful not to burn it. Pour the sauce from the blender into the sauté pan and bring to a simmer. Add the salt and let cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If desired add the wine or water to thin out the sauce. Taste and season, if necessary. Let it simmer until pasta is finished cooking. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it well. Add pasta to the sauté pan with the black pepper and freshly chopped basil leaves. Toss it to coat. Serve immediately, garnishing with more pepper and basil.

Notes/Results: One word... Mmmmm... This sauce is decadent, creamy and has lots of great flavor. I did add all four cloves of garlic--how could I not?! I had a tube of sun-dried tomato paste that I think added more flavor than regular tomato paste and a pinch of crushed red pepper was a good little kick for the dish. The book says whole wheat spaghetti, but this sauce is so dense that I think a thicker pasta is the way to go. I loves me some bucatini. I could have possibly thinned the sauce out a bit more with white wine, but flavor-wise it was fabulous. I will definitely be making this one again.

The deadline for this month's Food 'N Flix, pick Eat Pray Love, hosted by Elizabeth of The Law Student's Cookbook is January 28th. If you don't make the deadline for this one and you like food and movies, consider joining us for February. I am hosting and excited to watch and cook a dish inspired by one of my very favorite fun films, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Opa!

In addition to Food 'N Flix, I am sending this yummy pasta dish to Presto Pasta Nights founded by Ruth and being hosted by Emma of Souperior this week. Check out Emma's roundup post this Friday for lots of wonderful pasta dishes.

Cucumber, Lemon, & Dill Soup and Ful Medames with Accompaniments for Cook The Books: Outlaw Cook & Souper Sundays

2012-01-22T13:39:00.004-10:00

Outlaw Cook, by John Thorne with Matt Lewis Thorne is a gem of a book, and our current selection for Cook the Books, the virtual foodie book club I co-host along with Rachel, The Crispy Cook and Jo from Food Junkie Not Junk Food. Outlaw Cook, Rachel's selection, is a series of essays on food and cooking that waxes poetic on everything from meatballs to bread, garlic soup to breakfast clafoutis, Martha Stewart to Paula Wolfert, the plowman's lunch to Dandan noodles. This is a book to be savored, tucked into before bed, or revisited when a spark of inspiration is needed.

John Thorne is a food writer, who along with his wife Matt Lewis Thorne, publishes a bi-monthly newsletter called Simple Cooking, in addition to authoring several books. He writes honestly and engagingly. In his essay On Not Being a Good Cook, he states that he has acquired his cooking knowledge and skill on a need-to-know basis, leaving large gaps in his culinary knowledge, saying "Why do I write about food at all if I'm not an expert in the art of good cooking, nor do I want my readers to be? Because I don't think you have to be a good cook, or even aspire to be one, to be an interested cook." And later, after explaining that the opposite of a good cook isn't necessarily being a bad one, he says, "For what delights me about cooking is not getting things right but the simple pleasure of getting to know them in the first place"--getting excited over a new ingredient, or even a favorite one, the pleasure of sharing a meal and the experience with good friends. That is exactly the way I feel about cooking, and Thorne captures it well.

There are many recipes tucked away in Outlaw Cook. I have been enjoying the simple process of How to Eat an Avocado: (a perfectly ripe Hass), halved, pitted with the halves on a bowl, drizzled with a spoonful of olive oil, a squeeze of lime, a few drops of Tabasco and a pinch of coarse salt. Ambrosial. I loved the chapter on making Soup Without Stock and was intrigued by the Cucumber, Lemon and Dill Soup. Most of the cucumber soups I have enjoyed have been pureed or cold. This one sounded simple and good. Since we can get fresh, local cucumbers and dill year-round here, I knew I had to try it.

The Ful Medames chapter called to me as well. I became fondly acquainted with this hummus-like blend of small brown fava beans at a Middle Eastern cooking class and I stock cans of favas in my cupboard to whip it up as a quick appetizer or even light dinner. John Thorne's recipe calls for dried small fava beans which I was unable to find here to make it in time for this CTB round, so I made due with my canned beans. I thought a mezze plate of Ful Medames served with the Hamine Eggs (fresh eggs hard boiled for at least 6 hours with brown onion skins) and Tahini Sauce from the book, along with the suggested slices of green pepper, olives, feta, and plenty of pita would partner well with the flavors in the soup for a light dinner.

Cucumber, Lemon, & Dill Soup
From Outlaw Cook
(Serves 4)

3 or 4 small, firm cucumbers
1 Tbsp unsalted butter (I used vegan butter)
2 medium onions, chopped fine
1 Tbsp fresh dill, minced (I used about 1.5 Tbsp)
salt
sugar
2 cups milk (I used almond milk)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper

Peel the cucumbers and cut into quarters lengthwise. With a spoon, scrape out the seeds. If these are few and tender, reserve--otherwise discard. Cut the cucumber into bite-sized pieces.

Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Do not brown. Add the cucumber and, gently stirring, sauté this for a minute or two. Then pour in 2 cups of water to make a broth. Stir in the minced dill, reserving 1 teaspoonful. Add the reserved cucumber seeds (if any) and small amounts of salt and sugar to bring out the taste of the cucumber. Cover and gently for 15 minutes. Then pour in the milk to complete the broth, and, when this has heated, stir in the lemon juice, a teaspoon at a time, until the broth acquires a mouth-pleasing zest. Add the reserved minced dill, grind pepper over, and let soup rest on lowest heat for 5 minutes before ladling it out.

Cook's Note: The soup must simmer without ever boiling or the milk will curdle. (But don't worry if it does--the soup will still taste fine.) The milk broth serves to accentuate the rather elusive cucumber flavor, but the soup can be made with water alone for a more tart, herbal taste--or all milk, for a richer, more delicate one.

Notes/Results: Having a love for the delicate and refreshing taste of cucumbers, lemon and dill, I was pretty sure I would like the soup, but I was a little surprised about how much I enjoyed it. The milk (I did a dairy-free version with almond milk), sugar and salt bring out the cucumber essence and the lemon and dill enhance it rather than overpower, and I even added some extra dill. It's a light and refreshing soup, also quite good served cold (she says as she types this while sipping a cup).

The Mezze Plate: The ful medames was simple and delicious--I added garlic and cumin to the olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper in the recipe and coarsely mashed it for texture. Since I usually just slap my ful medames on pita or use it as a spread it was fun to try out the different accompaniments on the plate. My Hamine eggs tasted great but were not too pretty, I had gray rings around the yolks--which were more crumbly than creamy. I blame myself--they were to cook at least 6 hours or overnight and mine were just at the 6 hours--I think they would have benefited from a longer cooking. Also, even on my simmer burner, it was hard to keep the water at a consistent "gentle simmer" on my gas stove. The tahini sauce is something I make a lot myself for vegetables and the like, but usually not with cumin as the recipe in the book called for and I will now be adding it to all my tahini sauces.

This was a perfectly satisfying and delicious vegetarian dinner (vegan except for the feta). ;-) If you love food and food writing, grab up a copy of Outlaw Cook (I found mine on Amazon.com), and enjoy it. I will be on the prowl for more writing from John Thorne and Matt Lewis Thorne.

Thanks to Rachel for picking this wonderful book and hosting this round. The deadline for Outlaw Cook is this Monday, January 23, but if you like to read and cook, please join us at Cook the Books for our next bi-monthly selection. For February-March 2012, I'll be taking us back to childhood and all things sweet with my pick of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.

We have some friends waiting in the Souper Sundays kitchen with wonderful dishes to share, let's take a look.

Tigerfish from Teczcape - An Escape to Food kicks us off this week and says, "Three simple ingredients - chicken, carrots and cabbage can make great tasting soup. Such is a soup that says home, comfort and warmth. As I have been cooking more chicken soups/broths more recently (for recovery/healing, for nourishment, as winter food, for boosting immunity), this regular soup base makes it easy for me to put together a flavorsome noodle soup like this Napa Cabbage and Carrot Noodle Soup with Abalone and Shredded Chicken."

My friend Foodycat is here with a golden-hued Pumpkin Soup. She says, "I'm sure everyone has their favourite recipe for pumpkin soup. Because of the richness of the hachapuri (crusty bread stuffed with salty cheese), I wanted my soup to just be very, very simple. It's not at all lacking in flavour though. As it happens, the soup is vegan (not that it matters when there is this much cheese around...) but if you weren't making the hachapuri you could add a swirl of sour cream at the end."

A new face to welcome to Souper Sundays is Sheelagh from An Irish Village Pantry, blogging all the way from Ireland and making her first appearance at Souper Sundays with this Puy Lentil & Walnut Soup with Parmesan Crisps. She says, "I love this delicious economic soup, which is filling and healthy and can easily be adapted to vegetarian tastes by replacing the chicken stock with vegetable stock and omitting the lean smoked bacon, replacing with 1 tsp of smoked paprika instead." Welcome Sheelagh!

Welcome back Debby from A Feast for the Eyes who stopped in this week with her Hungarian Gulyas Soup--My Way. Debby says, "This is a rich beef soup, with a lovely balance of tomato and sweet paprika. The hot paprika comes through, in a subtle way, because I didn't add a lot of it. If you don't like bell peppers (which my son didn't, and he picked them out) then leave them out. My husband likes them, and liked the soup very much. The beef is so tender. I wish I had cut the potatoes a little larger, but that's just a personal preference."

Heather of girlichef made a Garlicky Chicken Soup inspired by fictional foodie bio, Anna Heart of a Peasant, and says, "This books ends with a small collection of recipes from or inspired by Anna's kitchen. I would like to try them all from the Brown Bread to the Potato and Cheese Pierogies to the Cabbage Soup...but what I wound up making was a comforting pot of Garlicky Chicken Soup. While not the exact recipe in the book, it is inspired by it and comes very close. Just as Anna used garlic and herbs to treat the ailments of her family, I try to do the same. This helped to wipe out a few colds that were brewing on the horizon."

Janet of The Taste Space has two entries. Her soup is this Jamaican Tofu Chowder with Collards. Janet says, "While there is definitely an Indian influence to this curry, this is a Jamaican curry that I spotted in Big Vegan. Lime-marinaded tofu chunks, sweet potatoes and carrots are combined with collards in a coconut-curry sauce spiced with thyme. Caribbean dishes can be quite spicy, but I still used 1 tbsp of curry powder. The coconut milk helps to tame the heat. However, I omitted the Serrano pepper in lieu of my favoured Aleppo chili flakes"

Janet also made this Crunchy Cabbage Salad with Orange-Tahini Dressing and says, "The nice thing about this salad is the dressing, which I adapted from My New Roots. Not mayo-laden like typical coleslaws. Rather, tahini is used as a creamy base and the sesame is highlighted by toasted sesame oil and freshly toasted sesame seeds. The fresh twist comes from the orange zest and fresh lemon juice. Cilantro perks up the salad with further crunch from sunflower seeds. The next day, I was sad I had none left and craved it once again… and so the cycle repeats itself!"

Stash from The Spamwise Chronicles has two salads featuring eggs this week. First is this delectable “Bacon and Eggs"--about which he says, "In the dead of winter, sometimes you need to be a little creative, particularly when there’s a dearth of greenery. It’s these kinds of moments where you have a limited ingredient palette that I find the most challenging and the most rewarding. This is a minimalist composed salad — a play, if you will, on the phrase “breakfast for dinner”. I hope you find it as enticing as I did."

Stash's other salad is an Arugula and Bordeaux Spinach Salad with Fried Farm Egg that he serves with homemade salt-and-vinegar potato chips. Stash says, "Bordeaux spinach is an heirloom variety of spinach that’s sweeter and more tender than regular spinach. Substitute regular spinach if unavailable."

Joanne of Eats Well With Others made this Quinoa, Fennel and Pomegranate Salad and says, "A healthy lunch and a way to appease your mother's desire for you to be "more Italian"? This quinoa, fennel and pomegranate salad does it all. Cooked fennel can’t help but caramelize from all of its natural sugars, turning it into a sweet savory pan of something truly delicious. This salad really capitalizes on those flavors by pairing them with earthy quinoa, tangy pomegranate arils and a lemon-y vinaigrette. Served over spinach, it makes for a satisfying lunch..."

Such delicious soups and salads this week--thanks to all the friends, old and new, who joined in. If you have a soup, salad or sandwich that you would like to share--just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the side bar for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week!

Skordalia (Garlic Potato & Olive Oil Mash) on Grilled Pita--A Garlicky Double-Starch Delight

2012-01-19T23:08:00.001-10:00

You might look at the picture of skordalia and wonder why on earth I am serving mashed potatoes spread on pita bread. Skordalia is a creamy potato dish from Greece and it is a garlic-lover's dream. The first time I ever tried it was a friend's house for dinner where her Greek mother served it as part of a mezze platter along with warm grilled pita bread. I have preferred it that way ever since. Now and then, a little starch-on-starch works for me. ;-)

We are cooking White as Snow foods over at I Heart Cooking Clubs this week and it seemed like a good time to rustle up some garlic and potatoes from the pantry, and whip up a batch of that creamy garlicky goodness from Food From Many Greek Kitchens. If you are iffy about garlic at all, this is not your dish. Eight cloves of raw garlic and the juice of two lemons give it a intense flavor. (Not a bad thing in my book!) The creaminess of the potatoes and silky olive oil, even it all out. Pungent yes, but oh so very good. Serve it as a pupu (appetizer), or as a side dish with grilled fish or other protein.

Skordalia (Garlic Potato and Olive Oil Mash)
Food From Many Greek Kitchens
(Makes a Nice Bowlful)

1 lb 5 oz unpeeled potatoes (I used Yukon Gold)
8 cloves garlic, peeled
salt
juice of 2 lemons
about 3/4 cup olive oil
freshly ground black pepper

Boil the potatoes in their skins in salted water until soft. While they are cooking, crush garlic cloves with a little salt to a puree using a mortar and pestle. When the potatoes are just cool enough to handle, peel off their skins and pass the potatoes through a ricer into a tall bowl. Add the pureed garlic, and pour in the lemon juice and olive oil. Beat briskly with a wooden spoon until amalgamated and smooth. Season well with salt and pepper to taste; it needs a good amount of salt to bring out the flavors. Stir in 3 tablespoons or so of hot water or stock.

Notes/Results: Easy and delicious. You may smell (and smell like) garlic for a few days after making this, but you'll enjoy it. ;-) I have had skordalia made out of bread and with almonds pureed and blended in, and it sometimes has a slightly sticky texture reminiscent of library paste. This simple version was creamier and I liked the softer texture. I used my grill pan to toast up some lovely pita bread and slathered the warm dip on top. A winner for me that I will make again.

You can check out all the other White as Snow dishes by going to the IHCC post and following the links.

Cafe Flora's Roasted Garlic Dijon Lentil Soup for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

2012-01-15T13:05:00.004-10:00

You have to love the lentil. They are cheap, low-fat, and full of fiber, protein, iron and potassium. All that makes for a nutritious and satisfying soup. This Roasted Garlic Dijon Lentil Soup uses a paste of roasted garlic and Dijon mustard to brighten up the flavor and firm French green lentils for texture.

The recipe comes from the Cafe Flora Cookbook: More Than 250 Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes from the Renowned Seattle Restaurants by Catherine Geier with Carol Brown. Having eaten at Cafe Flora multiple times when I lived in Seattle, I was happy to find the cookbook at a used bookstore for a great price. I have many recipes tagged to make, but unearthing a jar of French green lentils in my pantry moved this soup to the top of the list.

Cafe Flora says, "Here we add a paste of roasted garlic and Dijon mustard to the pot which adds a sharp, clean tang to an otherwise earthy soup. We use French green (Le Puy) lentils for this recipe since they hold their shape and don't get mushy when cooked."

Roasted Garlic Dijon Lentil Soup
Adapted from the Cafe Flora Cookbook
(Makes 7 cups)

12 cloves garlic, unpeeled (I used about 20 cloves)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard (I used 1.5 Tbsp)
1 yellow onion, diced
salt
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 potato, peeled and diced (I used 2 potatoes)
1 tsp dried thyme (I used a bit more-about 1.5 tsps)
5 cups vegetable broth (I used about 6 cups, mixed veggie broth and water)
1/2 cup French green (Le Puy) lentils, rinsed
freshly ground pepper
(fresh lemon thyme to garnish)

Roast the Garlic: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the garlic cloves with the olive oil and put in a small baking dish. Cover with foil, and roast until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain the oil from the roasted garlic into a heavy-bottomed soup pot.

Make the Roasted Garlic and Dijon Paste: When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze out the pulp into a small bowl. Add the Dijon mustard, and mix well. Set aside.

Sauté the onions and other vegetables: Heat the roasted garlic oil over medium heat. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring several times. Add the carrots, potato, and thyme, and sauté for 3 minutes more.

Simmer the Soup: Add the vegetable stock and lentils, and bring the pot to a boil. Lower the heat, and simmer until the lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

Stir in the Roasted Garlic Paste: Simmer soup for 10 minutes. Add a pinch or two of ground pepper and salt to taste, and serve.

Note: This soup will thicken as it sits, so you may need to add water or vegetable stock to get the consistency you want.

Notes/Results: A very flavorful and delicious lentil soup. I usually like to add a splash of vinegar to my lentils to bring out the flavors, and in the is recipe the Dijon does just that. And you can't argue with roasted garlic--nutty and mellow. I did add extra garlic--I had two partial heads and just threw them all in to roast. It was about 20 cloves instead of 12, but roasting the garlic makes it so sweet, it doesn't overpower. I also bumped up the mustard and thyme a bit. I like a little flavor punch. ;-) My small changes are in red on the recipe. It does get thick and stew-like after sitting. I like it that way, but if you like a thinner soup, keep plenty of veggie broth handy. The only thing I would do differently next time is to add some spinach or other leafy greens. I made up for it by serving it with a simple spinach salad, something the cookbook recommended. A keeper recipe that I will make again.

I am also linking this tasty recipe to Sue's Cookbook Sundays at Couscous and Consciousness.

Now let's take a look in the Souper Sundays kitchen because we have some great soup and salad recipes waiting.

First up, fellow Hawaii blogger Claudia from Honey From Rock is here with White Bean and Tuscan Kale Soup with Chestnuts. She says, "When I've just stashed batches of newly minted chicken stock, we're ready and running in the soup department. They're burning holes in my pockets, so to speak. So, I riffle through a cookbook or two to see what will appeal. This one had cannellini beans, kale, pancetta and chestnuts, a winter comfort meal if I ever heard one. Especially since there was a package of roasted peeled chestnuts lurking from Thanksgiving. ... It was so yummy, we almost polished off the whole thing at one sitting. And nicely warming on a cool evening."

Lovely Graziana from Erbe in Cucina made homemade gnocchi with Parmesan and chives and put it too good use by adding it to soup. She says, "I served the gnocchi with a pumpkin and yams soup, aromatized with my homemade Asian Aromatic Mixture." And thus a very creative, hearty and warming Pumpkin, Yam Soup with Aromatic Homemade Gnocchi was born.

Speaking of hearty and warming, Janet from The Taste Space has that too in her Pumpkin Chili. She says, "While I have made other chilis before, this is definitely my favourite so far. A savoury saucy chili, filled with beans and vegetables. Flavourful, not spicy despite using jalapeno peppers. The pumpkin puree adds a touch of sweetness but doesn’t leave you with a pumpkin flavour. The TVP plumps up to look just like ground meat, it is almost confusing. What isn’t confusing is how great it tastes: delicious."

Elizabeth of The Law Student's Cookbook has a Broccoli-Cheddar Soup to share and says, "So while I’m sitting here shivering with my heater on and covered in blankets, I get to tell you all about my soup recipe that warmed me up from the inside out. I think that’s the best part of soup; it makes you soooo warm. This recipe was yanked out Food Network Magazine‘s October 2011 magazine on page 108. The soup is actually featured on the cover of the magazine also. It’s easy to make, it’s hearty, it warmed up my belly, and it tasted incredibly delicious."

Heather of girlichef has a Buttercup Squash Soup w/ Cilantro, Toasted Almonds, & Fried Ginger Threads. She says, "The flavors sounded so enticing that once I started fantacising about how they would taste on my tongue, I knew I had to make it work. Really the solution was simple. Thin in out to adapt it to my tastes. I cut down on the amount of squash that the original recipe intended (3 lb). I also upped....waaaaay upped....the amount of "toppings". And it worked. I achieved a massively flavorful, squashy broth with hints of cinnamon and star anise that was perfectly complimented by the toasty, nutty flavor of the almonds, the bright cilantro, and the creeping heat of the fried ginger."

Corina from Searching for Spice is back with a comforting Leek and Bacon Soup and says, "...I’m sure you won’t be surprised that the main ingredient in this soup was leek, and if you like leeks, you will like it, although it’s so simple it hardly needs a recipe. And if you like bacon, and a little salty fatty kick to your healthy vegetable packed soup, then the fried crispy bacon pieces really finish off the soup well. I know bacon’s not really healthy, but you could tell yourself it’s just a garnish, and to add a bit of flavour, and you will be eating so many leeks in this that you don’t need to worry about it at all. In fact, I would even say you need the bacon to create a balanced meal!"

Akheela of Torview Toronto has a simple and healthy Cucumber Salad of tomato, onion, green chile, and cucumber of course, dressed with a simple lemony dressing. She says that you just "Mix the sugar, salt, pepper, green chillie, lemon juice together and pour it over the cucumber and tomatoes. Leave it for about 15 minutes and serve as a side dish."

Say hello to Jaleela from cookbookjaleela, joining us from Dubai and making her first appearance at Souper Sundays week. She says, "For biriyani, I am preparing variety of salad and raita like veg , cucumber mint, beetroot peanut,coconut onion etc…….. Whenever I am making salad for biriyani I always prepare Sweet Cucumber Salad for me and my son. ... Quick salad for kids, very simple and easy. I like this salad very much since my childhood, now even its my son's favorite." Welcome Jaleela!

Joanne from Eats Well With Others made this colorful Spicy Squash Salad with Lentils, Brussels Sprouts, and Goat Cheese. She says, "Roasted butternut squash and brussels sprouts are tossed with some smoked paprika and cumin and then roasted until they are sweet, smoky and just a bit spicy. Mix em all up with earthy lentils, bitter arugula, and a really seductive goat cheese. And there you have a miracle in a very large and filling bowl."

Some wonderful tasty dishes this week--thanks to everyone who joined in. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on my sidebar for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week!

Tomato Rice with Veggies and White Beans: Tasty Meat-Free Meal

2012-01-12T22:46:00.006-10:00

This Tomato Rice with Veggies and White Beans is a colorful and healthy dish. Traditionally, tomato rice is eaten as a side with chicken or seafood in Portugal. I made a few changes/additions to the recipe and turned it into a satisfying vegetarian main dish.

The recipe for Tomato Rice comes from Piri Piri Starfish: Portugal Found by Tessa Kiros. I swapped out the white rice for brown, added chopped carrot and celery, upped the paprika and garlic and put in some dried chili pepper flakes, used vegan "butter" and chopped fire-roasted tomatoes, and tossed in a can of cannelloni beans towards the end--to make it a more complete entree. My changes/additions are in red below.

Tessa Kiros says, "This is a kind of 'everywhere' dish, found on the plate alongside grilled prawns, flattened chickens, or grilled fish. So it's not usually meant to be in the leading role, but it's very good all the same. You could make it the star by adding a few more vegetables such as celery, zucchini (courgettes) and carrots, all chopped up and cooked with the onion until sticky. Or add a tablespoon of chopped rosemary, or another herb with the tomatoes at the beginning for a different flavor. And you could serve it drizzled with piri piri oil. If you don't have lovely ripe tomatoes, then tinned will be better than not-quite-ripe-enough."

Tomato Rice with Veggies and White Beans
Adapted from Piri Piri Starfish by Tessa Kiros
(Serves 4-6)

4 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped

(added 1 large carrot and 2 stalks of celery, chopped)
1 small red bell pepper (capsicum), seeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped (I used 4 cloves)
4 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 small fresh bay leaf
4 very ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or 14 oz tin chopped fire-roasted tomatoes)
1 teaspoon sweet paprika (used about 1.5 teaspoons)

(added 1 teaspoon dried red chili pepper flakes)
20 g (3/4 oz) butter (used 1 Tbsp Earth Balance Spread)
coarse salt & black pepper
400 g (14 oz/2 cups) medium-grain rice (used brown rice)

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and sauté the onion until sticky and golden. Add the pepper and cook until everything is jammy and turning golden. Add the garlic, parsley and bay leaf and, when you start to smell the garlic, add the tomatoes, paprika, butter, about 2 teaspoons of course salt and a little pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes, mashing up the tomatoes a bit but still leaving a few chunks.

Add the rice and turn it through well to mix in the flavors. Add 1 litre (35 fl oz / 4 cups) of water, bring to the boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes, checking that nothing is sticking. Turn off the heat and fluff the rice, cover and leave for 10 minutes before you serve. Fluff it through again--it should've absorbed most of the liquid and be just right, in which case serve immediately. If it's too firm, leave it covered for a while longer. Best hot, bu also good at room temperature. (Note: Since I used brown rice instead of white, I cooked my rice about 30 minutes, then covered the pot and let it sit about 20 minutes or so and the rice turned out well--tender but not mushy, and all of the liquid was absorbed.)

Notes/Results: A great one-pot healthy meal from the pantry. The paprika, garlic and chili pepper flakes give it good, rich flavor and the brown rice, beans, and veggies give it staying power. The parsley and fresh bay leaf are from my garden (I had to mention that because I love my bay plant and love using it fresh). ;-) This is a simple dish that tastes great and worked well as a main dish. If you need to feed meat eaters, I think it would be great with some grilled sausages. I would make this again.

This tomato rice is for I Heart Cooking Clubs where our theme is "Rice is Nice." You can check out all the different rice dishes everyone made by going to the post and following the links.

Zuppa di Ceci (Chickpea Soup): Hearty Tuscan Goodness a Bowl for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

2012-01-08T13:08:00.002-10:00

After a long, rough week that I won't bore you about with all of the details, I wanted nothing more on Saturday than to tuck myself away from the world at large and eat something comforting, nourishing and satisfying. This Zuppa di Ceci (Chickpea Soup) from Twelve: A Tuscan Cookbook by Tessa Kiros hit all of those criteria and was delicious too.

It is a vegan soup, full of hearty chickpeas, veggies, tomato and Swiss chard, that is hearty enough even for meat-eaters--especially when served with the garlicky grilled bread. There are a few extra steps and a little time involved in making it, but I found the process therapeutic and the results are well worth the little bit of extra effort. I made a few small changes, noted in red below.

Tessa Kiros says, "Chickpeas are used mainly in soups in Tuscany, but are also ground into a flour and used to make a flat savory tart.

"Zuppa di Ceci (Chickpea Soup)

From Twelve: A Tuscan Cookbook by Tessa Kiros
(Serves 6-8)

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large celery stalk, trimmed and chopped (I used an extra stalk)
2 garlic cloves, peeled (I used 4 cloves--3 in the soup)
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 sprigs rosemary
1 small red dried chilli, left whole (I used red pepper flakes)
100 g (3.5 oz) silverbeet (Swiss chard), trimmed and finely sliced (I used 1 small bunch)
2 ripe tomatoes, skinned and puréed or 150 g (5.5 oz) tin of peeled tomatoes, puréed (I used a whole can of diced, fire-roasted tomatoes)
6 thick slices white, country-style bread (I used a garlic loaf)
extra virgin olive oil, to serve

Drain the soaked chickpeas and put them into a large stockpot. Add the onion, carrot and celery. Cover with 3.5 litres (14 cups) of cold water (add the rest later if it doesn’t fit), and bring to the boil. Skim the surface to remove any scum. Lower the heat slightly and cook, uncovered, for about 11/4 hours, or until the chickpeas are tender. Season with salt and pepper in the last half hour of the cooking time. Purée two-thirds of the chickpeas with their cooking liquid, leaving the remainder whole. Return all to the pot. Add a little hot water if it seems too thick.

Chop one of the garlic cloves. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the chopped garlic, rosemary sprigs and the chilli. When you begin to smell the garlic, add the silverbeet. Sauté on a medium heat for a couple of minutes before adding the tomato. Season with salt and pepper and continue cooking for about 5 minutes until the tomato has melted into a sauce and seems cooked. Remove the rosemary sprigs and discard. Add the tomato mix to the chickpea pot and simmer for another few minutes to blend the flavours. Check the seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper, if necessary.

Toast or grill (broil) the bread slices on both sides. Rub one side with the whole clove of garlic and drizzle with the olive oil. Put the soup into large individual bowls with a splash of extra virgin olive oil and a grinding of black pepper. Serve with the garlic bread.

Notes/Results: Mmm... This soup is a good one--so thick and rich, with so much flavor. It perfectly hit the spot. I did use more garlic and tomato than the recipe called for and I didn't weigh my chard--just used all of a small bunch, but I think that only enhanced the flavor. Since I used my immersion blender, I just pulled out 1/3 of the chickpea and veggie mixture and blended the rest in the pot before adding it back in. I liked making a sauce out of the tomato, chard, garlic and herbs and then blending it into the cooked soup-- I felt like it added more depth to the taste. This soup is winner--even better the next day. I would definitely make it again.

This soup is my entry for I Heart Cooking Clubs, where we are spending time "Under the Tuscan Sun." You can check out the Tuscan dishes from all of the other participants by going to the post and following the links.

And I am sending it along to Cookbook Sundays hosted by my friend Sue at Couscous and Consciousness.

We have a good crowd in the Souper Sundays kitchen this week--let's take a look!

Tigerfish from Teczcape-An Escape to Food has a nourishing bowl to share and says, "Pea Shoots when fibrous can be hard to chew and digest. Imagine biting/chew grass. But these pea shoots in my recent purchase is definitely not. With no intention to cook them for too long (and lose the precious vitamins), I added them after cooking (turning off the heat) chicken soup and allow the heat to wilt and lightly cook the shoots. Yes, you do get the chlorophyll after-taste (quite typical in sprouted beans/peas) in this Pea Sprouts and Gojiberries Chicken Soup -豆苗枸杞子鸡汤 but that is not too over-powering."

Janet from The Taste Space made both a soup and a stew this week. About her Caramelized Onion and Cabbage Chowder with Sweet Potatoes and White Beans, she says, "This is a spoof on the typically cheese-laden French onion soup from Vegetarian Times (September 2011) with inspiration from Joanne. Caramelized onions are beefed up with braised cabbage in this thick chowder spiced with apple cider and thyme. Like Joanne, I opted to add sweet potatoes, but also white beans to make it more of a meal-in-a-bowl soup. Everything worked so well together, with the subtly sweet caramelized onions and apple cider with the sustenance from the sweet potatoes and beans. Good the day it was made but even more delicious as leftovers."

Janet's other dish is this hearty Trinidadian Black-Eyed Pea Stew. She says, "Everyone said they liked the stew, but I thought something was missing. The fresh cilantro and chives were important for flavour but the stew needed a bit more depth of flavour. I wasn’t happy with it. Someone ended up adding a spicy Dijon mustard and said it was superb. When I ate the leftovers, I agreed that the mustard really helped. But I thought to myself, I know I added the ground mustard – why can’t I taste it? So I went back to the ground mustard in the spice drawer… dipped my finger in it and tasted it. And what did it taste like? NOTHING! It definitely needed to be tossed!"

Sue from Couscous & Consciousness is back this week with a Fregola Soup with Shrimps & Chorizo. She says, "Today's recipe is a great example of being able to adapt and still come up with a great dish. ...I was really pleased with the end result. The earthy flavour of the saffron which comes through in the broth is both comforting and a great foil to the brininess of the shrimp - I can imagine that this would be amplified if you used clams here as they have even more of that briny quality than the shrimp. This definitely works as comfort food, but it also has an elegance about it, and I would not hesitate to serve it to company."

Joanne from Eats Well With Others made this Roasted Butternut Chowder with Apples and "Bacon" that she adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook. Joanne says, "To kick off 2012, I highly recommend you make this chowder. Sweet from the roasted butternut squash, apples and onions and salty from the bacon (whether meat-free or otherwise!) it's a figure friendly dish that will leave your tastebuds and your belly satisfied."

Corina of Searching for Spice has both a soup and a salad entry this week. First up this healthy Asian Chicken Noodle Soup. She says, "It’s been a very dull grey start to the new year. Every time I look out of the window it seems to be drizzly and damp and it just makes me want to stay inside and hibernate. After all the excesses of Christmas I also feel like I need something healthy to eat – something savoury and virtually fat-free. Soup, but not a rich creamy soup, a fresh Asian soup, something like this, brimming with green vegetables, garlic and ginger. I’m sure if you had a cold this would also be just the thing."

About her salad Corina says, "Salade Liégeoise is a Belgian potato salad with bacon, green beans, onion and a vinegar dressing. I also added a few peas as I think they go so well with bacon and potatoes. ... I served it warm for lunch but it would also be great cold as a side dish or as a packed lunch. The salad comes from the city of Liége which is in the French-speaking part of Belgian and was the nearest city to the town where I did a Belgian exchange when I was at school."

Stash from The Spamwise Chronicles is here with his take on Potato Salad and says, "It's definitely a different kind of potato salad than what people might be used to. I love playing with food and coming up with new combinations." & "The vinaigrette consists of the juice of half a lemon, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper. When potatoes are done, add scallions and parsley to roasting pan. Stir in one teaspoon salmon roe."

Spencer from Live2EatEat2Live Blog made a Seaweed Salad (actually he has 3 versions on his post) and says, "Robusta seaweed (at least that’s what the owner calls it) from Marine AgriFutures, Kahuku, Hawaii. I get to use some of the supply that’s not sold during the farmers market. According to our customers, they use it mostly as an ingredient for poke. I experimented using it as the main ingredient in salad. The texture is very crispy (almost to the point of being too crispy). I boiled it for over half an hour to soften it up a bit (and it was still very crispy)."

Elizabeth from The Law Student's Cookbook has our only sandwich this week, this Coupé Coupé and Yucca Fries. She says, "Coupé coupé is a dish prevalent throughout Africa, being their version of what we know as barbecue. ... The name of the this sandwich, coupé coupé comes from the French word “couper,” meaning to cut or to slice. Traditionally the meat is grilled over hickory wood chips and has a smokey flavor."

A great group of dishes this week! Thanks to everyone who joined in. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the side bar for all of the details.

*****

A Discovery of Witches Giveaway Winner: Sorry for the delay in getting this posted but the results of the random drawing are in and the winner of the newly released paper book copy of A Discovery of Witches is Heather of girlichef, who said this about her favorite book of 2011: "My favorite book of 2011...hmmmm...that's a hard one. But I'd be lying if I didn't say Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris (though, I'd say catching up on the whole series!)." Congrats Heather! I will be contacting you to get your shipping address for the publisher. Enjoy the book! (I know I did!)

*****

Have a happy, healthy week!

Coffee Cake (Muffins) with Cinnamon-Sugar Sprinkles & a Cookbook Review of "Little Old Lady Recipes"

2012-01-04T23:34:00.002-10:00

As a lover of vintage cookbooks and family recipes handed down from generations of grandmothers, aunties, and great grandmothers (aka "little old ladies"), I was immediately charmed by the cookbook Little Old Lady Recipes: Comfort Food and Kitchen Table Wisdom by Meg Favreau.

Of course what's not to like in a tiny jewel of a book that has a cover that looks like a stitched sampler and is full of simple classic recipes, wisdom and advice from some wonderful little old ladies. Two of my favorite quotes: "Butter comes from a cow. Tell me where the heck margarine comes from, and then maybe I'll eat it." --Phyllis, organist, 72, and "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without" --Thelma, homemaker, 88. ;-)

Author Meg Favreau is an Los Angles-based writer, comedian, food enthusiast and one-time eating-contest winner, who has gathered up a collection of easy recipes that will take you back to your childhood. Dishes like Brown Betty, Matzoth Balls, Borscht, Fudge, Greatest Green Bean Casserole, Chicken Pot Pie, Jellyroll, Hot Toddys and more, are accompanied by Michael E. Reali's pictures of some of the most adorable little old ladies around. There are no fancy recipes in this book, but as Mary, housewife, 72, says, "Cheap food will taste expensive if you know what to do with it." I should have done this review before Christmas, as this little book would have been a great stocking stuffer, but it is still a fun hostess or shower gift or an addition to your own cookbook collection.

I had a hankering for Coffee Cake but no upcoming coffee "klatch" to serve it at, so I decided to repurpose the recipe into muffins. Muffins are easy to give away and/or freeze extras for portion control, plus in my opinion, they are just more fun. I kept the recipe close to the original but subbed in non-fat Greek yogurt for the sour cream, used white wheat flour for some additional fiber, and left out the nuts. For the Cinnamon- Sugar Sprinkles, I used some coarse Maui cane sugar which added a pleasant crunch.

To get into the little old ladies-spirit, I thought it would be fun to pull out a crocheted blanket my grandmother (my dad's mom), made for the photos. This was my favorite "sick day" quilt when I was a child and I loved laying under it and watching the television in my parents room when I wasn't feeling well. Although Grace, gas station owner, 77, might think that "Crocheted blankets are uglier than knitted ones," the bright colors in this blanket make me smile.

LOL Recipes says, "The perfect side dish for gossip, coffee cake should always be served when the ladies come over for a midmorning coffee klatch."

Coffee Cake
Adapted from Little Old Lady Recipes by Meg Favreau
(Makes 1 10-inch tube cake or 1 sheet cake or 12-14 cupcakes)

2 cups flour (I used white wheat flour)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream (I used Greek yogurt)
Cinnamon-Sugar Sprinkles for topping (see below)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I omitted the nuts)

Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix up the butter and sugar and then crack in the eggs. Mix. Stir in the vanilla and sour cream and then the flour mixture. Spread half the batter in your cake pan, sprinkle with a layer of the cinnamon sugar and nuts, add the rest of the batter and top with more cinnamon sugar.

Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour in a 350 degree F oven. Put on the kettle.

------

About the cinnamon-sugar: "Sugar and spice and everything nice: Keep a jar of cinnamon sugar in your cupboard, and you'll always have a sweet homemade topping for buttered toast, coffee cake, or other treats."

Cinnamon Sugar Sprinkles
(Makes about 1/4 cup)

1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon

Stir sugar and cinnamon until the color is mixed to a light brown.

Notes/Results: Great cinnamon flavor and moist texture, this recipe makes a tasty muffin. I put a layer of the batter in the lined cupcake tin, topped it with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, then another layer of batter and more cinnamon-sugar sprinkles on top and baked them for about 23 minutes. I ended up leaving out the nuts--I prefer my coffee cake without them. My one mistake, that I knew I was doing as I was doing it, was to overfill the cupcake liners. I had already put the extra liners away and was too lazy to get out another pan and more liners, so I kind of heaped the batter in some of the muffins. It ended up spreading out which did not effect the flavor at all but some of the muffins were not as pretty. Oh well, the extra large muffin tops were actually my favorite part of the muffin. ("Top of the Muffin to You!" Sorry--all that muffin top talk just conjured up a favorite Seinfeld episode. ;-) But I digress...) These muffins are cute with the little swirl in the middle and delightful paired with either coffee or a nice cuppa tea, for breakfast or a quick snack.

Disclosure Statement: A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher but as always, my thoughts, opinions and experiences cooking from the book are entirely my own.

Is there a favorite "Little Old Lady Recipe" in your family?

BTW: The giveaway for a copy of A Discovery of Witches has ended but I am in the midst of a big work "thing" and haven't had a chance to do the drawing. I'll be back in a day or two with the announcement of the winner.

Creamy Parsnip Soup: Nigel Slater's A Rich Root and Cheese Soup for a Winter's Day for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

2012-01-01T00:11:00.004-10:00

Since it's New Year's Day, I should probably be eating a soup with black eyed peas or long noodles or one of the other traditional good luck foods for a new year. Ah well, timing was never my strongest quality. Instead I bring you a velvety rich soup with a slightly unusual combination of ingredients like parsnips, turmeric, chile flakes, grainy mustard and cheese.

The recipe is from Tender: A Cook and His Vegetable Patch by Nigel Slater. (BTW: It's a great book for the bedside table as Slater's food writing is just as absorbing as the hundreds of recipes contained in this thick book)

Slater says, "...It's during these cold, gray sky days that I sometimes feel as if I live on soup. Roots--fat carrots, artichokes, and woody parsnips--are part of the lineup, along with onions and the occasional potato. I take pleasure in something that can be both earthy and velvety at the same time. Rather like my gardening gloves."

A Rich Root and Cheese Soup for a Winter's Day
From Tender by Nigel Slater
(Enough for 4)

a medium onion
large parsnips--2
butter--4 Tbsp (50 g)
garlic--2 plump cloves
a little flour
dried chile flakes--a teaspoon
turmeric--half a teaspoon
vegetable stock--4 cups (a liter)
light cream--scant 1/2 cup (100 ml)
mild, grainy mustard--2 Tbsp
Cornish Yarg, or perhaps Gruyère--3 1/2 oz (100 g), diced

(I added the juice of 1 lemon)

Peel and coarsely chop the onion and parsnips. Melt the butter in a large, heavy pot, add the onion and, once it started to relax, add the parsnips. Peel the garlic, squash it flat, then add it to the pan. Cook over medium heat, lid on, until the onion has colored lightly and the edges of the parsnips are mostly golden. Resist disturbing the vegetables too much as they cook: a slight browning of the parsnips here and there is essential to the flavor of the soup.

Sprinkle a dusting of flour into the pot, stir in the chile flakes and turmeric, then cook for a minute or two to remove the raw taste of the flour. Add the stock, stir, and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to let the soup to sit at a light boil and continue until the vegetables are soft, about twenty minutes.

Pour into a blender or food processor and whiz to a creamy puree. Add the cream and mustard and salt and freshly ground pepper
to taste. Drop the cubes of cheese into four warm soup bowls, then ladle the soup over. Serve Immediately.

Notes/Results: A very rich soup full of flavor. I wasn't sure how well everything would come together but it does--even better with a little lemon juice to brighten it all up. There is a slight sweetness from the parsnips--an earthiness too, a kick from the chili flakes, a tang from the mustard, and the nuttiness of the the cubes of cheese, which soften nicely in the warm soup. With some grilled bread it is a warming and satisfying supper and a sunshiny yellow from the turmeric. I would make this again.

I am sending this soup along to Sue's Cookbook Sundays, at Couscous & Consciousness, where you will find links to some great dishes and great cookbooks.

Now let's take a look into the Souper Sunday kitchen on this first day of 2012.

Heather of girlichef made some gorgeous green Posole de Camarones (Shrimp and Hominy Stew) as part of her holiday meal and says, "We rarely do formal on Christmas. This year we had Carnitas con Mole with stacks of steaming tortillas along with our Ponche Navideño. And we had a big pot of Posole de Camarones...the color of which just begs to be made on Christmas. It's beautifully green broth flecked with hints of red from the chiles de arbol that accent the tangy lime sea salt."

Janet of The Taste Space has two salads to share this week. First up is this Warm Lentil Salad with Caramelized Onions and Brussels Sprouts, about which she says, "I based this dish off of my Mujaddara, which is a Middle Eastern dish lentil and rice dish with caramelized onions. I replaced the rice with caramelized roasted Brussels sprouts, omitted the cinnamon from the simmering lentils and added some toasted pecans. A simple warm salad that is more than the sum of its parts. The earthy lentils lend a base of the sweet yet earthy sprouts, contrasted by the sweet caramelized onions with a crunch from toasted pecans. And the Brussels sprouts? They taste like little dense cabbage. Sweet, after the roasting."

Janet's second salad is this New Year's inspired Garlicky and Lemony Black-Eyed Pea and Kale Salad. She says, "If you use canned beans (or peas?), this is a wickedly fast recipe to make. However, I made my own BEPs from scratch. Adding the vegetable broth, bay leaves and onion really boosts the beans since it all gets absorbed by the beans. Combined with the garlic, lemon, and kale, this is a tasty pot of beans that is low in fat but full of flavour. Yes, there are 6 cloves of garlic, but they are cooked and more subdued. You can eat it hot from the pan, but I preferred the chilled leftovers – perfect for lunch on New Year’s Day or your next potluck."

My friend Sue from Couscous & Consciousness made this pretty Wild Rice, Black Cherry & Goat Cheese Salad. She says, "I came across a recipe for "Whole Grain Rice Salad", which certainly sounded wholesome enough, but that seriously doesn't sound like celebration fare, now does it? Still the picture in the book looked pretty and a read through of the ingredients convinced me that this dish could indeed be a festive dinner. Now, really, don't you think that a dish of wild rice, studded with black cherries, toasted hazelnuts, goat cheese and tossed with a cherry vinaigrette, and which looks like this, deserves a better name than Whole Grain Rice Salad?"

Joanne of Eats Well With Others has a colorful Garlic-Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Wheatberry Salad with Pomegranate to share and says, "My gift to my family this year was a week's worth of vegetables, a lifetime supply of antioxidants, and vitamin A levels that are through the roof. (And fiber. Lots and lots of fiber.) All in the form of a nice compact, user-friendly salad. This, my friends, is the epitome of the "gift that keeps on giving". It will give you lower cholesterol. It will give you a smaller waistline. It will give you orange skin (if you eat it for every meal for a month on end. Which some may or may not be wont to do). It will give you the ability to eat two slices of rainbow cookie cake for dessert without even a hint of guilt. And it will probably give you superpowers.** **Results are not typical. Individual responses may vary."

Foodycat made some delectable Bacon Jam and used it for this equally yummy Chicken, Bacon Jam & Tomato Sandwich. She says, "his stuff is ambrosial. Anyone who likes strong, salty flavours like tapenade or Gentleman's Relish would like the complex sweet, sharp and earthy flavour of this bacon jam. We gave it a first run for a quick lunch on a sourdough sandwich of leftover roast chicken, with sliced tomatoes and roast garlic mayo. A really fabulous (and lettuceless) variation on a BLT."

Speaking of delectable, I need to give a shout out to the Burgers with Dan Lepard's Slider Buns that Foodycat made last week. Our wires crossed and I didn't get them posted until after the day after the Souper Sundays round up last week. If you didn't see them last week, go take a look.

Thanks to everyone who joined in this week. If you have a soup, or salad or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays badge on my side bar for all of the details.

Don't forget, you have until Tuesday to win a copy of a great read, A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. Click here for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week and a wonderful New Year!

(Vegan) Sausage and Potato Goulash--A Delicious Winter Warmer

2011-12-30T00:00:00.000-10:00

Winter dishes mean comfort food full of warming spices like cinnamon and paprika. This makes a dish like goulash perfect for this time of year. Over at I Heart Cooking Clubs we are cooking up recipes for a Winter Wonderland. Of course this being Hawaii, we don't have a cold weather and snow but it is definitely cooler this time of year and the last couple of weeks have been breezy, rainy and cool enough for a light blanket to snuggle with. Works for me!

Since I am not cooking or eating meat right now, I decided to make the dish using some good vegan sausages, but of course, you can make it with any kind of sausages you like. Or, if you can't find a good vegan sausage, you could sub out the meat for your favorite beans and still have a delicious and satisfying dish.

Tessa Kiros says, "This is a great, quick, tasty meal-in-one that will serve quite a few people or leave you with enough leftovers for the next day. Adults can serve theirs with a twist of pepper. This can be completely prepared in advance and just warmed up to serve. It's important to use good quality sausages--Italian sausages are also good."

(Vegan) Sausage and Potato Goulash
Apples for Jam
(Serves 8)

1 3/4 lbs good-quality sausages (I used Field Roast Italian Sausages)
2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter (I omitted the butter)
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 to 2 tsp sweet paprika
5 to 6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup canned, diced tomatoes
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
2 cups hot water
salt
2 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Slice the sausages into rounds about 1/2 inch thick. Heat the oil and butter in large heavy-bottomed pan (cast iron is good) and sauté the onion for a couple of minutes over medium heat. Stir in the paprika, cook for 30 seconds or so, and then add the sausages. Continue cooking, stirring fairly often, until the sausages turn golden in places. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, cinnamon, bay leaf, and 2 cups of hot water. Season with salt and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are softened and the goulash is thick and stewy. Stir with a wooden spoon from time to time and loosen the bits at the bottom to make sure they don't stick. If the potatoes are not quite done after that time, take the pan off the heat and leave it with the lid on it for the potatoes to continue steaming. Mix the parsley through and serve hot, or even at room temperature.

Notes/Results: The smell of this goulash bubbling away is pretty irresistible--the scent of the paprika and cinnamon linger lightly in the air and combine with the tomatoes, sausage and onions to make a thick, rich, and very flavorful sauce. I served the goulash on my usual bed of baby spinach to get those greens in, and it made for a very warming and filling dinner that came together in no time. I would make this again.

You can see what Winter Wonderland creations the other IHCC participants made this week by going to the post and following the links.

***A Discovery of Witches Giveaway***

Don't forget that I am hosting a drawing for a terrific winter read to curl up with on a winter's day; A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. Get all the details about the book & how to enter for a chance to win here.

A Discovery of Witches--Giveaway!--Win a Copy of a Wonderful Winter Book Escape

2011-12-28T20:53:00.007-10:00

I'm a bad, bad food blogger. There hasn't been a whole lot of posting going on here at Kahakai Kitchen. Or a whole lot of cooking, or photo taking, or other bloggerly pursuits. I have eaten some great food, even cooked a little here and there for various holiday events but I haven't bothered with pictures or writing down recipes and such. In fact, it's been little difficult coming out from under the blankets when I have not been working. Yep, Max and I find blankets hard to resist and take every advantage to pull one out when the weather turns a little cooler. It has been very windy, somewhat rainy, cool, and about the closest it gets to blanket weather here the last couple of weeks.

Blanket weather calls for a cup of tea and a big, thick sumptuous book to curl up and escape from the holiday hustle and bustle. The book keeping me company right now is the fantasy novel A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. I am in the thick of reading it right now and I am coming out from under the blankets to let you know that you have an opportunity to win a copy of the newly-released paperback version for yourself.

A Discovery of Witches is the tale of Diana Bishop, an Oxford scholar and historian and also a witch--a direct descendant of the first woman executed in the Salem Witch Trials in fact. Diana doesn't do much magic, wanting to be normal and to advance in her academic career on her own merits. When she accidentally uncovers an enchanted manuscript hidden away inside an old alchemy book called Ashmole 782 in the at Oxford's Bodleian Library, Diana quickly returns the book to the stacks but suddenly there are an excess of witches, daemons and vampires coming out of the woodwork and willing to do anything to get their hands on the book which has been missing for hundreds of years and purportedly holds the secrets to their origins. Diana finds herself at first frightened by and then attracted to a particular mysterious vampire, Matthew Clairmont, who wants the book for his genetics research and wants Diana too, even though witches and vampires rarely mix and have prejudices against each other (and daemons and humans too of course).

The book is an absorbing combination of mystery, suspense, romance and magic, with about 1,500 years of world history worked in its nearly 600 pages. I like that it is a smart book, that these are adult characters, and it isn't the typical story of an awkward teen-age mortal girl in love with a vampire. Diana is an intelligent, history-loving, rowing enthusiast who just happens to be a witch, and Matthew is a smart, yoga practicing, wine connoisseur scientist who just happens to be a vampire. I will confess that I am only about a third of the way through the book so far but I am completely caught up in the story and it is very hard to put down.

A Discovery of Witches was just published in paperback from Penguin Books on December 27th. The book debuted at # 2 on the New York Times bestseller list and became an international phenomenon with major publications in 34 countries and over 300,000 copies sold. Warner Brothers recently acquired screen rights to the book and its sequels and the second installment in the All Souls Trilogy, Shadow of Night, due out in summer 2012. The new paperback cover of A Discovery of Witches is gorgeous—the spine art of Oxford from the original edition is featured on the cover. You can read more about the book and author Deborah Harkness, here on her site.

***A Discovery of Witches Giveaway***

The publisher was kind enough to send me a copy of this luscious book and is letting me give away a copy to a lucky reader looking to escape the winter doldrums.

If you would like to win a copy for yourself it's very simple: just leave me a comment on this post, sharing what your favorite book that you read in 2011 is by 11:45 PM (Hawaii time) on Tuesday, January 3rd. I'll randomly draw a name and announce it the following day and the publisher will send out the copy soon after.

Good Luck! I'm off to read the next chapter. ;-)

Disclosure Statement: A review and a giveaway copy of this book were provided by the publisher but I received no monetary compensation and as always my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hungarian Mushroom Soup From "The Vegan Slow Cooker" for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

2011-12-25T12:05:00.002-10:00

Hungarian Mushroom Soup is a favorite of mine. It has made two other appearances at Souper Sundays, (The New Moosewood Cookbook version, and my favorite from Old Wives' Tales restaurant in Portland, OR). So when I saw a version of the Moosewood recipe in The Vegetarian Slow Cooker by Kathy Hester, I knew I had to try it.

This version uses cashew cream in place of the normal sour cream. I have used cashew cream in sauces both sweet and savory, and as a base for curry, but never in a soup and I was curious on how similar it would be to the soup I know and love.

Kathy Hester says, "There is a special place in my heart for Mollie Katzen. I taught myself how to cook from her Moosewood Cookbook. This is one of her recipes that I have veganized and adapted to the slow cooker. It is a thick, super-creamy, earthy treat on a cold winter's night. It's also one of my most requested soups."

Hungarian Mushroom Soup
By The Vegan Slow Cooker by Kathy Hester
(Yield: 4 Servings)
Total Prep Time: 15 minutes / Total Cooking Time: 6 to 8 hours

For the Cashew Sour Cream:
3/4 cup (100 g) raw cashews
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
juice of 1/2 lemon

For the Soup:
2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
1 medium-sized onion, minced
2 packages (10 oz or 280 g each) mushrooms, chopped
2 cups (470 ml) water
1/2 Tbsp (3 g) vegan chicken-flavored bouillon
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1 to 2 Tbsp (4 g) minced dill (to taste), plus extra for garnish
2 Tbsp (14 g) paprika

The Night Before:
To make the sour cream: Combine the cashews, water, and lemon juice in a blender or food processor and purée until fairly smooth. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

To make the soup: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until they begin to brown and give off their liquid, 8 to 10 minutes, Store in a separate airtight container in the fridge.

In the Morning:
Combine the sautéed vegetables, water, bouillon, lemon juice, salt and pepper, dill, and paprika in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Add the sour cream and stir to combine. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Garnish the bowls of hot soup with extra dill.

Recipe Ideas and Variations: Don't have any cashews on hand? Use the same amount of silken tofu instead. It makes a great non-dairy sour cream, too!

Notes/Results: Excellent--as much flavor and creaminess as the original, but dairy-free and filled with more nutritional benefits than sour cream. Of course cashew cream is not low fat, but most of the fat is the healthier kind and there is about a 1/4 cup of it per serving of soup so not too bad. I plan to play around with it in more soups. This is a soup you could serve to anyone and they would have no idea it didn't contain dairy. I had a feeling I would like this soup so I doubled the recipe--plus mushrooms were on sale this week. I used low sodium veggie stock in place of the bouillon and added an extra cup of water and put my cooker on for 8 hours. It was nice to come home to a delicious-smelling kitchen and just have to mix in the cashew cream and have dinner ready to go. I would make this again.

I am sending this tasty soup to Cookbook Sundays, an event created by my friend Sue at Couscous and Consciousness and celebrating using all those cookbooks we all have stacked around. Check out her blog for the links to some tasty dishes and great cookbooks.

It's a little quiet this Christmas Day in the Souper Sunday kitchen, but we do have two glorious soups, a colorful salad and some delicious burgers on this busy holiday weekend.

Joanne from Eats Well With Others has a healthy, hearty Curried Eggplant Soup to help stay on track during a holiday week of eating. She says, "...it's not the one slice of cake that's going to do the damage. It's all of chocolate and the cookies and the peanut butter I'm going to eat afterward that do. To combat that, this week. I planned. I planned light dinners on days that I knew that there would be lunch out. Lots of exercise on nights that I knew would involve birthday cake. And it worked. Fancy that. One of those light dinners was this curried eggplant soup. It's sweet and spicy and has a lot of staying power due to the white beans that are pureed into it and all the fiber from the eggplant and apple that are mixed in there as well. (Yes, there's an apple in it. Trust me. It's a good move.) And, um. Minus the feta I threw on top for photogenic-izing purposes. It's vegan."

Janet from The Taste Space has a soup and a salad to share this week. About her seasonally colorful Christmas Eve Borscht (or Barszcz) she says, "Polish barszcz has numerous variations, but the vegetarian version is commonly reserved for Christmas Eve. With the bloody blazing red beets you have a very festive soup with the dilly green accent. This version, tinkered from Rebar, makes a huge pot of soup filled with vegetables – beets, cabbage, carrots and tomatoes – and white beans for good measure. Lemon juice and balsamic vinegar add that necessary tang, a key feature in Polish barszcz. Traditionally, the soup was aged to get that acidic tang. Sounds like a project to tackle in the new year. ;)"

Janet's salad is this Garlic-Roasted Butternut Squash and Kale Salad with Pomegranate. She says, "First of all, let me apologize for the less-than-stellar photos. That’s the sacrifice for making a new recipe for guests away from home. Trust me, though, that the salad is stellar. Wilted kale. Garlic roasted butternut squash. Pomegranate arils. Smothered with a lemony vinaigrette. Oh so festive with a green base and sparkly red jewels. ... It is hard to muck up a salad with such delicious ingredients, so add what you like. :) This made a ton of food, and the beauty of kale salads is that the leftovers are just as good… which is what I brought home to photograph for you. ;)"

We have one luscious sandwich submission from Foodycat, these Burgers with Dan Lepard's Slider Buns. She says, "We were just having burgers for dinner at home, so I made large buns, not dainty little slider buns. I also didn't have an egg so I glazed them with milk. My burger patties were made from an equal quantity of bison mince and 12% fat beef mince, with a little chopped garlic and salt and pepper mixed in. I usually just do salt and pepper, but Paul particularly wanted garlic in them. They certainly don't need anything else added. I split the buns, piled in some shredded lettuce and topped with a cooked burger, with some mature cheddar melted on, and a good spoonful of chilli relish."

Thanks to Joanne, Janet & Foodycat for joining in this week. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the side bar for all of the details.

Happy Holidays, & Merry Christmas.

Have a healthy, happy week!

Raspberry Sauce--A Festive, Fun, and Versatile Topping

2011-12-23T00:15:00.001-10:00

We are celebrating the season with Holiday Goodies at I Heart Cooking Clubs. I was thinking I was on a bit of "goodie" overload with all of the treats that abound this time of year and was going to make something savory, when I found a recipe for Raspberry Syrup in Apples for Jam. The fact that it takes minutes to make, only uses three ingredients (four if you count water), and I had a bag of organic raspberries in the freezer sealed the deal.

This sauce is brilliantly, festively red and perfect to toss together when you need a special topping or sauce for a variety of desserts. It would be great on cheesecake, custards, or a flourless chocolate torte to name just a few. Or use it to liven up a bowl of plain vanilla ice-cream and turn it into a holiday dessert. It was the perfect topping for yesterday's delicious Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pancakes--can't beat that dark chocolate raspberry combination. Feeling the need to be a little healthier? It would be wonderful on Greek yogurt or stirred into oatmeal, and (although it's pretty hard to improve on a mango), it is sublime drizzled on slices of fresh sweet mango. Add a couple of small scoops of mango sorbet to the plate and you can pretend you are having a light dessert at a luxury spa. You could even give it as a holiday gift in little jars. Yep, it's very versatile. I think it may end up in my smoothie tomorrow morning...

Tessa Kiros says, "This is perfect for making sundaes, and it's also lovely drizzled over a dollop of Greek-style yogurt or a bowl of apricot ice cream. Spoon some into a glass before pouring in your milkshakes or smoothies, or serve it with cream over crepes, pancakes, and waffles. Or you could use about 1/2 cup of sugar and only 4 tablespoons of water and add the berries to the pan at the start to make a fruit syrup. Pour a little into a glass and top it up with sparkling or still water. You can use any berries you like--blueberries, cherries, cranberries..."

Raspberry Sauce
From Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros
(Makes about 3/4 cup)

2 1/2 Tbsp superfine sugar
juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup water
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

Put the sugar and lemon juice in a sauce pan with 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Put the raspberries in a processor or blender , pour the hot syrup over the top, and puree until smooth. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve.

Notes/Results: A tasty combination of sweet and slightly tangy. Opening the jar of this sauce reminds me of a summer day in a berry field--it just makes me happy. As much as I enjoyed Tessa's Cranberry Syrup that I made a few weeks ago, I liked this one even more. An easy and delicious keeper recipe.

You can check out the Holiday Goodies that the other IHCC participants made by going to the post and following the links.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pancakes with Raspberry Sauce: A Bit Naughty & Nice for Food 'n Flix December Pick: Christmas in Connecticut

2011-12-21T22:36:00.011-10:00

Can you flip flapjacks in the skillet? Elizabeth Lane can. At least Elizabeth Lane, the 1945 version of Martha Stewart, author of a weekly column in Smart Housekeeping magazine. That Elizabeth Lane is a gourmet cook, dishing up recipes and stories of life on her Connecticut farm with her husband, baby and even a pet cow. In reality things are a bit different, the real Elizabeth Lane is a single "career girl" and lives in a little apartment in New York City. She can't cook and the recipes of the gourmet dishes she writes about are provided by her friend Felix, a chef and cafe owner.

When recovering war hero Jefferson Jones tells his besotted nurse that he has never had a real home, she writes to Elizabeth's publisher, Alexander Yardley, to see if Jones can spend Christmas in Connecticut with Elizabeth and her family. Yardley thinks it is a brilliant idea to sell more magazines and invites not only Jefferson Jones, but himself along for the holidays. Backed into a corner and knowing she will be fired if her publisher learns the truth, Elizabeth in desperation finally agrees to marry her persistent suitor, architect John Sloan, who just so happens to have a farm in Connecticut. Of course much mayhem ensues in this classic romantic comedy Christmas in Connecticut starring Barbara Stanwyck. It's a fun little movie and part of my Christmas film collection so I was happy that Heather of girlichef selected it as the December pick for Food 'n Flix.

Elizabeth's publisher Mr. Yardley, has definite ideas about his ideal Christmas, which includes watching Elizabeth flip flapjacks on Christmas morning. Elizabeth, the non-cook, gets a lesson in pancake flipping from her chef friend Felix who has come along to secretly do the cooking but she fails each attempt. Will she be able to flip pancakes for Yardley, pull off posing as an expert cook, wife, mother and role model for her readers, and fight her growing attraction to Jefferson, or will her subterfuge be discovered? (You'll have to rent it and find out!)

Yes, pancakes are an obvious choice for a dish inspired by this movie but I couldn't resist. Mainly because they are easy, require no special ingredients and once again, although I re-watched the movie at the beginning of the month, I am sneaking in days before the deadline with my entry. (At least I am consistent!) I am a pancake scooper, not a flipper, although when I was in grade school and a Girl Scout, I earned a special "ROPF" patch. ROPF stood for "Royal Order of Pancake Flippers" and we had had to successfully flip one pancake to earn the somewhat homely homemade felt patch, designed to look like a pan with a flapjack in it. I made a (somewhat halfhearted) attempt to determine which box in my closet holds my Girl Scout sash so you could see my proof, but quickly gave up. You'll just need to take my word for it. ;-)

I thought if I was going with an easy dish like pancakes, I should jazz them up a bit. I made a Raspberry Sauce this week for I Heart Cooking Clubs, so I decided to add some mini dark chocolate chips to the pancakes because chocolate and raspberry are a good combination and seemed festive. Since I was putting the chocolate in and raspberry sauce on top, I thought the pancakes themselves should be somewhat healthy (a little bit naughty and a little bit nice), so I made Oatmeal Pancakes (from the Coach's Oat site), and added the chocolate chips. It's all about balance people!

Oatmeal Pancakes
Adapted from the Coach's Oats website
(Makes 16-18 pancakes)

2 cups all-purpose flour (I used oat flour ground from the Coach's Oats)
1 cup Coach’s Oats
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar (I reduced the sugar by 1/2 since I was adding the chocolate)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk (I used almond milk)
1 cup water

(1/3 cup mini vegan chocolate chips)

In a mixing bowl, stir together dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine eggs, vanilla, milk and water. Add liquid to dry ingredients. Stir mixture until well blended. (Mix in mini chips)

Pour 1/4 cup batter into a hot, lightly greased griddle for each pancake. Cook both sides until golden brown.

Notes/Results: Mmm... Chocolate chip pancakes + raspberry sauce = good! I made a half-batch of the pancakes, which made about 5 salad plate size and 1 small one. The oats make them a bit dense and chewier than regular pancakes, but in a good way. One thing--if attempting to be semi-healthy, do not attempt to take a 30 minute work phone call in the middle of mixing pancakes and forget you added the chocolate chips then add more. If you don't care go ahead and add away--it didn't hurt the taste any. The raspberry sauce had enough tartness to keep these pancakes from being too sweet, but still, all I could manage to eat was two. The giant stack of four was just for dramatic effect. Really.

Note: The Raspberry Sauce deserves it's own glory, so you will find the recipe posted tomorrow.

The deadline for this month's Food 'n Flix is a bit early this month, December 23rd. Heather will be rounding them up soon after. If you missed this round, join in January when we will be watching Eat Pray Love, hosted by The Law Student's Cookbook.

Are you a flapjack flipper or pancake scooper?

Carrot-Ginger-Tahini Soup: A Sunny, Creamy Blend for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

2011-12-18T13:30:00.006-10:00

This Carrot-Ginger-Tahini Soup has been on my "to-make" list ever since I first saw the recipe. I like the addition of creamy tahini to an already classic combination of carrots and ginger. The fact that it is simple to make for a busy pre-holiday week makes it all the better.

It's from Vegan's Daily Companion by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. The recipe looked fine as written but I love cumin with carrots so I added a bit and a squeeze of lemon juice before serving. Since it shares some of the same ingredients as hummus, I paired a cup of the soup with some garlic hummus and slices of warm flat bread for a light supper.

Patrick-Goudreau says, "If you have never added tahini (sesame paste) to a creamy soup, you're in for a real treat. With it's nutty flavor and smooth texture, it adds dimension and pairs particularly well with carrots."

Carrot-Ginger-Tahini Soup
From Vegan's Daily Companion by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
(Yield: 4 Servings)

7 or 8 large carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
1 yellow onion, diced
2 tsp (5.4 g) grated ginger
4 cups (940 ml) vegetable stock or water
2 Tbsp (30 g) tahini
1/4 cup (60 ml) nondairy milk (soy, rice, almond, hazelnut, hemp or oat)
salt and freshly ground pepper
(1 tsp ground cumin)
(juice of 1/2 lemon)

To a 4-quart saucepan, add the carrots, onion, ginger, and vegetable stock. Cook over medium heat for 40 minutes, or until the carrots are soft.

Transfer to a blender, add the tahini and milk, and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Return the soup to the pot to heat and serve, or transfer to a container and store in the refrigerator until ready to heat and serve. Garnish with freshly ground pepper.

Note: Oil-free, wheat-free, soy-free if not using soy milk.

Notes/Results: Silky smooth and a nice combination of the warming ginger, sweet carrots and nutty tahini. The cumin added a smokiness and the lemon brought out the flavors. This is a low-effort soup, just a bit of chopping in the beginning, and if you use an immersion blender, it's a one-pot dish. Satisfyingly creamy without any dairy, I would make this again.

We have some good friends waiting in the Souper Sundays kitchen, let's take a look.

Janet from The Taste Space has a healthy Lentil and Root Veggie Dal to share. She says, "...a red lentil curry, complete with ginger, curry powder, coriander, cumin, cardamom and cinnamon, complemented with a host of root vegetables: carrot, parsnip and turnip (did you spot the cruciferous vegetable?). A quick and healthy recipe, it was also up my alley. ...The vegetables make this a sweet curry and I thought this complemented the savoury spices well. For the curry novices out there, there was no hint of curry powder taste… unless you decide to add more! I found this perfecto as written."

Graziana from Erbe in Cucina is back with a hearty Autumn Chili to share. She says, "A recipe warm and comforting that will make you love the autumn for its delicious ingredients. I used my Black Chili Powder made from Chilhuacle Negro chilies. You can use a pinch of any type of hot powder, but black or brown chiles are generally mild and very aromatic.You can change some ingredients creating your own autumn chili, but don't forget the fried pumpkin, it was the perfect topping. I use one of my gorgeous Jack Be Little mini pumpkins. I served the chili with a freshly baked corn bread with aromatic herbs, that I will post soon."

My friend Sue from Couscous and Consciousness is joining us for the first time at Souper Sundays from New Zealand where summer is arriving slowly. Sue made this pretty End of Spring Ministrone with Rocket, Spinach & Walnut Pesto, and says, "For this soup brown rice is cooked in a light vegetable broth, with spring vegetables (I used asparagus, zucchini, and peas) added right at the end, so that the vegetables are still bright green and crispy. I made a pesto from some spinach and rocket (arugula) I'd harvested from my garden, and topped the soup with a generous dollop of that, along with some freshly grated lemon zest and shaved pecorino cheese." Welcome Sue!

Tigerfish from Teczcape-An Escape to Food has a unique dessert soup to share, this Snow (White) Fungus Dessert Soup. She says, "I wanted more nutrients in a bowl so that time and efforts spent cooking in the same pot is maximized. So, it is wild snow fungus 野生银耳, sweet potatoes and hulled barley. Weird? After I made this, I decided that that it was the last time with sweet potatoes and barley. Not that it tasted lousy but it was really kind of weird. The second time I made it, I just cook the snow fungus to tenderness and before consuming them, drizzle good quality raw honey into it. It was much better, and I get the feeling of being refreshed inside out!"

One salad this week from Joanne at Eats Well With Others who made a flavorful Eggplant and Chickpea Salad with Moroccan Spaghetti Squash. She says, "It was with great trepidation... that I taste tested the Greek feta dressing from Marzetti's new Simply Dressed line. Unlike most salad dressings, these are free of preservatives, trans fat, high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors. The verdict? Yum. The dressing was tangy and totally feta-full, which I loved. And it went perfectly on top of my eggplant and chickpea salad with Moroccan-spiced spaghetti squash (the only way in which I've ever actually LOVED eating spaghetti squash on it's own)."

Thanks to everyone who joined in. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays link on the side bar for all of the details.

Note: Souper Sundays is still on for Christmas although we will be posting a little early. If you'd like to join in, please try to have your entry in by midnight, (Hawaii-Standard Time) on Saturday, December 24th. Mahalo!

Have a happy, healthy holiday week!

Rotini with Red Bell Pepper & Anchovy Sauce (Salsa Piccante di Peperone e Acciughe)

2011-12-14T00:00:00.001-10:00

I wanted pasta. I wanted a creamy sauce and something different from tomato or pesto. I had two red bell peppers and my stack of Tessa Kiros cookbooks. In Venezia I found a recipe for Salsa Piccante di Peperone e Acciughe, a sauce made from red peppers and anchovies and meant to be a condiment for fish or meat or drizzled on bread. I thought it sounded like a perfect sauce for the twists and turns of rotini pasta.

Some people are frightened by anchovies. Although I confess I am not a fan of a bunch of whole ones perched about my Caesar salad due to their hairy appearance, I do love them mixed into sauces and things where their flavor adds a unique richness. If you are not a fan, just open the can or jar, tip them into the pan without looking and whisk them quickly so they break down and you don't have to spend time looking at them. I promise you won't notice they are in the dish. If you like them but your family or dinner guests don't--shhhh!!! Don't tell them, hide the tin and no one will be the wiser. What they do is round out this creamy sauce which is a pleasing mix of lightly sweet and salty and pretty darn addicting, so I highly recommend you use them.

Tessa says, "Luisa's grandmother always made this to serve with a bollito misto (boiled dinner). You can also serve it with a simple plate of boiled chicken, fish, or grilled meat. It's also great drizzled onto grilled bread.

Red Bell Pepper & Anchovy Sauce (Salsa Piccante di Peperone e Acciughe)
From Venezia by Tessa Kiros
(Makes 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup olive oil (I used 1/3 cup)
4 very large anchovy fillets in oil, drained
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
2 small red bell peppers, seeded and cut into pieces
1 Tbsp capers in vinegar, brined
3/4 cup vegetable broth, not too salty
2 tsp white wine vinegar

Heat the olive oil and anchovies in a small saucepan, whisking so the anchovies dissolve. Add the flour, whisking until smooth.

Add the garlic, pepper, and the capers. Bring to a slow boil, then add the vegetable broth. Lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, whisking now and then so that nothing sticks. Allow to cool a little, then puree thoroughly using a handheld blender. When completely cool, stir in the vinegar.

Notes/Results: Creamy and really delicious. The sauce has a nice complexity and is a change from your standard tomato sauce. I loved the flavor and the way it was heightened and made brighter from the touch of vinegar. This dish is simple to make and can pretty much be done in the time it takes to get the water boiling and pasta cooked. I cut down the oil from 1/2 cup to 1/3 cup (just because I am always looking for easy, painless to reduce a little fat and calories) but it wasn't missed. I served this on Barilla Plus Rotini--a personal favorite because who doesn't need a little extra fiber (4 grams versus 1 gram in regular pasta) and nutrients in a pasta that has the same taste and texture as white pasta? You can of course use the pasta of your choice. I garnished the dish with some fresh basil from my herb garden and a whisper of finely grated Parmesan cheese. Totally satisfied the current craving and I will make this tasty sauce again--as a pasta sauce or a condiment.

It's Potluck week at I Heart Cooking Clubs, our chance to make any recipe we want. You can check out what dishes everyone made by going to the post and checking out the links.

In addition to IHCC, I am sending this easy pasta dish to Ruth's Presto Pasta Nights, hosted this week by my friend and Cook the Books co-host Rachel, The Crispy Cook. PPN takes a break for the holidays so stop by Rachel's blog on Friday for the last PPN roundup of this year.

Are you an anchovy fan or foe?

Navy Bean Soup--Comfort on a Rainy Weekend for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

2011-12-11T13:30:00.001-10:00

It's been an overall cool, rainy and very windy weekend here. Of course this is Hawaii so in between the rain downpours there is sun and the temperature doesn't dip too low, but still it is comfort soup weather for sure. I enjoy soup all year long regardless of the weather, however a stormy day makes me want a simple soup that is thick and hearty and can bubble away on the stove all day ready to scoop into bowls for a warming dinner. This simple Navy Bean Soup meets criteria and so it got bumped up on the soup-to-make list.

The recipe comes from The Feast Nearby: How I Lost My Job, Buried a Marriage, and Found My Way by Keeping Chickens, Foraging, Preserving, Bartering, and Eating Locally (All on Forty Dollars a Week, by Robin Mather. I picked up this book for a great price at the Borders close out sales and it has sat on the nightstand, the essays being dipped into each night before bed. Mather is a food journalist who lost her job and decided to end her marriage. Simplifying her life led her back her native rural Michigan where she moved into a 650-foot cottage on a lake. The book journeys through the seasons on her year-long quest to eat well seasonally, locally, on a budget and lead a simple life. It's good fun and the essays combine her experiences, tips for homesteading and of course recipes.

Robin Mather says, "I make this recipe just for myself, freezing half or more in individual plastic containers that hold 2 cups, just enough for a fast lunch or simple supper. Some people, including me, like a little lemon juice or apple cider vinegar stirred into a bowl of bean soup to brighten and sharpen the flavors."

Navy Bean Soup
From The Feast Nearby by Robin Mather
(Makes 8 Generous Servings)

2 lbs (about 5 cups) dried navy beans
1 1/2 lbs smoked ham hocks (I used a smoked turkey leg)
1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 tsp dried summer savory or dried thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sort the beans by spilling them onto a baking sheet and removing any debris and broken beans. Transfer the beans to a colander and rinse the beans with hot water until slightly whitened. Pour the beans into a large pot with a lid and add 2 quarts hot tap water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, decrease the heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour. Drain the beans by pouring into a colander in the sink; rinse with cold water. Return the beans to the pot.

Add the ham hocks, onion, carrots, and 2 quarts hot tap water; bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 3 hours. Remove the ham hocks and set aside to cool. Allow the soup to continue to simmer.

Remove the meat from the ham hocks. Dice the meat and return to the soup, discarding the gristle and bones. Add the savory or thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer the soup for 30 minutes longer, then serve.

Notes/Results: Creamy, comforting, full of good flavor and just right for a rainy, windy day. This soup doesn't take a lot of effort, just some time and is good for a day when you can let it simmer away, filling the house with a delicious aroma that makes it hard to wait. I actually tested my soup and cut about 1/2 hour off of the cooking time. My beans were tender and creamy but not mushy, which is the way I like them. I replaced the ham hocks with a smoked turkey leg from my freezer. If you want to make it vegetarian omit the smoked meat and add a touch of liquid smoke or stir in some smoked paprika at the end. I liked the squeeze of lemon that Mather recommends at the end--it does brighten the flavors. A tasty soup that I would make again.

We have a few friends waiting in the Souper Sundays kitchen, let's take a look.

Heather of girlichef is protective of her Sundays and made this Caldo Tlalpeño Garbanzo-Vegetable Soup w/ Smoky Broth to comfort. She says, "So, you can imagine my chagrin when I found out that my husband's "holiday party" for work was on a Sunday night. From 5:00-8:00. In the evening. On a Sunday. What in the higgity-hizeck is that all about!? Can you imagine what's going on in my head for the entire weekend? I know, I know...chill out, right? Deep breaths. You will get through this. So a comforting bowl of soup with a warm, smoky broth, tender shreds of chicken, and earthy, mealy chickpeas with a hint of lime and some creamy avocado...well, it was just the thing I needed to guide me through this weekend. It soothed the obsessive, organized, control-freak side of me for the rest of the day. Isn't it amazing what a good bowl of soup can do?"

It's nice to have fellow Hawaii blogger Spencer of Live2EatEat2Live Blog back this week. He made a flavorful Fish Head Soup and says, "Went to the Japanese warehouse market to look for vegetables. Found cut-up fish heads, fairly inexpensive. Decided to try to make fish head soup. ... Made a dashi with a small amount of dried wakame seaweed and dried shiitake mushrooms.Boiled firm tofu to squeeze the water out.Added ginger, Shao Xing wine and reconstituted wood-ear fungus to the dashi. Added the fish head (this was part of an Aku or tuna head) and tofu, simmered for fifteen minutes, added the Napa cabbage and simmered for another fifteen minutes, done."

Janet from The Taste Space has a salad to share, this Coleslaw with a Spicy Almond Dressing (aka Raw “Pad Thai”). She says, "Here, you chop, grate, julienne and otherwise manually spiralize a host of veggies. Pick your favourites but some are more sturdy than others: carrot, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, bell pepper, etc. Then you coat them in a spicy-sweet almond sauce: ginger and chili flakes give you some heat, dates and agave confer sweetness, balanced by the sour lemon juice and saltiness from soy sauce. And of course, this all lusciously bathes within creamy almond butter. Add enough water to make a dressing and throw it on your salad. A spicy coleslaw. I didn’t want to mislead you by calling this pad thai. ;) Devour."

Thanks to Heather, Spencer and Janet for joining in this week. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo with all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week!

Cranberry Syrup Two Ways--For Drinking & For Drizzling (Scarlet-Hued Holiday Cheer)

2011-12-06T00:00:00.002-10:00

There are certain foods that I seem to always stash mass quantities of in my pantry and freezer. I have jars of many kinds of beans and grains, cans of beans and coconut milk, boxes of Pomi tomatoes, and enough varieties of nuts in my freezer to keep a family of squirrels content and well-fed through more than one winter. I am also especially attracted to bags of cranberries--bags of both fresh and frozen end up in stacks in my tiny freezer. I am not sure if it is the bright scarlet color that attracts me, more likely it is the fact that they get harder to find and more expensive during the spring and summer so I fear I will be without them. And really, can you ever predict when you might have an urgent cranberry need? Or perhaps even a cranberry emergency...?

Yes, there is actually a Belgian waffle hidden under there...

This versatile scarlet-hued Cranberry Syrup is a delicious vehicle for using up some of those excess bags of cranberries. It's easy to make, great to have on hand in your fridge for a festive dessert topping or a drink mixer. Mix it with soda or ginger ale for the kids, teetotalers and designated drivers. Add some vanilla vodka to that soda for a signature holiday drink, or some vodka and Cointreau for a festive Cranberry Cosmo. (It will impress your friends much more to have a little pitcher of homemade cranberry syrup on the bar than dragging out the big plastic jug of Ocean Spray!) Top a small jar with a bow and add a tag with some serving suggestions and it makes a great little hostess gift, party favor, or part of a gift basket. The possibilities are endless.

From Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros, this Cranberry Syrup is perfect for A Study in Scarlet, which just happens to be our I Heart Cooking Clubs theme this week.I made a double batch of the syrup and following Tessa's suggestion, left half as the thinner sauce which has made some refreshing cranberry sodas. The remainder I cooked down to thicken and served it over a Belgian waffle base, topped with vanilla-bean ice cream for a pretty holiday dessert.

Tessa Kiros says, "Here are two ways to make a cranberry syrup: one for drinking with ice and the other for drizzling over vanilla or mango ice cream. This second version is also good drizzled over pancakes or waffles, with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. I love starting from scratch with this type of thing--it really makes me feel as if I am doing something special. Add more or less sugar according to your personal taste, and you can use fresh or frozen cranberries. I like to use vanilla-infused superfine sugar if I have some in the cupboard."

Cranberry Syrup
Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros
(Makes 1 1/2 cups of Drinking Syrup or a scant 1 cup of Pouring Syrup)

1 1/2 cups cranberries
2/3 cup superfine sugar or vanilla superfine sugar
1/2 cup boiling water

Rinse the cranberries well. Put them in a deep nonaluminum bowl, sprinkle the sugar over the top and squish it through your fingers to break up the cranberries (children might like to help you with this). Pour in 1/2 cup of just-boiled water and leave it to mingle for a bit. Crush the cranberries more now with a wooden spoon (or a potato masher works well). Strain through a sieve that is fine enough to eliminate all of the seeds and skins, pressing down with your wooden spoon to extract all of the juice. Cool completely, then chill.

Pour into glasses and top up with as much sparkling water or still water as you like and a few ice cubes, or even just ice cubes, depending on how strong you like it.

For a thicker syrup to serve over ice cream, put the cranberry syrup into a small pan and simmer over medium heat until it reduces and thickens. If necessary, skim the surface with a slotted spoon to remove any foam. The syrup will turn ruby red and cling a little to the spoon. Cool completely.

Notes/Results: An excellent combination of sweet and tart.The vanilla softens and rounds out the flavor so if you don't have vanilla sugar, just add some vanilla extract to the mixture. The thickened mixture was really delicious over the crunchy sweet Belgian waffle and vanilla ice cream--with fruit and a waffle you can even pretend it's breakfast! (Not that I am saying I did...) The thinner version is very refreshing with the fizzy soda water and ice but since I reduced the sugar slightly in mine, I actually thought it tasted even better mixed into ginger ale with its slight added sweetness. Super easy and delicious, I can see a few more bags of my precious hoard of cranberries (the ones that aren't going to make this Cranberry Sorbet), being made into syrup.

You can check out the red-hued dishes that the other IHCC participants created for A Study in Scarlet by going to the post and following the links.

What foods/ingredients/things do you "stockpile?" ;-)

Chinese Shrimp Ball Soup and a Cookbook Review of "I Love Meatballs!" by Rick Rodgers

2011-12-04T13:14:00.010-10:00

Meatballs are more than just a topping for a pile of spaghetti. They can be an appetizer, in a soup, on a sandwich, or sauced up and enjoyed as an entree. Meatballs are hotter than ever and I Love Meatballs! by Rick Rodgers celebrates these tasty little savory treats in all their glory.

I Love Meatballs! is a small, colorful book packed with 50 fun meatball recipes covering a variety of cuisines like Swedish, Greek, Chinese, Indian, Italian to name a few. Rogers is a respected chef and cooking instructor and a prolific writer with dozens of books on food and cooking under his belt. In I Love Meatballs!, Rodgers shows how to break beyond beef, pork and veal and use turkey, chicken, lamb, fish and seafood in some creative adaptations. There are lots of mouthwatering photos along with tips and tricks for making and storing meatballs, grinding your own meat, binders to hold them together and the best way to cook them. It's a fun little book a a great holiday gift for foodies and meatball lovers.

There are plenty delicious-sounding recipes to choose from like Fried Olive Meatballs, Greek Meatballs with Tzatziki, Maryland Crab Balls with Pink Tarter Sauce, Indonesian Meatball Soup, Vietnamese Banh Mi with Quick Pickled Vegetables, Veal Parmesan Meatball Hoagies, Beef Meatball Bourguignon, German Meatballs in Caper Sauce, Koftas with Dill, Lamb Meatballs in Green Curry Sauce, Grilled Salmon Meatballs with Iceberg Wedges and Green Goddess Sauce, and Holiday Meatball Lasagna.

Craving a big noodly soup bowl for a drizzly day and having a stash of shrimp in my freezer, made the Chinese Shrimp Ball Soup a perfect recipe to "road test" this book.

Rick Rodgers says, "A classic of Chinese cooking, make this when you want meatballs on the light side. It lends itself to many additions--snow peas, baby spinach, watercress, and just about any other fresh green vegetable. Use ready-to-peel shrimp, and the soup comes together in no time. Be sure to save the shrimp shells to make the especially flavorful stock."

Chinese Shrimp Meatball Soup
From "I Love Meatballs!" by Rick Rodgers
(Makes 4 to 6 Servings)

Shrimp Balls:
1 lb large easy-peel shrimp
1/3 cup finely chopped carrot
1 scallion, minced
1 large egg, beaten
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp peeled and minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground white pepper

Soup:
shrimp shells from the peeled shrimp
6 cups canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
3 scallions
4 quarter-sized slices unpeeled fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 skein bean threads (saifun)
soy sauce for serving
Asian dark sesame oil, for serving

To make the shrimp balls, peel and devein the shrimp, reserving the shells for the soup. Pulse the shrimp meat in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade about 10 times, or until processed into a very course puree. Transfer to a bowl. Add the carrot, minced scallion, egg, cornstarch, ginger, salt, and pepper and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours.

To make the soup, combine the shrimp shells, broth, and rice wine in a pot. Crush 1 of the scallions, the ginger, and garlic under the flat side of a large knife and add to the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes to blend the flavors.

Meanwhile, put the bean threads in a medium bowl and add enough very hot tap water to cover. Let stand until the bean thread are pliable, about 10 minutes. Drain in a wire sieve and return to the bowl. Using kitchen scissors, snip through the threads to cut them into manageable lengths. Set aside.

Use a wire strainer to remove the solid ingredients from the soup and discard. Using a heaping tablespoon for each, drop spoonfuls of the shrimp mixture into the simmering broth--they will firm up when they hit the broth. Do not attempt to shape the mixture into smooth balls with your hands. Cover and simmer until the shrimp balls are firm and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Cut the white and green parts of the remaining two scallions into long thin shreds about 2 inches long. Add the scallions and bean threads to the pot and cook until just heated through, about 1 minute more. Ladle into bowls and serve with soy sauce and sesame oil passed on the side for seasoning.

Notes/Results: Light, simple and full of flavor. The soup might seem as though it has a lot of steps but it goes together quickly and can be done in stages. (For example, I shelled the shrimp and made the stock in the morning, then reheated it when I was ready to put the soup together.) The shrimp balls were tender and held together well (I used a mini ice cream scoop to drop the meatballs into the broth making it quick and easy). The shrimp shells, ginger and garlic gave the stock a lot of concentrated delicious flavor. I did use a low-sodium veggie stock in place of chicken stock because that's what I had on hand, and I used rice sticks (maifun) instead of the bean threads (saifun) because I had them in my pantry. As is my habit, I tossed a large handful baby spinach leaves in the bowl before ladling in the soup for a little touch of green and some added nutrition. Sprinkled with some toasted sesame seeds and a drizzle of sesame oil (plus a little sriracha drizzled in for a spicy kick), this was a light but filling dinner and perfect for a cool, rainy night.

Disclosure Statement: A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher but as always, my thoughts, opinions and experiences cooking from the book are entirely my own.

Let's take a look in the Souper Sundays kitchen and see who is here this week.

My friend Heather from girlichef made two dishes this week, a soup and a sandwich down below. About this warming Farro and Cranberry Bean Soup she says, "But I do love being tucked cozily in the house when there's a couple feet of snow inside. As long as the fridge and pantry are stocked and the whole family is home. Even playing in the yard or sledding down the street is good, as long as we can come in and warm up with a steaming cuppa hot chocolate...or spiked coffee...and a steaming bowl of hearty soup. Like a bowl of bean-thickened soup with mouthfuls of chewy farro and crunchy bacon on every spoon. I will just have to eat while closing my eyes right now...and imagine that there is snow to go with the temperatures in the low 30's. Oh yes. I can totally see it now..."

Joanne of Eats Well With Others has a seasonal treat, The River Cafe's Winter Minestrone. Joanne says "It's not fancy, but doesn't pretend to be, and it tastes kinda like something your Italian grandma would make (or at least like something my Italian grandma would make). Not heavily spiced or spicy, it's just made from good, down-to-earth ingredients...bread and butter kinda stuff. (Except totally good for you.) And while it's not something that you're necessarily going to start screaming from the rooftops about, you're going to suddenly find yourself craving it come lunchtime. And you'll be so happy when you get home and find it in your fridge. Yeah. It's definitely the kind of thing you want to come home to."

Shri from Tiffin Carrier Antic/que's! made this Mung Beans and Root Vegetables Soup and says, "This dish is from the East Indian state of Orissa. It is made with Mung Beans and an assortment of 'white' winter vegetables like radishes and turnips. Potatoes and Colocassia/ Taro roots add another texture and heartiness. It does not use turmeric or any 'hot' spice; the final tempering with cummin and asafoetida elevates this 'simple' Dal/ Soup. Perfect comfort soup/stew."

Janet from The Taste Space has a healthy, colorful Sweet Potato, Broccoli and Pomegranate Salad with a Peanut Dressing to share. She says, "This is a superfood salad if I ever saw one. Pomegranate seeds. Sweet potatoes. Broccoli. All together in a peanut dressing. Even though it doesn’t have kale, many of these veggies top my superfood chart. While I typically prefer acidic dressings, I kept the peanut butter in the dressing but substituted vegetable broth for the oil. This allows the peanut flavour to permeate the salad without dripping in dressing. In fact, the peanut flavour wasn’t that dominant, sitting back to highlight the natural flavours of the vegetables."

girlichef also has a sandwich to share this week, a hearty Open-Faced Hot Turkey Sandwich (Turkey Manhattan). She says, "In my mind, open-faced sandwiches piled high with warm roast beef or turkey and a mound of creamy mashed potatoes that are drowning in complimentary gravy conjur up the formica table tops and vinyl seats of diners past. Sustenance in the middle of a long road trip or after a night soaked in alcohol. Comfort on a plate in my little booth of the ever-bustling diner. Waitresses in comfy shoes and pony tails with pens tucked behind their ears, a coffee carafe attached to one hand, and a knack for calling every one "Hon". I can't make a turkey or roast beef without finishing off the leftover meat inside one of these sandwiches."

Thanks to Heather, Joanne, Janet and Shri for joining in this week with their delicious dishes. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the side bar for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week!

Cannellini Beans with Olive Oil (Fagioli Cannellini All' Olio): Simple Beany Goodness

2011-12-02T00:00:00.002-10:00

Beans fill my pantry--dried beans in jars and canned beans for quick and easy meals. I love me some beans and I usually make some form or another of them once a week. Beans are healthy, cheap, filling and tasty--excellent comfort food. Since we are celebrating the mighty bean this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs with our Bean There Done That theme, I selected a simple dish of Cannellini Beans with Olive Oil (Fagioli Cannellini All' Olio) to use some of my dried bean collection. Although it would be difficult for me to pick my favorite beans, I do love the smooth, creaminess of the cannellini and the fact that they are paired with my beloved sage in this recipe made me happy.

This recipe comes from Twelve: A Tuscan Cookbook by Tessa Kiros

Tessa Kiros says, "You can use fresh or dried cannelloni beans for these recipes. Dreied beans, however, will need a minimum of 12 hours of soaking and will require double the cooking time of fresh beans."

Canellini Beans with Olive Oil (Fagioli Cannellini All' Olio)
Twelve by Tessa Kiros
(Serves 6)

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) fresh or dried cannellini beans (soaked overnight in cold water if dried)
1 red onion, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
1/2 a celery stalk, trimmed and chopped
10 sage leaves
1 bay leaf
3 Tbsp olive oil plus extra for serving

If you are using fresh cannellini beans, wash them in cold water. If they are dried, drain the previously soaked beans. Put them into a large saucepan and cover completely with cold water. Bring to the boil and skim the surface with a slotted spoon to remove any scum.

Add the rest of the ingredients. Lower the heat slightly and cook uncovered for about 40 minutes for the fresh beans and 1 1/2 hours for the dried beans. Add more water during this cooking time to ensure the beans are covered. Season with salt in the last 10 mites of this cooking time.

Test to see if the beans are soft, if not, cook for longer. Drain the beans and serve hot, or at room temperature, drizzled with olive oil and a grinding of black pepper.

Notes/Results: Creamy and full of flavor. I did make a few changes--upping the garlic, celery, carrots and sage slightly, and leaving the broth rather than draining the beans before serving. It's part of the bean experience--being able to soak up all the sauce with some bread (in this case it was a whole grain flat bread), and besides, the beans will continue to soak it up a bit as they sit. I cooked mine about 2 hours as I prefer them nice and creamy, and I cooked the beans and the bay leaves for about 40 minutes before putting in the vegetables and sage (so they didn't cook away to nothing and still had some texture). I like to ladle the hot beans on top of some baby spinach in order to get some greens into my meal. The heat wilts the spinach nicely and makes it a more complete (and more colorful) dish. Eat these as is (they are even better the next day), add some extra veggie broth to make a soup, or drain and mash them, add a binder and make them into bean burgers or croquettes.

You can check out the bean dishes of the other IHCC participants by going to the post and following the links.

Rose & Vanilla Tea Pots de Crème for Food 'n Flix: Simply Irresistible

2011-11-30T00:00:00.002-10:00

These Rose & Vanilla Tea Pots de Crème have been living in my head for a couple of months now, ever since I watched the wrong movie for Food 'n Flix back in September. September's selection was Just Desserts (you can see my post here), but I accidentally watched November's pick of Simply Irresistible instead, and from an exchange between the two main characters, this dessert was born.

Tom: "That smell..."
Amanda: "It's vanilla and flowers."
Tom "It's incredible!"

Simply Irresistible is a foodie romantic comedy starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. Gellar plays Amanda, who inherits her late mother's restaurant but does not seem to have inherited her mother's cooking skills, turning out culinary disaster after culinary disaster that results in the restaurant failing fast. Just when all seems lost, Amanda is sold some crabs by a mysterious man at the local farmers market. One of the crabs escapes his fate as a poorly made meal and becomes a sort of pet for Amanda and as it turns out, just happens to be magical. Also at the market, Tom (Sean Patrick Flanery), who is opening an upscale restaurant in his department store and who Amanda begins to fall for. With the magical crab, Amanda begins to cook food that has people clamoring for more and causes those who eat her dishes to express the emotions Amanda had when making them.

Simply Irresistible is definitely chick movie fluff, and as much as I adore SMG, (she was Buffy for Pete's sake!) she has a surprising lack of chemistry with Flanery. Still, it's cute fluff and a good foodie diversion.

The vanilla and flowers mixture bubbling in a pot on Amanda's stove made me think of something smooth and creamy such as a panna cotta or pots de crème. I happened to have a box of Tazo "Rest" Tea hanging out in my tea collection, an herbal tea that Tazo says is "A lulling blend of rose petals, valerian root & citrusy herbs," and I thought it would be fun to use the tea as a base for a creamy custard.

Rose & Vanilla Tea Pots de Crème
by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen (inspired by multiple Pots de Crème recipes)
(Makes 4 Servings)

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 vanilla bean, split sideways and seeds scraped
3-4 rose-scented herbal tea bags like Tazo Rest
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
small pinch of salt
1/2 tsp rose water
1/2 tsp vanilla
pink or red food coloring (optional)

Bring the cream, milk, vanilla bean and seeds and tea bags up to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Turn off the heat and let the mixture steep for 30 minutes or so.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Arrange 4 (6-oz) teacups or ramekins in a baking pan (large enough to hold the cups without touching one another). Bring a pot or kettle of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, salt, rose water and vanilla. Remove the tea bags and vanilla bean and discard and reheat the infused cream mixture over medium heat. Whisk the reheated cream into the yolk mixture and strain it through a fine sieve into a bowl or pitcher. Add a couple of drops of food coloring if desired.

Pour the boiling water into pan, being careful not to splash any inside cups, until water comes about halfway up the sides of the cups. Pour the mixture into the cups, dividing it equally. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and poke several small holes in the foil to let steam escape. Bake about 30-35 minutes, until custards are set but still slightly wobbly at their centers.

Carefully remove the pan from the oven, removing the foil. Remove the cups from the hot water in the pan and set on a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes. Once cool, cover the cups with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until the custards are firm (about 2 hours or so).

Garnish with whipped cream or candied rose petals and serve with thin crisp buttery cookies.

Notes/Results: I give these more points for taste than for beauty. ;-) The custards are creamy and have a light rose and vanilla flavor that is very pleasing. I wasn't crazy about the color of the base with the tea, eggs and vanilla and thought it would be fun to make them a pale rosy pink, but a couple of drops of red food coloring made them a kind of funky salmon color. Ah well! Experiments don't always turn out perfectly. I covered it up with some candied rose petals--that (and maybe some dim lighting!) helped a bit. If you can't find the Tazo tea (I'm not sure if they still make it?) look for another rose / floral tea, or a favorite herbal tea and (carefully so as not to overpower), add a little extra rose water. Overall, I was pleased with my Pots de Crème, they were fun and excellent with the buttery cookies.

Our Food n' Flix November pick, Simply Irresistible is hosted by Leslie of La Cocina de Leslie, who will be rounding up the entries on her blog soon. The deadline for this month is today (I am sneaking my entry in under the wire--whoops!) But, if you like food and movies consider joining us for December's film, the classic Christmas in Connecticut (one of my favorite holiday flix), hosted by F'nF's founder, my pal Heather of girlichef.

Ouzo Sorbet: A Greek-Themed Frozen Treat for Cook The Books: Harlot's Sauce

2011-11-29T00:00:00.000-10:00

One day I will go to Greece. I say this every time I open up a cookbook full of Greek food, or eat at my favorite Greek(ish) restaurant, or see a picture of the brilliant blue water, or read a book like Harlot's Sauce: A Memoir of Food, Family, Love, Loss, and Greece by Patricia Volonakis Davis.

Harlot's Sauce is the current selection for Cook The Books, the virtual foodie book club I host along with Rachel, The Crispy Cook and Johanna of Food Junkie Not Junk Food, our host for this round. It's a colorful memoir about the author's experiences meeting "gorgeous Greek" Gregori and ends up marrying him, against the wishes of her Italian-American family, particularly her Sicilian father. Major clashes of culture ensue of course as the author deals with her husband's family and adjusting to life in Greece.

I like how descriptive Volonakis Davis is in her writing--especially in describing what life is like for an American expat in Greece. She has a sense of humor too, so as much as I wanted to grab her and shake her multiple times throughout the book for some of her choices, I was also able to laugh along with her. I do think that the book's tagline "A Memoir of Food, Family, Love, Loss and Greece," should be re-ordered to be like the ingredient list on a package with the order of the "ingredients" based on the amount contained inside. There just wasn't quite as much food presence as I was looking for/wanted and it was listed first. ;-) Still, the writing was engaging, and at the end of the day, I admired the author for owning the mistakes she made and ultimately finding her voice and herself.

I was a little stuck about what to make for this round. Of course, Patricia's grandmother's (Nonnie) salsa puttanesca or "sauce of the harlot" would have been a great choice. Ultimately, I chose something simple, an Ouzo Sorbet. The book starts with the author recounting a night that she accidentally drank too much ouzo and was dropped off ("abandoned") at her hotel by (her then "lover of three months") Gregori. After a shower she finds two "uninvited guests" (ginormous winged cockroaches) in her room and panic reigns as one flies onto her pillow. I can totally relate to the horror of "B-52" roaches, also common here in Hawaii. I attended a Thanksgiving dinner at a friend's house soon after I moved here and all the doors and windows were open on a humid, rainy night. All of a sudden a half-dozen or so of the disgusting creatures flew in and started dive-bombing the table and the group of us gathered around. It was not pretty! Enough to make me want to drink a lot of ouzo, or at least enjoy it as a frozen treat. This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks, Food From Many Greek Kitchens by Tessa Kiros.

Tessa Kiros says, "This is like a soft snow, sweet and ouzo-y, and it works well after a meal--like an after-dinner mint."

Ouzo Sorbet
Food From Many Greek Kitchens by Tessa Kiros
(Serves 6 to 8)

1 cup sugar
7 Tbsp ouzo

Stir the sugar into 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Cool. Stir in the ouzo and transfer to an ice-cream machine. Freeze following the manufacturer's instructions. Alternatively, pour into a shallow baking sheet and out in the freezer, breaking it up and beating with a fork 3 or 4 times before it becomes solid.

Notes/Results: Oh this is GOOD! Sweet, refreshing, slightly licorice-esk. The nice man at the liquor store told me the "better" ouzo was worth the extra few dollars and I think he might have been right--it is very smooth. (Although I am not sure his claim of getting "less of a headache" from it is really true!) This sorbet is so simple and would be perfect either after dinner, or for a palate cleanser in between courses. This will be featured at a Greek-themed dinner party in my future. ;-)

I am sneaking this post in under the deadline once again (surprise). If you like reading, food and cooking, consider joining us for the December/January round of Cook the Books. We will be reading Outlaw Cook, a book of food essays by John and Matt Lewis Thorne, hosted by Rachel.

Cream of Spinach Soup (& Polenta Pizzas with Shaved Romano): 5-Ingredient Recipes from Robin Takes 5

2011-11-27T12:50:00.004-10:00

There are days when you you have the time, energy and ingredients to spend lingering over a complicated recipe and then there are the days when you need to get something quick, easy and hopefully healthy on the table with just a few simple ingredients from your pantry. Robin Miller's new cookbook, Robin Takes 5: 500 Recipes, 5 Ingredients or Less, 500 Calories or Less, 5 Nights a Week at 5:00 PM is for those busy days.

Robin Miller is a food writer and a nutritionist who specializes in creating quick and easy recipes that are simple enough to make you think twice about ordering take out. She even has a Food Network series, Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller (which unfortunately Food Network seems to bury in the earlier weekday morning hours) that helps families get healthy meals to the table fast.

The book contains 8 chapters: Soups, Stews & Chowders, Pizzas, Flatbreads, Calzones & Strudels, Pasta, Risotto & Rice, Chicken & Turkey, Beef & Pork, Seafood & Shellfish, Side Dishes, and Desserts. Nutrition information is included with each recipe and the lower sodium recipes are tagged to make it easier for those trying to limit their salt intake. In order to meet the need for quick meals (most recipes can be made in about 20 to 30 minutes), there is some use of canned or packaged foods, but it isn't excessive. Ingredients are ones that you have have handy in your fridge, freezer or pantry, making coming home and preparing a weeknight dinner easy. Miller did include many recipes that are marked as suitable for entertaining on nights when you are feeling a little fancier or want to have friends over. There are several sections of color photos so you can get a look at some of the dishes in each chapter.

Recipes I tagged to make include; Sesame Miso Soup with Tofu and Scallions, Red Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk and Almonds, Hummus Pizza with Roasted Red Pepper, Wild Mushroom Strudel with herbed Cheese, Linguine with Olive Butter, Somen Noodles in Miso-Black Bean Broth, Penne with Seared Tuna and Capers, Grilled Salmon with Sriracha Mayo, Coconut-Almond Mahi Mahi, Grilled Shrimp with Peanut-Lime Dip, Fennel and Lemon Salad, Tempura Brussels Sprouts, Rice and Goat Cheese Cakes, No-Bake Chocolate-Peanut Butter Oat Cookies, and Bittersweet Fudge with Dried Cherries.

I was especially pleased with the many soup recipes, so when choosing a couple of recipes to "road test" this book I selected the Cream of Spinach Soup (I have been eating far too many brown foods this week with Stuffing, potatoes, mushroom gravy, etc. and needed some green.) Rather than a sandwich or salad, I thought the little Polenta Pizzas with Shaved Romano would be a fun and colorful accompaniment to the soup and I happened to have tube of polenta in my pantry and homemade pesto in the freezer.

Robin says, "What makes this rich soup creamy is the addition of Yukon gold potatoes. I like Yukon golds because they're not as starchy as regular baking (russet) potatoes. I also add half-and-half for extra creaminess, but you can cut calories and fat by substituting low-fat milk."

Cream of Spinach Soup
Adapted from Robin Takes 5 by Robin Miller
(Serves 4)

Prep Time 5-10 Minutes / Cooking Time 15 Minutes

6 cups reduced sodium chicken broth (I used low-sodium veggie broth)

3 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 lb baby spinach

1 cup half-and-half (I used 1/2 almond milk and 1/2 non-dairy creamer )

Combine the broth, potatoes, and garlic in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender. Puree with an immersion blender or regular blender (when using a regular blender, work in batches to prevent spillover). Stir in the spinach and half-and-half and simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper before serving.

Nutrients Per Serving: Calories: 222, Fat: 9 g, Saturated Fat: 5 g, Cholesterol: 36 mg, Carbohydrate: 25 g, Protein: 11 g, Fiber 4 g, Sodium: 262 mg

Robin says, "Tubes of prepared polenta are sold in most grocery stores, and they make preparing meals with this cornmeal treat a snap (rather than spending the time cooking the cornmeal until tender and waiting for it to cool so you can cut it into rounds). Be sure to buy ripe (preferably vine-ripened) tomatoes so that you can enjoy the tomato's full flavor potential."

Polenta Pizzas with Shaved Romano

Adapted from Robin Takes 5 by Robin Miller
(Serves 4)

Prep Time 10 Minutes / Cooking Time 10-15 Minutes

1 (1-lb) tube prepared polenta, cut into 12 rounds

1/2 cup prepared basil pesto

1 cup thinly sliced beefsteak or plum tomatoes, about 2 large beefsteak or 4 small plum

1/2 cup shaved pecorino Romano cheese (use a vegetable peeler)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Transfer the polenta rounds to a baking sheet. Top each round with the pesto, tomato slices, and cheese. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the polenta is toasted and the cheese is melted.

Nutrients Per Serving: Calories: 314, Fat: 19 g, Saturated Fat: 7 g, Cholesterol: 19 mg, Carbohydrate: 24 g, Protein: 12 g, Fiber 2 g, Sodium: 761 mg

Notes/Results: The soup and polenta pizzas were both on the table in less than 30 minutes and tasted great. I liked the simple flavors in the soup--the spinach got to be the star and the soup tasted silky and rich. I did make my soup vegan--using veggie broth, almond milk and non-dairy creamer. The polenta pizzas went well with the soup and had good flavor. Next time, I would take an extra few minutes and bake the polenta circles for 5 minutes or so before adding the pesto, tomatoes and cheese--just to make them a bit more crisp in texture. Otherwise, I would make both of these simple recipes again.

Robin Takes 5 is a handy resource to have in the kitchen--the 500 recipes are a great place to look when you aren't sure what to make for dinner. It would be a great gift for a busy family that wants to eat healthier, someone starting out and gaining kitchen confidence, or even a more experienced cook, looking for new ideas and recipes to add to weekly menu planning. Miller has done a great job making healthier options accessible.

Disclosure Statement: A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher but as always, my thoughts, opinions and experience cooking from the book are entirely my own.

Now lets take a look in the Souper Sunday kitchen where we have some delicious and warm bowls of goodness waiting.

Janet from The Taste Space has a healthy, stew to share and says, "Continuing with my white bean kick, and my abundance of kale, I modified Isa’s Quinoa, White Bean And Kale Stew from Appetite for Reduction. I thought it might be plain and boring, but it was anything but. It was sublime. A great, comforting stew with tons of mellow flavours without bogging you down. I substituted the leek for onion and fennel, swapped the white potatoes for sweet potatoes, upped the carrots and parsnips and used up the last of my kale including the stems, which was only 1/2 lb. Thankfully, this soup makes a ton. I will be slurping it up all week and then some!"

Joanne of Eats Well With Others jazzed up her soup bowl with this Rosemary White Bean Soup with Fig and Walnut Tapenade and says, "Soup is the answer to all of life's most rhetorical and profound problems. Feeling cold? Soup. Feeling tired? Soup. Feeling like skinny jeans are just too much for you to handle? Soup. Feeling like you need a stiff drink in anticipation of all of the cooking meltdowns you know you'll be having in the next four days? Soup with vodka. --- A house smelling like rosemary with a soup that tastes like comfort is totally our answer."

Heather of girlichef says that this gorgeous Poor Man's Bread, Kale and Black Pepper Soup from Mediterranean cooking wonder Paula Wolfert is a "...simple rustic soup chock-full with ribbons of lacinato kale, the hint of porky goodness, and a toasted country bread rubbed with garlic that sucks up the flavorful broth like a brand new sponge. girlichef also notes that, "It was a delicious escape in the midst of Thanksgiving dinner preparations."

Pam of Sidewalk Shoes tried Ina Garten's Mexican Chicken Soup and says, "I know. You were probably expecting some wonderful post about what to do with all your turkey leftovers. Except that it’s only the Friday after Thanksgiving, and if you’re like me, today is just yesterday warmed up, or maybe made into a turkey sandwich; you’re not really into the whole using the turkey meat for something else yet. So, then this post is kind of timely, because you could easily make this with a turkey carcass or a turkey leg or two. I used a couple of my rotisserie chicken carcasses that I have always have readily available in my freezer."

Tigerfish from Teczcape - An Escape to Food made a simple Mixed Beans Cabbage Soup to combat holiday excess. She says, "Well. Ok. Thanksgiving is over. No more hard work in the kitchen for a while (at least in the next two days). But eating out 3 meals a day is not an option. A well-accepted idea for busy cooks is to cook one big pot of food and have leftovers for the next 1-2 meals. Sure beats eating out. Me included. The same but for a different reason.I am the lazy cook."

It's nice to have Shri from Tiffin Carrier Antic/que's! back at Souper Sundays and here with a lovely Butternut Squash and Adzuki Beans Soup. Shri says, "This dish mimics the traditional Kerala dish, the Erisseri where coconut is ground with cummin and also roasted to meld with pumpkins, raw plantains, yams, beans and lentils. Heat comes from black pepper. Fried Shallots were added in some regions, or on some occasions. In the 'feast/sadya' version, the moisture was cooked away and coconut oil was used generously. In this soup, I have used coconut milk with ground cummin powder and white pepper powder for the heat."

Such a good variety of soup this week, a little something for everyone. Thanks to everyone who joined in on this holiday weekend. If you have a soup, or salad or Sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the side bar for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week.

Brussels Sprouts and Wheat Berry Slaw with Smoked Paprika Dressing

2011-11-25T00:00:00.002-10:00

Lest you think it was all stuffing, mushroom gravy and decadent Sage & Rosemary Mashed Potatoes gracing my holiday plate, there was also something a bit healthier, Brussels Sprouts and Wheat Berry Slaw with Smoked Paprika Dressing. This dish caught my eye in the November issue of Sunset Magazine and since I had some wheat berries in my pantry I decided to make it. Although it was from an article on Thanksgiving vegan side dishes, I think it also makes a great grain salad for a winter's lunch.

Sunset says, "Instead of using currants, you could try shredding a small sweet apple into the salad. Adding wheat berries to salads like this one gives them texture and makes them even more nutritious." (I chose to add dried cranberries to my version--I like the pop of color and their sweet/tart flavor.)

Brussels Sprouts and Wheat Berry Slaw with Smoked Paprika Dressing
Recipe by Adenna Sussman, Sunset Magazine, Nov 2011
(Serves 8--Makes 7 Cups)
Time: About 1 1/2 Hours

1 cup wheat berries
About 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
About 3 tbsp. sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked Spanish paprika
3 tablespoons dried currants (I used 1/3 cup dried cranberries)
3/4 pound brussels sprouts

Bring 1 1/2 qts. water, the wheat berries, and 1/2 tsp. salt to a boil in a medium covered saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until wheat berries are tender but not mushy (some should start to burst), about 1 1/4 hours. Drain.

2. Whisk 1/2 tsp. salt, the pepper, oil, 3 tbsp. vinegar, the paprika, and currants together in a large bowl. Let stand while wheat berries cook.

3. Cut brussels sprouts into fine shreds, preferably using a food processor with a slicing disk or a mandoline. Add brussels sprouts and wheat berries to dressing mixture and toss to coat. Taste and add more salt and another splash of vinegar if you'd like. Serve immediately.

Make ahead: Through step 2 up to 1 day, chilled. Bring to room temperature.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 173, Calories from fat: 38%, Protein: 5g, Fat: 7.7g, Saturated fat: 1g, Carbohydrate: 23g, Fiber: 4.3g, Sodium: 201mg, Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Notes/Results: Once the wheat berries are cooked, this tasty salad goes together in no time--especially if you use a mandolin to shred the sprouts. The smoked sweet paprika adds great flavor to the vinaigrette and contrasts nicely with the dried cranberries. The wheat berries are nice and chewy, making this a satisfying salad or side dish and making me realize I need to cook with wheat berries more--I forgot how good they are. ;-) The recipe directions say to serve immediately, but it also tastes good cold and I'll be noshing on the leftovers for lunch. I would make this again.

What's a grain you want to cook with more often?

Sage and Rosemary Mashed Potatoes: A Side Dish to Be Grateful For...

2011-11-23T00:01:00.001-10:00

With it being Thanksgiving week here in the states, we have an "Attitude of Gratitude" for our theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs. Which foods are we grateful for? Which recipes represent a bountiful table? For me, it has always been the side dishes at Thanksgiving that hold the highest place in my heart (after my family and friends of course!). Give me big helpings of mashed potatoes and gravy and stuffing and I am pretty content, so I picked the Sage and Rosemary Mashed Potatoes from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros to try.

Mashed potatoes are the ultimate comfort food for me and this one combines some of my favorite ingredients; garlic, sage and rosemary. I did put a vegan spin on the dish and upped the herbs and garlic. My changes are in red below.

Tessa says, "You can make these plain without the herb-flavored oil, if you like. This is easy and once you get past the idea that there might be more dishes to wash. it's quick to make. There is really nothing to compare with a dollop of creamy mashed potatoes on your plate, especially with a stewy, saucy dish..."

Sage and Rosemary Mashed Potatoes
Adapted from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros
(Serves 4)

5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (I used Yukon Gold)
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 large clove garlic, peeled and squashed a bit (I used 3 cloves)
2 sage sprigs (I used 3 large sprigs)
1 rosemary sprig (I used 2 sprigs)
4 1/2 Tbsp butter (I used Earth Balance)
1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk)
4 Tbsp heavy whipped cream (I used non-dairy creamer)
salt (optional)

(I added black pepper)

Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook them for about 20 minutes, until you can pierce right through them and they look frayed around the edges. Drain well.

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the garlic, sage, and rosemary, and cook over medium heat for just long enough to lightly flavor the oil. Add the potato chunks and sauté for a few minutes so that they are well coated in oil and absorb the flavors.

Heat the butter, milk and cream in a small saucepan just until the butter has melted. Pass just the potatoes (I left some of the sage in with the potatoes) through a food mill into a bowl, or mash with a potato masher. Add the hot milk mixture and fluff it through with a wooden spoon, trying not to over mix but keeping it light and fluffy. Add a little extra milk and cream if it seems too stiff, and add salt if needed. Serve immediately.

Notes/Results: These are silky, fluffy decadent clouds of herby mashed potato heaven. (In other words I REALLY liked them) ;-) They are definitely an indulgence not a health food with all the butter and cream, but I did at least cut the saturated fat by making them vegan and dairy-free with Earth Balance "butter" spread, almond milk and a non-dairy creamer. I knew from reading the recipe that I would want a more assertive presence from the garlic, sage and rosemary so I increased the amounts and it made it perfect for me. I could definitely taste the flavors I wanted but they were not overpowering. I also left some of the sage in with the potatoes when I mashed them--nothing wrong with some bites of crispy sage in my book. These potatoes stand on their own just fine, but will work well with the vegan mushroom gravy I am making for Thursday. I will make them again, happily,for special occasions or really bad days.

;-)

You can check out what foods make the other IHCC peeps feel grateful by going to the post here and following the links.

What foods are you grateful for?

Leek and Potato Soup (Potage Parmentier): A Classic Soup and a Book Review of The Kitchen Counter Cooking School

2011-11-19T13:20:00.010-10:00

Back from Paris and her Le Cordon Bleu training, Kathleen Flinn impulsively follows a woman and her daughter around the grocery store watching as their cart is loaded up with processed food. An impromptu cooking and shopping lesson followed, and an idea was born to teach a group of volunteers who have little skill and comfort in the kitchen how to cook and feed their families and themselves and not rely on the processed and packaged foods that are making Americans fat and unhealthy. In The Kitchen Counter Cooking School: How a Few Simple Lessons Transformed Nine Culinary Novices Into Fearless Home Cooks, author Flinn chronicles the cooking lessons and the impact they have on the nine women she finds to take part in her journey. We meet each of the nine volunteers as Flinn films and interviews them, looking into their kitchens and having them cook a "normal" meal for her.

Starting with the basics of how to choose and hold a knife to cut vegetables and then cooking those veggies, the group moves through the basics of meat, chicken and fish, baking bread and making pasta dishes, eggs and omelets, soups, etc. Probably the chapter with the most impact for me about not wasting food and using leftovers. On average, Americans throw out about 30-40% of the food they buy according to Flinn's research. Although I guesstimate I throw out less, any amount is really too much and I can do much better. I put into practice an exercise Flinn did where she put a post it note with the cost of the food on items that were slowly expiring in her fridge and pantry so that she would understand the cost if she threw them away. For myself, having this recognition that I am not just tossing a mango that fell to the back of the veggie drawer, but instead I am putting a dollar bill and some change in the trash can has made a big impact and made me more creative in using my ingredients. The impact of all of the lessons is seen at the end of the book as after the program Flinn returns to view the kitchens and see and hear the changes that have occurred in how the volunteers now cook and view food.

The book sprinkles in recipes at the end of each chapter and at the end of the book, including some of the recipes learned in each lesson, as well as other simple recipes from Flinn to illustrate some of the key moments. I chose to make the Leek & Potato Soup because it is a favorite of mine and I had a large organic potato that was looking a little "worn" as well as some leftover non-dairy creamer to use up. (Waste not, want not.) ;-)

I enjoyed Finn's first book about her Le Cordon Bleu experiences, "The Sharper Your Knife the Less You Cry," but I liked this book even more. There is a something in it for the experienced cook as well as the novice. My only complaint was in the formatting of the book for Kindle (I received a Kindle copy to review), and the way the sources were annotated and the footnotes were somewhat messy and distracting--this would not be a problem in a written copy. Overall, a worthy read.

Disclosure Statement: A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher but as always, my thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

And on to the soup...

Flinn says, "This is inexpensive French soul food. If leeks aren't available, try sweet onions."

Leek and Potato Soup (Potage Parmentier)
From "The Kitchen Counter Cooking School" by Kathleen Flinn
(Makes about 4 to 6 Servings)

3 medium leeks
2 Tbsp butter (I used Earth Balance)
1 lb potatoes, peeled and diced
1 bay leaf and 1 tsp dried thyme, or a bouquet garni
2 quarts water, or chicken or vegetable stock (I used veggie stock)
1 cup whipping cream, or 2 Tbsp butter, softened (I used non-dairy creamer)
coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
cayenne to taste (optional) (I used smoked paprika)
3 Tbsp minced parsley or chives

Prepare the leeks by discarding the roots and the tough green upper stalks. Slice, then rinse them in water to remove any residual dirt. In a 4-quart or larger saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter, then sauté the leeks for about 5 minutes, until they are softened and translucent. Add the potatoes, bay leaf, thyme or bouquet garni, and water or stock. Simmer for about 40 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Remove from the heat. Discard the bay leaf. Break down the vegetables with a fork or a potato masher, or puree in a blender. Return to the heat. Add the whipping cream or 2 tablespoons of butter. Taste. Add salt and pepper to taste, and a bit of cayenne if desired. Garnish with chopped parsley or chives and a couple of cranks of black pepper.

Notes/Results: Silky, rich and full of flavor--this recipe affirms how much I love a good leek and potato soup. It's the perfect soup to snuggle up with on a gloomy day. Leek and Potato Soup is one of the easiest and most delicious soups to make. Flinn notes that you can replace the leek with onions, but I encourage you to use leeks if you can--their delicate sweetness adds so much to the soup. I made my soup dairy-free by using veggie broth, Earth Balance in place of butter, and non-dairy creamer, but the beauty of it is that you can adjust it to your ingredients and tastes. The cayenne adds a nice kick, or I like to put a little smoky hot paprika in instead. I also like my soup a little chunky so before adding the creamer, I scooped out about half of the soup, blended the remainder with my immersion blender, then mixed the chunks back in and added the creamer. This soup smells heavenly enough while cooking that my mail carrier wanted to know what I was making and then asked me to tell her how to make it.

Speaking of soups, we have a few lovely ones waiting in the Souper Sundays kitchen--let's take a look.

Janet from The Taste Space is here with a colorful Brazilian Black Bean and Vegetable Stew and says, "This stew is filled to the max with colourful veggies (sweet potato, red pepper, green pepper, tomato, kale) on a background of black beans. Garlic, cumin and thyme flavour the broth. While I cooked the stew, it was also spiced with orange zest. I was worried it would be overpowering. It wasn’t until I added the final hit of lime juice that I was seriously satisfied with my beautiful and delicious stew."

Tigerfish from Teczcape-An Escape to Food has been helping her fractured elbow heal with bone broth soups like this Oxtail Soup. She says, "This is my first time cooking oxtail and for similar reasons, the purpose is to drink up the "collagen" and minerals (calcium, iron, etc.) that hopefully helps me heal faster. Why did I choose oxtail? It can be beef shanks, other bone parts too. Oxtail is bony and gelatinous too, and usually takes a long time to cook till fork-tender. If it means requiring a relatively longer duration to cook, it also means they contain more connective tissues, muscle fibers and collagen. These days, I am super sensitive to such words related to the bone. :D"

Kat of Our Adventures in Japan made Creamy Tomato Soup and says, "I recently purchased a copy of Ellie Krieger's "Comfort Food Fix". I haven't "read" through the whole book yet, but since I wanted to make tomato soup for dinner, I flipped through to see if she had a recipe...she did. I didn't follow the whole recipe, just parts. the original recipe called for chives, cream and garlic. I thought adding garlic would be a little too strong a flavor, so I left it out and added thyme instead. I didn't want to go and buy cream, so I subbed skim milk. And I didn't have chives so I used Italian parsley instead.I liked how easily this soup came together and it was tasty too."

Joanne of Eats Well With Others had a not so successful and somewhat stressful go at at vegetarian Thanksgiving dish but that didn't stop her from trying this healthy Swiss Chard, Chickpea and Tamarind Stew. She says, "This dish may be the epitome of all things healthy, but it, unlike my disgusting side dish attempt, does not skimp on flavor. It is tart and a bit sweet from the tamarind and tomatoes...and so good that you'll actually find yourself wanting to eat your greens. Fancy that."

Wonderful friends and delicious soupy creations. Thanks to Janet, Tigerfish, Kat and Joanne for joining in this week. If you have a soup, salad or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week.

Garlic Roasted Salmon & Brussels Sprouts: Easy, Healthy Fall Fare

2011-11-17T00:01:00.001-10:00

Are you a Brussels sprouts fan or foe? I didn't like them much myself until I started blogging and Tyler Florence got me to love them with his Brussels Sprouts Salad with Pancetta and Cranberries. Since then I have made them with bacon, in soups, with lemon and poppy seed and have grown a little more fond of them each time I eat them

The November/December issue of Eating Well had quite a few "taggable" recipes that I wanted to make, but the one that I kept going back to was the Garlic Roasted Salmon with Brussels Sprouts. It's a one pan dish, simple, made in my underused roasted pan, and full of the flavors of garlic and oregano.

You can also find this recipe on the Eating Well website: here.

Eating Well says, "Roasting salmon on top of Brussels sprouts and garlic, flavored with wine and fresh oregano, is a meal that is simple enough for a weeknight meal yet sophisticated enough to serve to company. Serve with whole-wheat couscous."

Garlic Roasted Salmon & Brussels Sprouts
Eating Well November/December 2011
(Makes 6 Servings)
Active Time 25 min / Total Time 45 min

14 large cloves garlic, divided
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
6 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced
3/4 cup white wine, preferably Chardonnay
2 pounds wild-caught salmon fillet, skinned, cut into 6 portions
lemon wedges

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Mince 2 garlic cloves and combine in a small bowl with oil, 1 tablespoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Halve the remaining garlic and toss with Brussels sprouts and 3 tablespoons of the seasoned oil in a large roasting pan. Roast, stirring once, for 15 minutes.

Add wine to the remaining oil mixture. Remove the pan from oven, stir the vegetables and place salmon on top. Drizzle with the wine mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oregano and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bake until the salmon is just cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes more. Serve with lemon wedges.

Per serving: 334 calories; 15 g fat ( 3 g sat , 9 g mono ); 71 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 33 g protein; 3 g fiber; 485 mg sodium; 921 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (107% daily value), Potassium (27% dv), Vitamin A (20% dv), Folate (19% dv), Magnesium (17% dv)

Carbohydrate Servings: 1/2
Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 4 lean meat, 2 fat

Notes/Results: Wonderful flavor. The fresh oregano, enough cloves of garlic to stop a vampire, ;-) and crisp white wine combine well for a savory and really tasty dish. Besides a little peeling and chopping in the beginning, this recipe goes together very quickly and effortlessly. The only change I would make is that I would have caramelized my sprouts just a smidge more before adding the salmon. Otherwise I wouldn't change anything. The magazine recommends serving it with whole wheat couscous but I ended up just eating it without a starch and was perfectly satisfied. A great little recipe that I will make again.

So..., Brussels sprouts--do you love them or leave them?

Carrot Soup: Bright and Creamy for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

2011-11-13T13:00:00.002-10:00

We are making all things orange this week at I Heart Cooking Clubs. I am a day early with this sunny orange-hued Carrot Soup. This one is simply flavored, thick, sweet and creamy and reminiscent of a potato-leek soup. Wonderful fall comfort food fare.

Tessa Kiros says, "I have seen rice added to this, but I actually love this simple recipe that is creamy, soft and sweet from the carrots. The soup will look as bright and healthy as the carrots you start off with. If you like, you can add a beef bone at the start for flavor. You can use a good stock cube or make a vegetable stock by simmering a peeled onion, carrot, celery stock and seasoning in about 4 cupfuls of water for a awhile."

Carrot Soup
Adapted from Piri Piri Starfish by Tessa Kiros
(Serves 4)

2 leeks
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
800 g (1 lb 12 oz) carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1.25 litres (44 fl oz / 5 cups) hot vegetable stock
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) potatoes, peeled

(I added the juice of 1 lemon)

Halve the leeks and slice them up thinly. Put them in a bowl of water, slosh them around with your hands to make sure there is no grit inside, and then drain them in a colander. Heat the olive oil in a large wide pot and sauté the leeks until they are soft and starting to turn golden, but take care that they don't darken too much.

Add the garlic and cook until you start to smell it. Add the carrots and turn through the oil. Add the hot stock and some salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

Cut the potatoes into big chucks and add to the pot. Bring back to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover the pot and cook for about 40 minutes.

Turn off the heat. Ladle out 2 heaped slotted spoonfuls of mainly potatoes and some carrots (trying to leave everything else behind as best you can!) and set aside. Puree the soup in the pot until smooth, adding a dash of extra stock or water if it seems too thick, then stir the unpureed potato and carrot back into the soup. Taste for seasoning before serving, or leave for a while and reheat gently.

Notes/Results: A pretty color and a tasty bowl of soup. I used some small organic carrots that were fresh and sweet and I think Kiros is right that the fresher the carrots the better. I found the recipe to be good as written but I felt that it needed just a little brightness so I added the juice of a lemon which perked it right up. Warming, hearty and makes the most of a few simple ingredients, I would make this again.

You can check out what dishes the other IHCC participants are making for the Orange Skies theme by going to the IHCC site and following the links.

Let's see who is in the kitchen for the Souper Sundays roundup this week.

Heather of girlichef has some comforting Chicken and Dumplings to share and says, "Just as it should be, this is a big pot full of goodness and comfort. I used buttermilk in place of regular milk which gave the big, fluffy biscuits a pleasant tang. I also cut back on the celery and added garlic. Because really, what's a bowl of comfort without a bit of garlic!? Lastly, I left the chicken on the bones until after cooking to add extra flavor to the broth...and because I was too lazy to de-bone it before putting it in the pot. ...it's delicious, homey, and sure to ease the symptoms of a cold, a bad day, or a broken heart."

Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook made a spicy bowl of Miso Shikataki Noodles with Edamame and Shichimi Togarashi Seasoning. She says, "This was our Saturday night slurpy supper, a classically healthy Japanese broth-based bowl filled with innumerable soy-based ingredients that take it over the top for legume-centrity. Easy, naturally vegan and gluten-free, as well as very low in carbs, it warms the bones and soothes the hackles after a long day of obligations and futile attempts to squeeze more minutes out a clock that can only register sixty."

Welcome to a new face at Souper Sundays, Cook@Vatsalas from Daring Cook at Will, joining us for the first time this week with a healthy Red Cabbage and Curd/Yogurt Salad. Vatsalas says, "We ate this salad at a Turkish restaurant and loved it. I think they add some cream to the salad but I decided to make it with curd and added freshly ground cumin for added flavor. I served this as a side dish and added left overs to our tofu sandwiches for another meal. Yum either way ..:) Best part about this recipe is its very simple and takes almost no time to prepare and fun dish to surprize your guests."

Janet from The Taste Space tried this colorful Roasted Yellow Beet Salad With Warm Maple Mustard Dressing and Smoky Tempeh Croutons and says, "It can be difficult to make a complete meal if you are famished after a long day at work…. unless, you have the forethought of making all the components ahead of time! I found this delicious salad at Post Punk Kitchen. I know it looks like another crazy multi-component salad: roasted beets, smoky tempeh croutons, a warm maple mustard dressing. Trust me, the best dishes get you to bring out the best of each component. Work on the weekend for each component, then bring it all together mid-week."

Finally one sandwich this week from Elizabeth at The Law Student's Cookbook who enjoyed these hearty Turkey and Mushroom Sloppy Joes that she served with some kale chips she won in a giveaway. She says, "I received the kale chips last Tuesday and decided to serve them with my sloppy joe lunch. Basically, it was pieces of kale, that some process was done to them to get them crispy coated with a soy cheese substitute and garlic. They definitely weren’t the same as potato chips and I don’t know if they could satisfy my potato chip cravings, however, they definitely were yummy."

Thanks to everyone who joined in this week. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week!

Cranberry Sorbet: A Sweet & Tangy Burst of Color from Tessa Kiros

2011-11-11T23:29:00.006-10:00

You may be thinking that I fell off of the face of the earth because of my lack of posting lately. With a visiting foodie friend, I was doing plenty of eating but not a lot of taking pictures and blogging. I followed up play time with prepping for and delivering a couple of big work presentations and suddenly it was Friday. I am hoping that things will be back to normal next week.

Although I didn't have much time in the kitchen, I had a few minutes to throw together this gorgeously-hued Cranberry Sorbet from Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros. I have been wanting to make this sorbet since the book came out a few years ago and a photo of it was on the cover. Then Sue sealed the deal when she made it last month. The recipe requires two ingredients: cranberries, which I had hanging out in the freezer and fine sugar, in my baking cupboard. I also added a touch of vanilla to the mix because I like how it rounds out tart fruit flavors.

Tessa Kiros says. "This is stunning: refreshing, slightly tart, and such an inspiring color to bring out of your kitchen. Sometimes I like to serve it with a shot of vodka or a gentle blog of whipped cream alongside. You could also add a little liquor to the sorbet if you like. Unfortunately, this doesn't work too well without an ice cream machine--you can beat it by hand, but you will end up with a sort of granita instead of a sorbet."

Cranberry Sorbet
From Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros
(Serves 6 to 8)

5 cups (1 1/4 cups) fresh or frozen cranberries or similar berries

1 1/2 cup superfine sugar

(I added 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla)

Wash the berries. Put in a saucepan with the sugar and 3 1/2 cups of water. Cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the berries are soft. Puree, strain, and let cool, before freezing in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Notes/Results: Creamy, slightly tangy, slightly sweet and delicious. The color is just stunning--it's so bright and beautiful. I was going to garnish the sorbet with mint but I thought the rosemary sprig would look more festive and along with a few cranberries, perfect for the season. This would be the perfect end to a heavy holiday meal and i will make it again.

It's Potluck week at IHCC and you can check out what everyone made by going to the post and following the links.

Smoky Minestrone Soup: A Pantry Clean-Out Creation for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

2011-11-06T09:30:00.002-10:00

The clean-out-the-pantry soups that I throw together are often my favorites. This Smoky Minestrone made the most of the last of the smoked turkey drumsticks and organic chicken stock in my freezer and some fading vegetables from the fridge bin. Add some herbs, canned kidney beans and ditlanani pasta from the cupboard and a savory soup was born.

I tossed this together before my friend Rene' arrived for a long weekend visit from Seattle, and although I don't force my house guests to eat soup, ;-) it hit the spot after a long day of beaching it on the North Shore and she proclaimed it delicious.

Smoky Minestrone Soup
by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Serves 8 or 10)

1 or 2 smoked turkey drumsticks
2 large carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
4 small white potatoes, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried rosemary, minced
1 tsp dried thyme, minced
2 bay leaves
4 cups chicken stock (I used homemade)
1 1/2 cups dried ditlanani (or other short tubular pasta)
2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups Brussels sprouts. cored and sliced thin
1 tsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste
freshly grated Parmesan to serve

Place smoked turkey legs in a large soup pot and cover with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add carrots, celery, potatoes, garlic, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves along with the chicken stock and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 25 minutes, until vegetables are mostly cooked through.

Remove turkey legs and allow to cool slightly. Add the pasta, kidney beans and Brussels sprout leaves to the soup and cook another 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, remove turkey meat from drumsticks and chop into small pieces. Return turkey to the pot and warm through. Stir in smoked paprika and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with a little freshly grated Parmesan if desired.

Notes/Results: A very flavorful broth from the smoked turkey legs, chicken stock, herbs and paprika made for a hearty and delicious soup. I liked the shredded Brussels sprouts in the mix--a little like cabbage. We tried it on top of some chopped spinach with some freshly created Parmesan and it made a great meal. I would make this again.

We have a couple of friends in the Souper Sundays kitchen this week--let's take a look.

Janet from The Taste Space has a lovely Mixed Lentil and Tomato Stew to share and says, "I originally spotted this recipe on The Wednesday Chef, as a Two Lentil Stew that she adapted from Flatbreads & Flavors when I was looking for more recipes with chana dal. In the comment section, though, it turned out it was actually a Five Lentil Stew that she had modified… and I had 4/5 of the beans: red lentil, chana dal, mung dal and toor dal. Not too shabby if you ask me, with only urad dal as the missing ingredient. And since they are all split beans, this stew cooks up quickly. The mixture of beans in this stew creates a glorious effect. Some turn to mush, others keep their shape, more are half-way in between. The texture is unbeatable."

My friend Heather of girlichef had two soups this week. First up, she and I shared our smoky bean love this week and she has this delectable Smoky Yellow Bean Soup. She says, "So, though time marches on, some things never change. Like my love for beans and pork together. They are just the perfect match. I used Yellow Eye beans for the first time to make a big pot of soup that, when combined with some savory smoked pork necks and the slow heat of smoky chipotles, formed a big bowl of comfort that we didn't want to stop eating. While I served it with some Seeded Mixed Brown bread the first day (and thoroughly enjoyed it), we greedily devoured it the second day. Why? Well, because the beans had begun to break down a bit and thicken up the soup and the smokiness of the pork and chipotles intensified, as did the heat."

girlichef also made this comforting Vermicelli Soup with Lemon, Butter, & Mint about which she says, "So with the sun warming the house through windows with the curtains thrown back, I decided it was the perfect time to catch up on a few of my shows waiting, anxious to be watched, in the DVR. Since midday was in sight, I stopped in the kitchen on the way to the television. It doesn't get much quicker than a brothy bowl full of simple noodle soup. Within 15 minutes I was curled up with a steaming bowl to watch the season premiere of The Next Iron Chef. Simple is good."

Short but sweet roundup this week.Thanks to Heather and Janet for joining in. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the side bar for all of the details.

Souper Sundays is posting a couple hours before the normal 12:00 PM Hawaii time deadline as there is sun and a house guest so we are of to explore and hang out. If there are any last minute entries, I'll add them when I return later today.

Have a happy, healthy week!