Asparagus Vichyssoise: Enjoyed Cold (or Warm) for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

 
Although meant to be served cold and perfect for a warm summer day, this green and lovely Asparagus Vichyssoise is perfectly satisfying served warm on a cool and rainy summer night. Good if your family/house guests tell you they prefer warm soup! ;-) 
 
This one is from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi or a close variation can be found here on the Ottolenghi website.
 

Ottolenghi says, "The ideal time for making my cold soup is toward the end of asparagus season, in the early summer, when the spears are often thick and woody and not good enough to eat as they are. Serve with crusty bread dipped in olive oil." 

Asparagus Vichyssoise 
Adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
(Makes 4 Servings)

1 medium potato
2 medium leeks
1 lb asparagus
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
2 1/2 cups good-quality vegetable stock
1 tsp sugar
salt and white pepper
3 Tbsp heavy cream
6 Tbsp Greek yogurt
grated zest of 1/2 lemon

Peel the potato and dice roughly. Chop off and discard the tough green ends of the leeks. Cut through the pale center, then wash and slice roughly. Trim off and discard the woody base of the asparagus . Cut all but three of the spears into 3/4-inch pieces, keeping the tips separate. Reserve the whole spears.

Place all of the vegetables, except for the asparagus tips, with the butter in a medium saucepan and sauté on medium heat for about four minutes, taking care they don't take on any color. Cover the vegetables with stock, add sugar and some salt and white pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, for 40 minutes. At the end of this time add the asparagus tips and continue cooking for 10 minutes. 

Once done, blitz the soup well in a blenderuntil very smooth. Gently fold in the cream and half the yogurt. Allow the soup to come to room temperature, then chill. 

While the soup is cooling down, bring a pan of water to the boil and blanch the reserved asparagus for 2 minutes; drain and refresh under plenty of cold water. Shred.

To serve: Pour the cold soup into bowls. Spoon a dollop of yogurt on top of each and swirl with the tip of a skewer. Place the shredded asparagus in the center and garnish with lemon zest.

Notes/Results:More proof that a bowl of delicious soup can be made from a few simple ingredients. The asparagus adds a nice touch to a basic potato and leek soup. If you wanted to make it vegan, you change to olive oil or non-dairy butter substitute and you could leave out the heavy cream entirely (I used coconut milk non-dairy creamer) as the soup is creamy enough from the potato, and omit the Greek yogurt (although it adds a nice tangy flavor) or sub in a non-dairy yogurt. Since my brother and his wife are visiting, I let them decide how they wanted to eat the soup and their pick was warm, with egg salad sandwiches--which worked out nicely after a long rainy and windy day. I ate the remaining serving the following day--cold and I have to say that I am torn on which way I like it best. It works well both ways. Easy and good, I would make this again.

The theme was "Gorgeously Green" at I Heart Cooking Clubs this week. You can check out all of the Yotam Ottolenghi recipes with green ingredients by following the links on the post.

We have a few soups, a sandwich and plenty of salads waiting in the Souper Sundays kitchen this week, let's go take a look.

A simple green Zucchini-Basil Soup from Sandra of Meadows Cooks. She says, "I discovered a lovely thing and I want to share it with all of you marvelous people. If you buy basil on the root it keeps as if it were planted in the ground... indefinitely. Just place it in a vase of water and you can have fresh basil every night for weeks! Another wonderful discovery for me is this insanely simple, and equally delicious zucchini soup. I found it over at Epicurious and was so stunned by the meager list of ingredients I had to make it."

Mireille of Chef Mireille's Global Creations shares this thick and  creamy Broccoli Mushroom Soup and says, "Complex, deep flavors are achieved by using different mushrooms with different flavors coupled with the smoky flavor of the cheese. By leaving the mushrooms in large pieces, they are "meaty". Even if you are not Vegetarian, try this soup and I promise, you won't be disappointed!"

My pal Heather of girlichef is here with both a soup and a sandwich (down below the salads) this week. Heather's soup is a summer-perfect bowl of Caldo de Camaron y Pescado (Brothy Shrimp and Fish Soup). She says, "Lately I've had the craving for one of my favorite types of Caldos, or Brothy Soups. One swimming (see what I did there) with not only fish, but also shrimp in a broth flavored perfectly with chiles, onions, garlic, and tomatoes. Caldos really are my favorite...good and brothy, with lots of chunks just waiting for my spoon to scoop them up!" 

Joyce of Kitchen Flavours brings Warm Roast Chicken and Bread Salad and says, "This is one delicious salad, the crunchy curly Frillice makes a beautiful salad. The roasted chicken is very tasty with all the marinating ingredients and the bread is so, so, crispy with the slight peppery taste of the roasted chicken since it has been sitting in the same tray with the chicken and it's juices. The raisins are just so yummy. I will definitely make this again, especially so when I have a request from the kids to make this again soon!  A beautiful and tasty salad to serve at the table for a gathering!" 

Janet of The Taste Space is on a salad roll this week with three wonderful salads to share. First up, Strawberry & Avocado Salad with a Citrus Vinaigrette about which she says, "...I used pumpkin seeds. I used sweet strawberries, paired with creamy avocado and a sweet citrus dressing. Since the oranges we got in our share were “juicing oranges” (Valencia, aka sweet Texan oranges!!), I figured a dressing was a good way to capitalize on their sweet juiciness. Since, yes, I left my juicer at home. No homemade juice on the horizon yet.  It may seem fiddly to also add lemon juice, but it balanced the dressing nicely." 

Janet's second salad is this pretty Peach, Basil & Hemp Salad with a Citrus Vinaigrette. She says, "...Sweet, juicy peaches. I have to remind myself that buying too many is often fool-hardy. Their peak ripeness has a short window. But once they are juicy: pounce. Peaches for breakfast, peaches as a snack and peaches for dinner. Peaches for a salad work so well because they make their own dressing, to boot. I still supplemented it with the nice citrus dressing from earlier in the week, though."

For her final salad masterpiece, Janet shares another take on summery peaches with Peach and Hemp Salad with a Creamy Balsamic Hummus Dressing. She says, "Fresh, flavourful ingredients are important for a salad; but like pasta is to sauce, salad can be a vector for dressing. A simple go-to dressing. With hummus on hand, this is so easy to put together. Hummus, balsamic and mustard. I always taste-test the dressing, but this one was hard to read. As I said, I didn’t really think I’d like it; it seemed too tart. Drizzled next to the sweet peaches, though, it all balanced out."

Brittany of Brittany Cooks offers up Tahini-Dressed Zucchini and Green Bean Salad and says, "I found this recipe in one of my new favorite cookbooks River Cottage Veg. Guys, I adore this book, and am totally bummed it's nearly overdue at the library. It celebrates vegetables in such a fresh and beautiful way it makes me want to be vegetarian. ... There's a bit more prep then I usually care for in a salad, but the veggies become superstars by the end, making it well worth the effort. Full of delicious seasonal veggies, it's filling and satisfying!"

Heather of girlichef shares her second Souper Sundays entry, this decadent Chicken Parmesan Sandwich and says, "...if you're savvy and keep one eye on the sales flyers, you can save yourself both time and money. And clean-up, I might add. There's not much that I enjoy less than cleaning up after raw chicken. So yes, keep your eyes peeled for those packages of chicken "tenders" and "thinly sliced chicken breast" to go on sale, utilize your freezer, and you're on easy street." 

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 on my side bar for all of the details. 

Have a happy, healthy week!
 

Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, Peperoncino & Avocado: Rich & Satisfying Pasta from Tessa Kiros

This is a recipe that after coming across it in Recipes and Dreams From An Italian Life by Tessa Kiros, I need to keep making over and over again. My favorite thing to do with a perfect avocado used to be to eat them with a little salt and lime, but now I just want them in my pasta. Who would imagine that combining ripe avocado with garlic, red pepper, olive oil and lemon juice would be so rich, satisfying and just plain wonderful?! 

Tessa says, "People are often surprised when I serve this twist on a traditional pasta. It is simple, yet rich and delicious. The avocado has to be a beauty, otherwise forget it. You should be generous with the salt and pepper to bring out its flavor."

Spaghetti Aglio, Olio, Peperoncino & Avocado
Recipes and Dreams From An Italian Life by Tessa Kiros
(Serves 2)

4 Tbsp olive oil (I reduce to 2-3 Tbsp)
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 small dried red chile, chopped (I use a large pinch of crushed red pepper)
1 ripe avocado, not too big
juice of 1/2 small lemon
5 1/2 ounces spaghetti
shredded Parmesan to serve
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil and garlic over a very gentle heat in a small skillet to just draw out the flavor. Take care not to burn the garlic because you can ruin the flavor. When it smells good, add the chile and heat for a moment more. Remove from the heat. Halve the avocado and scoop out nice chunks into a wide serving bowl. Add the lemon juice and season well with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Pour the cooled garlic oil over the avocado and gently mix. Scoop out the pasta with a spaghetti fork directly into the bowl. Add a little of the cooking water to loosen things up and stir gently, trying to keep the avocado in chunks. Serve immediately with lots of shredded Parmesan and a nice extra grind of black pepper.

Notes/Results: Quick to make and perfectly delicious to eat. As Tessa says, the avocado must be a good one. I used a lackluster one when I was really craving this dish and was not impressed but, with a perfect avocado, it sings. For that matter, use good olive oil (I cut the amount back a little) and Parmesan too--since there are so few ingredients all of the flavors standout. I have made this about half a dozen times, adjusting the lemon and red pepper (usually crushed red pepper flakes) depending on my mood. Excellent when you want to indulge in something yummy but don't want to spend much time and hassle cooking. A keeper recipe for me. 

Happy Aloha Friday!
 

Tomato and Tarragon Bread Soup (Panade de Tomate à l’ Estragon) for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

Another summery tomato soup and the third recipe that you should bookmark to make with your bounty of summer tomatoes (here's one and two). I am always attracted to tomato and bread soup recipes, For this Tomato and Tarragon Bread Soup (Panade de Tomate à l’ Estragon) it was the use of the sage and tarragon that drew me in. Two of my favorite herbs that I find I just don't seem to use enough. 

This soup is from The French Market Cookbook: Vegetarian Recipes From My Parisian Kitchen by Clotilde Dusoulie. I am loving this new cookbook, full of seasonal French vegetarian and vegan recipes. In this peasant-style soup Clotilde (of Chocolate & Zucchini fame), combines the two herbs with farm-fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic and bread. Simple and wonderful for summer. 

Clotilde says, "Panade is the French word for any peasant-style stew or soup maide substantial by the addition of bread (pain and panade share the same root). This one is a rustic preparation of chopped tomatoes cooked in broth with onions and sage. I serve it for dinner in the summer; if there is a slight chill in the night air, it's especially restorative. This recipe can only sing as beautifully as the tomatoes you put in it, so use the tastiest field tomatoes possible, in season and ripe, preferably from the farmers’ market. Bonus points if you can mix and match different varieties. I garnish this soup with fresh tarragon, an herb with long, thin leaves whose subtly aniseed-like notes lift the overall flavor by a few notches."

Tomato and Tarragon Bread Soup (Panade de Tomate à l’ Estragon)
Adapted from The French Market Cookbook by Clotilde Dusoulie
(Serves 4-6)

Olive oil for cooking
1 small yellow onion (4 1/4 ounces /120 g), finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, 1 minced, 1 halved
10 fresh sage leaves, midveins removed, finely sliced
fine sea salt
2 1/2 lbs / 1 kg tomatoes, roughly chopped
10 oz / 280 g stale country or sourdough bread
4 cups / 1 liter Homemade Vegetable Stock
hot sauce
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup / 10 g fresh tarragon or basil leaves

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a soup pot over medium heat and add the onion, minced garlic, sage, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often to avoid coloring, until the onion has softened, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, with their juices and seeds, and 1 teaspoon salt.

Cut one-third of the bread into slices about 1/3 inch thick and set aside; you’ll be making croutons with those in a moment. Cut the remaining bread into rough cubes and add them to the pot.

Pour in the stock, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until the tomatoes and bread are very soft, about 30 minutes.

Add a few dashes of hot sauce, then taste and adjust the seasoning.
Toast the reserved slices of bread and, while still warm, rub both sides with the cut side of the halved garlic clove. Dice into croutons.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with black pepper, top with croutons, and sprinkle with tarragon. Serve immediately.

Notes/Results: A bowl of this soup does make you feel you should be consuming it outdoors around a big wooden table of a farmhouse in the French countryside. It's thick, filling but not heavy and smells like ambrosia cooking away. The contrasts are good--the sweetness of the tomatoes, the slight tangy taste of the locally-baked sourdough, the herby punch of the sage and tarragon and a little warmth from the hot sauce. Texturally, the onion slices get nice and slightly stringy (think French onion soup), and partner with the silky thickness of the broth-soaked bread and the crunch from the toasted croutons. I think I slightly over-breaded my soup--not paying attention to the weigh/proportions in the recipe, but honestly, I didn't mind (no need for a sandwich!). ;-) This one is a keeper.  

It's a typically quiet and sleepy August here in the Souper Sundays kitchen this week, but our good friend and regular attendee Janet of The Taste Space is here with a couple of drool-worthy dishes combining salads and "wraps" to share. 

First open-faced Tofu-Avocado Salad (Vegan Egg Salad) with Arepas about which Janet says, "The moist and fluffy arepas with a crispy shell only happen when you make them fresh. We long learned not to make leftovers since they are very lacklustre. They are one of Rob’s specialties, although previously reserved for the weekend when we have more time for food prep. They seem to fit with most any dish, at least in our fusion household. ... The avocado, tahini and Dijon make for a creamy dressing while chunky avocado and tofu are surprisingly reminiscent of eggs. The dill adds a nice spin, too. I used dried but I think fresh would be best."

Next Janet offers up exotic Mango-Curry Chickpea Salad Wraps and says, "...I pounced on these chickpea salad wraps. Sweetened with fresh mango, spiced with ginger and garam masala with a touch of cilantro. Sweet, spicy and tart – a great trio. Mash them up and then wrap it in a lettuce wrap for an easy meal. I was worried I would have needed to add citrus juice, but this wasn’t dry in the slightest. It probably depends on your mango, so your results may vary."

Thanks Janet for joining in! ;-) If you have a soup, salad or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sunday's logo on the side bar for all of the details. 

And a last-minute addition--I missed this fabulous Ottolenghi Roasted Cauliflower & Almond Salad last week from my friend Sue at Couscous & Consciousness and wanted to add it to this week's roundup. Sue says, "Ever one to gild the lilly, I've tricked the original recipe up a little with the addition of some preserved lemon and black olives, as well as a touch of pomegranate molasses.  I also used salted almonds instead of the roasted hazelnuts called for in the original recipe.  I've made it with the hazelnuts too, and even though hazelnuts are frequently my "preferred" nut in so many salads, somehow in this one I think I like the almonds just a little better." Thanks Sue for sharing it! 

Have a happy, healthy week!
 

Ottolenghi's Basic Hummus

I make a good hummus. My fall-back one is nothing fancy--usually good-quality canned chickpeas, some spoonfuls of tahini (although I have been known to slide in some almond butter instead when I forget to buy it), garlic, lemon juice, plenty of cumin, a pinch of cayenne, water and good olive oil--the proportions of the ingredients varied slightly to get just the right combination of flavor and texture I am looking for. Simple, but it always gets eaten, requested back and someone always claims any leftovers to take home. At one point, every time a certain friend invited me over for dinner or parties and I would offer to bring something, he would say, "How about some of your hummus?" When I would point out that I actually cook pretty well--not just appetizers and make a lot more than hummus, and I would threaten to boycott unless I could bring something else he would say imploringly, "But we LOVE your hummus!" Let it be known that I am always a sucker for both begging and compliments. ;-)

I am already pretty content with my own basic hummus but I have had the urge to try the Basic Hummus from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi to see if their version is better. It contains some of my basic ingredients but with dried chickpeas (cooked their special way with a bit of baking soda in a hot pan before boiling until soft), huge quantities of tahini and ice water drizzled into the food processor at the end to make it creamier. I thought about sticking to the recipe completely for trial's sake, but since the cookbook says to adjust the lemon and tahini to your own tastes, I just had to toss in some of my beloved cumin, up the lemon juice and reduce the amount of tahini. The final product turned out light, creamy and delicious drizzled with olive oil and dusted with paprika and a touch of dukkah. (My changes are noted in red below.)

Basic Hummus
Adapted from Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamimi
(Serves 6)

1 1/4 cup (250 g) dried chickpeas
1 tsp baking soda  
6 1/2 cups water 
1 cup + 2 Tbsp tahini (light roast) (I reduced to a heaping 1/2 cup)
4 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used about 6 Tbsp)
4 cloves garlic, crushed  
6 1/2 tablespoons ice cold water  
salt
(I added 1 tsp ground cumin)  
(olive oil, paprika & dukkah to serve, optional) 

The night before, put the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with cold water at least twice their volume. Leave to soak overnight. 

The next day, drain the chickpeas. Place a medium saucepan over high heat and add the drained chickpeas and baking soda. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the water and bring to a boil. Cook, skimming off any foam and any skins that float to the surface. The chickpeas will need to cook for 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the type and freshness, sometimes even longer. (I cooked mine about 1 hour) Once done, they should be very tender, breaking up easily when pressed between your thumb and finger, almost but not quite mushy. 

Drain the chickpeas. You should have roughly 3 and 2/3 cups now. Place the chickpeas in a food processor and process until you get a stiff paste. Then, with the machine sill running, add the tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Finally, slowly drizzle in the ice water and allow it to mix for about five minutes, until you get a very smooth and creamy paste. 

Transfer the hummus to a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes. If not using straightaway, refrigerate until needed. Make sure to take it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving. 

 

Notes/Results: An excellent hummus that takes a bit longer than my normal version, but is no harder to make. Definitely cooked dried chickpeas trump even the good canned version, I am just usually making hummus at the last minute and avoiding the soaking time by using the cans. Even with just half of the tahini that the recipe called for, the flavor is pronounced--so for me, the whole amount would be too much. I think less tahini made my hummus a little thicker than the pictured version, but it was plenty smooth and silky and I like just a tad of stiffness in hummus rather than have it be too blended. With my changes to the recipe, I would definitely make it again. 

 

*Note: The chips I enjoyed with the hummus are from The Better Chip and I am reviewing them next week on the blog. The two pictured are the Red Peppers With Salsa Fresca and their newest flavor, Spinach and Kale with Sea Salt. Besides being pretty in the bowl, both are excellent hummus partners. 

It's Mezze Madness week at I Heart Cooking Clubs--featuring Ottolenghi appetizers and small plate dishes. You can check out the pupus everyone made by following the links on the post.

Happy Aloha Friday!
 

Coconut-Chai Fudge Pops: Dairy-Free Frozen Treat for Food 'N Flix July: Monsoon Wedding

Weddings are always a fun and crazy setting for a movie. Make that a Punjabi wedding in New Delhi where family and old traditions and current practices clash and you have Monsoon Wedding, a colorful, feel-good romance film and our Food 'N Flix selection for July.

Directed by Mira Nair (Mississippi Masala, The Namesake and Vanity Fair are just a few of her other films), Monsoon Wedding is the story of the Verma family. Father Lalit, is trying to pull off a large wedding for his eldest daughter Aditi. Aditi, is set to marry Hemant, currently living in Texas, in an arranged marriage while she still pines for her married lover. The wedding preparations are complicated by the lackadaisical event planner Dubey, who finds himself falling for Alice, the family's house maid. Family is arriving from all over and their various stories and sub plots, combined with the threat of having an outdoor wedding smack in the midst of a monsoon season add drama to the proceedings.

 
I love this movie--the color, the music and dancing and the themes of love and family. I first saw it when it came out with some good girlfriends after going out for an Indian feast and I bought the DVD when it came out. It's sweet and fun and although Aditi (the bride) spends most of the movie pouting and I want to smack her because her groom is great (and hot!) and her ex-lover is just creepy--things of course seem to work out for everyone by the end. ;-) Even owning it, it had been a while since I had watched the movie all the way through so I was happy when Heather of girlichef, our Food 'N Flix founder, picked it. Monsoon Wedding isn't necessarily a foodie movie, but it's a wedding, it's India, and food finds its way into the film with glimpses or mentions of tea and pakoras, coconut curry, mangoes, wedding sweets, salt lassi,and samosas.

I took my inspiration from the chai tea mentioned or shown a few times and "chuskis"--ice pops that popped up in the film. The ice pops in the film were red and yellow but I was craving the Coconut Black Chai Tea that I enjoy hot and made with chocolate non-dairy coconut milk during the cooler months and thought it would be tasty as a frozen fudge pop. Seems perfect for a warm summer monsoon to me. 

Coconut-Chai Fudge Pops
by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Makes about 6 pops--depending on mold size. Drink any extra over ice!)

2 cups non-dairy chocolate coconut milk (or sub chocolate almond milk, reg milk, etc.)
3 bags coconut-flavored black chai-flavored tea (or regular chai tea)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
honey or agave to taste, optional

In a small saucepan, heat chocolate coconut milk until just boiling. Add tea bags, ground cinnamon and cardamom and stir. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes. Remove tea bags. Add vanilla extract, stir and taste for sweetness, stirring in a bit of honey or agave if needed.

Place into pyrex measuring cup and place in the fridge for a few hours to cool. When mixture is chilled, fill popsicle molds and place in freezer for at least 4 hours or until completely frozen.

Unmold and enjoy!

Notes/Results: Cool, sweet and yummy. For dairy-free fudge pops, these are nice and creamy and the flavor of the spices and coconut come through nicely. They are more chai spice-flavored than chocolate, so if you want a more chocolate-flavored pop, add in some cocoa powder or chocolate syrup when heating up the milk. Because the chocolate-coconut milk that I used was sweetened, I didn't add any more sweetener and they were perfect for me. I will make these again. 

Heather will be rounding up the entries for this edition of Food 'N Flix shortly at girlichef. If you like food and movies and foodie movies, join us for August when we will be watching When Harry Met Sally, hosted by Caroline Makes.

I am also linking these up to girlichef's Summer of the Popsicle!
 

Pea, Lettuce & Fennel Soup with Asparagus Mimosa: Healthy Green Duo for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

A healthy and gorgeously green duo made up of two recipes that I was tempted to try based on their combination of ingredients. First, the Pea, Lettuce & Fennel Soup, a Giada De Laurentiis recipe that I saw her make on her show a while back. I am fond of fennel and I thought that the contrast of its mild licorice flavor with the sweetness of the peas would be interesting. Then, my love of anything with capers pulled me to Yotam Ottolenghi's recipe for Asparagus Mimosa from his "Plenty" cookbook. Capers paired with eggs, on top of tender-crisp asparagus sounded like a winner to me. This pairing may have a slight spring-ish feel, but since I was able to use all locally grown veggies (except for the frozen peas) and eggs, it transcends the season. 

I made a couple of changes to the soup (noted in red below)--swapping out the butter of 1/3 the amount of olive oil, using veggie broth instead of chicken, and using local Manoa butter lettuce.

Pea, Lettuce & Fennel Soup
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis via Food Network
(Makes 4 Servings)

3 Tbsp unsalted butter (I used 1 Tbsp olive oil)
2 small shallots, chopped
1 medium fennel bulb, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 medium head Bibb lettuce, cut into 1/2-inch strips (I used Manoa butter lettuce)
One 10-oz package frozen petite peas (about 2 1/4 cups)
1 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth, plus extra, as needed (I used veggie broth)
1/2 tsp fennel seeds

Melt the butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and fennel. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 the teaspoon pepper. Cover the saucepan and cook until almost tender, stirring occasionally, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the lettuce and toss until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in the peas, broth, 1 cup water and fennel seeds. Bring the soup to a boil. Cover; reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the vegetables are just tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

In a blender, blend the soup, 1 cup at a time, until smooth. Pour the soup back into the saucepan and keep warm over low heat. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Thin out the soup by adding 1 tablespoon of extra broth at a time, if needed.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. 

Ottolenghi says, "This traditional way with asparagus is probably my favourite. It is simple and therefore relies on the quality of the asparagus itself more then anything else. See if you can get the spears from a farmers' market or the shop at a farm where they have been freshly picked. Roughly chopped tarragon sprinkled on top will make a good addition."
 
Asparagus Mimosa
From Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi
(Serves 4 as a Starter)

2 eggs
2 bunches of medium asparagus
2 tbsp best-quality olive oil
2 tsp small capers, drained
1 tsp sea salt
black pepper

Gently place your eggs in a saucepan of boiling water and simmer for 9 minutes. Remove the eggs from the pan and immerse them in a large bowl of cold water. After a few minutes, take them out of the water and leave to cool down completely. Peel the eggs and grate them on a coarse cheese grater.

Bend the asparagus until the tough bottom ends snap off; discard the ends. Place the spears in a large pot of boiling water and cook for 3 minutes, or until tender. It may take slightly longer if they are thick.

Drain and, while still warm but not hot, divide among four serving plates. Drizzles the oil over the asparagus and sprinkle with the capers, salt and some pepper. Top with the grated egg, staying close to the centre of the stalks so that the tips and bases remain visible.

Notes/Results:  First the soup--thick, creamy and full of good flavor. It's a little sweet, crisp and green and then the fabulous fennel flavor from both the bulb and the seeds kicks in at the end. Easy to make and satisfying. This is a great soup to enjoy in a cup or small bowl along with a sandwich or salad like the Asparagus Mimosa. Such great flavor from just a few ingredients. The egg and caper mix is perfect both in flavor and texture as an asparagus topping--although it is a little messy to eat. ;-) Paired with the soup, it makes a great light lunch or dinner. I would make both of these recipes again.

Sneaking in at the last minute for this weeks Eggscellent! theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs. You can check out all the egg-filled dishes that everyone made by going to the post and following the links.

We have some scrumptious salads waiting in the Souper Sundays kitchen this week. Let's take a look.

Sandra from meadows cooks is here with pretty Orange Walnut Salad with Orange-Basil Dressing and says, "If you're like me summer time is full of salads. No cooking, watery fresh, perfect for hot, hot days. If you're also like me you usually do the same old salad, bland romaine lettuce and balsamic vinegar every time. Laziness? Yes, summer makes me lazy. It is a good stand by but a bit boring. Why not brighten up your salad with some sunny fruit? Add a little goat cheese (nothing isn't better with goat cheese on it) and some walnuts and you have a festive treat. On a weekday. You can't beat that."

Graziana of Erbe in Cucina shares this fruity and minty Watermelon Salad with Spearmint and says, "This year I'm growing spearmint, a pleasant variety of mint, with rounded and slightly fleshy leaves, and strong and yet delicate aroma. I added spearmint to this watermelon and balsamic vinegar salad, and even my son enjoyed it."

Janet from The Taste Space brings Easy Cheezy Chickpea Salad from her pantry and says, "This salad is almost too simple. Only four ingredients, or five if you include salt or pepper. Chickpeas, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and leafy greens. Definitely more than the sum of its parts. The lemon juice is tart and the nutritional yeast tames it into a creamy dressing. Marinade the chickpeas and use the extra sauce to toss with your favourite leafy greens."

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 on the sidebar for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week! 
 

The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of "This is Paradise" by Kristiana Kahakauwila with Opah (Fish) Tacos & a Tangy Yogurt Dressing

A good friend and co-worker took me to a hula performance at the gorgeous Hawaii Theatre shortly after I moved to Honolulu in 2001. Performed by a contemporary hālau (a hula group/school) out of San Francisco, the dances interpreted the story of Hawaii's history; primarily the impact of the missionaries coming to Hawaii in the 1800's and the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in the late 1800's by American and European citizens. As I sat in the historic theater, moved by both the dance and the history itself, and feeling slightly set apart from the what felt like mostly local crowds, I was somewhat uncomfortable. Part of me wanted to spend the intermission apologizing to every native Hawaiian I could find for the past acts of those who came to the islands, even for moving my own haole (Caucasian) self to Honolulu for work and adding yet another mainland-transplanted body to the mix. 

Living in Honolulu for just over 12 years now and spending five years making frequent business trips here before moving, I don't often feel isolated or excluded like I did that night. I have friends from all walks of life--locals who grew up "on the rock" and never left, those born here that went to school or lived on the mainland but eventually moved back, those not born here that have been here for much longer than I have, and those that more recently came to the islands on vacation and just never went back. For myself, I have found the islands and the people who call it home to be warm and welcoming overall and that when a genuine interest and respect is given to others, it comes back to me. I am lucky to live here but it isn't always pretty---racial tension, crime, death, violence, sadness, and poverty all do exist in paradise. Being a haole transplant who wasn't born here and didn't grow up on the islands, there are some locals who will look at me as an outsider and there are places I will never see, people I am unlikely to interact with and experiences that I will probably never have. "This is Paradise" by Kristiana Kahakauwila digs deep into the culture and gives the reader those rare glimpses of life in "real" Hawaii and not the rainbow-studded tropical paradise surface that people most often see in movies or on vacation.

 

Paperback: 240 pages / Publisher: Hogarth (July 9, 2013)

"This is Paradise" is comprised of of six short stories spread throughout the islands of Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island. In the title story, three groups of local women from different walks of life take turns observing and judging the behaviors of a young female tourist in Waikiki who learns that "paradise" has a darker side. "Wanle" looks at betrayal, revenge and the underground world of cock-fighting on Maui. "The Road to Hana" finds a young couple traveling in Maui and struggling with which of the two is more Hawaiian--the Caucasian male, Honolulu born and raised or the native Hawaiian female who was born and raised in Nevada. "Thirty-Nine Rules for Making a Hawaiian Funeral Into a Drinking Game" is the humorous but poignant observations of local family behaviors from a hapa haole ("Half white. Half foreign") female, born and raised in California but in Kauai for her grandmother's funeral. "Portrait of a Good Father" explores the effects of grief on the members of a Honolulu family (father, mother, father's mistress, daughter/sister) when their son/brother is killed in a hit and run. "The Old Paniolo Way' has an in-the-closet gay son returning to the Big Island to support his sister and be with his dying cowboy/rancher father while struggling with both his impending loss and the secrets he is keeping from his family.  

These stories aren't "pretty" with happily ever-afters, they are raw and real, moving and full of angst, and strong emotions. Author Kahakauwila truly captures the essence of Hawaii--its beauty as well as its warts and brings it to life in colorful descriptions and language choice--lapsing into Hawaiian Pidgin, (the form of language or communication used in varying degrees by many Hawaii residents) when appropriate in the dialogue. I found myself laughing in parts, moved to tears in others and finding familiarity--I do know some of these people and have been to many of these places and events. This short story collection is a fabulous debut and I can't wait to see more from this author. The 240 pages are a quick and engaging read and would appeal to those who currently live or have lived or spent time in Hawaii, as well as those who want a peek at what life can really be like in paradise or those are interested in different cultures. 

Author Notes: Kristiana Kahakauwila, a native Hawaiian, was raised in Southern California. She earned a master’s in fine arts from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in comparative literature from Princeton University. She has worked as a writer and editor for Wine Spectator, Cigar Aficionado, and Highlights for Children magazines and taught English at Chaminade University in Honolulu. She is an assistant professor of creative writing at Western Washington University.

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If you read this blog regularly, you know that I usually cook a dish inspired by the books I read and review. 'This is Paradise"--much like Hawaii itself, has snippets of all different kinds of food woven into it. Foods like Kona coffee, mac nuts, burgers, fried eggs with shoyu, freshwater shrimp grilled over a campfire, peanut butter and guava jelly sandwiches, sweet potato manju, chocolate mochi, kahlua pig and laulau, sashimi, chicken long rice, mango wedding cake, mai tais, spam musabi, loco moco, shave ice, pickled radishes and beef curry with rice--plenty of inspiration. In the end, with a busy week and a house full of visiting family (My sister Linda, nephew Sean, niece Kayla and her boyfriend David), I chose none of that and instead made fish tacos with Hawaiian opah (moonfish). Not a local dish but an easy dish of blended ingredients--local fish and veggies with a little Baja influence. ;-) 

A family dinner, enjoyed outside on the lanai--just a quick picture  of my plate before digging in. Simple and good. Since I am pretty sure most everyone can make a fish taco, I am just posting the recipe for the Tangy Yogurt Sauce that I tossed together. Mostly because it turned out well and my sister wanted me to write down the recipe.

Tangy Yogurt Dressing for Fish Tacos
by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Makes about 2 cups)

12 oz non-fat plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder (or cayenne), or to taste
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro
fresh lime juice to taste
salt and black pepper to taste

Whisk together yogurt and mayo until well combined. Whisk in minced garlic, cumin, coriander, oregano, dill, chili powder and cilantro. Add lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours before serving. 

Notes/Results: Just an easy sauce with lots of cumin and lime. I keep mine on the cool and refreshing side and serve salsa for the heat. Thin it out a bit with a little milk and it makes a good creamy dressing for a salad. 

Note: Review copies of "This is Paradise" were provided by the publisher and TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always my thoughts and opinions are my own