Mango Tea Sorbet Float: A Cool & Sweet Simple Saturday Sipper

When I am at Ala Moana Mall and need a little pick-me-up from major shopping or getting my hair cut at the nearby Aveda Salon, I stop at The Pacific Place Tea Garden and grab one of their Tea Sorbet Floats. My favorite is the mango of course, which has mango black tea, a scoop of their low-sugar mango sorbet and chunks of ripe mango. The sorbet gently melts into the iced tea, sweetening it nicely and making a delicious afternoon treat.


Since I had some fresh local mangoes and a Maui mango black tea at home, I decided to make a simple sorbet and make my own Mango Tea Sorbet Float--perfect for this week's Simple Saturday Sipper.

Mango Tea Sorbet Float

by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen inspired by The Pacific Place Tea Garden

(Serves 2)

Make iced tea according to instructions and chill thoroughly. Pit and peel 1 fresh mango and cut into large chunks. Place mango chunks into tall glasses (about 1/3 cup of mangoes for each glass), top with a scoop or two of mango sorbet (recipe below) and pour iced tea over and up to glass rim. Serve and enjoy.

Mango Sorbet

2 large, ripe mangoes (about 2 lbs worth)
2 Tbsp agave or honey, or to taste--depending on sweetness of mangoes
1/2 cup water
pinch of salt

Peel, pit and chop the mangoes into large chunks. Place them in a blender or food processor with the agave or honey, water and salt. Purée the mixture until completely smooth. Taste the mixture and adjust the sweetener as necessary. Chill mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions and firm up in freezer.


Notes/Results: Cool, sweet, refreshing and very simple to make. It does take a little advance planning to make the sorbet and brew the tea, but it is low effort, well worth it, and much cheaper than the almost $6.00 the tea place charges. I will make these again. And I had to serve them in my favorite fish glasses--just because. ;-)

The Pacific Place Tea Garden
Ala Moana Center - Upperlevel
Phone: (808) 944-2004
Honolulu, Hawaii 96814

Happy Saturday!

Fried Fish with Lemongrass & Salad (Ca Chien Xa) for Regional Recipes: Vietnam

There is something fishy going on at Kahakai Kitchen and I seem to be making and eating a lot of fish dishes this week. Looking for a Vietnamese recipe for this month's Regional Recipes, hosted by my pal Joanne at Eats Well With Others, I pulled out a book I had not looked at in quite a while (hazard of a giant cookbook collection), "Healthy Salads from Southeast Asia" by Vatcharin Bhumichitr. I forgot how many delicious-sounding recipes are in this book--it's especially suited for the warmer weather of late. While this Fried Fish with Lemongrass & Salad (Ca Chien Xa) recipe may not seem all that healthy, the fish is fairly light and the rice vinegar from the fresh pickle of cucumber, carrot and red chili serves as the "dressing" for the salad. The recipe calls for whole trout but I ended up going local and using shutome (swordfish) instead.

Bhumichitr says, "I was told I must eat at Lemongrass, one of the most famous restaurants in Saigon, but the night that I went there it looked depressingly empty, and when I continued down Dong Khoi street I stumbled upon the Vietnam House, which was bustling with locals and tourists and was in every way a fortunate discovery. The two-story restaurant occupies an old French townhouse and the old-world charm is reinforced by the waiters and waitresses who wear elegant Vietnamese town costumes--the women in the svelte side-split ao dai, which as they say, covers everything and reveals everything. Many of the dishes like the stewed pork in a clay pot were Vietnamese adaptations of Chinese haute cuisine, but this recipe, a house specialty, was pure Saigon."

Fried Fish with Lemongrass and Salad (Ca Chien Xa)

"Healthy Salads from Southeast Asia" by Vatcharin Bhumichitr

(Serves 2 / 4 as Starter)

1 whole trout, about 450g (1 lb) cleaned and filleted

1 egg

1 young lemongrass stalk, finely chopped (I used 2 stalks)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 Tbsp light soy sauce

oil for deep frying

5 heaped tablespoons breadcrumbs (I used panko)

about 10 large mixed lettuce leave, Cos, frisee, radicchio, etc. (I used a combination of manoa lettuce, red leaf lettuce, and radish sprouts)

for the fresh pickle:

6 Tbsp rice vinegar

2 Tbsp sugar

100g (4 oz) carrot, cut into small cubes

100g (4 oz) cucumber, cut into small cubes

1 large red chili, thinly sliced into rounds

First make the fresh pickle: warm the vinegar in a small pan and dissolve the sugar in it. Pour into a small bowl and, when cool, add the carrot, cucumber, and chili. Stir well and set aside.

Cut the fish fillets across into thin strips roughly 7.5 x 2cm (3 x 3 3/4in) at the widest point. Set aside.

Beat the egg in a mixing bowl, add the lemongrass, salt, pepper, and light soy sauce and whisk together.

Heat the oil for deep-frying to moderate-to-hot. Dip the fish slices in the egg mixture, roll in the breadcrumbs and then deep-fry until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper.

Arrange the mixed leaves in a bowl, add the reserved fish slices and fresh pickle, toss and serve.

Notes/Results: Great flavor in this one--it is light and very tasty. I love the bites of the panko breaded fish with the bright taste of the lemongrass. I felt like the lemongrass stalks that I had were small so I minced two stalks and it seemed the perfect amount. I used my wok with peanut oil (about 1/3 cup or so) in the very bottom to fry the breaded fish slices--which turned out crisp and not at all greasy. The pickled veggies were good with the tangy vinegar and the heat from the red chili. A easy and delicious lunch--I will make this again.

Joanne will be rounding up all the dishes for Regional Recipes: Vietnam on the RR site here after the end of the month so stop by and check it out.

Happy Aloha Friday!

"A Thirty-Minute Fish Supper" Redux: Mark Bittman's Cod Cakes with Ginger, Cilantro, and Scallions

Flipping through my Mark Bittman cookbooks trying to decide what to make for this week's Potluck theme at IHCC, I ran across a recipe for Cod Cakes with Ginger and Scallions in "The Minimalist Cooks at Home." The recipe uses mashed potatoes to bind the fish cakes, and having both cod and mash left over from yesterday's Nigel Slater's A Thirty-Minute Fish Supper post (here), I was able to shave a few steps off of the normal process, making for a very quick and easy dinner.

You can find the recipe in "The Minimalist Cooks at Home" (pages 75-77) or a similar version online at the New York Times site here.
Bittman says, "Between your favorite restaurant crabcake and a box of frozen fish sticks lies a world of crisp, easily produced fish cakes that make for great weeknight eating. In addition to fish When it comes to fish cakes, my preference is use mashed potatoes as a binder, in a proportion of about three parts fish to one part potato. Starchy "baking" potatoes are best for this. And if you begin with a mild fish, like cod, the flavorings can be as adventuresome as you like. hese fish cakes contain a hefty dose of ginger and cilantro, spiked with a bit of hot red pepper. The result is a zingy cake that needs no sauce whatsoever, although a squeeze of lime is a welcome addition."

Cod Cakes With Ginger, Cilantro & Scallions

Mark Bittman
(Yield 4 servings)

1 baking potato weighing about 1/2 pound
1 1/2 pounds fillet of cod or other mild, delicate white fish

salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon peeled and minced ginger
1/2 cup minced cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
1 fresh or dried hot red chile, minced, or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

2 Tbsp chopped scallions
2 tsp peanut or other oil
Lime wedges

Boil potato in salted water to cover until it is tender but not mushy, 30 to 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the fish in a skillet that can later be covered. Add water to cover, salt the water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, turn off heat, and set a timer for 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the fish to a bowl.

When potato is done, peel it and mash it with the fish. Add the ginger, cilantro and scallions along with some salt and pepper to taste, and work the mixture with your hands until it is well blended. Shape into 8 equal burger-shaped patties.

Preheat the broiler, and set the rack about 4 inches from heat source. Brush the patties on both sides with oil, then place on a non-stick baking sheet. Broil carefully, until nicely browned on top, then turn and brown on the other side. Sprinkle with more cilantro, and serve hot, with lime wedges.

For Pan-fried Fish Cakes: Increase the oil to 1/3 cup or more if necessary. Heat oil in a large skillet (the oil should be at a depth of about 1/16 inch) over medium-high heat. When it is hot (a pinch of the fish mixture will sizzle immediately), add the cakes. Cook, turning once, until brown on both sides, about 10 minutes total.

Notes/Results: Yum! The fish cakes were crispy on the outside, tender inside, with big chunks of fish and lots of flavor and spice. (I may have gotten a bit carried away with the dried red chili!) ;-) Because I was making just a half batch of four cakes, I didn't want to bother heating the oven and just pan fried them--although I used about half the oil Bittman called for to cook them. I served the cod cakes with a simple salad of fresh, sweet Manoa lettuce with grape tomatoes, cucumber and chunks of avocado--all locally grown. The salad dressing may look a bit familiar--it's yesterday's Uplifting Green & Piquant Sauce, thinned out with a bit of oil and some brown rice vinegar and drizzled over the salad. The sauce makes a thick, creamy and delicious dressing--I knew it was going to be a favorite. I love the fact that one delicious dinner was quickly transformed into a completely different and even more delicious meal--although the cod cakes are tasty enough to cook up the fish and potatoes specifically to make them. I want to experiment using different fish and spices--I think a curry fish cake with the potatoes and some peas would be fun. Simple and delicious--I will make these again.

You can check out the Potluck creations of the other IHCC participants by going to the post here and following the links.

Nigel Slater's A Thirty-Minute Fish Supper (Cod & Mash) for Cook the Books: "Eating for England"

"Eating for England" by British cook, food journalist and author Nigel Slater is our current selection for Cook The Books, our virtual bi-monthly foodie book club, co-hosted by Rachel, The Crispy Cook, Johanna from Food Junkie Not Junk Food and me. Jo, our host for this round, chose Slater's lively tour of British cuisine--from fond recollections of his youth to glimpses of modern day food culture, told in small, humorous "bites" (pun intended--another coming). It is a perfect bedside book to enjoy a few "tasty morsels" of each night (sorry, I really tried to stop myself with that one), before going to sleep. Slater states it best in the preface, "Eating for England is simply a personal celebration of the food this nation cherishes, the rituals we observe, the curious and even eccentric thing that is the British and their food."

Having spent a little time in the UK and being a bit of an anglophile, especially in my reading choices, I was familiar with many, but not all of the foods, people and settings Slater describes, making this a fun read for me. I am also a Nigel Slater fan--his "Real Fast Food" is a "go-to" book for me when I want something quick and delicious for dinner, and his gorgeous book of recipe templates, "Appetite" is another favorite.

I was a bit stumped with what to make for this one--with 280 pages of food "vignettes" to choose from, it was a bit overwhelming. I had pretty much settled on a Victoria Sandwich or Victoria Sponge Cake, the two layer cake filled with jam and whipped cream which is a favorite, and I paged through Slater's "Appetite" to see if he had an appropriate recipe. Flipping through the book my eye was caught by a gorgeous picture of a piece of flaky fish and a cloud of mashed potatoes--Slater's "A Thirty-Minute Fish Dinner" and couldn't get the image out of my head. The heart and stomach want what the heart and stomach want, and mine chose savory over sweets. This is a simple, no fuss-no frills dinner--great on its own, but Slater also offers suggestions for two sauces; a "soothing butter sauce" and an "uplifting green and piquant sauce" to change it up a bit. Upon reading the recipe for the green sauce with parsley, mint, capers and anchovy to name a few key ingredients, I was sold and ready to make some British-style comfort food.

Slater says, "Sometimes you just want huge, chalky white flakes of fish and a mound of fluffy potato. It is difficult to think of cod and mash as being an expensive supper but that is what it has become. I must say I like haddock almost as much as cod. In fact, any thick fillet of white fish appeals to me when it has been cooked in butter in a hot oven till its flesh is as white as snow and full of juice. How much you enjoy the result will, I think, depend almost entirely on the quality of the fish--by which I mean its freshness and flavor--and whether you get the timing right. The trick is to ignore the clock and to cook the fish only until a flake of its flesh will come easily away from the skin and bone when you pull it. Simple as that."

A Thirty-Minute Fish Supper

"Appetite" by Nigel Slater

potatoes--a large, floury one per person

olive oil

butter--a thick slice for cooking the fish and another for the mashed potato

cod or haddock--a thick piece, about 7 ounces, per person

lemon--a quarter per person

Peel the potatoes and cut them into halves or quarters, depending on their size. Drop them into boiling salted water and let them cook till tender to the point of a knife. You can expect this to take about fifteen to twenty minutes, depending on the variety of the potato.

Meanwhile, get the oven good and hot. It should be at least 400 degrees F. Put a thin pool of olive oil--just enough to cover the bottom--into a metal handled frying pan or roasting pan. Warm the oil over a moderate heat, then slide in a thick slice of butter. The butter will bubble, then foam, and this is when you should lower in your piece of fish. Do this skin side down.

Tweak the temperature so that the bubbles surrounding the fish are lively but not so excited that the butter burns. Leave the fish without nudging or turning, for a minute or so. Lift it gently to check how it is coming on. You want the skin to be touched with pale gold. Now turn the fish over with a slotted or metal spatula, crumble over some sea salt and black pepper, and put it in the hot oven. Bake until the fish is opaque and juicy, and will come easily away from the skin and bone. Test it for readiness by gently tweaking a flake. You will find the thickest piece of fish, about 7 ounces in weight, will take about eight minutes.

Drain the potatoes, mash them with a potato masher, and beat in the butter. How far you go with this depends on how much dishwashing you feel like doing, but I believe the fluffiest mash is that which spends a minute in an electric mixer. Serve the mash with the roast fish and some lemon for squeezing over.

And More...Uplifting Green & Piquant Sauce

A blender salsa verde is another idea. The piquancy of the capers and the saltiness of the anchovy are singularly appropriate with the white fish. My basic recipe is to whiz all of most of the following in the blender: the leaves from a large bunch of flat-leaf parsley and a few sprigs of mint, 6 anchovy fillets, a couple of cloves of garlic, a spoonful of Dijon mustard, a couple of tablespoons of capers, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Now pour in enough olive oil to reduce it all to a lumpy slurry the color of that green stuff that floats on the pond in summer. Taste and check; you might find you want it with more mustard or lemon.

Notes/Results: Simple, almost to the point of being basic, but so incredibly delicious and filling, this was the perfect comfort food meal. It is amazing what a little butter can do for cod and potatoes--my fish was perfectly moist, sweet and tasty and the potatoes were creamy and cloud-like. The sauce was excellent--a great combination of ingredients and a salty-tangy flavor that really enhanced the dish and will be a new favorite for me. I couldn't have been happier with my dinner and was glad I made enough for leftovers. In fact you can tune in tomorrow to see what happens when Slater meets Bittman, as some of my leftover potatoes and fish become Cod Cakes with Ginger and Scallions for IHCC.

A very fun book and a very delicious meal for Cook The Books. Jo will be rounding up the dishes submitted after Friday at the CTB site and our judge for this round, the wonderful Foodycat (our only 3-time CTB winner!) will be picking her favorite.

Eco-Friendly Palm Leaf Plates and a Simple "Curried Egg" Garden Salad

I am skipping my semi-regular Things I Am Loving This Week--although these eco-friendly plates I am reviewing and this easy, tasty salad are certainly lovable enough!

The wonderful Marx Foods gave me the opportunity to try some of their eco-friendly disposable Palm Leaf Plates and a box arrived with 10 plates in a variety of shapes and sizes. I was curious about the plates, which are made from fallen, discarded Adaka palm leaves that are cleaned, dried, stretched, flattened and molded on a heated press into different shapes and sizes. (Details of the process are here).

I have several groups of palm trees in my front and back yards that shed their leaves often and leave their palm leaves all over my yard. It's nice to see that a company is doing something useful with this resource.

(My neighbor's dogs love to pull the palm leaves in the backyard down as they are about to shed and use them as chew toys and doggie tug-of-war. Fun for them but not all that useful!)

While I was out front taking the picture of the fallen fronds, the neighborhood ducks came by to "chat" about what I was doing. They are quite the busybodies, are very vocal with the quacking, and were probably complaining that I had no bread with me.

But I digress with the yard reports...on to the plates...

Since the palms naturally shed their leaves and no trees are cut down to make the plates, they are a natural and renewable resource. The plates are sturdy, durable, and completely biodegradable and compostable, making them very "green" and a perfect replacement for paper plates and serving bowls.

I tried them for serving a variety of foods--snacks, veggies, salads, and even used them to hold tea bags on a display table at a wellness fair. They held up well--even with the moist ingredients. About the only thing I wouldn't do with them is use them for really wet and liquid dishes that would sit out for a long time. Although they are disposable, they can be washed, dried and used again depending of course on what you used them for. Although more expensive than paper plates, the fact that they are sturdier, eco-friendly and look nicer make them a great green choice.

I used them to serve an easy and delicious "Curried Egg" Garden Salad that I made for a light lunch. The recipe comes from the newest Delicious magazine (OK, the newest one I can get here) from Australia. One of my favorite cooks and cookbook authors, Jill Dupleix is writing a new Lighten Up column where she will be posting lighter, healthy recipes. I have already made and loved two of them so far and have another couple marked to try.

Dupleix says, "A lovely light salad for all those who love curried egg sandwiches, but are looking for something a bit lighter. The curry powder gives the whole thing a kick, and the nigella seeds look very dramatic against the pale, soft colors."

"Curried Egg" Garden Salad

Jill Dupleix, Delicious Magazine Vol. 7 / Issue 3

(Serves 4)

4 eggs

1 butter lettuce, leaves separated

1 telegraph cucumber, peeled, thinly sliced

1/4 cup micro cress

150g thick low-fat Greek yoghurt

1 tsp curry powder

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 tsp nigella seeds

Fill a small pan with hot water and add eggs. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 3-4 minutes until soft-boiled. Remove eggs with a slotted spoon, cool, then peel and quarter. Season and sprinkled with cayenne.

Meanwhile, place yoghurt, curry powder and some salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir well to combine. Stir in oil and set aside.

Divide lettuce among plates. Arrange the cucumber and the eggs on top and dollop over yoghurt dressing. Scatter with cress and nigella seeds and serve.

Per serving: 569 kJ (136 cal), fat 10.5g, (sat 2g), protein 3.6g, carbs 4.7g, fiber 1.3g, chol 4mg, sodium 95mg.

Notes/Results: Excellent! Light and full of flavor from the delicious and simple curry yogurt dressing. This is a quick salad to make and it was a perfect light, healthy lunch. I used some local Manoa lettuce leaves, mixed with local baby arugula as I couldn't find any micro arugula, and I tossed in some radish sprouts too. (The edible flowers were in my CSA box salad mix this week). The dressing was wonderful with the eggs and would also be perfect with chicken, fish or lamb, or with other veggies. I will make this salad again and the dressing could become a new favorite.

A big mahalo to Marx Foods for sending me the plates to try--they are fun serving dishes that work well and are a great choice for the environment.

The Things I Am Loving This Week post will be back next Tuesday.

Aloha,

Mark Bittman's Tortilla Soup for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays & Movie Night

Tortilla Soup is comfort food, Both the soup itself--thick, flavorful and delicious, and the movie "Tortilla Soup"--a little comfort food film and one of my favorite foodie movies. Since it's Movie Night over at I Heart Cooking Clubs, a bowl of Mark Bittman's Tortilla Soup along with a serving of the movie seemed like the perfect choice.

"Tortilla Soup" is the Mexican-American version of Ang Lee's classic Chinese foodie film "Eat, Drink, Man Woman" and is the tale of the Naranjo family--widower, cook and restaurant owner Martin, and his three daughters Carmen, Leticia and Maribel--each trying to find themselves and what is missing in their lives. Much of the action revolves around the incredible Sunday dinners Martin makes for the family. It's light, fluffy, foodie fun and the food porn is incredible--sure to bring on huge cravings for Mexican cuisine.

For the Tortilla Soup itself, I chose Bittman's recipe from "The Best Recipes in the World" (found on pages 143-144).

Bittman says, "This classic Mexican soup is the perfect solution for leftovers--stale tortillas, cold chicken, and overly ripe tomatoes. It can be garnished with a variety of toppings, from the classic avocado and cheese to steamed greens."

Tortilla Soup (Sopa de Tortilla)

"The Best Recipes in the World" by Mark Bittman

(Makes 4 Servings)

Time: 1 Hour

1/2 cup corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil

6 corn tortillas (stale are fine), cut into 1/4-inch strips

3 garlic cloves, sliced

1 large onion, diced

2 dried chilies, preferably pasilla, stemmed, seeded and sliced

3 fresh tomatoes, roasted or blanched and peeled, or canned tomatoes

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock, preferably homemade

1 cup shredded cooked chicken

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice, or to taste

salt and black pepper to taste

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 cup cubed Mexican fresh cheese, such as queso fresco, blanco or ranchero, or Monterey Jack cheese

1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced

Put the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat; a couple of minutes later, when the oil is hot, begin to fry the tortilla strips in batches until golden brown and crisp, turning after a minute or two, for a total of 2 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the oil. Turn the heat to medium, add the garlic and onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chilies, tomatoes, and half the tortilla strips and cook for another 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. (You can prepare the soup up to this point and let it sit for a few hours or cover and refrigerate for up to a day before proceeding).

Cool slightly. Using an immersion blender or an upright blender (be careful to prevent spattering), puree the mixture until smooth. Return to the stove over medium heat, stir in the chicken, and heat through. Season with the lime juice, salt, and pepper. Garnish with the cilantro, cheese, avocado, and remaining tortilla strips and serve.

Notes/Results: Mmm...delicious! Complete comfort food, wonderful thick texture and great flavor. Is it "the best in the world"--I am not the authority on tortilla soups, but it tasted pretty darn good to me. ;-) I made the soup pretty much to the recipe, using boxed Pomi tomatoes, my homemade chicken stock, and using a smoked rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods for the meat. I think the chicken added some extra smokiness to the soup that was really tasty. To top it, I chose my favorite Mexican cheese, cotija, crumbled on top, along with the avocado, cilantro and tortilla strips. Just a big bowl of soupy goodness that I have been enjoying all weekend, including my favorite bowl, consumed curled up on the touch, "Tortilla Soup" in the DVD player. According to my DVD box, Ebert & Roeper gave the movie "Two Thumbs Up!" and I give Bittman's tortilla soup two enthusiastic thumbs up too.

You can check out what the other IHCC participants made for their Movie Nights by going to the website (here) and following the links.

In addition to IHCC and Souper Sundays, I am sending my tortilla soup over to girlichef and her great quest to find the best tortilla soup out there. If you have a favorite tortilla soup, head to her blog and this post for all of the details.

Let's see who is in the Souper Sunday kitchen this week and see what they brought with them:

Reeni from Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice is here with one of my favorite classic soups. Reeni says, "I have a hearty soup recipe today for Italian Wedding Soup. The name refers to the meat and vegetables marrying well together. Minestra Maritata means married soup. And it truly is a harmony of flavors with tasty, tender, little meatballs swimming in an herby broth with tubettini pasta, spinach, carrots, onion and garlic. It is the sort of soup you wish was served in a bottomless bowl..."

Zibi from Fresh Slowcooking made a seasonal Hint O'Mint Pea Soup this week. She says, "What would happen if I combined asparagus, mint and another spring vegetable like peas? A satisfying, pea soup with a refreshing hint of mint. If you like peas you will really enjoy this soup. The peas overpower the asparagus flavour, which is good or bad depending on how you feel about asparagus, but the asparagus still contributes to the texture and nutrients packed into this soup."

It's so nice to have Graziana from Erbe in Cucina back with us this week and with this lovely Meat and Vegetables Ragout with Thyme. She says, "Every winter my thyme die, so last summer I bought wild thyme instead of regular thyme. It's an harder plant, and now is alive and full of green fresh leaves. I used the wild thyme for this ragout: you can use it as a pasta seasoning, or as a delicious soup, served with rustic bread slices."

Kim from Stirring the Pot, has both a soup and sandwich this week. For her soup, she says, "Still obsessed with my copy of Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood, I made Trisha's Chicken Soup. The picture in the book was so beautiful and I was convinced that I needed to make it as soon as possible. I have tried five of her recipes so far, and I like this recipe for her Chicken Soup the best. It was delicious, outstanding, creamy, hearty, and quite addictive. My husband and I each had two bowls, in one setting."

Great minds do think alike! ;-) It turns out that my friend girichef is also a fan of Tortilla Soup--the movie and the food and branched out from her beloved go-to recipe to try Mark Bittman's Tortilla Soup from his "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian." She says, "It was good. It was really good. I'm woman enough to admit it. But, I'm not gonna go so far as to say it was better than my favorite. But I would make it again. And eat it. With a smile on my face."

Nithu from Nithu's Kitchen is back with a Cold Mint and Cucumber Soup that she promises is sure to beat the summer heat. Nithu says, "This green coloured cold soup is very simple to prepare.This is such a refreshing starter for summer and can be prepared a day early and refrigerated to improve the flavour. You can garnish the soup with mint and cucumber pieces just before serving."

Christine from Kit's Chow is celebrating the Spot Prawn Festival in Vancouver with this luscious Spot Prawn Salad with Allioli recipe. She says, "Get a couple of pounds of spot prawns, some wine or beer, make a salad and you'll have yourself a feast. Mr. KC likes to peel and eat the prawns, one at a time. I like to peel the prawns, arrange them on my plate, suck on the heads, wash my face and hands and then eat the prawn salad with a fork."

For her sandwich entry Kim from Stirring the Pot says, "In the mood for both soup and sandwiches this week, I also made Pioneer Woman's Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Apricot Sauce. A creamy sauce is made from equal parts apricot preserves, mayo and Dijon mustard. You begin by spreading the sauce on two slices of good sourdough bread. Layer spinach and sliced red onions on one slice of bread and the grilled chicken breast on the other side. I think you could definitely stop here and eat this sandwich cold, but Ree grilled hers and so did I."

Natashya at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies made fresh tortillas this week and says, "They were perfect for making Mexi-Style Sammies for my son. He loves what he calls a Breakfast Burrito - I make seasoned ground beef, folded into a tortilla with cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes and a sunny side up egg on top. Yum! Put the meat on a tortilla, add your cheese, tomatoes and a beautifully cooked egg and you have a delicious treat of a weekend breakfast sammie."



A gorgeous bunch of recipes this week and a little something for everyone. Thanks to all who joined in. If you have a soup, salad or sandwich that you would like to share, click on the Souper Sunday logo on the side bar for all of the details.

Have a great week!

Elderflower-Lemon Cooler: A Simple Saturday Sipper and the Perfect Cocktail to Welcome Summer Weather

This week's Simple Saturday Sipper comes from my newest issue of Donna Hay magazine. Having purchased a large, gorgeous bottle of St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur a while back for another recipe, I was happy to see this Elderflower-Lemon Cooler, another way to use up the liqueur. A pretty cocktail and a fun drink to welcome the warm summer weather!

The magazine says, "In my book, a good summer garden party needs a good signature cocktail. I like to serve something a little unique and super refreshing but without a long list of ingredients. Something you can throw in a jug and serve easily. This is going to be my cooler of choice--it's full of tart, lemony goodness with a nice sweet honey kick from the elderflower liqueur and the strawberry. Bring on summer, I say!" --Stylist Lucy

Elderflower-Lemon Cooler

Donna Hay Magazine--Issue 49

(Serves 4)

Method: Combine 1 Tbsp caster (superfine) sugar, 1/2 cup (125 ml) each vodka and St. Germain Elderflower liqueur and 1/4 cup (60 ml) lemon juice. Pour into glasses over crushed ice, lemon and strawberry slices. For a longer drink. serve in tall glasses and top up with soda water. Serves 4.

Note: You can also use elderflower cordial for a lighter, less alcoholic version of this drink.


Notes/Results: Delicious! This cocktail is light and sweet without being cloying. The floral-fruit taste of the elderflower partners well with the lemon and berries. I used a lemon vodka for a bit more citrus taste and used 1/2 Tbsp of agave in place of the sugar. The slices of strawberry were a delicious treat in this drink. (I used local Kula strawberries). This would be a great cocktail to make up in a big batch and serve at a party. I will be making this tasty drink throughout the summer.

Happy Saturday!