Cold Southwestern Corn and Shrimp Soup: Quick, Easy & Summery for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

Although we get corn throughout the year here, summer always seems like the best time to enjoy it. I was looking for a new and different cold corn soup recipe and came across this one from Martha Stewart in a "60 days of Summer" feature on her site. I liked the additions of shrimp, avocado and cherry tomatoes and how quick and simple it was to prepare, although I did take a few extra minutes to lightly blanch, drain and cool some fresh, local Kahuku corn instead of using frozen. The corn, lime, tomatoes and avocado are all locally grown.

You can find the recipe on the Martha Stewart website here.

Everyday Food says, "Using frozen corn and shrimp saves a lot of time in this no-cook soup."

Cold Southwestern Corn and Shrimp Soup

Martha Stewart's Everyday Food,June 2007

(Serves 4)

Prep Time 20 min / Total Time 20 min

4 packages (10 ounces each) frozen corn kernels, thawed (I used fresh corn)
1 cup low-fat yogurt
1 cup milk (I used unsweetened rice milk)
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 or 3 limes)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
pinch cayenne pepper
1 lb cooked frozen shrimp, thawed, roughly chopped, reserving 4 whole shrimp
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced

In a blender, working in two batches, puree corn, yogurt, milk, lime juice, coriander, and cayenne. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Stir in chopped shrimp, and season with salt and pepper.

Serve garnished with tomatoes, avocado, and reserved whole shrimp.


Notes/Results: Cold and creamy with a nice, light flavor--a little sweet, a little tangy and a bit of spice (I used a large pinch of cayenne.) I think the fresh local corn adds a lot of flavor and sweetness but if it isn't available I am sure the frozen will work fine. I made just a half batch, used a low-fat Greek yogurt and since I didn't have milk in the house, I added unsweetened rice milk. (If you wanted to make it all non-dairy you could use a soy or other dairy-alternative yogurt.) I tried this soup freshly made and it was good, but even better after a few hours in the refrigerator so the flavors had a chance to blend. Fast, simple and pretty, a small bowl makes a great starter to a summer meal like tacos, or something from the grill. I would make this again.

Let's visit the Souper Sunday kitchen and see who is here this week:

My friend girlichef wrote herself into our latest Cook the Books selection "The School of Essential Ingredients" and made a gorgeous bowl of Mexican Pozolé inspired by the novel. She writes (very lyrically), "As sure as she’s sitting there, her soul is already in the kitchen…gathering, prepping, simmering the ingredients that will turn into an earthy, comforting bowl of Pozolé…she can almost feel the heat creeping up her face after she scoops up a big bite with a broken piece of tostada…the cooling garnishes giving the ultimate in contrast of flavors and textures." Read more about the book and her delicious soup on her post!

Next we welcome a couple of new faces to Souper Sundays. The first is Deepti from the blog A Hint of Spice, who joins us from Charlotte, North Carolina. Deepti has a bowl of the classic Chinese Hot and Sour Soup to share; full of veggies, spices and other good stuff. She says to "Enjoy your soup with Spring rolls or egg rolls. 'njoy!!!" Thanks for joining us this week Deepti!



Our second new face is Reshmi from the blog A Feast to the Eyes and Stomach, blogging from Germany. Reshmi says, "Ezogelin Soup is another common soup in Turkish cuisine, the main ingredients being Bulgur and red lentils. It is also the most frequently cooked soup in my home. Bulgur wheat, rich in fiber and protein has interesting natural weight-loss benefits. The origin of this soup is attributed to Ezo, the bride from Gaziantep, the sixth largest city in Turkey." Welcome Reshmi!

The talented Janet from The Taste Space is back this week with a colorful Carrot Soup with Ginger and Lemon. Janet says, "I love soups. I gravitate to the heavy, one-pot meal soups in the winter and to the fresh, light soups in the summer. This is one of my favourite carrot soups as it simple to make, healthy and has such complex flavours with tomato, lemon and ginger. This is not your typical carrot soup. It is bright and summery, all in a bowl! Creamy without any cream.. such bliss!"

Resourceful Zibi from Fresh Slowcooking has a creamy, flavorful Tomato Shorba soup to share this week and says, "My tomato shorba was inspired by a disappointing restaurant visit. I decided to use my slow cooker to prepare the tomato shorba I expected. I cooked fresh Roma tomatoes in a broth containing roasted cumin and coriander seeds, a hint of dried chilis and then softened it with a splash of coconut milk. An easy soup that’s full of deep, satisfying flavours."

Lee Ann from Mangos, Chili and Z made a bright and refreshing Watermelon and Feta Salad and says, "I found this recipe a couple of years ago, tweaked it a bit and now it’s my “take everywhere all Summer long” dish. I love a sweet and salty combination. When I was in my 20′s and didn’t care what I ate, I used to pile potato chips on top of a candy bar to get my sweet-salty fix…ah, those were the days. Let’s address a healthier combination, how about sweet watermelon, salty olives and creamy feta. I think you’ll find it addictive and a real crowd pleaser." Yum!

My pal Kim from Stirring the Pot has both a salad and a sandwich to share this week. About her salad she says, "I used a recipe for Chopped Salad from Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything Vegetarian. The base of the salad calls for Romaine, chopped celery, chopped carrots, chopped red onion, and chopped bell pepper. Bittman's chopped salad also calls for cucumber but I left it out and chose to add blanched and chopped green beans, chopped hard-boiled egg, chopped radishes, chickpeas, and boiled and chopped new potatoes. I sprinkled the salad with sunflower seeds and topped it with a homemade creamy Italian dressing. It was delicious!"

For her sandwich, Kim tried Ellie Krieger's Ellie's Better Burger with Green Olives and says, "Ellie's burger is flavored with coarsely chopped green olives, parsley, and cumin. Not only is this a unique combination of flavors, it is delicious. The olives give the burger that briney, salty flavor while adding some extra texture and the cumin gives the burger a nice smoky flavor. I served my burger on a whole wheat bun with lettuce, sliced red onion and mayo. I loved this burger. I loved it so much that I ate 2 of them!"

Some lovely soups, a couple of fresh and fabulous salads, and a juicy burger! 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 Sunday logo on the side bar for all of the details on how to join in.

Have a wonderful week!

Pineapple Cooler--A Unique & Tasty Simple Saturday Sipper (Or...What Do You Do With YOUR Pineapple Rinds?!)

We have a saying here; "Lucky we live Hawaii" that can pertain to many things--the weather, the gorgeous scenery, the friendly people and laid-back island culture, even the abundance of things like sweet juicy local pineapple. They are so sweet and good that you hate to waste any part of them so I was excited to find a recipe for a unique Pineapple Cooler in my copy of "Delia's Summer Collection" by Delia Smith. (Purchased for $1 at the Friends of the Library sale. Yes, I know I keep repeating that, but I loves me a bargain!)

What makes this drink so unusual is that it is made by fermenting the rind of the watermelon, which normally gets tossed away. The pineapple, (this one from the farmers market), is carefully washed, the rind cut off (the pineapple flesh can be eaten or saved for something else), and the skin chopped into pieces and soaked in a bowl of water on the counter for several days, before it is strained and mixed with a sweetener. Easy-peasy, eco-friendly, & fun--a perfect summery Simple Saturday Sipper!

Delia says, "This is a most extraordinary drink. It sounds so unlikely, but it really does taste good--not like pineapple juice but more like cider. It's very refreshing on a hot summer's day, and it's great fun to make in that it uses only the skin of the pineapple which is normally thrown away--so there is nothing to lose!"

Pineapple Cooler
"Delia's Summer Collection" by Delia Smith
(Serves 6-8)

the rind of 1 ripe medium pineapple, well rinsed
approximately 2 oz (50 g) caster sugar (I used honey)
sprigs of fresh mint
ice

First of all cut the stalky top and the base off the pineapple and discard these. Now stand the pineapple upright on its base and, using a sharp knife, cut away the skin in long strips, working your way all around the fruit. Reserve the fruit itself for a dessert.

Now to get to work with a sharp knife, chopping the skin into small pieces about 1 inch (2.5 cm) square. Then pile them into a bowl, pour over 1 1/2 pints (850 ml) cold water, then cover the bowl with a cloth and leave at room temperature for 3-4 days or until the mixture is bubbly and fermenting. Strain it into a jug, add sugar to taste and serve with lots of ice and sprigs of mint.

Notes/Results: Refreshing and really good. I worried that the drink wouldn't have much flavor but it does. The pineapple flavor is there although it isn't as sweet, and it has a certain edge to it, the "cider-ish" taste that Delia Smith describes. Although the recipe calls for sugar, I used a local artisan honey and liked the flavor it added. Serve this one really cold over ice and it's quite a thirst-quencher--plus it's very fun to use something that you normally throw away to make a delicious drink. I will definitely make this again.

So what happened to the inside of the pineapple? Well, it is in the process of becoming homemade pineapple liqueur. It has been steeping in a mix of vodka and rum for a week, the chunks will be removed tomorrow and will be squeezed, the juice strained and sweetener added (more local honey for me.) Then it gets aged for a month before it is ready to use, so more on how the liqueur turns out and how I use in a later post. ;-)

I'm linking this post to girlichef for Two for Tuesdays Blog Hop Carnival. Check out her site here, (or one of the other 5 bloggers hosting) on Tuesday for all the links to the wholesome, natural "real food" out there in blogland. This Pineapple Cooler is made from local pineapple, and in this case local honey, simple, natural, whole food ingredients.


Happy Saturday!

Greek-Style Orzo Pasta Salad part of a Mediterranean Dinner for "Girls Night In"

It's Girl's Night In at I Heart Cooking Clubs this week. My opinion is that if you are having your favorite girls over for an evening of fun--whether it is inside, or out on the deck or lanai, is that it should be fun, delicious, and most of all easy! (And if you can slip some healthy in there too--it makes me happy!) I chose to go with Mark Bittman's Greek-Style Orzo Salad this week, which fits all of the above criteria as you can make it the night before, so the flavors meld, and then just sprinkle feta on top and serve.

Combine it with some quick and easy grilled lamb chops--on the table in minutes, some homemade hummus, made a few days ahead, and warmed pita bread and you have yourself a Mediterranean-style dinner party. (Of course some festive fruity cocktails would be a nice addition--but go easy on yourself and assign one of your friends as bartender or make up a picture of your favorite drink--check out the cocktails or Simple Saturday Sippers tabs on my side bar for some good ones to try.)

Of course I used Bittman's recipe (from "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian") as a starting point and added a few extra goodies--cucumber, artichoke hearts, and capers to my salad. My changes are in red below.

Greek-Style Orzo Salad
adapted from "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" by Mark Bittman
(Serves 4)

salt
8 ounces about 1 1/2 cups orzo (I used whole wheat orzo)
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon (I used two)

freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups chopped, ripe tomato (I used cherry tomatoes, halved)

(1 Japanese cucumber, chopped)
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup black olives, pitted and roughly chopped (I used kalamata olives)

(1 can artichoke hearts, quartered)

(3 Tbsp capers, drained)
1 cup mixed fresh herbs like basil, parsley, mint or oregano, stemmed and chopped (I used parsley, mint, dill, and lemon thyme)
1/2 cup grated aged (firm) feta cheese or ricotta salata (I used crumbled feta)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Put a large pot of water on to boil and salt it. Drop in orzo and cook until tender, then rinse in a colander under cold running water. Transfer the cooked and cooled orzo to a large mixing bowl.

Dress the orzo with the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss it to coast the pasta. Taste and add more acid or salt if necessary.

Add the tomatoes, cucumber, scallions, olives, artichoke hearts, capers and herbs to the dressed orzo; toss them through once or twice. If possible, let the salad rest at room temperature for an hour before serving. Just before serving, sprinkle the cheese over the salad.

Notes/Results: A wonderful, not-too-heavy, but very full-of-flavor dinner! The salad is easy to make and tastes great, especially the next day. Vary the herbs with whatever you have on hand--I especially loved the lemon thyme (from my lanai) and the mint and dill. I also added an extra lemon's worth of juice--I like lots of lemon. I snuck some fiber in the salad and pita by using whole wheat orzo and a whole wheat pita/flat bread--I do like to keep my girls healthy! ;-)


I like my lamb chops cooked simply--especially when they are paired with a full flavored salad and hummus. These are just rubbed lightly with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper and grilled in my grill pan about 2-3 minutes per side--so it is still pink in the middle--perfect for me. Not a lamb fan or have girlfriends that don't eat it? Throw a few big shrimp on skewers and grill them for another fast-cooking option or do some of each for a surf and turf. All-in-all, the perfect low-effort, big results dinner making it a wonderful choice for a weeknight gathering when you don't have the time or desire to fuss over entertaining. I will make all of this again.

Besides going to IHCC, where you can see all the other fabulous Girls Night In creations by going here and following the links, I am sending the orzo salad to Presto Pasta Nights, founded by Ruth and hosted this week by my wonderful friend Pam from Sidewalk Shoes. She'll be rounding up all the incredible pasta dishes on her site on Friday--so stop by and take a look!

Aloha,

A Dinner for Isabelle--Cook The Books: "The School of Essential Ingredients"

Our current selection for Cook The Books, (the virtual foodie book club co-hosted by Rachel, The Crispy Cook, Johanna from Food Junkie Not Junk Food and yours truly), is "The School of Essential Ingredients"--the first novel by Erica Bauermeister. I had actually read and enjoyed this book a few months before Rachel, our host for this round selected it and I was happy to do a little re-reading to help me decide what to make from the endless possibilities.

"The School of Essential Ingredients" is the story of Lillian, a chef and restaurateur who holds a monthly cooking class on Monday evenings. The book gives us a peek into the lives of the eight students, and Lillian herself as they are brought together by food, friendship and love. It is a charming, well written book, and one that I was sorry to see end, as I grew to care about each of the characters and wanted to know more about them and their lives. Although at Lillian's restaurant to take a cooking class, each of the students learns not just how to create delicious food, but learns something about themselves in the process.

For my Cook The Books entry, I was drawn to the meal Lillian serves Isabelle, an older woman losing her short-term memories, who shows up on the wrong night, thinking it is time for cooking class. Not only did the simple yet elegant dinner of a glass of sparkling white wine, a salad of mixed lettuces, dried cranberries, pear and almonds, salmon on cannellini beans with fried sage and a lemon tart for dessert sound delicious, I was touched by the grace, love and care that Lillian gave Isabelle. Delicious, nourishing food, served from the heart--which is where the best meals come from. The meal involves all of Isabelle's senses and takes her back through her past. I decided to recreate my interpretation of the dinner, just putting things together either in the way I imagine they might be, or the way I wanted them--but all inspired by the book.

"The taste was the first day of spring, with the sharp bite of the cranberries, quickly following the firm crunch of nuts, the softness of pear flesh. Each taste here, defined, gone, mellowed only slightly by the touch of champagne vinegar in the dressing."

Champagne Vinaigrette

by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen

(Makes about 1/2 cup)

1 shallot, peeled and very finely minced
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients together and whisk until thoroughly blended.

Serve with salad of mixed baby lettuces, dried cranberries, toasted, thin sliced almonds, and thinly sliced pear.

"Isabelle looked down--the empty salad plate was gone without her noticing, replaced by a dinner plate of white cannellini beans, atop of which sat a perfect piece of salmon, garnished with strips of fried green leaves. Isabelle picked up one of them experimentally and brought it to her nose. Dusty green, the smell of life made out of sun and little water, the driest of perfumes. Sage."

For my salmon and beans, I decided to simply roast a piece of salmon (in this case a piece of Wild Alaskan King Salmon), in the oven with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. For the beans, I soaked dried cannellini beans, then cooked them in water with sauteed onions, garlic, and a couple of sage sprigs. I took some liberties and added some crisped prosciutto because the only thing better than creamy beans with sage, is creamy beans with sage and crisp prosciutto! ;-) Then I quick-fried some sage leaves for the garnish.

Simple Roasted Salmon

by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen

(Serves 2)

2 (5 to 6 oz) pieces salmon fillet with skin
2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for drizzling

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Drizzle salmon all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast (skin side down), on a foil-lined baking sheet until fish is just cooked through, about 12-14 minutes. Carefully lift flesh from skin with a metal spatula and transfer salmon to a serving plate.

Creamy Cannellini Beans with Prosciutto & Fried Sage

by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen

(Makes about 4 cups)

2 cups dried cannellini (white kidney beans)
water--enough to cover beans
1 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 slices prosciutto, chopped coarsely

1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 small sprigs fresh sage
sea salt & black pepper to taste

Place dried beans in large bowl, cover with cold water and let soak overnight. Drain.

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat, add prosciutto and cook until crisp--about 5 minutes. Remove from pan, drain on paper towels and set aside. Add onions to same pan and cook about 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Add drained beans to onions and garlic and add enough water to cover beans by about 1 inch or so. Add sage sprigs and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer beans uncovered about 1 1/2 hours or longer, stirring occasionally until beans are tender, adding more water if needed to keep beans just covered. Remove sage sprigs, season beans to taste with salt and pepper, add prosciutto and warm through. Serve with fried sage leaves.

Fried Sage Leaves

about 10-12 fresh sage leaves
olive or canola oil
sea salt (optional)

Rinse sage leaves and lay flat on a double layer of paper towels, then cover with more towels and press gently to dry and flatten out leaves. Pour oil into a small pan to a depth of about 1/4 inch, and heat over medium-high heat. When hot, lower heat to medium and gently add sage, a few leaves at a time. Fry just until oil stops bubbling around leaves--about 10 to 12 seconds (do not let sage brown), then remove carefully with tongs or a slotted spoon and drain on more paper towels. If desired, sprinkle with sea salt to taste. Serve warm.


Notes/Results: Excellent dinner! The salad was a great combination of flavor and texture. I also think it would be nice with a little goat cheese added but it was quite delicious as it was. The salmon ended up cooked perfectly, tender and "like buttah" (Why roasting salmon is my favorite way to prepare good quality, wild salmon.) The beans were creamy and delicious with lots of flavor from the onion, garlic, sage and prosciutto. I found myself going back to snag bites of them from the fridge later--they were so good. The crunchy fried sage leaves added great texture and more good flavor and with the salmon it was pretty perfect. I would make it all again, happily! ;-)

"They ate in an easy silence, reveling in the creamy lemon tart in front of them. After a while, Isabelle spoke again. "You know," she said, holding up a forkful, "I am starting to think that maybe memories are like this dessert. I eat it, and it becomes a part of me, whether I remember it later or not."

For dessert, I could pretend I made a lemon tart, but I didn't for a number of reasons:

1. Remember, I am NOT A BAKER!
2. The weather has been humid and not conducive to baking
3. I don't need a whole lemon tart!

When buying my salmon and things at Whole Foods, I happened to glance at the pastry case and saw the cutest little one-bite lemon and lemon raspberry tarts. Automatic portion control! So I bought a couple of the tarts to serve with the meal. I am sure Lillian's tart would have been amazing but these were pretty tasty and much more figure-friendly than a whole tart would have been. ;-)

So there it is...a delicious dinner for Isabelle and for me. Simply prepared, real food made from quality ingredients, and the epitome of comfort--like a big hug for the belly and the soul. (Much like "The School of Essential Ingredients" itself.) Thanks to Rachel for picking another wonderful book that provided great inspiration. If you want to join us for this round of CTB, you have until July 30th to read the book and submit a dish inspired by it. Rachel will be rounding up all of the entries at the end of the month and a winner selected by our author, Erica Bauermeister herself. Hope you join us!

I am also linking this post and particularly the salmon and cannellini bean dish to Two for Tuesdays at the blog of my friend girlichef, who co-hosts this event celebrating real food, wholesome and natural with 5 other fabulous bloggers each week. With Lillian's love of good, soulful food, it seems only fitting. ;-)

Chilled Lemongrass & Cilantro Vichyssoise: Cool & Creamy for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays + Giveaway Winner

Immediately upon buying "Delia's Summer Collection" by famous British cook and author Delia Smith, for $1.00 at a recent library sale, I began tagging recipes. One of the first was this Chilled Lemongrass & Coriander Vichyssoise.

I have only made a classic vichyssoise (cold potato and leek soup) once before (here), and this version is definitely a bit different, with lemongrass taking the place of the leeks, and it has coriander (cilantro) thrown in for more of an Asian take. I like the fact that the broth comes from the "scraps" of the lemongrass and cilantro stalks and extra bits from the green onion--very thrifty! ;-) To make it dairy-free, and in keeping with the South-Asian theme, I replaced the milk with some light coconut milk. If it's steamy where you are, this is the kind of chilly, flavorful soup that hits the spot on a warm day.

Delia says, "In summer, if the weather is really hot, nothing could be more refreshing than a chilled soup. Leeks, which have made this particular recipe famous, are not available in the summer, but this alternative is, I think, even better. It's made using fresh lemongrass available at oriental shops and some of the largest supermarkets. Once again remember to serve the soup well chilled."

Chilled Lemongrass and Coriander Vichyssoise

"Delia's Summer Collection" by Delia Smith

(Serves 4)

2 medium onions, chopped

2 oz (50g) butter (I used olive oil)

2 oz (50g) fresh coriander leaves

10 oz (275g) new potatoes, scraped and chopped small

1 1/2 pints (850 ml) stock (see below)

5 oz (150 ml) milk (I used coconut milk)

4 thick stalks lemongrass

4 spring onions, finely chopped

salt and freshly milled black pepper

thin lemon slices to garnish

First of all strip the coriander leaves from the stalks and reserve the stalks. Lemon grass is dealt with in exactly the same way as leeks; that is you trim the root ad the tough top away, leaving approximately 6 inches (15 cm) of stem, remove the outer skin and chop the lemongrass quite finely. Then do the same with the spring onions. Next gather up all the trimmings from both, wash them and pop them into a saucepan together with the coriander stalks, some salt and 1 1/2 pints (850 ml) of water and simmered (covered) for about 30 minutes to make a stock.

To make the soup, melt butter in a large saucepan, then add the chopped lemongrass, onions (reserve the spring onions until later) and potatoes and keeping the heat low, let the vegetables sweat gently (covered) for about 10 minutes. After that pour in the stock through a strainer, discard the debris, then add the milk and about 3 quarters of the coriander leaves. Season with salt and pepper, bring up to a simmering point and simmer very gently for about 25 minutes.

Allow the soup to cool a little before pouring it into a food processor or blender, whizz it up, then pour it through a strainer into a bowl. When it is cold, cover and chill thoroughly till you're ready to serve. I think it's a good idea to serve the soup in glass bowls that have already been chilled. Add a cube of ice to each bowl and sprinkle in the rest of the coriander (finely chopped) and the spring onions as a garnish. Finally float some lemon slices on top and serve straight away.

Notes/Results: Thick, creamy, cool and full of some of my favorite flavors, this is a really good soup. It takes a bit more time and effort than some cold soups--making the broth, getting the veggies going in a separate pan, straining twice, blending etc., so it is a good one to make the night before or in the morning while it's cooler, giving it plenty of time to chill before you enjoy it. All of the flavors come through well, (the coconut milk replacing the regular milk adds another layer of flavor), and it tastes even better with a squeeze or two of lemon in the soup before serving. This is a rich soup, so it is perfect to enjoy in a small cup or bowl before your main meal. (Speaking of bowls--isn't this a cute little green bowl and spoon set from the Japanese dollar store? With making a soup every week, I have to treat myself to the occasional new dish now and then to keep it fresh.) I would make this soup again.

Let's visit the Souper Sunday kitchen and see who is here this week:

Tigerfish from Tezcape--An Escape to Food is here and has a healthy Nagaimo (Mountain Yam) Chicken Soup to share and says, "It is not often that I see edible tuber-like plants with digestive enzymes such as amylase and diastase that convert starch to sugar and digest carbohydrates. Nagaimo is one of them, also know as Chinese Mountain Yam (山药 Shan Yao, or 淮山 Huai Shan. There is plenty of nutrients in Nagaimo and you should really check them out. This soup is real easy to make, nourishing to the body and naturally delicious."

Spencer from Live2EatEat2Live brought another unique soup and says, "This week’s offal offering is Beef Tendon Stew with Daikon (turnips). I found beef tendons at our local Korean market. I was planning to cook oxtails but the packages were too large (about four pounds) for just the two of us. Beef tendons are supposed to be rich in collagen, which The Cat loves (see posts about chicken feet). The texture of the tendons lead me to think that tendons are fatty and full of fat and cholesterol. A search on the web indicates otherwise. Tendons are supposed to be very low in fat with no saturated fat and no cholesterol. Yay!"

Yenta Mary from Food Floozie is back with her perfect summer meal--Salad for a Sweltering Day. She says, "Tom had given me some grass-fed beef and some romaine that he wasn't using, as well as a cucumber that we'd bought at the Farmers Market on Saturday morning. I had some garlic scapes and some scallions, some Ramen noodles, a carrot ... odd little tidbits and pieces. So what did I do with them? I made a salad and topped it with cold noodles, then placed beef that I'd sauteed in a trio of sauces over the entire mix. It was cool, it was crisp, it had both protein and carbohydrates ... and, most importantly, it was delicious."

It's so nice to see Donna from My Tasty Treasures back this week with two pasta salads to share. First, her Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Salad. Donna says, "As soon as I saw this Roasted Red Pepper Salad on the cover of Food Network magazine, here, I knew I would make it. Roasted Red Peppers and I have this MUST EAT type of relationship, ya know.This Roasted Pepper Pasta Salad is simple, easy to make and tastes light and lovely"

About her Barbecue Macaroni Salad she says, "My second salad contribution comes from Cook's Country and it was a great change up from my favorite macaroni salad, found there. It was a macaroni salad with a barbecue flair. Simple to make and a bit out of the ordinary so I liked it. An absolutely lovely salad. Great flavor."

Carla from RecipeAddict has a hearty dish to share and says, "I was in the grocery store last week picking up some last minute items when I saw a can of Southwest Bean Salad. I gave it a glance and didn't even note who it was made by or exactly what the ingredients were in it, though I did note in the picture on the label that there was corn and black beans. I knew I had all kinds of beans at home so I started thinking, why not just customize my own. Now I was on a mission! I scanned the internet, gave up and went into the kitchen. This is what I came up with. I am sure it was much better than that can I had in my hand back in the store. This salad says "summer days" to me."

The lovely Michelle from Ms. Enplace is also into the beans this week with her Black Bean & Corn Salad. Michelle says, "We love to eat this in the summer. The colors are festive. The lime dressing is light and bright and perfect for this time of year. It's also a versatile dish. It can be eaten with chips as a chunky salsa, as a side (we like it with grilled chicken), or as a meal on its own (we sometimes eat it for lunch). I like that it's healthier than a mayo-based salad. And it's very easy to make...another plus for busy summers."

Pam from Sidewalk Shoes filled up hersmoker racks with a variety of delicious items this week including mushrooms. She says, "Mushrooms?! Yep. I smoked my sidedish salad! As with all things smoking, I turned to Smoke & Spice: Cooking with Smoke, the Real Way to Barbecue my smoking bible. There is a whole chapter on Smoke-Scented Salads, Pastas, and Pizzas! What I found was Warm Mushroom Salad (though I had leftovers the next day, and let me tell you, Cold Mushroom Salad is pretty darn good too!). This was excellent, smoky yet fresh with the tomatoes and fresh herbs! Perfect sidedish for any barbecue!"

So that is our Souper Sunday line up this week. A few soups, and a bevy of salads and it all looks delicious. 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 Sunday logo on the side bar for all of the details.

***Giveaway Winner***

In other news, the Giveaway Winner of the $50 Safeway Gift Card, randomly drawn from all the applicable comments is...julee jingle, who hails from Washington State and has a blog called My Happy Life By the Bay. Julee's money-saving tip was: "My simple savings tip when I'm really trying to save is that I send my husband with a list. He hates shopping so much that he sticks right to the list and gets out of there!" Love it! ;-)

Congratulations Julee! Please email me with your address and I'll get your gift card out to you ASAP so that you can start spending. ;-) Thanks to all who entered and to Safeway of course for providing such a great prize.

Have a wonderful week!