A Simple and Delicious Indian Dinner--Cook the Books: "Climbing The Mango Trees"

I love being a part of Cook The Books, the bi-monthly virtual foodie book club I am lucky enough to co-host with Rachel, The Crispy Cook and Johanna of Food Junkie not Junk Food and not just for the fact that I love both books and food, and especially books that involve food. It also pushes me to finally read the many food-related books stacked around my house, like "Climbing The Mango Trees: A Memoir of a Childhood in India" by Madhur Jaffrey. I bought the book at a used book store a couple of years ago because I admire Jaffrey--cook, author, actress and lauded authority on Indian cuisine, and I own about a half dozen of her many cookbooks. It languished on a shelf until I finally chose it as our current CTB selection, thinking it would get me to finally read the book and be a good excuse (as if one actually needs an excuse!) to make some delicious Indian dishes.

"Climbing The Mango Trees" is Madhur Jaffrey's recount of life growing up in Delhi and Kampur in a large well-to-do family. One of 6 children, Jaffrey's family lived with her extended family, with often 40 or more aunts, uncles and cousins at dinner, at her grandfather's compound. Although the book covers what it was like to grow up in India in the 1930's to the 1950's, Jaffrey's family history along with the country's history--and the effect of Partition on both, what stands out and is covered in the most detail is the food. Jaffrey weaves her evocative memories of food throughout the book (don't read this one on an empty stomach) and includes 30 of her favorites family recipes at the back of the book. The book transports the reader to a different and exotic time and place in a charming and conversational manner that leaves one wanting more. Hopefully, since this book covers her early childhood into her early adulthood, Jaffrey will continue the tale of her fascinating life in a future book.



Although there were many delicious recipes in the back of the book, I decided to pull out Jaffrey's "Quick & Easy Indian Cooking"-- also languishing in one of my cookbook stacks (hmm... anyone notice a pattern here?) and cook something from it. I ended up with three dishes, Fish Fillets in Curry Sauce, Simply Grilled Tomatoes, and Rice with Peas and Dill, that worked well together as a relatively light dinner.



Fish Fillets in a Curry Sauce ("Curry" dar Macchi)
"Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking"
(Serves 4-5)

2 lbs thick fish fillets
2 1/4 cups milk
1 tsp salt
lots of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
5 Tbsp bread crumbs
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup good curry powder
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
2-3 tsp fresh lemon juice

Arrange a shelf in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to its highest temperature.

Spread out the fish in a baking dish. Combine the milk, salt, pepper, cayenne, and turmeric in a pitcher and pour over the fish. set aside for 15 minutes. (Use this time to get all the remaining ingredients measured and chopped.) Then lift the fish out of the milk and dust both sides with the bread crumbs, patting them on so that they adhere. Reserve the milk. Now put the fish in a shallow baking dish lined with aluminum foil. Dot with 2 Tbsp of the butter and bake for 15 minutes.

While the fish bakes, set the milk to heat, but do not boil it. Melt the remaining 2 tbsp butter in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. When it has melted and is bubbling, put in the curry powder. Stir for a minute. Now put in the flour. Stir for about 2 minutes. It should keep bubbling.

Take the saucepan off the heat and, using a whisk, beat in the hot milk. Now put the saucepan on medium-high heat and stir with the whisk until the sauce comes to a boil. Boil for a minute, whisking all the time. Add the cilantro and lemon juice. Stir to mix them in.

Put the fish on a serving plate or on individual plates. Pour the sauce over the top and serve immediately. Extra sauce, if there is any, may be served on the side.



Simply Grilled Tomatoes (Grilled Timatar)
"Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking"
(Serves 2-4)

5 1 1/4-to-1 1/2-lb tomatoes
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground cumin
a generous pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp butter or olive oil (optional)

Preheat the grill or broiler.

Cut the tomatoes in halves crosswise.Sprinkle the salt, black pepper, garam masala, cumin, and cayenne over the cut surfaces and rub the spices in. Sprinkle the lemon juice on top and rub that in as well. Place under the hot grill, about 4 inches from the heat source and grill until the top is browned and the tomatoes are slightly limp. Dot with butter or dribble some oil over the top if you like.




Rice with Peas and Dill (Matar Aur Sooay Ka Pullao)
"Madhur Jaffrey's Quick & Easy Indian Cooking"
(Serves 5-6)

2 cups basmati rice
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 whole cloves
4 cardamom pods
1 small onion (4 oz), peeled and cut into half rings
1 or 2 tsp salt, to taste
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill or 1 1/2 Tbsp dried dill
2 3/4 cups chicken stock or water
1 cup shelled fresh or frozen peas, cooked for 2 minutes in boiling water

Put the rice in a bowl and wash in several changes of water. drain and leave in a strainer set over a bowl.

Put the oil in a heavy saucepan and set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the cloves and cardamom pods. Stir for a few seconds. Put in the onion. Stir until the onion is brown. Put in the rice, 1 tsp salt, garam masala, and dill. Stir for a minute. Now put in the stock and the second tsp of salt if needed, and bring to a boil. Cover very tightly, turn the heat to very, very low, and cook for 20 minutes. Put in the peas. Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes. Stir gently before serving.




Notes/Results: Everything was delicious and fairly quick and easy to prepare. For the fish, I used a local opah (moon fish), which cooked up perfectly tender and went well with the slightly spicy curry sauce. Instead of using dairy milk, I used almond milk to soak the fish and make the sauce and it worked just fine. The local tomatoes, already sweet and juicy, had an excellent flavor with the spice mixture grilled on top. For the rice dish I used fresh dill from my herb garden, and the rice was lightly-spiced, moist and very tasty; a great side dish for any meal. I would make all of these recipes again.

The deadline for this Cook The Books selection is this Friday, 9/24. I will be rounding up all the entries soon after to put forward to a judge to picking a winning dish that best represents the book. BTW--I am very excited to announce our esteemed judge for this round--Ann from Split Pear-sonality - A Cooking Journey. Ann, knows her Indian cuisine and belongs to another great virtual foodie book club, This Book Makes Me Cook. That group read "Climbing The Mango Trees" back in January, so in the spirit of a foodie book club exchange program, we thought she would be a perfect judge!

If you love foodie books and want to join in our Cook the Books fun but missed this deadline, our next selection will be "Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany" by Bill Buford and being hosted by the lovely Johanna. Check out the CTB site for more details.

Asian Pistou Dumplings in Lime Broth for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

This week's soup comes from one of my favorite sources for healthy recipes, Clean Eating Magazine and from a favorite celebrity chef crush, Ming Tsai. Yep, I loves me some Ming, and his recipe for Asian Pistou Dumplings in Lime Broth in the current issue sounded very appealing. Simple dumplings of edamame, mixed with a pistou or pesto of Thai basil and parsley, are cooked in a vegetable stock that is flavored with green onion, lime and tamari for a healthy but satisfying bowl of soup.

Asian Pistou Dumplings in Lime Broth

by Ming Tsai for Clean Eating Magazine Sept/Oct 2010

(Serves 4)

olive oil cooking spray

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, white & green parts separated, divided

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

juice 2 limes

1 Tbsp low-sodium tamari

1/2 cup packed parsley

1/2 cup packed Thai basil

4 cloves garlic

1/2 cup edamame

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

12 thin whole-wheat wonton wrappers

In a saucepot misted with cooking spray, sweat white parts of scallions over medium heat for about 4 minutes, then add broth. Reduce mixture by 25%. Season with salt and pepper, and add lime juice and tamari.

Meanwhile, using a mortar and pestle, blend a pinch of salt with parsley, basil and garlic. Fold in edamame and oil and season with salt and pepper. (Alternatively, using a food processor, pulse together salt, parsley, basil and garlic. Transfer mixture to a bowl, fold in edamame and whisk in oil.)

Prepare wontons with edamame mixture. Lay wonton wrapper on work surface. With fingertips, use water to moisten outer edges of wrapper. Spoon about 1 tsp edamame filling onto center of each wonton wrapper. Gather up all edges of wrapper above filling and pinch together.

Ideally, there should be a bunch of pictures of the

"making of the wontons" but I got lazy and forgot to take more! ;-)

Add dumplings to broth and boil for 5 to 8 minutes; serve immediately. Garnish with green parts of scallions and, if desired, additional parsley and/or basil.

Nutrients Per Serving: Calories: 200, Total Fat: 8g, Sat. Fat: 1g, Carbs: 24g, Fiber: 3g, Sugars: 2g, Protein: 6g, Sodium: 544 mg, Cholesterol: 2mg

Notes/Results: Very good--with lots of flavor both in the dumplings and in the broth. The dumplings go together quickly and easily, although I couldn't find a whole wheat wrapper and ended using smaller thin wrappers that held about 1/2 tsp of the filling, so I ended up with about 24 small dumplings. Not a problem--I think the smaller dumplings work just as well, if not better. (I think I need to make dumpling soups more often--I love little dumplings.) The broth is very tart from the lime, but it works well with the pistou and keeps the soup light and refreshing. It also passed the "visiting mom test"--she enjoyed it and was impressed with my dumplings. ;-) I would make this soup again.

Let's take a look at who is here in the Souper Sunday kitchen this week.

Debbie from The Friday Friends is back and helping girlichef on her Tortilla Soup quest with this delicious-looking bowl. Debbie says, "I think I've found the best tortilla soup EVER. And the Handyman thinks it is the best EVER. He even said the words "this is REALLY good soup." He said it more than once! That's a pretty good compliment since he usually rolls his eyes and sighs when I say "I'm making soup. Seriously tho, this soup was really, really, really good. I could have eaten it for 3 more days... mmmm,mmmm good. (and it wasn't even Campbells')."

So nice to see Serena from Seriously Soupy here again this week and with a Vegetable Wonton Soup recipe. She says, "Everything about trying this recipe was out of my comfort zone. I have had this type of soup 100s of times but I never thought to make it myself, most likely, because I figured the wonton itself would be too challenging. But since this blog is about soups, I really want to try everything and decided to delve head first into attempting my first wonton soup."

Please join me in welcoming Joanna from Go Ahead and Snicker, a friend from I Heart Cooking Clubs who is joining us at Souper Sundays for the first time. Joanna used a JUMBO can of tomato sauce for her Turkey Vegetable Chili and says, "And why would anyone want to buy a 102 oz. can of crushed tomatoes, anyway? Because. I use it in everything, and it freezes well. I used almost half of this can for chili and the rest went into ziploc bags. I stacked them flat in the freezer, labeled of course, and now I can pull out a bag to defrost anytime I am making a sauce or soup. I think I need to go buy more cans."

Kim from Liv Life made Ellie Krieger's Roasted Tomato and Black Bean Soup with a bounty of farmers market tomatoes and says, "Topping the soup with a sprinkle of cilantro, a scoop of creamy sour cream and a spoonful of luscious diced avocado provides a meal in a bowl that is just as good, if not better, the next day! Perfect for freezing, I try to make extra to have on hand for those "I don't feel like cooking" days."

Amritha from AK's Vegetarian Recipe World brought her Tomato Basil Clear Soup and says, "All time favorite - Tomato soup. There are various methods to make this soup. I got this recipe from my aunt. It came out very well. Very simple and easy. My aunt made this soup just as thick tomato soup. I just twisted it little bit, added more ingredients to it and made it clear soup. The reason I made it clear soup is for easy digestion and its light. The taste of tomato along with a hint of basil mixed with some spice makes it a great treat."

Here with her first soup for Fall 2010, a Sausage & Kale Lentil Soup, is Debby of A Feast for the Eyes. Debby says, "Today, the skies were gloomy and I had a craving for soup. I was also craving fresh bread to go with the soup. I love lentil soup, and I especially love it when it's paired with sausage. I decided to make our favorite Buttered Rosemary Rolls because they are easy to make and don't take a lot of time. At the last minute, I decided to use Parmesan Cheese, instead. By garnishing the lentil soup with a little Parmesan, my family had a hearty and comforting meal that was perfect for Fall weather."

Denise (aka Denny) from Oh Taste N See made a Chipotle Corn Tomato Soup and says, "I put together this soup in a very short time for a healthy lunch yesterday. Its as simple as throwing ingredients onto a pot and then blitzing them. But it made for a very filling and healthy lunch. The Chipotle chilies in this soup, render a spicy, smoky flavor and give it a sort of Tex-Mex feel. Now Chipotles are ripe Jalapenos, which are smoked when they turn red. They are available dried and ground into powder as chipotle chile powder, or preserved as is in a tomato vinegar sauce called adobo sauce."

We are also welcoming José from The Elitist Taco, blogging from Indiana, about traditional Mexican food, vegetarian style. For his first Souper Sunday entry, José has a bowl of Vegetarian Posole and says, "I love posole. The thick rich spicy soup broth, the hominy (nixtamal in Spanish, or technically Nahuatl), and of course the additions. Cilantro, shredded cabbage, radish, avocado, lime juice, baked tortilla strips, and on and on. The beautiful thing about the stock is the introduction of ancho chiles (dried poblanos) that are reconstituted and pureed in the blender. It makes for a complex and spicy broth."

Another new face to welcome is Stash from the Spamwise Chronicles making his first appearance at Souper Sundays and joining us from NYC. Stash made a Heirloom Tomato Salad, with Garlic Croutons and says, "September in New York is my favorite time of the year, food-wise, because of all the wonderful produce that’s available at the market. Ripe tomatoes, fragrant peppers, luscious eggplant and flavorful peaches … these are the stuff that dreams are made of. It’s a season that’s all too brief. Heirloom tomatoes are at the peak of flavor, so enjoy them while they last. With autumn knocking on the threshold, it’ll be October before you know it.This salad is all about the tomatoes. They’re the stars of this show."

Janet from The Taste Space has a colorful Moroccan Roasted Pepper, Tomato & Apple Salad (Slada Felfa Bil Tamatem Wal Tofah), and says, "You win some, you lose some. While I have had a few successes with recipes from Arabesque by Claudia Roden, I didn’t feel this lived up to my expectations. I love everything in the salad: sweet apples, roasted red peppers and tomatoes with a dash of Aleppo chili flakes. But together they just didn’t work. Don’t be fooled by the word salad. This is more of a spread or dip, but my apple slices were big enough that I had to eat it with a spoon, rather then spoon it onto pita bread instead. I mean it wasn’t awful, it just wasn’t great. It was better when served chilled, rather than warm or at room temperature."

Megha from Live to eat!!! brought a healthy Sprouted Mung & Pomegranate Salad that is full of color and texture to share this week and says,"Sprouting of mung can be a little bit of extra preparation for this crunchy salad. Pomegranate adds a little sweetness to the salad. Its great flavor and health benefits have made it a great candidate for those who seek natural health foods."

Another newbie joining us at Souper Sundays is Tanvi from Sinfully Spicy, blogging from Las Vegas, Nevada. Tanvi made a Grilled Corn Salad with Cilantro-Tamarind Dressing and says, "This corn salad is inspired by one of my Punjabi friend’s mother’s recipe !! She used to make this amazing boiled bhutta at home dunked in tamarind water….very juicy and absolutely yummy! So, basically I mixed both the tastes together, that of the blackened corn and the tamarind. If you are not a cilantro lover, use parsely.If you don’t like tamarind, use lemon juice …and if you don’t like all the four…please skip this recipe and come back again for the next one!" Welcome Tanvi!

What a great turnout this week! Lots of yummy soup and salad recipes to drool over. Thanks to all who joined in and a special thanks to all of our new participants. If you have a soup, salad or sandwich that you would like to share, click on the Souper Sundays logo on the side bar for all of the details.

BTW: The answer to yesterdays "Can You Guess the Herb" post in is the comments section of that post, in case you are still wondering. ;-)

Have a wonderful week!

Can You Guess the Herb?

If you are a regular reader you are probably expecting the usual Simple Saturday Sipper post today. With running around and doing stuff with my mom who is visiting, plus some work thrown in, I just didn't get around to creating or finding a drink recipe this week. So instead, I thought I would show you my latest acquisition for my container herb garden and see if anyone can guess what it is. I was excited to stumble across this little plant, which is something I don't see everyday, and I can't wait to use it.

Do you know what herb it is? If you think you know, leave a comment. There is no prize for being right--only personal satisfaction at your own brilliance! ;-)

I still need to pot it, plus it is looking a little "gangly" right now and needs pruning--including the small pretty white flowers, which will need to be pinched back.

Need a hint? This herb is native to the mountains of South America. It can be used fresh but is often dried and crushed into a powder. If no one guesses the correct answer, I'll put it in the comment section tomorrow.

Simple Saturday Sippers will be back next week--maybe this mystery plant will be one of the ingredients...

Have a wonderful weekend!

Zucchini-Pineapple Muffins Made By Mom with Love

My mom is visiting from Oregon and although it's her vacation she usually offers to cook or bake me a few of my favorites while she is here. Often I choose her chocolate chip or raisin bran cookies, both more than crave-worthy, but this time I was really craving muffins, her Zucchini-Pineapple Muffins in particular. They are always moist and the zucchini and pineapple pair really well together.

She has been making these for many years, so long ago that she isn't exactly sure of the names of the two sources of this recipe that she combined and has adapted over time, (one recipe is from an old cookbook and the other recipe was clipped from a newspaper). You can make it into loaves instead of muffins, but muffins (mini muffins in particular), are always more fun and they also freeze well to pull out as needed for easy breakfasts and snacks.


Zucchini-Pineapple Muffins

by Mom (Betty)

Beat together until foamy:

4 & 1/2 eggs

1 & 1/2 cups canola oil

3 cups sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla

Fold in:

3 cups shredded zucchini

12 oz can crushed pineapple, drained

Add or mix in until combined:

4 & 3/4 cup flour

3 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 & 1/2 tsp salt

2 & 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Grease and flour 2 large loaf pans & 4 small loaf pans or line 3 dozen muffin pans and 4 dozen mini muffin pans.

Bake at 350 degrees:

• large loaf pans 45-50 minutes
• small loaf pans 35-40 minutes
• large muffin pans: 15-20 minutes
• mini muffin pans 11-12 minutes

Notes/Results: Baked with love by mom and really delicious--the kiss of cinnamon compliments the zucchini and pineapple so well. These are great with a cup of tea in the morning but are sweet enough to enjoy as an afternoon treat. Are they the healthiest muffin out there? Not really, but they are so good you won't care--and they do help get some fruit and veggies into your day. ;-) A definite keeper recipe from childhood.


What family recipes do you crave?

A Review of "Pomodoro!" and a Gorgeous Insalata Caprese!

You say to-may-to, I say to-mah-to, and in Italy they say pomodoro, which is also the name of the book that Rachel, The Crispy Cook and some of her lucky blogger friends (like me!) had a chance to read and review. "Pomodoro! A History of the Tomato in Italy" by David Gentilcore is all about the beloved tomato, before it became so loved in Italy.

This culinary history book traces the tomato on its travels from Central America where it originated, to Europe and then on to Italy specifically, where it was first regarded with suspicion and some disdain. Gentilcore, a professor of modern history, follows the tomato through the multiple centuries it took for it to become a staple and icon of Italian cooking. The book is mostly entertaining, although I did speed read through a few sections--250+ pages on the history of anything can get a bit monotonous for a short attention span girl like me! ;-) The sprinkling of old Italian recipes was probably my favorite part of the book and I tagged several dishes to make. There is also folklore, stories, pictures and of course plenty of history all woven together in one detailed celebration of the tomato.

For me personally, the best way to celebrate this juicy, colorful fruit is one of the simplest, the Caprese Salad or the Insalata Caprese, meaning a salad in the style of Capri, and originating in the Campania region of Italy. I could eat a well-made caprese every day and not get tired of it--fresh thick slices of freshly picked tomato, sprigs of basil from the garden and creamy slices of fresh mozzarella, drizzled with the best olive oil you can get and a sprinkling of a wonderful salt. Perfection, celebration, heaven on a plate! There is no real need for a recipe but... along with being short attention span girl, I am also multi-tasking girl and it is "Say Cheese!" week at I Heart Cooking Clubs and therefore I chose to follow Mark Bittman's Tomato Mozzarella and Basil Salad recipe from the How to Cook Everything iPhone app, and thus combine my celebration of the tomato with a celebration of mozzarella. ;-)

Bittman says, "This is barely more than the three ingredients listed in the title, so all three must be of excellent quality. I like to salt the tomatoes a little bit before assembling the salad--it removes a little bit of their liquid--but it isn't necessary. (Deb says, "Darn tootin it isn't necessary--if you want to serve it with a baguette toasted with olive oil, you'll want all that yummy tomato juice-olive oil-salty goodness to soak up!")

Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Salad, (Insalata Caprese)

"How to Cook Everything" by Mark Bittman

(Makes 4 Servings)

4 perfectly ripe medium tomatoes

salt

8 slices 1/4-inch thick, fresh mozzarella cheese, plus more if desired

8 large fresh basil leaves

freshly ground black pepper (optional)

extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Core and cut the tomatoes into about 1/4-inch thick slices. If you like lay them on a board and sprinkle them lightly with salt. Set the board at an angle so the liquid can drain into the sink (or bowl; it makes a refreshing drink.)

Layer the tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil on a platter or 4 individual plates. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.

Notes/Results: Sheer perfection! Juicy, ripe, fresh North Shore Farms Tomatoes--both red and yellow and cut thickly, basil straight from my container garden, fresh mozzarella--also cut very thickly, olive oil and a little perfect pink Murray River Gourmet Grinder Salt from Australia. Not a thing more. My Mom is in town visiting and we shared this as a starter for dinner along with some crunchy/chewy toasted baguette. When you can get the best, freshest ingredients make this often and savor it, preferably outside with a glass of your favorite wine--it is the best way to hold on to summer.

Thanks to Rachel, The Crispy Cook for arranging our Pomodoro Party. Rachel will be rounding up all the tomato dishes inspired by the book on her blog soon.

This dish also goes to IHCC--"Say Cheese!" where you can see other cheesy delights that the rest of the gang made.

Finally I am sending it to the event formerly know as Two for Tuesdays, now Hearth and Soul Blog Hop, co-hosted by girlichef and other fabulous bloggers and celebrating food that nourishes your mind, body and soul.

Hope your week is going well!

Cauliflower Soup with Tandoori Yogurt: A Creamy But Healthy Spa Soup for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

Recipes from spas and spa cookbooks are some of my favorites. Since they are designed for people who are paying to be pampered, they are usually both tasty and healthy--my favorite combination. This Cauliflower Soup with Tandori Yogurt from Canyon Ranch fits the bill in both of these areas. Cauliflower and other veggies and some spices are caramelized then simmered before being pureed into a thick creamy soup, then the soup is topped with a spiced yogurt for extra flavor. The fact that it uses vegetable puree and non-fat yogurt for the topping, keeps the calorie count remarkably low.

This recipe comes from The Canyon Ranch Healthy Living Club newsletter here.


Cauliflower Soup with Tandoori Yogurt

Canyon Ranch Healthy Living Club Newsletter

(Makes 8 3/4 Cup Servings)

Soup:
1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups chopped fresh cauliflower
1/2 cup chopped yellow onions
1/3 cup fresh leeks, sliced thin, white part only
1/4 cup peeled and chopped carrots
3 tablespoons chopped celery
1 1/2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper or paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
5 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons champagne vinegar

Tandoori Yogurt:
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or paprika
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
1 teaspoon chopped fresh scallions
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup plain, lowfat yogurt

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, sauté cauliflower, onions, leeks, carrots and celery, Aleppo pepper (or paprika) and garlic in olive oil until caramelized, about 25 minutes. Increase heat to high, add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Season with salt and vinegar.

Cool slightly and transfer mixture into a blender container. Puree until very smooth. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for Tandoori Yogurt and mix until smooth.

Serve 3/4 cup soup topped with 2 teaspoons Tandoori Yogurt.


Serving Information: Makes 8 (3/4-cup) servings, each containing approximately: 45 calories, 8 gm. carbohydrate, 1 gm. fat, 0 mg. cholesterol, 2 gm. protein, 352 mg. sodium, 2 gm. fiber

Cook's Note: This soup can easily be made vegan by omitting the Tandoori Yogurt. This will also lower the calories and change some of the nutritionals.


Notes/Results: Really delicious--so full of good flavor and really creamy for such a low-calorie soup. Caramelizing all of the vegetables adds a nice depth of flavor so the soup tastes rich. The tangy spiced yogurt is a good pairing with the creamy soup but it is actually quite delicious without it too. Served with grilled naan bread and a simple salad, it was a satisfying and healthy meat-free dinner. I would make this soup again.

It looks like a good-sized group in the Souper Sundays kitchen this week--let's see who is here!

First up, I am delighted to have Debbie from The Friday Friends back with us this week and with a hearty Albondiga (Meatball Soup). Debbie says, "The recipe comes from an old friend of mine, Letty Rodriguez. I assume that she learned from her mom, who learned from her mom in Mexico. It's really good. The only thing that I will do different next time is to brown the meatballs first, before adding them to the soup. I think the carmelization of the meatballs would be a great addition to this recipe, but the seasonings are wonderful."

Lovely Graziana from Erbe in Cucina made a spicy, flavorful White Chicken Chili this week and says, "I wanted to prepare a chili white variant, with chicken and white beans. Of course I added also my white eggplants, tasty and delicate. I know, I should have used a white (or pale yellow) chili too, like the Banana Sweet, but I had harvested some unripe Jalapeno Mitla, and they added a touch of green (and of spiciness) to the chili."



Kait from Pots and Plots was busy this week with two dishes to share. The first is this Pork Burrito Soup about which she says, "Reruns! It’s not often that I come up with something that so perfectly turns into something else. But last night’s pork burrito filling was so tasty and there wasn’t quite enough for two servings of exact reruns. So what else to do? Throw in a bunch of veggies and make a new variation of the Mexican themed soups we so love."

And if that wasn't enough, she also tried her hand at a White Chicken Chili and says, "I've been on a kick of trying new foods. I’ll pick up a new food and figure out what to do with it. This week’s new food was Anaheim chilis, which I learned were a mild chili and usually what those canned, chopped green chilis on the Mexican aisle consist of. I’ve been craving chili, though not the big heavy tomato based variety we love in winter. So I threw together this 2 serving batch in the crock pot."

Heather of girlichef continues her quest for Tortilla Soup, this time changing the color. She says, "Green is good. Right? So why have I been shunning green for red? I swear it wasn't intentional. All my previous tortilla soups have been red...or orange, I suppose...if I'm being literal. But in a moment of sheer genius...a new front-runner was born! It was quick. It was green. It was caliente. It was the thing my dreams are made of."

Lynde from Vinegarlic made an exotic soup; Sayadiya: Damiettan Fish Soup with Blackened Onions and says, "Throughout Egypt, Damietta is known for its intricately carved furniture, its marvelous sweets, and its Sayadiya. Whenever I have made the mistake of calling this an Egyptian dish, I’ve been quickly corrected that it is not merely Egyptian, it is Damiettan! The secret is in the onions. They must be cooked for a very long time, until they are chocolate brown and mostly black but are not burned. “Just keep stirring and they won’t burn,” Mama Samya says whenever I feel the urge to turn off the heat a little too soon. Those last shades of color are critical, and give this soup a flavor like no other."

Foodycat is here this week with a Sweetcorn and Tomato Chowder and says, "I had been hoping that the maiden voyage of the corn zipper would be on some home-grown sweetcorn, but alas it was not to be. The plants sprouted quickly enough, and formed ears like good little plantlets, but then totally failed to form kernels. But all is not lost. Waving the flag for our gardening abilities, this soup does contain homegrown cherry tomatoes and chilli. And it takes less than 10 minutes to make, including going out and picking your tomatoes, which is nice. It is a real taste of late summer and absolutely delicious."

Sayantani from A Homemaker's Diary is back today with a Mushroom Soup with Chili Oil. She says, "...I was bowled over by the rich taste of this soup. It was creamy, it was flavourful and it was lip smackingly delicious. I loved it so much that I kept on preparing this again again and especially during winters when curling on a couch with hot bowl of soup seems almost like nirvana. Hubby equally loves this one and whenever he sees good button mushrooms in the market he brings home at least 2 packets and requests me to make this."

Tigerfish from Tezcape--An Escape to Taste has a salad to share this week, this Japchae (Korean Style Glass Noodles Salad) and says, "I like it when they serve Japchae (dangmyeon cellophane or glass noodles made from sweet potato starch) in Banchan (small dishes served along with main dishes or course) whenever I visit any Korean eateries or restaurants. I tried making it at home (my first attempt) recently and it turned out quite successful. I went the salad-route (instead of a stir-fry like some other recipes call for)."

Janet from The Taste Space has been loving her carbs for her training, and made these healthy Ginger-Poached Soba Noodles with Broccoli and Tofu. Janet says, "Welcoming pasta back into the mix, including this Japanese-inspired noodle dish I found at 101 Cookbooks. It was a simple dish with subtle flavours. I thought the ginger would overpower the dish, but it blended seemlessly with the noodles and broccoli. The mint and basil worked well together with the chili flakes in this Japanese dish. If I was truly carb-loading, I would omit the tofu (72% carbs) but I think tofu adds a certain filling factor, so I kept it in."

Kim from Liv Life has a delicious Quinoa Black Bean Salad that is packed full of nutrients and says, "Quinoa Salad with Black Beans is a versatile recipe that works well with whatever vegetables you may have on hand, making it an easy last minute choice and transitioning seasons. With my treasure chest full of market veggies, the salad tossed together quickly, and easily provided a tasty and healthy side! (FYI... left overs make a perfect next day lunch!)"

A new face to welcome this week is Megha from Live to Eat!!!, joining us from Mumbai, India and bringing along a Sweet Corn, Red Pepper, Gerkin & Green Olive Salad. Megha says, "As the name suggests, the ingredients are not tough to guess. It is simple and easy to make any time and anywhere.The entire combination of veggies is crunchy and refreshing. In India we have a wide range of spicy pickles and pickled gerkins are not in use in many households. The ones that I have used, are flavored with yellow mustard. You can use gerkins without any flavoring too..." Welcome Megha!

We are also welcoming Claire from Chez Cayenne, blogging from Houston Texas and making her first appearance here at Souper Sundays with her Simple Eggplant Sandwich. Claire says, "This eggplant sandwich is perfect when you're serving a soup or salad that is more than a side dish, but not quite a main on its own, so that you need something to round out the meal that's more than just bread. You don't have to keep this simple; you can add all kinds of things to it to take it up a level.The secrets to this are very good bread, fruity olive oil, and this steam-fry technique that results in tender, almost melty eggplant slices." So great to have you here Claire!


A great turn out this week--a little something for everyone! Thanks to all who joined in and a special thanks to our new faces. If you have a soup, salad or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the side bar for all of the details.

Have a wonderful week!