Souper Sundays is Coming Soon!

Oh no! It's Sunday and you are craving soups, salads and sandwiches and so you come to Souper Sundays and it's not here! Yikes! Don't worry--Souper Sundays happens rain, shine, sleet, hail, holidays, etc. We are just running late.

The posting is going to be a few hours later today as I am having technical issues. (Note: Don't believe Apple when they tell you the upgraded software will speed up the your computer.) iPhoto is killing me with its slowness today and I have bald patches on my head from pulling my hair out.

I am headed out for a bit to regain some sanity over lunch with an old friend so I will finish the post when I return. Please do come back and visit because we have some great dishes and some wonderful new faces to introduce.

Update: This week's Souper Sundays round up post went live about 3:30 PM today! Whew! Thanks for your patience. ;-)

Eggplant and Mint Bruschette: A Pretty in Purple Toasty Open-Faced Sandwich

I love good fresh bread with a crunchy crust and soft and slightly chewy within. I am however much too lazy to make it myself. I know people find it relaxing and zen-like, but I find that I have things I would much rather spend my timing doing--especially when it's warm and humid in the kitchen and my schedule is tight. We are celebrating bread at I Heart Cooking Clubs this week and many of our group will be "getting their yeast on." I went the quick and easy route and honored the almighty bread with the recipe for Eggplant and Mint Bruschette from "Jamie's Italy."

I used a nice fresh loaf of multi-grain, seeded bread from the farmers market, where I also picked up a couple of round Italian eggplant (also local in case you were wondering). With parsley and mint from my garden and my trusty grill pan in hand, I had a simple supper dish ready in no time.

Jamie says, "A bruschette is a kind of open sandwich and it's probably where the idea for cheese on toast originally came from."

Basic Bruschette
From "Jamie's Italy"

If you have a large loaf, cut it in half, then slice it crossways about a half-inch thick. Grill the slices on a grill or in a griddle pan until they are crisp on both sides, then lightly rub each piece a couple of times with a clove of cut garlic. Drizzle with some good extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a tiny pinch of salt. You can eat the toasted bread just like this, but make sure the oil is the best you can find, otherwise it will never taste good.

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Eggplant and Mint Topping
From "Jamie's Italy"

2 nice firm eggplants, the round purple Italian ones if possible, sliced lengthwise about 1/4-inch thick
extra virgin olive oil
white wine or herb vinegar
2 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and finely sliced
a small handful of fresh mint, leaves picked and finely sliced
1 clove of garlic, peeled and very finely sliced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a griddle pan until nice and hot. Lay your eggplant slices on it side by side, and when they are nicely charred on both sides, put them in a bowl. You will probably need to do this in several batches. While the eggplants are grilling, put 8 tablespoons of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of vinegar, with the parsley, mint, and garlic, into another bowl and season with salt and pepper. When the eggplant are all done, add them to the dressing and mix around, then check the seasonings again and divide onto the bruschette. Press the topping into the toast so all the lovely flavor gets sucked in!

Notes/Results: A simple but delicious recipe that makes the most of a few fresh ingredients. The toasted bread soaked up the dressing (so flavorful with the mint and parsley) very well, and the thinly sliced eggplant piled up for a satisfying open-faced sandwich. Quick and easy to make, tasty and pretty to look at, I will make this again for sure.


Aloha,

Blondies with Brown Butter and a Cookbook Review of The Cookiepedia ...Got Milk?

"Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blanket for a nap."

---Robert Fulghum

So true this quote that kicks off the more than 50 classic cookie recipes in The Cookiepedia: Mixing, Baking, and Reinventing the Classics by Stacy Adimando with photography by Tara Striano. This little (7 1/2 x 8-inches, 160 pages) wire bound book is a cookie-lover's dream. It features all of the classics divided by category, Buttery Cookies, Chocolaty Cookies, Fancy Cookies, Fruity Cookies, Spicy Cookies, and Nutty and Seedy Cookies.

Author Stacy Adimando is a recipe developer, food writer, graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education, and deputy lifestyle editor for Every Day with Rachel Ray magazine. Adimando has taken the cookie recipes that many of us grew up with and tweaked them to make them her own. This is something that she encourages the reader to do as well with plenty suggestions for variations for the different recipes. There is a helpful chapter on The ABCs of Cookie Baking comprised of Kitchen Tools, a glossary of Cookie Speak, and ways to have Fun With Decorating. The book is well designed and colorful, combining hand-drawn illustrations with pictures that make you want to jump in and take a bite. Making it especially useful are the side bar tips sprinkled in and about, and the "Notes" section at the end of each recipe with plenty of space for the cook to take their own notes.

There were many recipes that tempted me; Butterballs, Mint Thins, Florentines, French Macarons, Black and White Cookies, Lemon Chewies, Fig Bars. Cardamom Cookies, Salt and Pepper Cookies, Caramel Nut Bars and Poppy Seed Squares to name just a few, but it was the Blondies with Brown Butter that I felt was calling me to try first. Browned butter, chocolate chips, toasted pecans and sea salt--what's not to like? Of course the added bonus is that you mix them up and throw them in a pan--no scooping, forming, or anything else I didn't want to mess with, lazy busy girl that I am.

Blondies with Brown Butter
From "The Cookiepedia" by Stacy Adimando
(Makes 2 Dozen Bars)

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These bigger, nuttier bar versions of chocolate chip cookies get their distinct flavor from browned butter, and they have a denser, satisfying chew. A sprinkling of coarse salt on the tops brings out a rich flavor.

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1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cups chocolate chips
2/3 cups toasted pecans, chopped
coarse salt such as sea or kosher, for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Start by browning the butter. Melt it in a sauce pan on medium heat. When the foaming subsides, start swirling the pan to keep the butter moving. Continue to cook until it changes from a light yellow to a deep golden, stopping just when you see the color change happen. Take it off the heat and pour into a bowl to cool.

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Tip: If you take it too far, a matter of about 30 seconds to a minute, the butter will burn.

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Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside.

Beat the melted butter and sugars together. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for several minute, or until the mixture looks thick and silky. Add the dry ingredients one-third at a time and mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans.

Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper.

Pour the dough onto the parchment paper and spread it evenly with a spatula or slightly wet hand. Bake 30 to 35 minutes (err on the shorter side for doughier blondies), until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

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Tip: Lift using the two long sides of the parchment paper or turn it out onto a cutting board.

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Sprinkle lightly with the coarse salt. Let cool completely before removing from the pan. Cut into squares.

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Make 'Em Your Way: Just like chocolate chip cookie dough, blondie batter is great for sneaking in extra treats and adjusting the amount of mix-ins to suit your personal taste. Some people prefer just a few semisweet chocolate chips, others like to load their blondies chock full of goodies.

• Candy Bar Blondies: Mix in roughly chopped candy bars, or roughly chopped dark chocolate.

• Platinum Blondies: Use white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.

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Notes/Results: Buttery and decadent, with a nutty aftertaste, these blondies are a little more sophisticated than the normal batch. Browning the butter takes a bit of effort and time over the stove for the lazy girl, but the flavor makes it well worth it. I used fresh local eggs and butter and the batter was so rich and good, I am surprised it made it into the cookies. I used the open bags of chocolate chips I had on hand, 1/2 larger milk chocolate pieces and 1/2 an semi-sweet, but I think dark chocolate would be even better. At first I thought that cutting them into 24 pieces would be too small/stingy, but these are rich enough that a smallish square works. They are not health food--I ate two and I am dropping the rest off to friends tomorrow so they get out of my house. I am a firm believer in sharing the artery clogging cookie love. ;-) I will make these again and play around with the mix-ins--I am thinking pistachios with dried cranberries and dark chocolate would be fun.


The Cookiepedia is a great little book, fun to read and a pleasure to cook with. (Did I mention that the spiral binding makes it perfectly flat on the counter? Love that!) It would be perfect for yourself, your cookie-loving friends, or combine it with a couple of cookie sheets or cooling racks for a great shower or birthday gift.

What's your favorite cookie?

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

Aloha,

Green Chile Chowder for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays and Cookbook Spotlight: "The Homesick Texan Cookbook"

I have already made three delicious recipes from The Homesick Texan Cookbook by Lisa Fain, (Pork Tacos, Dallas Gas Station Style & Austin-Style Black Beans and Poblano Macaroni and Cheese), so there was a little pressure in choosing a recipe myself. Of course I headed straight to the Chilis, Soups, and Stews section and the Green Chili Chowder immediately jumped out at me. Poblanos, jalapenos and potatoes mixed with cumin, cilantro and lime sounded like a big bowl of tasty comfort.


I did make a few minor changes (in red below), mainly leaving the dairy milk out and substituting almond milk and soy creamer and upping the amounts of garlic, cumin and lime. The result was warm, nicely spicy and full of flavor.

Fain says, "This recipe for green chile chowder was adapted from Seasoned with the Sun, the Junior League of El Paso's cookbook. From the original recipe I increased the numbers of chiles, thew in cumin, cilantro, garlic, and lime juice, and lightened it up by omitting a butter-and-flour roux. I find that this soup is quite versatile. Served warm with cheese melted on top, it staves off the cold. Served chilled with a squirt of lime and tortilla chips, it's light and refreshing."


Green Chile Chowder
Adapted slightly from "The Homesick Texan Cookbook"
(Makes 6-8 Servings)

4 poblano chiles
2 jalapeno chiles
1 Tbsp unsalted butter (I used olive oil)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 4 cloves)
2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (I used veggie stock)
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 tsp ground cumin (I used 1 Teaspoon)
1 1/2 cups whole milk (I used almond milk)
1 cup half-and-half (I used a plain soy creamer)
salt and black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp lime juice (I used 4 Tbsp)
grated Jack cheese, tortilla chips, and chopped cilantro, for serving

Roast the poblano chiles and jalapenos under the broiler until blackened, about 5 minutes per side. Place the poblano chiles in a paper sack or plastic food storage bag, close it tightly, and let the chiles steam. Meanwhile, remove stems and seeds from the jalapenos and dice. After 20 minutes, take the poblanos out of the bag and rub off the skin. Remove seeds and stems and then dice the poblano chiles.

In a large pot, heat the butter on medium heat until it's melted. Add the diced onions and cook for 10 minutes or just until they're about to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Add to the pot the diced poblano and jalapeno chiles, the potatoes, broth, cilantro, and cumin. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Scoop out 2 cups of the soup and set aside. Puree the rest of the soup until smooth and then mix the smooth with the chunky. Add the milk and half-and-half to the soup and cook until warm. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Squeeze in the lime juice and serve either warm or chilled, with grated Monterey Jack cheese, tortilla chips, and extra cilantro.


Notes/Results: Another wonderful recipe from Lisa Fain. This chowder has layers of flavor. The roasted poblano provide a gentle almost sweet spice and the jalapenos add a definite kick. It was perfect for me but you could add more or less chiles based on your preferences. I used dairy-free milk alternatives as I have been trying to reduce dairy, which worked well and kept the chowder creamy. My one change would be to only puree half the chowder, rather than just leaving out two cups of the chunky chowder. I think it would still be very creamy and I like lots of chunks of potatoes and chile. I served it with cheese on top (I said limit my dairy remember ;-) and the Tillamook Black Pepper Smoked Black Pepper White Cheddar Cheese I used is pretty addicting), and tortilla chips on the side. I did try it cold with another shot of lime juice and it was good that way but I like my chowder warm and eating it with the melty cheese stirred throughout is my preferred way of enjoying it.




*This post is part of The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef*

There are a few good friends waiting in the Souper Sunday kitchen today, let's take a look.

Joining me in comforting chowder is Joanne from Eats Well With Others with this comforting Caramelized Onion, Cabbage and Sweet Potato Chowder with Rosemary that she posted at her guest-hosting gig on Marcus Samuelsson's Blog. She says it is, "a delicious cross between soup and stew that helped me realize just how important sweet potatoes are to me."



Graziana from Erbe in Cucina is back from her holidays with this colorful Fried Peppers Salad with Mint. She says, "Senise Peppers are small sweet peppers with elongated form, from Basilicata, Italy. They are used mainly for the traditional recipe 'peperoni cruschi': they should be dried and then fried. I will dry my next Senise harvest, but I wanted to taste them, so I fried them fresh and seasoned with aromatic herbs"



Janet from The Taste Space stopped by with this Skillet-Toasted Corn, Tomato and Anasazi Bean Salad and says, "Buying a dozen ears of corn on impulse means lots of corny recipes!Eating corn as a simple side is delicious right from the cob, but my specialty is one-pot meals. Preferably with beans. I have started to feel that a meal isn’t complete if there are no beans. I miss them that much. ;) "

Tigerfish of Teczcape-An Escape to Food has been loving her quinoa lately and has this Roasted Cauliflower Quinoa Salad with Nori Seaweed to share. She says, "With quinoa, I don't even need any salad dressing to combine the salad ingredients as one. The quinoa somehow binds everything together - ingredients (vegetables) and flavors, plus a series of textures. Love love love."

Pam from Sidewalk Shoes tried this healthy Spelt Chicken Salad with Romaine, Olives and Sage. She says, "You all know I buy a rotisserie chicken every week, so every week I find a recipe to use up that leftover rotisserie chicken. Some are more successful then others. This one…very successful. This was the perfect combination of flavors. The spelt was chewy, the romaine crisp, the olives added just the right tang. I also subbed rosemary for the sage, because I just felt like it."



It's always a pleasure when Foodycat joins in. Here is her prize-winning "Sandwich Heaven" Torta, about which she says, "It's a very clever combination of ingredients. The earthy beans, creamy avocado and sparkling acid salsa are equal players with the crisp refreshing lettuce, fatty, spicy sausage and subtle fire of the chipotle mayo. All conveniently encased in a sandwich thick enough to keep your fingers moderately clean."

Thanks to everyone who joined in with their recipes on this day of remembrance. 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.

Take care of yourself and hold close those you love,

9/11/11

Ten years ago today the world changed forever. My heart goes out to all of those who lost their lives, and to those who lost someone they love. We all lost some of our innocence and a big part of our hearts that day.


Please take a moment to remember and honor the many innocent victims and brave heros who lost their lives on 9/11 and beyond. Give those you love a hug and tell them how much they mean to you, or call them and say "I love you." Give of yourself, smile at a stranger, do something nice for someone who isn't expecting it. Enjoy the beauty that exists around us and never forget...

Sundays here at Kahakai Kitchen are reserved for the weekly Souper Sunday round up of soups, salads and sandwiches. There will be a Souper Sunday round up today, at the regular time.

With Love and Aloha,

Quick and Easy Guava-Yuzu-Vanilla Jam: We Be Jammin' Local Style

I am easily seduced by fruit. Show me a big juicy pineapple, a basket of berries, or a pile of plums, and I am getting my wallet out and buying as much as I can. Make it a big seductive display of locally-grown tropical fruit and I start drooling.

I had a chance to check out opening day of the new Ala Moana Farmers Market on Saturday and I was immediately taken with the piles of fresh. local tropical fruit available. I bought a few pieces of things I don't get to enjoy often, then zeroed in on a box of cut guava--so pretty in pink. Of course, once I starting munching, I remembered that as much as I enjoy the flavor of guava, I have some issues with the mushy texture. (Yep, those texture issues of mine raising their ugly heads again!) Not wanting my $5 /1 lb-ish box to go to waste, I decided to make something out of it that would disguise the texture but still allow me to enjoy the flavor.

It's "Condiments!" week at I Heart Cooking Clubs. I was enamoured with the Fresh Strawberry-Vanilla Jam that my pal Kim from Stirring the Pot made last week for the Back to School theme and thought the vanilla would compliment the guava nicely. Kim adapted Jamie's recipe, brightening it up with some lemon juice, and liking the idea I thought I would use the zest and juice of some of the little yuzus that I bought from the same fruit vendor for my jam.

Thus we have Guava-Yuzu-Vanilla Jam. Since September is "Eat Local Month" here on the islands and I am gearing up for another week of eating strictly locally grown and produced foods at the end of the month, I thought it would be fun to use all local ingredients for the jam. In addition to the guava and yuzu, I added sugar from Maui and a vanilla bean from The Big Island.

One "pesky" thing about guava are the many hard seeds contained within. I was doing my best to slice and clean the guava when it decided "this bites!" and just threw the guava into the pot with the yuzu juice and zest, and half of the sugar and cooked it down for the 4 minutes in Jamie's recipe. Then I let it cool just a bit and put it through a metal sieve, mashing it down to get the pulp separated. I ended up with about 1 1/2 cups of jam at that point, which I put back into the pot with the rest of the sugar and the salt and cooked it down another 10 minutes--mainly to make sure it would be thick enough. It worked and the warm jam was enjoyed on top of one of the Baker Dude's Passion Fruit Pineapple Scones (another farmers market purchase!)

I am including Jamie Oliver's recipe from the Food Network below with Kim's addition of lemon juice. In case you can't get your hands on fresh guava and yuzu, this recipe should work with most any "jam-able" fruit and citrus fruit combo.

Strawberry Guava-Yuzu-Vanilla Jam
Adapted from Jamie Oliver & Stirring the Pot
(Makes About 2 Jars)

Seeds of 1 vanilla pod
10 1/2 oz (300 g) sugar
2.2 lbs (1 kg) strawberries, washed (or fruit of choice)
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice (or citrus fruit of choice)

Run your knife down the vanilla pod scrape out the seeds and add with the pod to the strawberries and the sugar. Mush it up a bit with a whisk leaving some large chunks. Put on a medium heat to bring to a gentle simmer and leave to cook for about 4 minutes. Using a ladle remove the scum from the top and leave to cool. Place in sterilized jars and store in the refrigerator.


Notes/Results: It's mighty pink, it's sweet, tastes great, and no texture issues! I really liked the way that the jam turned out. I made a half batch and reduced the sugar down to about 1/2 cup. (That's reduced about 1 1/2 ounces from the recipe because the guava is plenty sweet.) It was excellent on the scone and some jam will hopefully end up on pancakes this weekend. I had enough jam to fill two 4 oz lidded jars, so one will be gifted to a friend. Easy and good, I would make this recipe again. Thanks for the inspiration Kim! ;-)


You can check out what condiments the other IHCC peeps made this week by going to the post here and following the links.

I am also sending this jam to the Friday Potluck over at EKat's Kitchen. It's been a while since I have joined in and Erin is celebrating the potluck's one-year "linkyversary." Congrats Erin!

Aloha,

Poblano Macaroni and Cheese for Cookbook Spotlight: "The Homesick Texan Cookbook"

I'm continuing my adventure of cooking along with a group of bloggers to The Homesick Texan Cookbook by Lisa Fain. Last week's (Not) Pork Tacos, Dallas Gas Station Style and Austin Style Black Beans were two delicious recipes, and I had high hopes for this week's recipe assignment, Poblano Macaroni and Cheese. I did have a brief (a very, very, brief) thought about making a non-dairy version but sometimes you just have to have the real thing--so I made a half-batch. This recipe is complete indulgence--creamy, cheesy, with smoky, slightly spicy notes, and it takes your regular macaroni and cheese up a level or two.

Poblano Macaroni and Cheese
from The Homesick Texan Cookbook
(Makes 8 Servings)

2 Poblano chiles
8 oz elbow pasta (I used mini rotini)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 cloves of minced garlic
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups of whole milk
1 tsp of mustard powder
1/4 tsp of cayenne powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp lime zest
1/2 Cup of chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
4 Cups of grated white cheddar (12 oz)
1/2 Cup of Cotija cheese

Roast the poblano chilies under the broiler until blackened, about 5 minutes per side. Place the chiles in a paper sack or plastic food-storage bag, close it tightly, and let the for 20 minutes. Take the chiles out of the bag and rub off the skin. Take the chiles out of the bag and rub off the skin. Remove the stem and seeds and chop the chiles into 1-inch long pieces.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook according to your package's directions ad then drain the pasta. (You want the pasta to be cooked but not mushy; I cook my pasta for 5 minutes.)

Preheat the oven to 375. Grease a large baking dish or a large cast-iron skillet, and pour the drained pasta into the dish.

In a pot (you can use the pot the pasta cooked in or you can do this while the pasta boils), on low heat melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the flour and cook until a light brown, toasty paste is formed, about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and stir until it's thickened a bit but still fluid, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the mustard powder, cayenne, cumin, lime zest, cilantro, and chopped poblano chiles. Adjust seasonings and add salt and black pepper.

Slowly add half of the cheddar cheese and stir until it's melted and well combined into the sauce. (If the sauce has cooled too much and the cheese won't melt, return the pot to low heat on the stove seems a little thick return it to the stove until soft again. If however, the sauce gets too thick, like a custard, you can thin it by stirring in milk, a teaspoon at a time.) Pour sauce over pasta and top with the remaining half of the cheddar cheese and bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until brown and bubbling. Sprinkle with Cotija cheese, and serve immediately.

The Homesick Texan suggests: Try adding cooked bacon, chorizo, chicken, squash, or corn to the macaroni and cheese before baking. You can also substitute pepper Jack for some of the cheddar if you like. And if you like a crunchy top, add crushed tortilla chips before baking.


Notes/Results: Wow! I think that maybe all macaroni and cheese needs to have roasted poblanos in it, their toasty, sweet chile taste adds so much to the cheese and pasta. Of course anything with cumin in it makes me melt and the lime zest added just the right note of brightness to all the creaminess. The white cheddar made for a creamy decadent sauce and the Cotija (essentially a Mexican version of feta) added a pleasing saltiness. I did bake crushed tortilla chips on top for a little extra crunch. (I used these Tostitos Artisan Chips that I am completely addicted to and can no longer have in my house because I eat WAY too many of them I have become quite fond of.) Yes, I was a little sad that I only made a half-recipe's worth of this because it is so good--but my thighs are pretty proud of me. ;-) A winner of a recipe.


Tune in next week for "blogger's choice"--where we will each be picking our own recipes to try.



*This post is part of The Homesick Texan Cookbook Spotlight and Cook-Off sponsored by Hyperion and hosted at girlichef*