The Book Tour Stops Here: The Thirteen By Susie Moloney with Creamy Mushroom (Not the Magic Kind) Pasta

"Haven Woods is suburban heaven, a great place to raise a family. It’s close to the city, quiet, with great schools and its own hospital right up the road. Property values are climbing, and the crime rate is practically nonexistent.

Paula Wittmore hasn’t been back to Haven Woods since she left as a disgraced teenager. Now she’s returning to care for her suddenly ailing mother, and she’s bringing her daughter and a pile of emotional baggage. She’s also bringing, unknowingly, the last chance for her mother’s closest frenemies . . . twelve women bound together by a powerful secret that requires the sacrifice of a thirteenth."


The Thirteen by Susie Moloney is a campy. creepy contemporary horror novel. (Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks March, 2012) Young single mother Paula and her twelve-year-old daughter Rowan are barely scraping by in the city when she is fired at her strip club waitress job and Rowan is suspended from school. After learning that her mother Audra has taken suddenly and mysteriously ill, Paula brings Rowan back with her to her hometown of Haven Woods. To oblivious Paula, Haven Woods seems like childhood and home, to Rowan it seems pretty creepy--almost too perfect--and what's with all the cats lurking about? There are plenty of secrets beneath the quiet surface of the town, and a group of women who will do whatever it takes to keep those secrets hidden and keep their lives on their prosperous, perfect paths by keeping their coven number at thirteen.

I like horror and paranormal reads and I love books about witches and covens and the black arts. The Thirteen drops all of it into modern-day suburbia. Looking at the pretty soccer mom with the successful husband and beautiful kids who would suspect how she got her perfect life? It makes for good fun. The Thirteen is dark and sometimes graphic--plenty of evil acts, spells, human and animal sacrifices, terrible "accidents" etc., but has its darkly humorous moments too. With a coven of thirteen, plus Paula, Rowan and some side characters, there were times when it was a bit tough to keep track of everyone and I found my attention lagging about halfway through the book. The action did pick up though and at that point the story became hard to put down until the very end. The characters are interesting--the lines of evil are often blurry and I found myself sympathetic in varying degrees to even the darkest characters based on their circumstances and motivations. I found Paula to be annoying at times and wanted to smack her to wake her up to what was happening around her--or at least to actively question some of the oddities that occurred. In contrast, Rowan is precocious and quickly gets the message that something is wrong in this suburban paradise, but she isn't sure what it is and how to communicate it to her mom. Overall, this book is an entertaining diversion--a great beach book or vacation read for those who like suspense, horror, witchcraft and the paranormal.

Author Notes: Susie Moloney is the bestselling author of four books and has published in numerous countries and assorted languages. She divides her time between the wilds of Canada and the wild world of New York City.


And now for a dish inspired by the book. Food doesn't play a huge role in the story. There are a few dinners--steak, pizzas, burgers, etc., but nothing that was particularly culinarily inspiring. Since I was craving mushrooms and they were often associated with witches and the devil in the Middle Ages, a mushroom dish seemed appropriate to represent the book. (See how well I can make anything relate!) ;-) I threw together a thick and creamy vegan mushroom sauce using nutritional yeast for flavor and "cheesiness" and almond milk thickened with corn starch for the velvety texture. It was excellent over a baked potato, and even better mixed into some pasta. A little mushroom magic--the good-for-you-kind of course. ;-)


"Magic" Creamy Mushroom Pasta
By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Serves 4)

8 oz dried pasta (I used Ancient Harvest Quinoa Rotelle Pasta), cooked according to the instructions on the package.

1 Tbsp vegan butter spread
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups button mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 cups low sodium veggie stock
2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce or tamari
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp granulated onion powder
2 cups nondairy milk (I used almond milk)
3 Tbsp cornstarch
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Melt vegan butter spread in a large pan over medium and add minced garlic. Saute for a few minutes until it begins to change color. Add mushrooms and thyme to pan, and stir to coat with butter spread. Stir together veggie broth, soy sauce, nutritional yeast and onion powder and pour the mixture over mushrooms, sautéing the mixture over medium heat until mushrooms begin to darken and soften.

Thoroughly mix the cornstarch into the non-dairy milk and add to the pan, stirring to combine. Bring liquid to a just at a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook until sauce thickens, stirring frequently, about 5-6 minutes.

Add salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper to taste. Stir and let flavors meld together. Toss with cooked pasta and serve.

Notes/Results: Just what I wanted--creamy, savory, mushroomy pasta goodness. The magic comes from being able to enjoy a creamy dish without all the dairy, cholesterol and saturated fat of a normal cream sauce. I topped the pasta with fresh lemon thyme and leftover topping from last week's zucchini noodles and sauce for a little Parmesan-like texture. The quinoa pasta makes it gluten-free and has a similar texture to white pasta but with 4 grams of fiber instead of 2 grams. Good comfort food, I will make this again.



Note: A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher through TLC Book Tours but I was not compensated for this review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thai Garlic Soup with Rice Noodles for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

Nothing soothes and comforts more than a bowlful of flavorful noodles. I have had the Thai Garlic Soup in Molly Katzen's Still Life With Menu Cookbook tagged to make for ages now and feeling slightly stuffy on a "voggy" weekend, decided to adapt it as the base of a garlicky Thai-inspired noodle bowl.


The recipe was a great starting point for adaptation. I made several changes to the ingredients based on what I had on hand and to give more Thai flavors to the soup. My ingredient changes are in red below.


Thai Garlic Soup with Rice Noodles
Adapted from Thai Garlic Soup, Still Life With Menu by Mollie Katzen
(Yield 6 Servings with Noodles)

(1 pack rice noodles (I used Thai Kitchen Stir-Fry Rice Noodles), cooked according to package instructions and drained.)

4 to 5 Tbsp minced garlic (I used 3 Tbsp due to the garlic-ginger broth base)
(2 stalks lemongrass, peeled, sliced in 2-inch pieces and bruised)
2 Tbsp peanut oil (I used 1 Tbsp coconut oil)
6 cups light stock or water (I used this ginger-garlic broth recipe)
4 to 5 tsp soy sauce (I used 1 Tbsp low-sodium tamari)
3 cups coarsely shredded cabbage
2 medium-sized carrots, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch lengths
1 stalk celery, chopped (optional) (I used 3 smallish stalks)
a few mushrooms, sliced (optional) (I used about 8 white mushrooms)
(8-10 stalks of asparagus cut on the diagonal in 1/2-inch pieces)
(juice of 1 lime)
crushed red pepper, to taste
(chopped cilantro to garnish)
(sweet chili sauce or samba oelek to serve)

In a soup pot or Dutch oven, saute the garlic and lemongrass pieces in oil over medium heat until the garlic begins to turn golden brown, just a few minutes. Add stock, tamari, cabbage, carrots, and celery, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer about 1o minutes, until vegetables start to get tender. Add mushrooms and asparagus and simmer another 10 minutes. Remove lemongrass pieces with a slotted spoon, add lime juice and a few crushed red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

To serve, place rice noodles in a deep bowl and ladle soup on top. Sprinkle cilantro on top and serve with chili sauce or samba oelek for optional extra spice.


Notes/Results: Soothing, filling and delicious. In addition to getting that garlic golden and flavorful, the key to this one is a good broth with lots of flavor. Even with the homemade garlic-ginger broth I used, the garlic doesn't smack you over the head, but it is there in all its savory garlicky glory. You can use whatever veggies you have on hand for this, I had some extra asparagus in the veggie bin so I threw it in. With the mushrooms and noodles, I found it very satisfying, but if you want a little something more, you can added a protein of your choice. The lemongrass and lime juice add brightness, which I like in Thai-style dishes, the pepper flakes give it a hit of spice, and rice noodles make it gluten-free. Healthy and good, I would make this again.



This bowl of noodle goodness is headed for one of my favorite events, Presto Pasta Nights, hosted this week by its founder Ruth of Once Upon a Feast. Check out her roundup on Friday of all kinds of delicious pasta creations.


We have a few friends waiting in the Souper Sundays kitchen, let's take a look.

Margo at SaucyCooks.com made this hearty "The Most Amazing Vegan Chili." Margo says, "As I prepped it, I thought about all the great things that were going into it. Black beans, cumin seeds, yellow peppers and onion are all great in combination and certainly pack a nutritional punch. I, of course, can never leave a recipe alone and added coriander because for me, cumin and coriander, if not married, are at least living together in a healthy, loving relationship. With that in mind, I have both black beans and white beans, which to me are so much prettier together. Since I have fresh oregano, gotta add some of that. The final product is beautifully colorful and amazingly flavorful. I LOVE THIS RECIPE and I love when I can get really excited about a recipe."



Rachel, The Crispy Cook recently reviewed a dairy-free and gluten-free cookbook and tried the Creamy Broccoli Soup recipe it contained saying, "I made a batch of silky Broccoli Soup, which was delicious and creamy. I am delighted to be able to share the recipe with you so that you can test drive this great cookbook for yourself with this dish." Check out her post for the recipe, a photo of the completed dish and a chance to win a copy of this cookbook for your own.

Corina of Searching for Spice says, "Usually when I put carrot in a soup I add it along with a lot of other vegetables. It’s not a carrot a soup, it just contains some carrot. Yes, I have made carrot soup, about five years ago but I found it very sweet. Too sweet and so carrot soup has been one to avoid since then. Then, a few months ago I came across this recipe for Carrot and Tahini Soup on Eats Well with Others. It got me thinking. The sweetness of the carrots would be balanced out by the bitterness of the tahini. Hmmm. Maybe carrot soup could be delicious after all, just like carrots dipped in houmous."

Janet of The Taste Space has a healthy Wild Rice and Edamame Salad with a Lemon-Miso Dressing to share this week and says, "Now about this salad. It is another salad bursting with whole foods and boasts a higher protein content. Wild rice is not rice at all, instead it is a seed. Higher in protein, with a lower glycemic index, it is a great gluten-free option for hearty salads. Coupled with edamame and tofu, loaded with carrots, sprinkled with greens and doused in a sesame-lemon-miso dressing, you have an unassuming salad that will make you anticipate lunch time."



Heather of girlichef tried April Bloomfield's Warm Bacon and Egg Salad this week and says, "I chose this salad to represent April this week because I think it showcases some of the best local ingredients around...plus it's simple and tasty. These gorgeous organic eggs are from a local farmer, the bacon, arugula, and chives were found in my local farmer's market. The golden, garlicky bread crumbs are from a loaf of bread that I made in my kitchen. Fresh, local ingredients and simplicity combine to make deliciously satisfying eating."



Tigerfish of Teczcape - An Escape to Food has a sandwich this week, this Asparagus Salmon Loaf Sandwich Burger. She says, "There was something going on in my head when I baked the quiche-frittata loaf in a deep loaf pan. A purpose. To make this sandwich-burger. This is an easy and tasty idea from the Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Loaf made earlier. Grill/toast burger buns (English muffins used here), prepare some lettuce (baby spinach or arugula works too), and in goes the salmon-asparagus slice. "


Some great dishes this week--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 Sundays logo on the sidebar for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week!

Classic Mexican (Brown) Rice Pudding with Cinnamon and Dried Fruit (Arroz con Leche Clásico) with Mexican Raw Sugar Syrup (Miel de Piloncillo)

When I first moved to Hawaii, eleven years ago this month (Yikes! Has it been that long?!), it was hard to find ingredients for ethnic cooking outside of the Asia-Pacific countries. Over the years the selection has improved, and in Honolulu we now have access to an Indian/Middle Eastern market, a small Greek/Mediterranean shop (next-door to a favorite restaurant), and of course, Whole Foods stocks a great collection of diverse ingredients. My favorite place to wander through is the Latin Mercado that opened not long after I moved here. With the start of our six months of weekly cooking with Rick Bayless at I Heart Cooking Club, it seemed like a good time for a trip back there to scout for and purchase ingredients.

It was a fruitful trip, netting me fresh ingredients for this week and next, and a few pantry items for the future. For this week's Sweet Tooth theme, I headed right for the bin of piloncillo, the little cones of Mexican raw sugar. They are so cute (if sugar can be cute!), that I always stop and look at them, but with Rick's recipe for Arroz con Leche Clásico (Classic Mexican Rice Pudding with Cinnamon and Dried Fruit) in my head, I actually grabbed a couple of cones to take home and make Miel de Piloncillo (Mexican Raw Sugar Syrup) to drizzle over the pudding.

I used to think rice pudding was mushy and unappetizing, but I rediscovered it in the last couple of years and find that I quite like it when it is made with brown rice as the flavor is slightly nuttier, and the texture slightly chewier--both wins in my book. So, I adapted the rice pudding recipe from Mexico One Plate at a Time to use brown rice, slightly less sugar, and made it dairy-free (coconut milk makes a wonderful creamy sauce). While maybe not "classic" as the recipe name states, it was a creamy bowl of comfort food goodness all the same.

*My recipe changes are in red below

Classic Mexican Rice Pudding with Cinnamon and Dried Fruit (Arroz con Leche Clásico)
Adapted from Mexico One Plate at a Time, Rick Bayless
(Serves 6 Generously--Makes About 5 1/2 cups)

2-inch cinnamon stick (preferably Mexican canela), plus a little ground for serving
2 (2-inch) pieces orange zest (colored rind only), taken off the orange with a vegetable peeler
salt
1 cup rice, preferably medium-grain (I used 1 cup med-grain brown rice)
4 cups milk (whole milk for a creamier texture) (I used about 5 cups coconut milk--3 cups Soy Delicious unsweetened coconut milk and 1 can Thai Kitchen Lite coconut milk)
3/4 cup sugar (I used a scant 1/4 cup Maui raw sugar + a scant 1/4 cup local honey)
1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit (I used dried pineapple and papaya)

(1/4 cup toated pepitas (pumpkin seeds) to garnish)
about 3/4 cup Mexican Raw Sugar Syrup, optional (recipe below)

Step 1- Preliminary Rice Cooking:
Into a medium-size (3-quart) saucepan, measure 1 3/4 cups water. Add the cinnamon stick, orange zest and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat 5 minutes. Stir in the rice, re-cover and cook until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and orange zest. (Note: I put my brown rice in the rice cooker along with the orange zest, canela (cinnamon stick), and salt plus 2 cups of water, and cooked until done, about 40 minutes in my rice cooker.)

Step 2- From Cooked Rice to Pudding
To the pan add the milk and sugar. Set over medium to medium-low heat and simmer until the mixture just begins to thicken (it should look no thicker than heavy cream), about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the raisins or other dried fruit, and let cool for a few minutes. The pudding will thicken considerably as it cools. (Note: I added the cooked rice to a saucepan with the coconut milk, sugar and honey and brought to a simmer over medium heat. I then let it simmer about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. I added the dried fruit and cooked about 15 minutes longer until the fruit was soft and the rice very creamy.)

Step 3- Serving the Rice Pudding
I think rice pudding is at its most delectable when it is slightly warm. I suggest you either serve it freshly made and still warm from the pan or reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop, stirring gently to avoid breaking the grains. Spoon the rice pudding into a serving dish or individual bowls, dust with cinnamon or drizzle with the Mexican Raw Sugar Syrup and carry to the table. A wonderful, warm treat awaits. (Note; I served the pudding warm, dusted with ground cinnamon, drizzled with the sugar syrup and topped with a sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds for texture.)

Rick's Notes: Working Ahead: The pudding can be made a day or two ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Cold pudding may thicken into a stiff mass, but don’t worry: simply stir in enough milk to soften it up and you’re ready to complete the serving steps. Warm rice pudding is always a favorite.


Mexican Raw Sugar Syrup (Miel de Piloncillo)
From Mexico One Plate at a Time by Rick Bayless
(Makes about 3/4 cup)

1 large (8-9 oz) cone piloncillo (Mexican raw sugar)
one 2-inch strip orange zest (colored rind only), taken off the orange with a vegetable peeler
1/8 tsp anise seed

In a small saucepan, combine the piloncillo with 2 cups of water, orange zest, and anise seeds. Set over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil. Stir regularly until sugar cone melts completely, then maintain a gentle boil until the mixture has reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 20-30 minutes. Cool, then strain into a jar. Syrup will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.


Notes/Results: So good! The orange and cinnamon flavor come through nicely and the rice is very creamy but still has a little bit of chewy goodness. (Plus if you can more than double the fiber in "dessert" to slow down the absorption of all that sugar--it makes it health food in my book!) ;-) I find making brown rice pudding with extra liquid helps the creaminess factor as it cooks so much longer. Another trick that I didn't use here (from Mark Bittman), is to "beat up" the brown rice slightly in the food processor before cooking to release more of the starches. (I'll try it next time and let you know!) I reduced the sugar because coconut milk tastes sweeter, the chopped unsulphured dried fruit I buy from my co-op is slightly sugared, and I was making the raw sugar syrup for drizzling--it would have been far too sweet with the whole 3/4 cup. Speaking of the Mexican raw sugar syrup--it's easy to make and the touch of orange and anise gives it a rich complexity. I like a little crunch with all that creamy and was going to put slivered almonds on top when it occurred to me to use toasted pumpkin seeds--perfect! Excellent when served, just as good when reheated for breakfast the next morning. I would make this again.


You can check out what the other IHCC participants made for their Sweet Tooth by going to the post here and following the links.

Happy Aloha Friday!

Cool Zucchini Noodles with Mighty Marinara Sauce & "Cheesy" Topping and a CookBook Review of Allergy-Friendly Food for Families

With more than 12 million Americans having some sort of food allergy, I consider myself very lucky not to have one. It's actually a point of contention between my allergist and I on whether I have a dairy sensitivity. She maintains that dairy causing mucus is an old wives' tale, while I say that she has never seen the mucus factory that I become the morning after I have inhaled most of a cheese plate. So I limit the amount of dairy I consume, but it would certainly be difficult to go without it completely like many adults and children have to--not to mention when someone is allergic to more than one food group or item. The five most common food allergies are gluten, dairy, nuts, eggs and soy, and Allergy-Friendly Food for Families: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Egg-Free, and Soy-Free Recipes That Everyone Will Love, covers all five with 120 recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, snacks and party foods.

Written by the editors of Kiwi, the bi-monthly magazine about raising families the natural and organic way, this colorful cookbook is a great resource for feeding the entire family. Each of the 120 recipes is free of at least two of the allergens and many are free of all five. Recipes are divided by colored tabs representing each allergen, so it is easy flip through and identify the recipes that meet your needs--for example, you just locate all the red tabs if there is a nut allergy in your house or all the blue for dairy, etc. Recipes are written clearly and are simple to follow, with relatively easy to find ingredients and a nutritional analysis of each recipe. The book is a sturdy paperback, 8"x9" and has 256 pages. Although not every recipe has a color photo, there are quite a few included and with the colored tabs, it makes for a bright and appealing book. In addition to the recipes, the book has helpful information on cooking with kids, making nutritious food fun, facts about allergies and living an allergen-free life, building an allergy-free pantry, and packing greener lunches. Allergy-Friendly Food for Families would be wonderful for any family or individual living with food allergies or food sensitivities and looking for safe and nutritious food that tastes good, is fun to eat, and doesn't leave a feeling of being deprived of favorite dishes.

Although I don't cook for a house full of kids, I food many of recipes appealing including Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies, Individual Egg-Free Frittatas, Edamame Carrot Falafel Pitas, Veggie Sushi Bites, Corn Chip-Crusted Tofu Fingers, Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Lentils, Greener Sloppy Joes, Spicy Mexican Shrimp Skewers, Coconut No-Cream Pie with Chocolate Crumb Crust, Butternut Blondes, Raspberry Oat Bars, Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa, WholeWheat Lemon Shortbread, Chickpea Herb Crackers, Spiced Carrot Fries, and Caramelized Double-Onion Dip.

To "road test" this book, I chose to make the Cool Zucchini Noodles, topped with Mighty Marinara Sauce. It's a simple dish that I throw together variations of all the time, but here I liked all of the finely chopped veggies they worked into the sauce recipe. The "cheesy" topping, takes the nutritional yeast flakes I regularly sprinkle on pasta dishes and adds ground sunflower seeds for a more cheese-like texture. The Kiwi Editors say, "When it’s too hot to cook, these zucchini “noodles” make a quick, nutritious meal. The sunflower seed and nutritional yeast topping add palate-pleasing nuttiness and crunch."

(You can also find this recipe at the Andrews McMeel website (here) along with one for an allergy-friendly Giant Cookie Cake)

Cool Zucchini Noodles / Mighty Marinara Sauce
From Allergy-Friendly Food for Families, From the Editors of Kiwi

Cool Zucchini Noodles & "Cheesy" Topping
Prep Time: 10 minutes

(Serves 4)

1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large zucchini, peeled and ends trimmed
1 cup Mighty Marinara Sauce (recipe below)

In a food processor, add the sunflower seeds and nutritional yeast, and season with salt and pepper. Process until the sunflower seeds are the consistency of crumbs. Set aside.

Set out four plates or bowls. With a mandoline or vegetable peeler, shred the zucchini into thin strands, arranging one shredded zucchini on each plate or bowl.

Top each plate with ¼ cup of the marinara sauce and 2 to 3 tablespoons of the sunflower seed mixture. Serve at room temperature.

Nutritionals: per serving: calories 151, fat 8 g, protein 7 g, carbs 16 g, dietary fiber 6 g


**In addition to zucchini noodles, I was playing around with making (raw) yam noodles with my spiralizer. I find that for a warm sauce I prefer the yam noodles lightly steamed, as they are firmer than zucchini noodles, while in cold salads or dishes I like them raw and crisp.

Mighty Marinara Sauce
Prep Time: 10 minutes /Cook Time: 30 minutes
(Serves 6)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, quartered
1 clove garlic
1 large carrot, peeled and quartered
1 stalk celery, quartered
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
salt (to taste)
1 bay leaf

In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

In a food processor, combine the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Process until very finely chopped. Add the vegetables to the stockpot and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the tomatoes and season with salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and add the bay leaf. Simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes, until the flavors are well-blended. Remove the bay leaf and serve.

Nutritionals: per serving: calories 83, fat 3 g, protein 3 g, carbs 15 g, dietary fiber 4 g

Notes/Results: Healthy comfort food and an easy and tasty meal. The vegetables give the sauce great flavor and a thick meaty texture that makes it satisfying. It was great on the zucchini noodles, but would also be good on any favorite pasta. I really loved the cheesy topping--the ground up sunflower seeds are a nutritious way to add more substance to the nutritional yeast so I plan to continue making this topping mix. The next night for dinner, I tossed some Veggie Patch Meatless Meatballs (a recent buy one/get one free grocery store purchase) into the sauce as it heated for a delicious low fat, low calorie, and no cholesterol vegan spaghetti and meatballs.


Note: I received a copy of Allergy-Friendly Food for Families from the publisher (Andrews McMeel), but I received no monetary compensation to review it. As always, my thoughts, feedback and experiences cooking from it are entirely my own.

Creamy Corn Soup with Vegetables and Poblano Chile for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

There's a new chef in town at I Heart Cooking Clubs. We will be cooking along with Rick Bayless for the next six months. I tagged this Creamy Corn Soup with Vegetables and Poblano Chile from Mexican Everyday a while back and never got around to making it, so it seemed like the perfect way to kick off making weekly recipes with Rick.

In the book, Bayless uses chicken breast or ham in the soup, but gives variations for both a seafood chowder and a vegetarian version. I adapted the veggie version with local corn, zucchini and asparagus, and removed the dairy by using an unsweetened light coconut milk. The result is creamy with a mild sweet hit of chile and a fitting welcome to spring.

Rick Bayless says, "There's nothing more comfortable or common in Mexico than a creamy corn soup for everyday eating. The Aztecs were making corn soup when the Spanish arrived and tasted their first spoonful (Mexico is the birthplace of corn), but the preparation has certainly moved into the international domain. Corn is so friendly that it takes to each cuisine's local flavors--Mexico's being roasted poblano, which is magic with creamy corn."

Creamy Corn Soup with Vegetables and Poblano Chile
Adapted from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless
(Makes a Generous 6 Cups--Serving 4)

1 large fresh poblano chile
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small white onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3 cups corn kernels, preferably just cut from the cob (about 5 ears of corn) (I used 4 1/2 cups separated)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 quart milk (divided) (I used So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk)
1 medium zucchini, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 lb asparagus, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
salt

(I added I/2 tsp ground cumin and 1/2 tsp smoked paprika)
about 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro, for garnish

Roast the poblano over an open flame or 4 inches below a broiler, turning regularly until blistered and blackened all over, about 5 minutes for an open flame, about 10 minutes for the broiler. Place in a bag or cover with a kitchen towel.

Heat the oil in a medium (3-quart) saucepan over medium. Add the onion and garlic and cook until golden, about 7 minutes. Scoop up the onion and garlic with a slotted spoon, pressing them against the side of the pan to leave behind as much oil as possible and transfer to a food processor or blender; set the pan aside. Add the corn, cornstarch, and 1 1/2 cups of the milk to the onion and garlic. Process to a smooth purée.

Set a medium-mesh strainer over the pan and work the pureed corn mixture through it. (You can skip the straining, but the skins of the corn kernels will give the creamy soup a coarse texture.) Return the pan to medium heat, and whisk frequently as the soup comes to a simmer.

When the chile is handleable, rub off the blackened skin. Pull out the stem and seed pod. Rinse the chile to remove bits of skin and seeds. Cut into 1/4-inch pieces. Stir the chile pieces into the soup, along with vegetables and the remaining 2 1/2 cups milk. Simmer until the vegetables are cooked, about 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1 1/2 teaspoons. Serve hearty portions, with a sprinkling of cilantro.

Notes/Results: Fresh sweet corn is so flavorful and it really makes the broth sing in this soup. I had a bag of about 7 ears of local corn from the roadside "corn lady" so I blended the 3 heaping cups into the broth and put in the leftover kernels (about 1 1/2 cups) into the soup whole. Bayless recommends putting the corn through a sieve, something I rarely do when I make corn soup, but it does make the broth very silky so I would advice it. The poblano leaves just the slightest hint of spice and the roasted flavor contrasts nicely with the corn's natural sweetness. To enhance the smoky/roasted flavor without using the meat, I added some cumin and smoked paprika and it made the broth more complex. My only regret is that I was sure I had a potato or two that I wanted to chop small and add to soup to give it more of a chowder feel. Whoops--I guess I used them all in last week's soup. Otherwise this soup was excellent and satisfying, and I would make it again.

This soup is linked up at I Heart Cooking Clubs for ¡Bienvenido Rick! as well as Sunday Night Soup Night at Easy Natural Cooking.

Let's head into the Souper Sundays kitchen and see who is here on this Easter Sunday.


Graziana of Erbe in Cucina has a garden-grown thick and hearty Watercress and Shallot Soup to share and says, "I sowed watercress in September, but the rain killed almost all young plants. I sowed it again during winter, and finally I had a lot of watercress to harvest. With this harvest I decided to prepare a creamy soup with shallots. You can add chicken or vegetable broth to have a more liquid soup. Serve with croutons."



Tigerfish of Teczcape - An Escape to Food made Caramelized Onions Curried Pumpkin Mushroom Soup this week and says, "Yes, it's so thick and chunky that the spoon won't sink! SOUP...as the savory pumpkin kuih (cake) was not really successful. So I kept aside some portions of the kuih in which the texture was soft (to the verge of collapsing), and turn it into a soup. And it WORKED! The truth is - the combination of caramalized onions, shallots, earthy mushrooms and pumpkin do work well in this soup! Plus the spices and peppery notes that brought everything in harmony."

Heather of girlichef is welcoming Rick Bayless with a Chilied Tortilla Soup w/ Kale. She says, "I decided that since I had a beautiful bunch of lacinato kale sitting there looking pretty, I'd make a Tortilla Soup recipe of Rick's that I've been meaning to try. It actually calls for Swiss Chard, but since I'm a lover of kale, I figured it would substitute well. And it did. Very well. Not your typical Tortilla Soup...and not enough to give me a new favorite...but the earthiness of the kale added an unexpected layer of comfort that I enjoyed."

Ana of Sweet Almond Tree tried Greek Artichoke Stew and says, "This hearty stew is a medley of braised artichokes, potatoes, carrots, peas, and onions, flavored with lemon and dill. Spring is a peak harvesting season for artichokes. It's a great time to buy them; they are better tasting, plentiful and can be had for a good price. Nutritionally, artichokes aid digestion and strengthen liver and gall bladder functions. Another wonderful thing they do is to lower blood cholesterol levels. So they are good to eat and are good for you!"

Debbie of Easy Natural Food has a colorful Carrot and Cardamom Soup w/ Coconut Milk and says, "Cardamom is a new-ish spice for me – I mean I’ve known about it for ages, but haven’t cooked with it much before. But I’ve always loved the smell of it. Have you ever smelt a handful of cardamom pods? It is heavenly! It has a very intense aromatic fragrance and is commonly used in Indian cooking, particularly in sweet dishes."

Janet of The Taste Space made an unusual vegan salad, this Raw Thai Pineapple Parsnip Rice. She says, "Let your favourite curry powder lightly dust a smattering of sweet vegetables. Here, parsnips and carrots are chopped fine in the food processor until they resemble rice, or small-grain couscous. Diced cucumber and pineapple add juicy sweetness along with the currants. Green onions give this more kick than the curry powder. The lime juice makes this really pop. If you don’t really care about rawness, toast your cashews and add them right before you serve the dish. I can see myself taking this lovely salad to potlucks this summer for something different."



Stash of The Spamwise Chronicles is here with two salads this week. First up is this Spring Lettuce Salad with Salt-and-Vinegar Potato Chips, about which he says, "Two of the salad’s components can be made ahead — the Roseval potato chips and the roasted shallots. The prep time listed below does not take the prep time of either of these two elements into account. Roseval is an heirloom fingerling potato, originally from France. This potato has a reddish peel, and a pale ivory and pink-toned flesh. It develops a robust, buttery flavor when cooked and is especially delicious roasted, sautéed or in salads. Substitute Russian Banana or La Ratte fingerling potatoes if unavailable."

Stash's second dish is a Shaved Asparagus Salad, with Cara Cara Oranges and Roasted Shallots and he says, "This recipe serves two, so you may have to adjust proportions if you’re faced with a gaggle of hungry eaters.You’ll want thick asparagus stalks, say about 1/4″ in diameter, or thicker. Part of the appeal of this salad is the textural contrast between the thin slivers of asparagus, the chunks of orange and the whole roasted shallots, as well as the intermarriage of sweet and tart."

Pam of Sidewalk Shoes made a spring-ready Asian Steak Salad with Mango. She says, "When I saw this come in on my daily email from Real Simple, I knew I was making it. The combination of mango and crisp bell peppers with the beef sounded divine and it was. I’m not retyping, since I didn’t change anything other than to get yellow bell peppers instead of red, because they were organic and the red weren’t. The red would have been prettier."

And, we have one sandwich, this Steak and Salsa Verde Roll from Foodycat who says, "Just a quick one, to welcome the bank holiday weekend. A barbecued onglet with a nicely toasted baguette, spread generously with softened butter flavoured with salsa verde. Since "salsa verde" just means green sauce, I should specify that this is the more Italian version, containing herbs, garlic, capers, anchovies and a bit of mustard. All things that go brilliantly with steak."

Lovely dishes this week--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 Sundays logo for all of the details.

Max stuck his head out from his perch on top of the washer to say Happy Easter. He wouldn't wear any bunny ears though. ;-)

Have a happy, healthy week!