Middle Eastern Spinach Soup with Bread & Spiced Compound Butter for Souper (Soup, Salad, & Sammie) Sundays

I pulled down my copy of Mollie Katzen's Still Life Cafe with Menu Cookbook the other day and this Middle Eastern Spinach Soup caught my eye. It can be made with either potatoes or rice to thicken it and I was craving potatoes. The result is a flavorful soup that can be enjoyed hot or cold. 

To make it a meal, I served it with slices of French baguette and I made a quick compound butter, using the same spices that are in the soup.

Mollie says, “Yogurt binds everything together in this hearty, soothing, and beautifully green soup, and gives a lemony accent to the already unusual seasonings.

You can make this soup with either potatoes or rice. The potatoes may be cooked up to several days in advance. Store them in their cooking water in a closed container in the refrigerator. The rice may also be cooked a day or two in advance."

Optional Shortcut: If you are just too tired to face that big pile of raw spinach, substitute two 10-ounce packages frozen, chopped spinach. (Defrost before using.)

1 medium-sized potato or 3 cups cooked white rice (1 cup uncooked), see instructions below)

2 cups water (+ more water or broth--I used an additional 3 cups of veggie broth)

1 Tbsp butter 
2 large garlic clove -- minced

4 cups chopped onion

2 tsp salt, or to taste

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp turmeric

dash of cinnamon, or more, to taste

2 lbs fresh spinach, cleaned, stemmed and chopped

1 1/2 cups firm Greek yogurt at room temperature

black pepper and cayenne, to taste

Using Potatoes:

Peel and dice the potatoes, and cook potatoes in 2 to 4 cups water, covered, until tender. (This should take about 10 to 15 minutes.) Set aside, water included.

Melt the butter or heat the oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot, and saute garlic and onion over medium heat along with the salt and spices until tender (8 to 10 minutes).

Add cooked potatoes with their water, and spinach. Cover and simmer another 10 to 15 minutes. At this point the soup can be left as is, or partially or completely pureed. Use a blender or steel blade attachment of a food processor. It's fun to experiment with various textures. A complete puree can be quite elegant.

Stir in yogurt. Add pepper and cayenne to taste. This soup is equally good served hot or cold. (I topped mine with a dollop of yogurt.)

Using Rice:

Put 2 cups water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Sprinkle in 1 cup uncooked white rice. Lower heat to the gentlest possible simmer, cover, and cook about 20 minutes, or until all
the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Set aside.

Saute onions and garlic with spices exactly as in step 2 above. Add spinach and 2 cups additional water. Cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

As in the instructions above, all or some of the soup can be pureed. Stir in the rice and yogurt after pureeing. Heat very gently before serving. This variation actually tastes best neither hot nor cold, but somewhere in between.

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Quick Spiced Compound Butter
by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Makes 1/4 cups) 

1/4 cup good unsalted butter, softened
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic salt

Mix the spices into the softened butter and place into a small ramekin. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  Serve with bread.

  
Notes/Results: This soup is flavorful, rich and satisfying and it crosses seasons as it is good served hot, room temperature or cold. I did add extra liquid (homemade veggie broth) to my soup as I wanted it somewhat brothy, and I pureed about 1/3 of it--to thicken it while still having that brothy feel. The spiced compound butter, using the cumin, turmeric and cinnamon used in the soup was delicious spread on the bread and dunked into the soup. It made the perfect light meal for a slightly rainy Sunday, I would definitely make it again.

We have some good friends in the Souper Sundays kitchen who shared some delicious dishes last week--let's have a look!

Shaheen from Allotment2Kitchen made this colorful Rainbow Carrots, Puy Lentil and Barley Salad and said, "There was a comforting chew from the barley, bite from the rainbow carrots that also made me feel rather cheery every time I tucked in to take a spoonful from my lunch box. The Puy lentils just added that soft salty poppets of flavour and a final flurry of spring onions aka scallions. I want more salads like this for winter."
  

Tina of Squirrel Head Manor and Novel Meals shared Pea, Potato and Bean Soup from her new The London Cookbook and said, "I went with a few of the soup recipes because it’s that time of year when I desire the tempting aromas of soup to fill the kitchen. Soup is a true comfort food, don’t you think? ... After an hour it may be tender enough and tasty enough to enjoy a bowl.  But it will be even better the next day."

Judee of Gluten Free A-Z Blog made Hungarian Mushroom Soup from the Old Country and said, "What is it about Hungarian mushroom soup that everyone loves? Recipes from the old country are flavorful and delicious. They call for real food ingredients that are both healthy and tasty. My mother's good friend Bernice used to make a her family's recipe when I was a teenager and always shared some with us. It brings back wonderful memories of warming up with a hot bowl of this flavorful soup on a cold and damp autumn evening."

Debbie of The Friday Friends shared Broccoli Cheese Soup and said, "This is a favorite of everyone in my house. Cheesy, creamy goodness! Although the title of the recipe might indicate this to be a vegetable soup--it isn't. It's a cheese soup. The dominant flavor is cheese. It's so yummy!! I always think of making this soup as the weather starts to get cold outside. There are certain traditions to look forward to as the seasons change and this soup is a fall and winter favorite!'

Mahalo to everyone who joined in this week! 

Souper Sundays is back with a new format of a picture link each week where anyone interested can post their soups, salads, or sandwiches any time during the week and I post a recap of the entries the following week.)

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here. 

If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you.

On your entry post (on your blog):

• please mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and link back to this post.
• you are welcome to add the wonderful Souper Sundays logo (created by Ivy at Kopiaste) to your post and/or blog (optional).

An InLinkz Link-up

 Have a happy, healthy week!
 

Kale Rice Bowl with Egg and Fried Capers

Healthy meals in a single bowl are perfect for when you want to eat simply, but well and whether they are called a rice bowl, or Buddha bowl or macro or hippie bowl, they usually contain some kind of grain, greens or veggies and toppings for extra flavor. 

The Kale Rice Bowl from Heidi Swanson at 101 Cookbooks is a great example as it contains a base of rice, sauteed kale or another green, poached or fried eggs, a dollop of salted Greek yogurt and (the thing that sold me on this recipe) capers fried and blistered in butter. Yum! There is also a liberal use of spice (in Heidi's case Z a'atar, in mine Ras El Hanout) and toasted seeds. I made a few changes based on what I like and what I had on hand, noted in red below. 

Kale Rice Bowl
Slightly adapted from Heidi Swanson, via 101 Cookbooks
(Serves 2 to 3) 

olive oil and/or clarified butter
1 bunch kale, de-stemmed, chopped thinly or shredded (or other greens of choice)
a pinch of salt
3 cups cooked brown or wild rice 

To Serve:
capers, rinsed, dried & pan-fried until blistered in butter
poached or fried eggs
salted Greek yogurt
olive oil to drizzle
za'atar spice blend or other spice blend of choice (I used Ras El Hanout)
toasted sesame seeds and/or pumpkin seeds
salt & pepper to taste

In a large skillet or pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the kale and a couple pinches of salt. Saute until the kale softens a bit and brightens, just a minute or so. Stir in the rice, and cook until the rice is hot. If your rice is on the dry side, you might have to add a small splash of water. (Note: I sauteed the kale first set it aside and used the pan to heat the rice so that I could have them separate in the bowl {I think it's prettier!})

Serve the kale rice topped with (preferably) all of the following: the capers, poached egg, yogurt drizzled with olive oil, and plenty of za'atar.

Notes/Results: This bowl was delicious and satisfying and so full of flavor. I need to remember to salt yogurt and fry capers more often because they totally make the dish. Yum! I also made the choice to fry the egg--I just think it's faster and easier than poaching and since I had leftover toasted pumpkin seeds, I added them to the sesame seeds in the recipe. The recipe called for za'atar but I accidentally grabbed my ras el hanout and it worked well. I think you could use any spice blend that you like and change it up depending on your mood--like using berbere or harissa for a spicier kick, or a favorite curry mix... If you don't like kale, you can use spinach or collards, or chard. This bowl is just a great mix of taste and textures and I would happily make it again.  

You can see the Heidi Swanson Buddha Bowls that the other IHCC participants made by checking out the picture links on the posts.

 

Green Tea Chawan-Mushi (Savory Egg Custard) with Shrimp, Mushroom & Matcha Salt (& a Giveaway!) for #InspiredbyNature #TastyParTEA

Although I spent years working with, learning about, and drinking plenty of coffee, tea holds the bigger place in my heart. I love the variety--black, green, white, oolong, herbal... I love how versatile it is both to drink and to cook with, and the whole ritual of brewing--whether steeping the leaves in a tea pot, cold brewing a pitcher of iced tea, or simply popping a teabag in a cup and waiting for the magic to happen. Given my tea love, when I had the opportunity to join my friend Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla and some fellow food bloggers in a #TastyParTEA event, cooking tea-filled dishes and featuring the pretty teaware from the Inspired by Nature collection from Charles Viancin, I quickly jumped on board.
 

As a bonus for any tea-loving soul, as part of participating in the event I received some fantastic gifts from our sponsors; a lovely Charles Viancin Inspired by Nature Poppy teapot with a matching Poppy mug and a Camellia tea magnet/infuser set, and from Republic of Tea, their Organic Immunity SuperGreen Tea.

I love the bright colors of the poppies on the teapot and mug but I quickly became most enamored with the magnet/tea infuser set which is fun to use as you put the tea in the infuser, pop the top on, and steep it in the mug. Once it has steeped to your preference, you use the magnet on the bottom of the camellia stem to lift the infuser out of the liquid. I attempted to show how it works in the collage below using one of my favorite loose teas, a Hazelnut Honeybush herbal tea. (You can enter to win one of 12 tea mug and magnet/tea infuser sets at the end of this post!)

OK, although I could play with my teaware for hours, let's move on to my dish... 

If you check out the tea label on my sidebar, you will find over 60 posts with reviews of tea, various tea drinks, and both sweet and savory food recipes using tea as an ingredient. For this event I definitely wanted to go savory. Lately I have been craving Chawan-Mushi, a classic Japanese savory egg custard, traditionally steamed and served in Japanese tea cups. I have a nearby Japanese restaurant that makes a good one that they include in some of their combination meals--sometimes I go more to get it than tempura or sushi rolls. ;-) I have made it at home before before (here's an example) and there are lots of different recipes around, but I had not seen any with tea as a key ingredient in the custard.

I decided to create a chawan-mushi that both infused green tea into the egg and dashi mixture and was also topped with a sprinkling of matcha salt. I wanted to cook with the Organic Immunity SuperGreen Tea  that I received from The Republic of Tea, thinking that the it's citrus-floral profile would add umami to the flavor of my custards. 

Green Tea Chawan-Mushi (Savory Egg Custard) with Shrimp, Mushroom & Matcha Salt
By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Makes 4 Servings)

2 1/4 cups of water
2-3 green tea bags or 1 heaping Tbsp matcha powder-see Notes/Results below 
2 tsp instant dashi powder (I used a shrimp-flavored dashi powder)
4 large eggs
about 6 oz cooked medium shrimp, chopped into small pieces, reserving 2 shrimp to garnish
3 oz enoki mushrooms, stems trimmed down to fit in bowl, separated
2 tsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp green onion tops, finely chopped or shredded
Matcha Salt to garnish--see recipe below

Place the water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Add tea bags, cover and remove from heat. Allow tea to steep about 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and whisk in dashi powder. Strain to remove any sediment and allow mixture to cool to lukewarm.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, gently stir the eggs with chopsticks until blended, trying not to incorporate very much air. Once it has cooled (so as not to cook or curdle the eggs), gently stir in the green tea dashi liquid and strain the mixture into a measuring cup or cup with a pour spout.

Mix the shrimp, about 2/3 of the mushrooms and soy sauce together. Divide the shrimp and mushroom mixture between 4 shallow 1-cup bowls or teacups. Top each bowl with the egg mixture and wrap each bowl in plastic.  

In a pot with a steamer basket, bring some water to a boil. Turn down the heat and place the dishes in the steamer. Cover with a tea towel and then with the lid, and steam for 12-15 minutes until cooked. The custard should be set and firm to the touch--although "jiggly" in the middle. (You can slide a toothpick into the center and it should come out clean.)

Slice the 2 reserved cooked shrimp in half. Unwrap the custards. Top with the chopped scallions, reserved enoki mushrooms, and one 1/2 shrimp, lightly sprinkle with the matcha salt and serve immediately. Or, if not eating right away, leave the custards wrapped and transfer the bowls to the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours. Top with the chopped scallions, reserved enoki mushrooms and lightly sprinkle with the matcha salt before serving. 

Matcha Flavored Salt 
Adapted from The Breakaway Cook by Eric Gower
(Makes about 1/4 cup) 

Stir together 1/4 cup coarse sea salt and 1 teaspoon powdered matcha green tea. Whirl in the blender or food processor for a finer grind. Store in a bowl or small glass jar. 

(Note: Sometimes I just mix the matcha with a finer, kosher salt--using the same proportions).

Notes/Results: Flavor and texture-wise, these custards were spot on--the grassy, floral and citrus notes of the Organic Immunity SuperGreen tea complimenting the savory dashi and egg flavor and the texture was light and delicate. The one thing that didn't work quite so well was the color. I was thinking they would be a pale green (more like these green tea creams I made with matcha), but the color instead was sort of a tan/beige mix and not quite as pretty as I imagined. Luckily the toppings cover most of it but I think I would try using matcha instead of green tea bags when I make them again and see how the color turns out. The taste definitely made up for the color challenges though and the matcha salt really brought out the flavor. (It's also delicious on eggs--especially these Matcha-Poached Eggs!) Chawan-Mushi is a great snack or starter or side dish for a Japanese dinner and adjusting the color with matcha I would happily make them again. 

I'm linking this post up to the Weekend Cooking event at Beth Fish Reads, a weekly event that is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share. For more information, see the welcome post.

#TastyParTEA Event Details & Giveaway!

A baker's dozen bloggers have come together to share different recipes that use tea during the month of November. Whether you're a fan of sweet or savory #TastyParTEA's creations will make your mouth water.

See all the posts on our Facebook page, check out the pins on our Pinterest board, or follow the conversation on social media with hashtag #TastyParTEA.

We Are the #TastyParTEA Bloggers...

listed alphabetically by blog name

A Day in the Life on the Farm

A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
Amy's Cooking Adventures

Café Terra Blog

Cookaholic Wife

Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Famished Fish, Finicky Shark

Jane's Adventures in Dinner
Kahakai Kitchen

Making Miracles
Our Good Life

The Gluttonous Geek

Things I Make (for Dinner)

Our Blog Tour Schedule...

The Giveaway...

Our generous sponsors have contributed prizes for this event.

The giveaway will begin on November 12th and end on November 21st
and is open to US residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Our Sponsors*...

and how you can find them around the internet

Charles Viancin

on the web, on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, on Pinterest

The Republic of Tea

on the web, on Twitter, on Facebook, on Pinterest, on Instagram

*Disclosure: Bloggers received complimentary products from sponsors for the creation of this event. This is a sponsored post that contains affiliate links.

Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are our own.*

 

Morimoto's Hawaiian Poke-Style Tuna Rice Bowl (Tekka Don No Poke) from the "Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking" Cookbook {#JapaneseHomeCooking}

I am a huge Chef Morimoto fan from years back, ever since discovering him on the original Iron Chef on Food Network. I have spied him at the airport, eaten at his restaurant here and generally will watch anything he is on, including episodes Hawaii Five-O. So when I had the opportunity to take part in The Book Club Cookbook's Japanese Home Cooking Party and to review Morimoto's new cookbook, Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking, I immediately jumped on board.

Whether it be the skillful and detailed presentation or the often exotic and hard-to-find ingredients, Japanese cuisine has a reputation for being difficult to cook. In this new cookbook, Morimoto sets out to show the American home cook that Japanese dishes, especially recipes from Japanese home cooks, can be surprisingly easy to prepare. Having taken a few classes in Japanese home cooking and trying my hand at different dishes over the years, I agree and while I don't claim to be an expert and my dishes are often a mix of cuisines rather than authentic Japanese, I have found that it doesn't have to to scary to cook delicious Japanese dishes at home.

Still, it's nice to have such an expert guide in the kitchen and Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking is a cookbook that is useful, beautiful, and interesting to read. It is divided by category; Dashi (the basic soup stock, Gohan (rice), Supu (soups), Yaku (grilled, broiled or seared), Musu (steamed), Niru (simmered), Itame Ru (stir-fried), Men (noodles), Ageru (to fry), Ae Ru (dressings) and Tsukeru (pickled). It also starts off with Morimoto's thoughts about Japanese cooking and how to create a Japanese meal from the different recipes, and it includes a glossary of Japanese ingredients and sources to find them. 

The recipes are made up of classics--ones that are popular here in America, as well as dishes that are lesser-known here, and many recipes include the chef's clever spins that make the dishes fun. It's a beautiful book--almost every major recipe has a gorgeous color photo and an introduction from Morimoto about the dish. The recipe instructions are clear and there are even some "Japanese Grandmother Wisdom" notes included with tips and explanations sprinkled through the book. 

Having spent time in Japan for work years ago, reading it took me back to so many delicious meals I enjoyed. I found myself tabbing many of the recipes to make like Ohitashi (dashi-marinated kale), Furikake with Shrimp Shells and Potato Chips (I tend to buy my fuikake seasoning!), Chahan (Japanese-style fried rice), Asari No Miso Shiru (miso soup with clams), Tamago Supu (Japanese egg drop soup), Sake Shioyaki (salt-grilled salmon), Sakana No Sakamushi (fish steamed in kombu with spicy soy sauce), Oden (Japanese-style hot pot with sesame aioli), Kinpira (stir-fried parsnip and carrot), Zaru Udon (chilled udon noodles with scallions and ginger), Kaki Age (shrimp and vegetable fritters), Ingen No Goma Ae (green beans with sesame dressing) and Tataki Kyuri (smashed cucumber pickles).  
 
Even with all of the choices, it was not hard for me to decide on a dish to try out this fabulous cookbook for the #JapaneseHomeCooking event--it just had to be the Tekka Don No Poke or Hawaiian Poke-Style Rice Bowl. I live in Hawaii and love poke, so it had to be made!

Morimoto says, "Once you secure sushi-grade tuna, this meal in a bowl takes almost no effort to make. I upgrade the typical tekka don--sliced raw tuna, often briefly marinated in soy sauce--by merging it with the Hawaiian dish tuna poke (pronounced PO-kay) which I fell for while opening my restaurant in Waikiki. The cubes of luscious crimson fish dressed with a little salt, sugar, and spice taste great over wonderfully plain white rice or less traditional but no less delicious sushi rice."

Tekka Don No Poke or Hawaiian Poke-Style Rice Bowl
Adapted from Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking by Morimoto
(Serves 4)

1/4 cup Japanese soy sauce
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp mirin (sweet rice wine)
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 to 2 tsp tobanjan (chile bean sauce) preferably a Japanese brand
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 lb sushi-grade tuna, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 medium Haas avocado, peeled and pitted, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 cups cooked short-grain white rice or cooked vinegared short-grain white rice
1 nori seaweed sheet
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh shiso leaves (also called Japanese mint or perilla) or scallion greens (I used fresh mint and scallions)
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Combine the soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, tobanjan, and sugar in a medium mixing bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the tuna and avocado to the bowl, toss well, and set aside to marinate for a few minutes but no more than 5 minutes.

Divide the rice among 4 wide bowls. Top each bowl with the tuna and avocado, leaving the sauce behind. Then drizzle the sauce over the tuna and avocado. Tear the nori into small pieces and scatter some over each bowl; top with the shiso and sesame seeds. Eat right away.

Notes/Results: This was a delicious poke-style bowl--a great combination of flavors and textures and just enough spice to make it interesting. As Morimoto stated, it is quick to put togethe--once you have your rice cooked and tuna secured. With the exception of picking up the fresh ahi tuna and an avocado, I had most of the rest of the ingredients in my pantry. I was bummed that although I can usually find fresh shiso leaves at my neighborhood grocery store, of course the moment I wanted them for this recipe there were none to had at any nearby store. I made do with a combination of some fresh mint leaves and green onion. The tobanjan or Japanese chile bean sauce is pretty spicy but I used 1 1/2 tsps (the recipe called for 1 to 2 tsps) and only marinated the tuna in it, figuring that it is was too spicy, the avocado chunks and rice would cool things down--and they did nicely. I was extremely happy with this delicious meal-in-a-bowl and I will happily make it again.  

  
You can see the recipes and cookbook reviews from the other nine bloggers participating in the Japanese Home Cooking Party on the Book Club Cookbook website.

#JapaneseHome Cooking Blog Party

Social Media Links:
Connect with Book Club Cookbook: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
Connect with Harper Collins/Ecco Books: Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram  
Connect with Iron Chef Morimoto:  Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Note: A review copy of "Mastering the Art of Japanese Cooking" was provided to me by the publisher and The Book Club Cookbook in return for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review and as always my thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking is my fourteenth foodie book entry for the Foodies Read 2016 event. You can check out the November Foodies Read linkup, hosted by Heather at Based on a True Story, to see what everyone is reading this month. 

The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of "In the Blue Hour" by Elizabeth Hall, Served with a Recipe for Huevos Rancheros

On today's TLC Book Tour stop, I am reviewing the new novel In the Blue Hour by Elizabeth Hall and accompanying this mystery with Native American folklore, spirits, and magic is a breakfast of simple Huevos Rancheros that was inspired by my reading.

Publisher's Blurb:

Elise Brooks dreams of a car accident on an icy road. Weeks later, her beloved husband, Michael, is killed in just such a crash. Now, overcome with grief and uncertainty, Elise believes his spirit may be following her in the form of a raven, trying to tell her something from beyond the grave.

Desperate to understand the signs, Elise embraces both the Native American wisdom she grew up with and the world of psychics and seers. So when a tarot-card reader suggests she take a journey to the mysterious address found in Michael’s old jacket, she embarks on a cross-country trek to follow the clues.

Accompanied by Tom Dugan, an engineer and scientist who does not believe in psychics, mediums, or the hoodoo “conjure woman” they encounter on the road, Elise navigates the rituals and omens of the spirit world in an attempt to unravel the mystery of her husband’s message.

Paperback: 316 pages

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (November 1, 2016)

My Review:

"The night waited. She could hear the flakes of snow as they pillowed on the ground, heard the hoot of an owl, hidden in the brush of the pines. And somewhere, deep beneath the surface of that heavy silence, she could hear the beating of her own heart. "  

--The Blue Hour

When I opened The Blue Hour, I was immediately pulled into the prologue by the author's beautiful prose and it continued throughout the book. I love it when an author can transport me to a place with their vivid descriptions and Elizabeth Hall took me through New Mexico and on a road trip to Tennessee all within the pages of the book. The sights, sounds and smells she describes all set the mood of this mysterious story, steeped in Native American folklore and magic. Elise, the main character, further drew me in. She is deeply mourning the loss of her husband Michael and dealing with the guilt from misinterpreting her dream of a car accident before his death and her failure to warn him. When she keeps seeing the same raven (a raven carving was the last finished work in her husband's studio) and the spirits and Michael seem to be trying to tell her something, Elise does all she can to figure out the message, including taking the guidance of a psychic and tarot card reader along with others who have connections to the spirit world. 

I don't know a whole lot about Native American culture and the folklore, particularly around the spirit world and I found it fascinating to read about. I liked how it was such a big part of the story but was not overdone--it felt believable. The pairing of Elise (who grew up in the periphery of the culture with her friend Monica's family and accepted that the spirit world existed) with Tom Dugan (an engineer and firm non-believer in anything not proven by science) added to the story and kept the mystical parts grounded, while still allowing for a spooky edge that raised a few goosebumps.

In the Blue Hour is a unique and enjoyable read that I wanted to linger over--savoring the story, characters and descriptions--yet I also wanted to get to the end of the book and discover the mystery. I liked the flow of the story and felt that it pulled me along to a satisfying conclusion. I have Elizabeth Hall's first book Miramont's Ghost,on my Kindle and I have a feeling that it will move up towards the top of my TBR list based on this book.  

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Author Notes: Elizabeth Hall, author of Miramont’s Ghost, has worked as a teacher, communications consultant, and radio host. She spent many years in the mountains of Colorado and now resides in the Pacific Northwest, where she indulges in the fiber arts of knitting, beading, and weaving.


-----


Food Inspiration: 

There was an amazing amount of food inspiration in The Blue Hour, beginning with the piñon or pine nuts that Elise and her friend's family gather, toast and eat and the wild plums trees, thick with fruit. There were regional foods like tortillas, the scent of roasting green chiles, tomatoes, both red and green chili, enchiladas, tamales, pumpkin empanadas, chips and guacamole. There was also mention of trout--rainbow and brook, lemonade, chicken salad sandwiches, almond-crusted brie, mango chicken enchiladas, kale salad, fried chicken, pot roast with root vegetables, roasted Brussels sprouts, and coconut cream pie, turkey, pulled pork with coleslaw and baked beans, meatloaf with scalloped potatoes and green beans, roast beef with potatoes and carrots, gravy and biscuits, green beans with bacon and banana cream pie for dessert. Whew!

With so much to choose from, I was going to make something with pine nuts as my book-inspired dish, but then I decided to make huevos rancheros as it was mentioned as the breakfast special of David, who owned the house in Tennessee that was the destination of the road trip Elise took with Tom. I love huevos rancheros and I had some leftover bits and pieces of ingredients leftover from making fish tacos for my own house guests last week. I found a simple recipe from Rick Bayless that sounded good and quick--always a plus in my book.

Simple Huevos Rancheros 
Adapted from Rick Bayless via Frontera.com
(Serves 1)

2 fresh corn tortillas
2 large eggs, cooked sunny-side up
1/2 cup Frontera Roasted Tomato Salsa (or brand of choice), thoroughly heated
Sliced raw white onion, rinsed & dried (I cooked my onion before adding salsa) 
chopped fresh cilantro
crumbled Mexican queso fresco or anejo, or feta

Steam-heat or griddle heat the tortillas. Put warm tortillas on a hot dinner plate. Top with cooked sunny-side up eggs. Pour hot salsa over everything (leaving the 2 yolks exposed if you wish).
 
Sprinkle with sliced onion, chopped cilantro and crumbled cheese. Serve with refried black beans or fried potatoes if you wish.
 

Notes/Results: These are a quick and simple and quite tasty breakfast (or lunch or dinner...) that uses prepared salsa. It is a great way to use up leftovers from taco night. Rick Bayless's recipe uses his Frontera brand salsa (which is very good) but I didn't have it on hand this time, so I used a local refrigerated brand. The recipe also calls for garnishing it with raw onion slices, but I prefer my onion cooked so I sauteed the slices until they were soft and translucent, before adding the salsa. I also had feta on hand so I used it in place of the Mexican cheese and served my huevos rancheros with leftover black beans instead of the fried potatoes served with it in the book, adding extra fiber and protein. Making these reminded me I need to enjoy this dish more often--so I will happily make it again. ;-)

I'm linking this post up to the Weekend Cooking event at Beth Fish Reads, a weekly event that is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share. For more information, see the welcome post.

 
Note: A review copy of "In the Blue Hour" was provided to me by the publisher and TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for this review and as always my thoughts and opinions are my own.

You can see the stops for the rest of this TLC Book Tour and what other reviewers thought about the book here.