Communion wafer taste test

Done by Real Live Preacher:
 
 

Summer eatin'

Summer is my favorite season. But it can get hot. For someone who likes to cook, it becomes no fun to be in a hot kitchen on a hot day. So I grill or make things that require little use of the oven and stove.

So I offer my own summer recipe. It's my new favorite, chilled Avocado-Lemon-Shrimp soup. It's delicious and easy! The dish is no-cook and chilled, so you don't have to heat up your kitchen on a hot day and the cold, slightly, salty soup cools you off real well. In my experience it goes well with a light beer, but would also work with margarita or white wine.

It can be an entree in of itself--or if you have an appetite, could be paired with something like grilled pork chops.

My recipe is an adaptation of one in this month's Cooking Light magazine of all places.

I never measure when I cook. The amounts below are estimates and can be changed depending on your own personal tastes. The below version isn't very spicy and would probably taste just as well with a little more kick in the form of more chilis, chili powder, or hot sauce.

COOLED AVOCADO-CITRUS-SHRIMP SOUP

Topping

• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or lime)
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped chives
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces of cooked and peeled shrimp, coarsely chopped
• 1 pinch of salt

Chop ingredients and toss in bowl. Chill for at least 15 minutes.

Soup

• Two cups of broth (chicken broth is probably best)
• 2-3 medium-sized avocados, coarsely chopped
• 1 can (15 oz) of great northern beans (0r try another "soft" canned bean)
• 1 can (4 oz) of green chiles, diced
• 1 cup of plain yogurt (or sour cream if you're in a pinch)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or lime)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Combine ingredients in blender until smooth.

• 1 medium tomato, finely chopped

Mix in chopped tomato and chill for at least 15 minutes.

• 1/4 cup cotija cheese, finely crumbled

Serve soup in bowls with shrimp topping and cheese.


Best eaten outdoors after a hot day with a cool evening breeze.

Great new Indian restuarant in Minneapolis

Residents and visitors of the Twin Cities now have a new excellent Indian restaurant to choose. Although the Twin Cities hosts a number of excellent Indian food sources, there is always room for one more!

I'm particularly excited about the most recent one, because I can walk there. When I lived in Washington, DC, we lived just one block from an excellent Indian restaurant, the White Tiger. That was a dangerous proximity!

We walked through the rain several blocks last week to the newly opened Gandhi Mahal at 3009 27th Avenue South--right next door to Midori's Floating World Cafe. Gandi Mahal is the site of the former Greek restaurant, Calypso, and other previously unsuccessful ventures.

As the Rake Magazine notes, it's unclear if the Mahatma would approve of the seafood and beef[!] entrees. The likeness of Gandhi looks over each table, making you uncomfortable to order a non-vegetarian dish. We compromised and got a chicken entree and a vegetarian thali (essentially a "sampler") to share. Both were excellent. I highly recommend the Chicken Tikki Masala. At first I thought the prices were high for Minneapolis standards. Each entree is $10-$16. But the portions are generous and the food is near perfect. Unless you are fairly hungry, two adults could split a single entree. (But then you wouldn't have leftovers for home--and what is better than 2nd day Indian for lunch the next day?)

Because they are new, no liquor license yet. But I believe you can bring your own wine and serve yourself in the meantime. The restaurant can provide wine glasses. AND, there is a liquor store directly across the street! So you can order your food, and then figure out what kind of wine works best as you take a quick stroll across the street. (I like a dry German Reisling with spicy Indian food myself.)

Two funny things about the restaurant. First, mahal means palace, which isn't the first thing I associate with Gandhi. Second, they don't have a website. Seriously, if you have a new business that serves customers, you need a website. It doesn't have to be fancy. It should have a picture, your menu, links to any good reviews, a phone number, address, and hours. Nothing flashy. Just spend the $50 to host and put it up!

Thankfully, they do have an email address. Here are the details:

Gandhi Mahal
Indian cuisine, lassi bar, and thali-tapas
3009 27th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55406
612-729-5222
612-729-5953
gandhimahal@gmail.com