Chipotle is the spice of life

I love spicy food. I'm not quite sure why - aside from my grandfather and aunt, no one in my family was fond of anything spicier than a bell pepper. Poppy and me though? Bring on the spice. Hot sauce on eggs. Wings. Sriracha. Curry. Mustard. I'm all about food so spicy it makes me sweat.

What I do not like, however, is how god-forsaken hot it has been here. One day last week, the heat index was 114. In weather like that, what exactly, are you supposed to eat? I wanted something refreshing, but not a salad. I mean, I love salad. I eat it every day for lunch. But, woman cannot live on salad alone.

So, I thought, if I can't beat the heat, why not eat it?

I wanted something spicy, but refreshing. We'd already eaten stir-fry, and I can't make a good curry to save my life. I didn't want to have to turn on the oven, nor did I want to have to stand over the stove and stir. Soup. Corn soup. Not traditional corn chowder, heavy on cream, something lighter. Chipotle corn soup.

Oh, it was good. Slightly tart from the lime, but smooth and creamy. And spicy. The kind that almost makes you welcome the heat. Almost.

This is how it goes down.

You will need:

1 onion, chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 c. fresh or frozen corn

1 1/2 c. creamed corn

juice and zest of 1 lime

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely diced

1 tsp vegetable bouillon (I used a chicken flavored vegetable base)

2 c. water

1 tsp adobo seasoning, or to taste

1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1 c. soy creamer

1 Tbsp. corn starch

Combine the olive oil and onions in a pot, over medium - low heat. Saute until the onions have started to brown, then add the garlic. Cook until fragrant.

Add both types of corn, the lime, pepper, bouillon, adobo seasoning, and water. Bring to a simmer, and cook until the whole kernel corn is cooked through. Whisk the corn starch into the soy creamer. Add the mixture, along with the cilantro, to the pot. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until it has thickened.

Maybe talking to plants really does work

Good news everyone: the grass that we planted last week has started to grow! Little blades of green are popping up all over our front yard. So exciting. I'd like to think it has to do with the pep talks directed at our grass seeds.

More good news: I finally own a garlic press. I don't know how I made it this far in life without one. Seriously. Such a time saver. Totally a single use kitchen gadget that I can no longer do without.

Also, the pollen seems like it's finally starting to die down. Just a little bit.

In other news, G and I had several fabulous dishes this week. Two were from Post Punk Kitchen. Those recipes are what we're going to be focusing on today.

First up, we have Chesapeake Bay Cakes.

You will need:

• 8 ounces tempeh
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 bay leaf

• 3 tablespoons Vegenaisse
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard (stone ground Dijon works, too)
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup very finely chopped red bell pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspooon salt
• fresh black pepper
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, plus extra for dredging

First, combine the tempeh, soy sauce, olive oil, and water. Bring the water to a boil, and cook, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, until most of the water has evaporated.

While the tempeh is cooking, combine the rest of the ingredients in a big bowl. After the tempeh has cooked, mix everything together.

At this point, I had to go to work. So I did. When I got home, I scooped up about 1/4 c. of the mixture for each cake, formed them, dredged them in breadcrumbs, and fried them in a couple of tablespoons of canola oil.

Did you know that asparagus is in season? It is. G and I downed an entire bundle of asparagus after each of us polished off a couple of these cakes. We're not ashamed.

Next up, we have Ancho Lentil Soup with Grilled Pineapple.

We were fortunate enough to have our homeboy Greg over for dinner last night. He helped G grill the pineapple, and he was nice enough to stick around after dinner and offer to help wash dishes. I think the soup had something to do with it.

Anyway, getting to the point, get your soup pot out, 'cause you're gonna need it.

You will also need:

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 2 dried ancho chilies, seeds removed and ripped into bite sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced small
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Seranno pepper, seeded and chopped (add another if you like more heat)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups lentils, washed (I used brown, that's what I had on hand)
• 7 to 8 cups vegetable broth or veg broth and water mixed
• 3 tablespoons of lime juice or to taste
• Cooking spray
• 6 to 8 pineapple rings
  

First, combine the chilies and coriander seed in your blender or food processor. Blend them until the chilies are ground and the coriander is broken down, but not quite a powder. Add the cumin.

Heat the oil in your pot. Add the veggies and cook until they're soft. Add the chili powder, and cook until fragrant. Add the lentils and vegetable broth, bring to a boil, and cook until the lentils are soft.

While the lentils are cooking, grill the pineapple. We grilled ours until it had these beautiful char marks and the pineapple was starting to get kind of soft. By the time the grill heated up and the pineapple was grilled, the lentils were finished. When they're done, add the lime juice.

I was really bummed out when I realized that I forgot to bring the leftover soup to work with me. I was looking forward to this soup most of the morning. On the bright side, I have lunch for tomorrow. I'm going to bed now so lunchtime can get here sooner.