Face the Wrath of My High-Powered Wand, Mango!

Cooking Adventure: Spicy Mango Soup

Source: No idea. Um... the soup faeries.
The Bellydance Soundtrack: Emerald Alley by Up, Bustle and Out

Prep Time: 10 min.

Cook Time: 25 min

My husband just ran off with the car for a day of roller derbying in Milwaukee, and suddenly I want the car. He'll always ask me if he can use it the day before & I'll say, "Sure. No problem. I can't think of anything I need it for." At it never fails that five minutes before he's about to take off, I think of ten different places I need to go. And right now I could really use the car for a trip out to the grocery store to get me some mangoes.

Lately I have been revelling in the awesome electronic power that is my new kitchen wand: the immersion blender. I've been looking for every excuse I can to blend shit. One day I'm sure my husband will come home to find me sitting on the floor surrounded by various liquids singing, "Hey, honey! Guess which one has the cabbage in it!" The immersion blender is not only sweet because I can take it apart and have it clean in ten seconds, but because... wait... no, that's why it's sweet. But it also makes me realize that the level of power hungry I've become with this thing should never be transferred to an actual magickal wand. It makes me happy that that wand has a cute little crystal on it and is usually used  for drawing circles. Goddess forbid it could actually blend things it was pointed at. I don't think I would be allowed in the grocery store anymore. Pet stores would set up security guards just to watch out for the crazy Wiccan with a magickal blending wand.

For now and forever that power is confined to the kitchen - not to mention the length of the extension cord. This is good because it means I can blend things and only slightly be swayed by evil. I can innocently peel and cut the mangoes, cook them up and fill the kitchen with a sweet aroma, and then proceed to maul them while yelling, "Die mangoes! That's right, who's laughing now? You'll crack soon. And then you will be like pudding in my... um... mouth! Ha ha!"

I'm wondering if this weirdness can be explained by something going a little screwy during my reincarnation process. 

Ingredients

My magick wand can destroy a human hand!

- 1/3cp. creamed coconut

- 2 medium white onions

- 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

- 1 Tbsp. olive oil

- 2 ripe mangoes, peeled & chopped into 1 inch cubes

- 3 cups chicken broth

- 1 tsp. salt (*I use chicken bouillon in my soup, which has plenty of salt already. If you use bouillon, skip the extra salt.)

- 1/2 tsp. black pepper

- 1 tsp. tamarind paste (*Found in Asian food section of grocery store)

- 1/4 or 1/2 Habanero pepper (Optional)

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan saute the onions and butter in oil over medium heat until translucent. About 3-5 minutes.

2. Add the chopped mango and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes. You'll know it's done when the mangoes are a little softer and a little darker in color.

3. Add the chicken stock, salt (if needed), pepper & tamarind paste.

4. Stir a few times. When it comes to a simmer, reduce heat to medium low & cover and cook for 15 minutes.

5. Uncover and remove from the heat.

6. If you are using a blender here, make sure the soup has a chance to cool a bit! Hot soup covered and blended will cause a build-up of steam and pressure that can explode out the top and give you a very painful lesson in physics. If you are using an immersion blender, just blend the soup up in the pot and feel powerful.

7. Once blended, stir in the creamed coconut.

Optional 8. Here's where you can blend in a habanero pepper too. If you have never worked with them before, know that they're one of the hottest commonly available peppers at grocery stores. If you touch it with your hand and then rub your eye, you will be in serious amounts of pain. Putting a whole habanero in this soup will make it almost inedible or a perfect April Fool's trick. A half is for the mildly brave. A quarter should do the trick for just the right amount of kick.