Garlic scapes

This week's entry isn't so much a recipe as it is a recommendation that you try garlic scapes (or garlic spears, as they're sometimes called). They're only available for a short window in mid-May to early June, and some years I miss it, so it's also a reminder to me for years hence.

Garlic scapes are essentially baby garlic, harvested before the heads mature and all the garlic flavor is still in the stem. Lightly sauteed, they taste something like a garlic asparagus. (They don't cook like asparagus, though: asparagus doesn't taste good raw and when overcooked is very tender, whereas scapes can be eaten raw — they're just very garlicky — and get tough when overcooked.)


My pictures are of garlic spears, which have straighter stems and larger bulbs. I prefer scapes, given the choice, but whenever I run across either in stores I just grab them.

Ingredients (serves 2):
1/2 lb garlic scapes
2 tsp butter
2 cups dry pasta of your choice
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp butter
flaked or shredded parmesan cheese


Instructions:
1) Boil the pasta for the amount of time indicated on the box, usually 7-9 minutes.

2) Cut the scapes into bite-sized pieces. (Since they can get a bit tough if overcooked, you don't want to risk having to struggle biting through long pieces.)

3) Saute the scapes in butter for 3 minutes on a high heat. (If using spears with the larger heads, saute the heads for 2 minutes separately, then add the stems and do 3 more minutes.)


4) When the pasta is done, drain in a colander, Mix butter and lemon juice in the still-warm pot, and then flavor the pasta with it.


5) Layer the pasta first, then parmesan, then scapes on top, and serve hot.

Honeyed eggplant with goat cheese

I love eggplant but for a long time I wouldn't buy them simply because of how large they are and how poorly they keep. Most recipes that call for eggplant make an enormous amount of food if you want to use it up. I wondered how stripped down I could serve eggplant, and this recipe is the result. Using one normal-sized eggplant makes a good meal for three.

Ingredients:
1 eggplant
2 tbsp honey
3 oz goat cheese
7-8 thin slices of whole-grain bread


Instructions:
1) Preheat the oven to 400°. Then cut the eggplant into 7 or 8 slices, around 3/4-inches thick each. Place into 9x13 baking pan.


2) Drizzle the honey over the eggplant, then top with goat cheese. Bake for 30-32 minutes until cheese is browned and eggplant is soft.



3) While the eggplant is baking, slice the bread (a little thinner than what you see here, actually, about 1/4-inch thick) and double-toast them, so they're crunchy but not burnt. You'll end up with something akin to a crunchy cracker but with more stability.


4) Spatula the rounds onto the toast circles and they're ready to eat! Best served warm, of course.

Watermelon mango smoothie

We were first introduced to watermelon agua fresca (which is simply watermelon liquified in a blender) at Gordito's in Greenwood. I, of course, had to experiment with different variations, and I really like this one: the addition of the mango gives it a smoothie consistency.

Ingredients:
3 cups watermelon cubes (1/4 of a personal watermelon)
1/3 cup mango cubes (about 1/2 a mango)
1/2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves
6 ice cubes


Instructions:
1) Blend. Serves two.

Butternut squash with salted pinto beans

Years ago, I ate a butternut squash soup that I liked so much I researched how to make a similar one from scratch. The key: roasting the squash with apples and onion in the oven first, before blending. Eventually, I decided I liked it even better if I skipped making it into soup and just ate it roasted. When serving it as a full meal instead of just a side dish, I recently started adding a layer of salted mashed pinto beans mixed with bacon pieces as a contrasting element. It's a nice blend sweet and savory, refreshing and hearty.

Ingredients:
2 pounds butternut squash, chunked
2 medium granny smith apples, peeled and chunked
1/2 of a large sweet onion, chunked
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup Irish cheddar cheese
1 15 oz can pinto beans
1/2 cup crumbled bacon
salt to taste


Instructions:
1) Preheat the oven to 450°. In a 9x13-inch glass pan, add the squash, apples, and onion. Drizzle the olive oil over the chunks evenly. Sprinkle the tarragon, thyme, salt, and pepper evenly, then stir.



2) You'll bake the dish 35 minutes total. At 20 minutes, stir once. At 30 minutes, stir again and add the Irish cheddar on top. Bake 5 additional minutes and it will be ready.



3) While the squash is cooking, open the can of pinto beans, pour off most of the salty liquid, and – without rinsing the beans – pour the rest of the can's contents into a pot. Gently mash the beans with a fork to break the skins and let in some of the liquid. Warm over medium heat, adding the bacon and stirring gently. Taste and salt additionally if needed.


4) When both components are finished, spoon some of the beans onto a plate and top with squash mixture. Serves 4.

Spicy tilapia salad

I mentioned in my post on tomato coulis that I was finding it a good substitute for pasta sauce, sandwich spread, and burrito ingredient. This newest use was unique enough to deserve its own post: a version of tuna salad for those who are bored with tuna salad.

Ingredients:
8 oz frozen tilapia fillets (2 average sized pouches)
6 tbsp tomato coulis
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp salt
6 tbsp diced red cabbage

Instructions:
1) Thaw and thoroughly cook the fish fillets.




2) Mix together the fish, coulis, mayonnaise, salt, and cabbage. Woah, that was easy.




3) You can use this in any fashion you'd normally eat tuna salad; I love a warm open-faced sandwich.


4) For a casserole-style dish, mix in hot whole-wheat pasta and shredded Irish cheddar. It's like comfort food, but with a little more heat and tang to it.

Lentil shepherd's pie

Eight or nine years ago when Amanda and I tried out the South Beach Diet for a brief time, we encountered the suggestion to make mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. It's literally the only thing I remember about the diet, as it's the only element we've kept in our repertoire.

I was all set to share my recipe when we ate a lentil shepherd's pie at a restaurant that used cauliflower for the mashed potatoes. So I made and am sharing that instead, because it makes the dish much more interesting. (As you might be able to tell, I have trouble letting plain side dishes stay plain side dishes.)

Ingredients for lentil layer:
1 cup dried lentils
2 cups water
1/2 tbsp vegetable bouillon (I use "Better Than Bouillon" brand vegetable base)
1/2 tbsp corn starch
3/4 cups diced mushrooms
1/4 cup diced carrots
1/8 diced onion
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp garlic powder


Instructions:
1) Rinse the lentils under running water, then add lentils, water, and bouillon to a large pot. (You could use just vegetable broth here, but I find the flavor of the bouillon to be much more powerful and it seasons the lentils all the way through.)


2) Bring to boil, turn the heat to medium-low and cover. Let lentils simmer for 35-40 minutes, until they are cooked all the way through but still have a crunch to them. (Older lentils can take longer to cook, so keep going if they're not yet done.)

(During this 35 minutes, you can prepare the cauliflower layer as detailed below, unless you have already prepared it in advance.)

Also during this 35 minutes, finely dice the carrots, mushrooms, and onion and chop the cilantro. (Note: this picture is from making a double recipe, so don't be alarmed that yours will look like less.)


3) When the lentils are ready, mix 1/2 tbsp corn starch with 1/2 tbsp cold water in a small bowl. Drain the remaining warm liquid from the lentils (do not rinse), and then mix in the corn starch. This will give it a little bit of sauce.

4) Then add the diced vegetables, cilantro, and garlic powder to the lentils, stir again, and let sit for 5 minutes (off the heat) to slightly cook the vegetables. (You could serve this as a side dish just like this if you're inclined.) Jump below for the instructions to combine the two into a shepherd's pie.


Ingredients for the cauliflower layer:
1 large head cauliflower
1 cup water
1 tsp vegetable bouillon
1 tbsp grated parm cheese
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Instructions:
1) Cut the florets off the cauliflower head and place in a large pot with the water and bouillon base.


2) Bring to the water boil, cover the pot, and cook on medium heat for 12-14 minutes until very tender and it flakes with a fork. (Note: yes, this is way overdone, and you would never cook it this long if you were to serve it on its own.)


3) Discard any unabsorbed liquid, then use an immersion blender to pulverize it to lumpy mashed-potato consistency.


4) Add your five dry seasonings (not the cheddar cheese – that's for melting on top) and stir well. You can set this component aside for now (or even make it a day in advance and reheat it) while you finish preparing lentils.



(If you were to serve this as a side dish alone, mix in 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp cream cheese while it's warm for a more creamy and substantial texture. I find its not needed when pairing it with the lentils.)

Instructions for shepherd's pie:
1) Spoon the lentil mixture into a 7-inch or 8-inch round glass oven-proof pan, then spoon the cauliflower on top and smooth flat.



2) Add the 1 cup cheddar cheese and broil in the oven for 5-8 minutes until cheese is bubbly and just starting to brown.



3) Attempt to spoon both layers simultaneously onto plates so it stays layered (adding the lentils that you'll miss to one side). Serves 3-4.