Guarded by Garlic

So did you catch the True Blood Season 3 premiere last night??? It was awesome! Fabulous bloggers, Wendy and Stacy, came over to hang out and to watch the awesomeness unfold. Even more awesome? Wendy brought me my new stake necklace just in time to wear at our personal premiere party! She revealed the new necklace design just in time for the show. (I love that the photo of Eric on her blog features him wearing a similar necklace.)



I didn't really plan my True Blood menu (at all), so the only thing linking the recipes below happens to be garlic. It's in everything. (Sorry, ladies. I hope peeps didn't have to move far away from you at the gym today!) According to folklore, garlic was used to keep vampires away. According to Google, it repels mosquitos. But after watching last night's episode, we'd really, really rather not keep Vampire Eric away.



Garlic Bread
(Adapted from Food & Wine)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
6 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced (about 1/4 cup)
4 thyme sprigs
1 rosemary sprig
Coarse sea salt
1 baguette, halved and split lengthwise
Pimentón de la Vera (smoked Spanish paprika), optional



1. Preheat the broiler. Heat the butter and oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, thyme, and rosemary and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is softened and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Discard the herb sprigs. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic and any loose herbs to a small bowl and mash to a paste. Season the garlic-herb paste with salt.

2. Spread the baguette with the garlic-herb paste, brush with the melted butter left in the skillet, then sprinkle with salt. Season lightly with smoked paprika, if using. Broil the bread for about 1 minute, or until sizzling and browned. Serve hot.




Eggplant, Garlic & Feta Dip
(Adapted from Food & Wine)

2 (1-pound) eggplants
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 large garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 ounces feta, crumbled (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pita chips

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. On a baking sheet, roast the eggplants, turning once, until they are very soft and blackened, about 1 hour. Let cool.

2. Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop the pulp into a strainer. Let drain for 10 minutes, shaking the strainer occasionally.

3. On a work surface, finely chop the parsley with the garlic. Transfer the eggplant pulp to a food processor and pulse until chopped. Add three-fourths of the parsley mixture, and season with salt and pepper and pulse just until blended. Transfer the eggplant to a bowl and stir in three-quarters of the feta and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley mixture and feta, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and serve. Serve with pita chips or crusty bread. Makes about 2 cups.




Mediterranean Couscous and Lentil Salad
(Adapted from Gourmet)

1 cup lentilles du Puy (French green lentils) or brown lentils
3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup couscous
1/2 teaspoons salt
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint, parsley, or basil leaves (or a mixture of all)
2 cups vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, halved
4 ounces feta, crumbled (about 1 cup)

1. In a small saucepan, simmer the lentils in water to cover by 2 inches until tender but not falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well. Transfer the hot lentils to a bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Cool the lentils completely, stirring occasionally.

2. In a saucepan bring the water to a boil and add the couscous and salt. Remove the pan from the heat and let the couscous stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff the couscous with a fork and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the oil and cool completely, stirring occasionally.

3. In a small bowl whisk together the garlic paste, remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, remaining 3 tablespoons oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir the lentils and dressing into the couscous. Chill, covered, at least 3 hours and up to 24.

4. Just before serving, stir in the remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6.

Pretentious Hurdles

I can't tell if I've been busy or lazy. Or maybe both. My cooking seems to have gone down the tubes, but occasionally I'm still able to throw together a meal. Lately I've been into cooking (when I actually cook) super fast dishes that take little to no prep time. As long as I have onions and garlic, I feel like I can come up with something.

Fortunately I found shrimp in the freezer and tomatoes in the cupboard so all I needed was some feta and dill to finish this recipe off. I've often come across versions of this recipe in Greek restaurants and happily discovered that it's quite simple to assemble. In fact, the most difficult hurdle for me was figuring out how to cook my fancy Israeli couscous that had no cooking directions on the package. I guess the message here is that if you're paying top dollar for an imported product, you should know what you're doing. Who knew that grocery items could be pretentious?



Shrimp With Tomatoes and Feta

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can of diced tomatoes, with juices
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh dill
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Cooked couscous, orzo, or rice, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

2. Add the tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the tomato juices thicken slightly.

3. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the dill and shrimp and season with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle the feta over the top. Bake until the shrimp are cooked through and the cheese is melted, about 12 minutes. Serve over couscous (or orzo or rice), if desired. Serves 2.

Synchronicity

OMG. Martha Rose Shulman and I are SO in sync! Last week when I was cleaning out my fridge, SHE was cleaning out her pantry. I was readying for a trip to Philly, SHE was readying for a trip...to France. I am a "writer," SHE is a Writer...for The New York Times. I could go on and on!

One of Martha's recipes in the Recipes for Health section this week is actually perfect for my continuing efforts to streamline, as I am now focusing on my ridiculously packed freezer. Somehow it has become a frozen food graveyard as well as a storage facility, and it's time to change that. Multi-year old Aquavit, anyone? TWO bottles?!? Plastic bags filled with Parmesan rinds? A whole bundt cake? When am I planning to use these things? At a party where I get everyone drunk on Aquavit, (if they can even stomach it) topped off by Parmesan popsicles and bundt cake chasers? I am planning to slowly chip away at these things and I'm starting with some frozen edamame.

I do eat edamame regularly, so this isn't a serious space infraction, but it's a start. The original recipe calls for dried chickpeas (which I never have) so I'm going to substitute the edamame, which is plentiful. I am also substituting whole wheat couscous for the bulgur for the same reason. I did find some barley shoved in a corner, but once I realized it would take an hour to cook, I reconsidered. And since I am actually going out for a late dinner, I'll eat this for lunch tomorrow...

Couscous with Edamame and Herbs
(Adapted from Martha Rose Shulman/NYT)

1 cup frozen, shelled edamame
3/4 cup whole wheat couscous
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint (or whatever you have)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Cook the edamame according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Cook the couscous according to package directions. Set aside.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Stir in the couscous and edamame. Remove from the heat and add the herbs, the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, lemon juice, zest, and salt and pepper to taste, and toss together. Serve hot or at room temperature. Serves four to six as a side dish.