249 posts tagged “garlic”

Lamb with Roasted Tomato Gravy
Yields 6 to 8 servings

1 small, boneless leg of lamb, about 5 pounds, butterflied
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 bunch mint, stripped from the stem and finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Pre-heat an oven to 400°F. Place the half bunch of stemmed and finely chopped mint in the middle of the splayed-out lamb. Place the garlic in among the mint leaves then fold the lamb over so that the mint and garlic are almost entirely cocooned in the lamb. Place the lamb in a shallow baking pan on a roasting rack and drizzle evenly with olive oil. Season both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and let the meat rest for 5-10 minutes for the juices to redistribute.

Place the grape tomatoes on a small cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and transfer to the oven when the lamb is about halfway done. If you roast them for 10 minutes, they will burst and be ready to serve. But if you prefer to let them brown up more, you can leave them in the oven for 20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and using a potato masher or a fork, lightly mash the tomatoes.

Once the tomatoes are in the oven, preheat a medium skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the shallots and cook until golden, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and continue to cook for another minute. Add the white wine and chicken broth. Let the liquids reduce until a slightly thickened sauce forms, about 5 minutes. Add the mashed tomatoes to the sauce along with the parsley. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and reserve. Slice and serve the lamb with the gravy.

Linguine with Clams
Makes 4 to 6 servings

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, 2 smashed and 2 thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 dozen littleneck clams or 4 dozen cockles, rinsed
1 tablespoon cornmeal or all-purpose flour
1 pound linguine pasta
Coarse salt
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Spicy Olive Oil, optional (recipe follows)

Place olive oil, garlic, and pepper flakes in a large serving bowl. Let stand at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. Place clams in a large bowl; fill with enough cold water to cover. Sprinkle over cornmeal or flour. Clams should open to ingest cornmeal or flour, releasing any sand that may be trapped inside. Let soak 10 minutes. Drain clams and scrub under running water to remove any dirt from shells. Repeat soaking and scrubbing process until clams are completely clean and soaking water is free of sand. Chill cleaned clams until ready to cook.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt water, return to a boil and add linguine. Cook until al dente, about 2 minutes less than package instructions; drain.

Meanwhile, in another large pot with a tight-fitting lid, bring 1/4 cup water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add clams, cover immediately, and steam until clams have opened, 3 to 5 minutes. Discard any clams that have not opened. Transfer cooked clams, in their shells, to serving bowl with olive oil mixture. Strain clam cooking liquid through a fine mesh sieve over clams. Add linguine and fresh parsley; toss to combine. Serve immediately, drizzled with spicy olive oil, if desired.

Spicy Olive Oil
Makes 1/4 cup

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

In a small bowl, mix together olive oil and red pepper flakes. Let stand at least 3 hours before using.

Shrimp with Baby Penne & Baby Arugula
Yields 4-6 servings

1 pound baby penne
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
2 pints grape tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
24 medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined
6 scallions, green and white parts chopped on a bias
Zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cups basil, thinly sliced into ribbons
3 cups baby arugula, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bring a large pot of water over to a boil over high heat for the pasta. Once the water comes to a boil, add a generous amount of salt and the pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving about a cup of the starchy, pasta-cooking water.

While waiting for the water to boil, place the tomatoes on a cookie sheet, drizzle them with olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place tomatoes in the hot oven and roast until the tomatoes just start to burst, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, smash them lightly with a fork or a potato masher and reserve.

While the pasta is working and the tomatoes are almost ready, preheat a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan olive oil, about 2 tablespoons.  Add the garlic to the hot skillet along with the shrimp. Cook the shrimp on both sides until firm and pink, about 2 minutes per side. Add the scallions, cook for a minute or so, then add the pasta, a ladle of the reserved pasta water, lemon zest, basil, arugula, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Give it a good toss and pour it into a serving bowl. Add the reserved roasted tomatoes, toss to combine and serve.

Chicken and Thai Basil Dumplings
Makes about 3 1/2 dozen

1 pound ground chicken breasts
2 ounces bean thread noodles, blanched and chopped
1 cup grated carrot, squeezed dry
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh Thai basil, chopped
1/4 cup scallion greens, cut on the diagonal
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon green curry paste, (preferably Maeploy brand)
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons coconut milk
1 package round white dumpling wrappers
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup Sriracha chile sauce
1 can (14-ounce) coconut milk
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 cup dark-brown sugar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Prepare the filling; combine all of the ingredients, except the dumpling wrappers, in a medium bowl. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon filling, and cook until no longer pink. Taste, and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.

Place a dumpling skin on work surface. Using your finger, wet around the edges with water. Place 1 1/2 tablespoons filling in the center. Fold dumpling skin over to enclose. Pinch the edges together to form a half moon. Pleat the rounded edge. Set aside. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers.

Prepare dipping sauce; combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat gently, whisking, until emulsified. Be sure not to boil. Set aside to cool. Just before serving, bring a large pot, fitted with a steamer insert lined with lightly oiled parchment paper with a few holes poked in it, to a simmer. Add dumplings and simmer until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.

Ginger Shrimp with Charred Tomato Relish
Serves 4

2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons grated peeled ginger (2-inch piece)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for grill
20 extra-large shrimp (about 1 pound), peeled, deveined, tails left on
4 ripe plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2 medium green tomatoes, halved lengthwise
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1 lime)
1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeno pepper (with seeds)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped basil

Soak 20 skewers in a pan of water for 30 minutes. In a medium bowl, stir together garlic and ginger. Transfer half of the mixture to a large bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons oil. Add the shrimp, toss until evenly coated, and then cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cover remaining garlic-ginger mixture and refrigerate.

Heat grill to hot; lightly oil grates. In a medium bowl toss plum and green tomatoes with remaining tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill tomatoes, cut side up, until skins are charred and flesh is tender, 4 to 6 minutes for the plum tomatoes, 8 to 10 minutes for the green tomatoes (if the green tomatoes are very hard, this may take longer). Be careful as you grill, as the juice from the tomatoes and the oil on their surface may cause flare-ups.

When tomatoes are cool enough to handle, remove and discard skins and seeds. Finely chop flesh and add to bowl with reserved garlic-ginger mixture. Add lime juice, jalapeno, sugar, cilantro, and basil. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Thread shrimp, lengthwise, onto prepared skewers (going through tail and top of shrimp), one shrimp per skewer. Grill until shrimp are opaque throughout, about 2 minutes per side. To serve, place skewered shrimp on a platter with a bowl of the relish.

Whole Snapper with Balinese Spices
Serves 2

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
5 tablespoons finely chopped lemon grass
3 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
1 Thai chile, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon sambal chili paste)
5 curry leaves
1 cup finely shredded fresh or frozen coconut
1 whole red snapper, (about 1 3/4 pounds), dressed and scored on both sides
1 cup coconut milk
1 lime
Julienned scallion greens, for serving
Cilantro, for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees;. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add shallot, and, stirring constantly, add ginger, garlic, lemon grass, lime leaves, Thai chile, curry leaves, and coconut. Continue stirring until the mixture is fragrant and coconut is beginning to dry out, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand until cool.

Fill the belly of the fish with three-quarters of the stuffing. Use a long wooden skewer to hold the belly of the fish closed. Heat remaining 1/2 cup oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add snapper to pan, and cook until the skin is crisp and brown, about 3 minutes per side. Very carefully pour off oil from pan. Transfer fish to oven until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat remaining stuffing in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in coconut milk, and heat through. Transfer cooked fish to a serving platter. Strain sauce through a fine sieve directly over the fish. Season with lime juice, and garnish with scallion greens and cilantro.

Shiitake Nori Rolls
Serves 6. Makes 1 dozen.

12 medium dried shiitake mushrooms, 1 1/2 ounces
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari soy sauce
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 pinch coarse salt
3 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise on the diagonal, plus julienned for sauce
3 1/2 ounces soba noodles
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 large shallots, 3/4 cup, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced, 2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons minced, peeled fresh ginger
5 cups finely shredded savoy cabbage, about half of a medium head
6 sheets nori

Cover mushrooms with 1 1/2 cups hot water in a medium bowl. Set a small bowl on top of mushrooms to keep them submerged. Let stand until mushrooms are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove mushrooms with a slotted spoon, and transfer to a work surface. Cut mushrooms crosswise into 1/4-inch strips; set aside. Strain soaking liquid; set aside.

Make the dipping sauce: Stir together 1/3 cup soaking liquid, the lime juice, 1 teaspoon tamari, 1 teaspoon cilantro, and the salt in a small bowl; top with some julienned scallions. Set aside.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add noodles; cook according to package instructions. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again. Transfer to a medium bowl; toss with sesame oil and remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro. Set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Stir in shallots, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots begin to brown, about 2 minutes (if the shallots begin to stick, stir in 1 tablespoon reserved soaking liquid). Add cabbage, and toss to combine. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage wilts slightly, 2 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, 1/4 cup reserved soaking liquid, and remaining 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons tamari. Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in sliced scallions; set aside.

Toast the nori sheets: Using tongs, pass each sheet just over a medium gas flame, turning, until fragrant and crisp, about 3 passes on each side. (If only an electric burner is available, heat to medium; toast sheet directly on the burner, flipping for 30 seconds to 1 minute.)

Working with 1 toasted sheet at a time, put 1/6 of the noodles along 1 edge of the nori, leaving a 1-inch border. Top with 1/6 of the cabbage mixture. Starting at the side with the filling, roll up sheet, enclosing filling. Repeat process with remaining sheets, noodles, and cabbage mixture. Cut each roll on the diagonal into 2 pieces. Serve with dipping sauce.

Hunter's Chicken Stew
Serves 4

1 chicken,(4 1/2-pounds),cut into 8 pieces, or one 4 1/2-pound package chicken parts
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 bay leaves
2 fresh rosemary
3 garlic, (1 crushed, 2 sliced)
1 Chianti, (750 ml)
All-purpose flour, for dusting
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 anchovy fillets
1/2 cup green or black olives, pitted
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, crushed gently

Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and place in a large bowl. Add bay leaves, rosemary, and crushed clove of garlic; pour over wine. Let marinate for at least an hour, in the refrigerator, but preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees;. Drain chicken, reserving the marinade, and pat dry with paper towels. Coat chicken pieces with flour; shaking off any excess. Heat oil in a Dutch-oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until golden brown, 5 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon; set aside.

Reduce heat to medium and add the sliced garlic. Cook gently until golden brown, then add the anchovies, olives, tomatoes, and chicken pieces with their reserved marinade. Bring to a boil, and cover. Transfer to oven and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Skim off any fat from the surface of the sauce, and discard. Season with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaves and rosemary before serving.

Beef Stew
Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart

4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 dried bay leaves
4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 3/4 pounds beef tenderloin, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 3/4 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought beef stock (14 ounces)
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup dry rose or white wine
6 canned whole plum tomatoes, crushed
6 medium carrots (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 medium parsnips (about 8 ounces), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 medium turnip (about 10 ounces), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces

Make the bouquet garnish: Put thyme, bay leaves, parsley, and peppercorns on a piece of cheesecloth; tie into a bundle with kitchen twine, and set aside.

Put flour into a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add beef; toss to combine. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large heavy stockpot over medium-high heat. Add half of the beef; cook until browned, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a bowl. Add 1/4 cup water to pot, and scrape up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Pour over beef. Return the pot to heat. Repeat with 2 teaspoons oil and remaining beef. Whisk 1/4 cup stock into remaining flour in bowl; set aside. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil, the onions, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add wine; cook, scraping up browned bits, until wine has almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, flour mixture, remaining stock, 1/2 cup water, and the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil. Add carrots, parsnips, and turnip. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add beef; cook until heated through and liquid has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove bouquet garni. Serve immediately.

Mini Meatball Sammies
Yield 8 servings

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 onion
1 small carrot
1 stalk celery
3 pinches fresh thyme
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/3 pound ground sirloin
1/3 pound ground pork
1/3 pound ground veal
1 large egg
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup grated cheese
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup chicken stock to thin sauce
4 hot dog buns
4 slices mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place a medium-size sauce pot over medium-high heat, add EVOO. Add the onion, carrot and celery, and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the thyme and cook for another minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, turn heat down to low and cook for 10-15 minutes.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine meats with egg, garlic, bread crumbs, milk, grated cheese, parsley, red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Form into mini meatballs. Add the meatballs to the sauce and cook for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Thin the sauce with chicken stock as the sauce thickens, or as needed.

Cut about 1/4 inch off of each end of the bun and then cut in half so you 2 mini buns. Place a couple strips of cheese on each mini bun and then place a couple meatballs on that. Top with a little sauce and enjoy!