Garlic Scape Pesto

At lunch time I peruse the Union Square Farmers Market in NYC. It’s usually after I’ve already gone grocery shopping for the week but I can’t help but pick up the farm fresh produce they have. I mean there’s always room for blueberries & peaches & those random veggies I’ve never heard of.  A few weeks ago I saw garlic scapes for the first time offered at the farmers market (first time I noticed them that is). I looked at them & gave them a slight head tilt of curiosity & kept walking. Later that day on my Facebook feed Cookshop (a very tasty farm-to-table kind of New American style restaurant) had a photo for garlic scape "frites" they were serving that day.

I took it as a sign from the universe to check them out. So I did a bit of research (read: I googled them) & found out that they’re the top flower part of the garlic that grows out of the ground. They can be used the same way as green onions. They have a mild garlic taste. You can sautee them in olive oil & butter & toss them with tomatoes & pasta like my friend Kara does or even mix them into your meatballs like my friend Kim or make them into a pesto like I did & will be showing you today.  Whatever your choice of recipe, know that the season for garlic scapes if very short so if you see them buy them they might not be at the farmers market next week. You can even freeze them for later use!


How do you use garlic scapes? Please share below as I'd love new recommendations.

Have a great weekend!

Roasted Garlic, Onion & Blue Cheese Grilled Empanadas

I've talked about my love of the tasty restaurants in my neighborhood before. Cucharamama is one Hoboken's best. It's usually saved for special-occasion-date-nights. They have a huge range of artisanal South American small plates that they cook in a wood burning oven right behind the bar!  On our most recent visit to Cucharamama we had the Empanadas de Cebolla y Queso
or cocktail empanadas filled with onion confit and spanish cabrales blue cheese. They're one of the most perfect bites that are both sweet and savory all at once, not to mention cute! Naturally I had to try my hand at recreating them. Since I don't have a wood burning stove and I really detest turning on my oven during a heat wave I made my empanadas outside on the grill!

Cheesey Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

If you follow me on instagram you may have already seen the giant pile of mashed potatoes I made for Thanksgiving. We always have several kinds of potatoes, but my cousin Marco insists it's not Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes - so it we had mashed potatoes & it was officially Thanksgiving.  This year I added two of my favorite things to our potatoes - cheese & garlic - & mashed them with a supped up version of the potato masher that my cousin-in-law, Mariah, said would've made Grandma O'Hara proud.

Keep reading for my recipe. How do you make your mashed potatoes? Do you use a food processor or go for the full arm work out with a traditional masher?

PS: remember if you have a ton of leftover mashed potatoes you can reinvent them with this recipe!

Better Home Cooking Basics: #33 The Smaller Garlic is Cut the More Flavor it will Offer.

I'm talking about garlic again today - surprise, surprise. Truth is if you love garlic as much as I do I want to help you make the most of what you've got. The strength of the taste of garlic is directly correlated to how finely it is chopped, cut or grated. Think of the wise guys cutting the garlic in Goodfellas with a razor blade. It's no coincidence that they cut it paper thin. If you're still working on your knife skills here are a few ways to fake it till you make it:

1. Grate it. Use a microplane grater & grate a clove of garlic until you can't hold it with your fingers any more.
2. Process it. Toss a clove or two of garlic into your food processor. Let it do it's thing for about 30 seconds & you'll have super finely chopped garlic.
3. Cut it & mash it. Do your best to cut garlic with a knife. Sprinkle it with salt & then mash it with a mortar & pestle. This will give you tons of flavor like it did for me here.

Get more of my better home cooking basics here.  

Better Home Cooking Basics: #5 Use Fresh (Not Jarred) Garlic

Have you ever seen garlic in a jar? I honestly didn't until post-college. I saw it popping up in my super market & in the fridges of people I knew. So I jumped on the band wagon & tried it. For the longest time jarred garlic is what I used to cook with until it wasn't. One day I didn't have jarred garlic so I resorted to the good old fashioned head of garlic I had sitting on the counter. Albeit it wasn't pre-diced & it took a minute or two to peel & chop but the taste was like nothing jarred garlic could deliver.  Sure the jarred stuff smells delicious & the aromatics will fill the room but the taste just isn't there for me. As a garlic lover the taste needs to be there.  Do we have a jar of garlic in our fridge - sure we do. Do we use it? Nope.

The moral of this tip is fresh is best - if you can & it's available leave the jarred stuff on the shelf & grab a the head of garlic when you're cooking.

Want more of my better home cooking basics? You can check them out here.

Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower with Toasted Garlic

I love, ahem loved, Whole Living Magazine. Sadly it has folded with most of the other great glossies of it's time. I recently received a letter in the mail saying they (the good publishing people) would fulfill the rest of my Whole Living subscription with Everyday Rachel Ray. My immediate reaction was - it's not the same. And while it isn't the same I'm warming up to it &  have found some good recipes in it like the Roasted Broccoli with Toasted Garlic one.

We had a head of broccoli & a head of cauliflower in our fridge so I used the combination with my new found recipe.

What's your favorite lifestyle magazine? Would love to learn about your recommendations, please comment below with your favorite!

Grilled Zucchini with Chickpeas, Raisins & Garlic-Yogurt Sauce

I'm definitely a creature of habit. I like what I like. I usually like to eat at the same handful of places for lunch, if I haven't (responsibly) packed one.  When I go grocery shopping I usually buy the same ingredients with a little variation here and there depending on sales and seasonal things.  Last night I was in the mood for something familiar but different. I've been eating zucchini all week. I love it and I rarely get tired of it. According to the Today Show it's in season - so there you go - now is the time to zucchini it up.  I usually just sauté it with some other veggies like I did here but after finding Caroline Wright's recipe on food52.com's under $20, in under 20 minute meals I was on my way to buy some more zucchini.

This grilled squash with chickpeas, raisins and garlic-yogurt sauce hits all different bells and whistles that I think would be served somewhere exotic, like Morracco.  The chickpeas have a bit of pop to them in texture and even more so with the hot and sweetly warm spices.  The grilled zucchini is toothsome and even better with grill marks.  To top it off there's creamy garlic-yogurt sauce.  For those of you who think eating vegetarian food is for the birds, try this hearty dish and you'll be singing a different tune.

I am definitely adding this dish to my regularly scheduled programming.

Pasta with Sautéed Broccoli & Garlic

Pasta with sautéed broccoli & garlic I hands down one of my favorite things to eat. I eat it at home & order it at restaurants. It's my go to comfort food. We probably eat it about 4 times a month, so much so that I cannot believe that I haven't posted my perfected recipe yet.

After making this dish a bunch of times I've found a way to use less oil than I originally thought that this needed to have to be considered tasty and to not brown the garlic but to add it at the end of cooking instead. I add just enough cheese that melts in & seems to disappear so that sister-in-laws who hate cheese have no idea what's really in there (teee heee) but they don't care because it tastes that good.

No worries, the day has come, I'm going to share all those secret tips with you.  Get my fool proof recipe after the jump.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings

My nephews call chicken wings or any boned chicken, "chicken on the bone." We now call it that at our house too. We always seem to pick up a package of wings or boned thighs when it's on sale. Usually it's nothing to blog about because it usually tastes like nothing & took too long (in my book) to cook.  This time it was different. Maybe it was the onset of warm weather on Friday or the stars aligned or something but finally there was something to blog about.

If you don't eat chicken you can put this sauce on anything like grilled or steam veggies, maybe some potatoes or just some toasted bread.  Chris called this garlic Parmesan chicken my best chicken on the bone, I think it was simply because the chicken acted as a delivery vehicle for the sauce but I'll take it regardless. 

3 Bean Escarole Soup with Garlic Oil & Homemade Croutons

Growing up my mom would make what my grandfather & father would call ’scroll & beans. For those not familiar with this language ‘scarole means escarole. If you’ve never had escarole I encourage you to try. It’s actually a lettuce but it tastes really good, almost sweet, when it’s cooked. I’ve always had it in chicken broth with canellini beans, grated cheese & crusty bread so when I found this recipe I channeled my youth & conjured up my take on this classic (to me) combination. I used three different kinds of beans because I didn’t have three cans of cannellini beans, so if you want to stick to one kind - go for it! You can skip the croutons & extra cheese if you like - but why would you want to do that? This is a quick & satisfying dinner especially while this weather continues to flirt with spring (it was 37 degrees yesterday & I think that’s pretty close to spring - today not so much.)

PS: For those observing Lent this will be a great meatless dish for your Friday dinner. Enjoy!

PPS: if you're gluten-free - skip my beloved croutons!

Zucchini Noodles with Tomato, Garlic & Parmesan

I have this veggie peeler that makes me look like I have chef-like knife skills. It can be used like a regular vegetable peeler & in minutes you have finely julienned (fancy world for thinly sliced) vegetables. I use it to make zucchini noodles (read: thin strips of zucchini that look like spaghetti noodles). If you don't have this particular peeler you can use a regular peeler & call make wide noodles or call them fettuccine or pappardelle if you like - it will still make for a delicious dish.

I tossed mine with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil & parmesan cheese but they're great with pesto or even just a light drizzle of olive oil with salt & pepper. What's even better about zucchini noodles is you don't have to cook them. Nope, no cooking. 

Cuban-Style Shrimp in Enchilado Sauce

The cookbook, The Food of Latin America: Gran Cocina Latina by Marciel E. Presilla has become a fast favorite for me. Not only is it written by the chef of two of my favorite restaurants in Hoboken (Zafra & Cucharamama) but it’s about 5 inches thick with recipes & stories & just the know-how of a seasoned Latin chef.  Growing up we ate mostly Italian or American Italian dishes with other random cuisines that my mom experimented with - but in the 80s & 90s that really translated into stir-fry in the wok. Since then I feel like I’ve had the absolute privilege to try many different worldly cuisines & Cuban is easily at the top of the list.  So when I got my hands on this cookbook (thanks for the great Christmas gift Chris!) I had to cook from it immediately.

The first recipe that I tried was the Cuban-Style Shrimp inn Enchilado Sauce but I had to ad-lib a bit because I refused to go out into the polar vortex.  I have to say it is one of the most flavorful dishes I have ever made & even with my substitutions.

And then the absolute best part was that Chris helped me prep. (Most of the time I resume my position as “queen of the kitchen” & kick Chris out & do my thing.)  It’s so fun to cook with your loved ones because then you all have added something to the dish & that’s what i think makes it taste the best!


PS: Happy Birthday to my long time bestie, Kara! I love you lady! & happiest birthday to one of my NYC soulmates, Natalie! xx

Juicy Mediterranean Turkey Burgers with Yogurt Sauce, Peaches & Arugula

Last night I was on my own for dinner so that only meant one thing - there would be olives (because I love them & Chris hates them)! I’ve been on a Greek salad & Greek yogurt kick as of late so those were also making the cut. I opted to make a Mediterranean style turkey burger with a yogurt sauce that is pretty much like tzatziki sauce with olives in other words a creamy garlicky & salty sauce. Then I added some feta, sliced peaches & arugula to hit all the other notes I love (read: salty, sweet, spicy).

I have to admit I scoured Pinterest in hopes to learn how to make a juicy turkey burger & thanks to this blog post I will always add pats of butter & milk to my burger mixture. I also opted to grate the onions & garlic into my mixture so that you don’t get big chunks or bites of either but you do get the flavor.

How do you make your turkey burgers juicy?

PS: remember if you make this pasta be sure to snap a pic & then tag me in your photos on instagram (@mrshoh or #HeatherOMade)!

Easy Cheesy Broccoli Soup with Spicy Homemade Croutons

If we have broccoli in the fridge I usually make this pasta dish. It’s a house favorite & is super easy to make from memory - no recipe needed if you make it as much as I do.  Every now & then I do like to change up even favorites which is always risky, but this time my friends it was a win - a big fat win. In fact, Chris calls this soup “the best soup I’ve ever had.”  I don’t mean to brag but I’ll take it.  It has all the same flavors of our favorite pasta dish with all the comfort of a soup. Plus, I added some spicy homemade croutons for a bit of crunch on top.

Besides being super tasty this soup is EASY! Give it a try & let me know if you like it as much as we did.

Fusilli with Fresh Tomato Sauce & Ricotta Cheese

After college I moved to NYC to “grow up,” which means I worked three jobs in attempts to make rent & pay off student loans while having some fun too. Glamorous, right? One of my three jobs was waiting tables  in NYC’s Little Italy. During this time I survived on a few staples for dinner: cannolis, pasta dishes my boss would generously share with me & Chinese food from my favorite place a block away.

I really hadn't thought about these meals until I was watching Giada’s show on Food Network yesterday. She was in Italy making all kinds of pasta. The one dish that she made took me way back to my early twenties when I used to share fusilli (the long curly pasta) with tomato sauce & fresh ricotta with my boss. I easily ate this once or twice (maybe more) a week. Giada’s method was simple & straight forward so feeling nostalgic for it I recreated it from memory of what I learned earlier in the day. 

The one key method for making Giada's simple & super fresh tomato sauce sung out to my inner love of tomatoes - especially fresh summer tomatoes. She took fresh tomatoes & used a box grater to break them down for the sauce. Apparently if you do this in a fancy food processor or blender the heat from those kinds of appliances actually change the flavor of the tomatoes (& we don't want that). I had to try it. I did & I loved it. This maybe my new favorite way to make tomato sauce. It’s so easy & fresh that you’ll be making on the regular too. I think it’s time to get this dish back in my weekly rotation like when I first moved to NYC.

Do you have specific food that reminds you of your first “adult” years? I’d love to hear about them. Leave me a note in the comments below.

PS: remember if you make this pasta be sure to snap a pic & then tag me in your photos on instagram (@mrshoh or #HeatherOMade)!

Jalapeño Scrambled Egg Tacos

I love tacos. We make them at least a few times a month if not weekly at our house. I like them all. It’s so fun to add a little this & that & build as you go & then eat with your hands! What I love even more is serving everything on a cutting board which means less dishes to wash (tiny win!). This week I’ve been making piece meal trips to the grocery store so there hasn’t been a whole lot to work with when I conjured up this idea of egg tacos. We had eggs so that is what went in the tacos. I don’t love scrambled eggs but in these tacos I did.

Regardless, I would make these again for breakfast, lunch or dinner. These would actually be really fun for a brunch party. They’re simple & tasty & most importantly fun to eat!

Simple Fancy Fan Garlic Potatoes

I really love yukon gold potatoes & usually use them to make mashed potatoes but recently I tried making hasselback potatoes with them instead. A hasselback potato (or what I’m calling a fancy fan potato) is simply a potato that is cut in very thin slices almost to the bottom (but not quite through) so that the potato still holds together like a fan. All that really means that these potatoes look really pretty & you can stuff yummy ingredients in between the slices (like lots of garlic!). They were a hit (read: Chris loved them) so they’ll be making more guest appearances on our dinner plates in the near future. Although these taters look fancy they’re pretty easy to make once you get the slicing down.

Heirloom Tomato Panzanella Salad

Mary, my mother-in-law, makes this fabulous panzanella salad that I just can not eat enough of. I love salad - but add chunks of crusty bread to it & I love it more!

I found some amazing green zebra heirloom tomatoes at the grocery store & couldn't wait to make them the star of a simple dinner.  I didn't have all the ingredients for the salad that Mary makes so I made the simple tomato salad my mom always makes but I added yummy chunks of bread! 

Click through for the recipe & make this salad tonight!

Garlic & Lime Grilled Shrimp

When it's as hot as it's been the only way to cook is on the grill & then run back inside to the air conditioning to eat.  Shrimp is so quick to make I feel I could make it every day, Chris wouldn't mind, believe me.  I served up this shrimp along side a tomato panzanella salad for a fresh summer dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb shrimp  (peeled, deveined, with tails on)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 8 cloves garlic (minced)
• salt & pepper
• 3 limes (cut into wedges)

Make it!

1. Add shrimp, olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper to an air tight container (use a plastic food storage bag or container) & chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (over night will work too & it will definitely keep the vampires away when all of the garlic flavor is absorbed).
2. Skewer shrimp & lime wedges.  I used metal skewers but if you have the wooden ones just be sure to soak them in some water for at least 15-20 minutes so they'll burn less.
3. Grill over medium-high heat, for about 7-10 minutes.  Be sure to flip the skewers with tongs at least half way through so they cook evenly on both sides.
4. Shrimp are cooked when they turn opaque (white) & slightly pink.
5. Remove from grill & skewers. Squeeze the grilled limes over the shrimp & enjoy.

 

Garlicky Pretzel Pizza Rolls

On a day when it’s semi-cooler I suggest you make these. Perhaps a great snack for watching the World Cup. I made these for Easter - yes I know that was a while ago but they are timeless snack worthy of a post even if it comes in mid-June.

I started off with visions for replicating this recipe. Things didn’t work out as planned. I tried to make the dough suggested in the recipe that is supposed to be like Auntie Anne’s pretzels (I LOVE AUNTIE ANNE’S PRETZELS). Alas, the milk I used was too hot & I’m pretty sure that I killed the dry active yeast because although it was Easter, it did not rise again. Being that I was making these rather last minute I had to use what I had - so I used pizza dough i had in the fridge.  I used the same method as making pretzels (remember these yummies?) so I think they were pretty close to the initial recipe. The result was tasty & I don’t think anyone (but me) missed the Auntie Anne’s pretzel dough. The next time I make these I will try that recipe again (I WILL!!!). 

Hope you have a fabulous weekend :)