Cauliflower Tapa, Roasted Eggplant Spread, Avocado Toast and a 3-Flavor Stirfry

Coliflor al Ajo y Pimenton
This twice-cooked Spanish cauliflower tapa comes to us from the Canary Islands.  

                                 

1 head Cauliflower, disassembled into roughly equal sized florets
1 tsp Sweet Paprika
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
6 cloves of Garlic, minced
2-3 Tbsp EVOO
Salt & Pepper to taste
Optional Garnish -- chopped parsley

In a large pot, boil the florets for 4-6 minutes.  Drain, sprinkle with salt & pepper and reserve.

In a large skillet heat the oil, garlic and paprikas together for 3-4 minutes, then toss in the cauliflower and stir to coat the florets with the spiced oil and heat them through.   Garnish with parsley when you serve.

Eggplant Sauce/Dip
We were gifted with a lot of Japanese Eggplant recently, and I had to find something to do with them!

Is this a pesto or a version of Baba Ganoush?  It reminds me somewhat of Spanish Romesco sauce.   Whatever you call it, it tastes great and has a ton of possibilities!  

2 lbs Eggplant   I used Japanese Eggplant because I had them...
2-3 Red Bell Peppers
3 oz Sundried Tomatoes
8-10 Cherry Tomatoes
1 large Red Onion
3-4 Tbsp minced Garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp EVOO

Optional -- other spices like Cavenderstm Greek blend, my Scarbrough Fayretm blend, or your own combination of Mediterranian spices like basil, rosemary, oregano, sage, marjoram, etc.

Halve the cherry tomatoes and reserve.  Chop everything else into 1" pieces and toss or spray with the EVOO.  Salt & pepper to taste.  I used Cavenders instead of S&P.  Roast everything at 400F for 30 minutes until starting to brown/char.

Let the cooked veg cool a few minutes, add the reserved tomatoes, then take it all for a spin in your food processor and whirrr until you get a smooth consistancy.   That's it.  Transfer to screw-top jars and refrigerate.

Serve as a spread/dip for crackers, flatbread, foccacia, or raw veggies. 

Toss with hot cooked pasta like this yellow pepper and mushroon cavitappi:

Use as a base for a pizza.  What else can you think of?


Classic Avocado Toast
Pretty as a picture!  Simple tasty, and filling lunch for a marvelous May day...   Multigrain toast, avocado, heirloom tomato and sliced onion with a splash of balsamic vinegar.

If the avocado is very ripe, I often mash it together with some chopped sauerkraut!   Yes, that's right, sauerkraut.  The tartness of the kraut balances out the unctuousness of the avocado and you don't particularly taste brine-pickled cabbage.


3-Flavor Stirfry
We had all that Japanese eggplant I mentioned above, and a request from the donor to make a take-away lunch for Sally and her friends using some of it.  I had red bell peppers, wax beans, and off course the eggplant.  Three veggies, three flavors.  I sauteed each seperately and let the diners pick and choose how much of each they wanted, and sent along a small bucket of rice to complete the meal.

The eggplant sticks were sauteed with garlic.
The bell pepper strips were sauteed with fresh grated ginger.
The wax beans were sauteed with a splash of toasted sesame oil.