Biryani, Eggplant-Mushroom Pasta, Almost Baked Beans

Biryani My Way
Hundreds, if not thousands of Indian Biryani "curry" recipes -- an "all in one" dish of vegetables and/or meat (even fish) spiced and cooked separate from spiced rice before being folded together. Not to mention at least half a dozen different ways to cook the dish! After perusing quite a few variations on the theme, I've come up with my own way to prep and cook this tasty dish. BTW -- although this dish has a LOT of spices in it, it is only moderately hot-spicy. Chances are you'll have most of this in your spice cupboard and refrigerator. Don't leave anything out!

Spices for rice:
1 whole Star Anise
4 whole Green Cardamon pods – black cardamon will do, but use only 2 pods
4 whole Cloves
10 whole Black Peppercorns
2 Bay leaves

2 cups Basmati Rice – extra long grain if you can find it. This type of rice is the key to good Biryani.  

3 Tbsp ghee or oil, divided
1 large Onion – thinly sliced, divided

Spices for Vegetable Marinade:
½ Tbsp Ginger, grated
½ Tbsp Garlic, minced
¼ tsp ground Turmeric
¼ tsp ground Cumin
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 cup Greek Yogurt or Icelandic Skyr

Vegetables
1 cup Carrots cut into 1” x ½” strips
1 cup Green Beans cut into 1” pieces
1½ cups Mushrooms, halved or quartered if large
half the sliced Onion
½ cup Red Bell Pepper cut into 1” x ½” strips
½ cup kernal Corn
½ cup Golden Raisins
½ cup raw Cashews
1 cup Paneer cut into ½” cubes – or Queso Fresco cheese

Queso Fresco cubed

Mix the vegetables  (minus half the onion),  spices and yogurt, and marinate them for at least 30 minutes to several hours (if you have the time). Reserve.

Rinse and soak the rice in water for 20 minutes. Drain. Cook the rice in its spices. Reserve.

                                

Saute half of the onion in oil or ghee until lightly caramelized. Reserve for garnish.

Slow-cook (covered) the marinated vegetables, the remaining ghee or oil, and any marinade sauce, covered, until just coming tender. I cooked them at 300F in my electric skillet for about 30 minutes, addin a little water to prevent sticking. then letting it cook away at the end. 

Add the fluffed cooked rice and fold to combine. Last, add the paneer/cheese.

Cook covered another few minutes to heat everything through. Serve with a garnish of caramelized onion at show at the top of the page..


Mushroom-Eggplant Pasta
We got all these big beautiful mushrooms from the SW Florida Produce Co-op, and were gifted a huge batch of Japanese eggplant from Sally's friend Wendy.  Plus I got a BOGO deal on some good chickpea pasta, and here you go!

Banzatm Chickpea Cavatappi pasta
3 cups Mushrooms - Quartered
3 cups Japanese Eggplant
3 oz cubed Feta or Queso Fresca cheese

2 cups diced fresh Tomatoes
Italian Seasoning to taste

1/2 cup Water or Vegetable broth

Cook up the pasta to package directions.  Saute the other ingredients together with a splash of EVOO and when tender add 1/2 cup or so of water or vegetable broth.  Toss with the pasta and serve.

Almost Better Than Baked Beans
And they take less than half the time!  This started out as a "best baked beans" recipe from Food Network, to which I added diced bell pepper.  Then I simmered it in my electric soup pot for 2 hours instead of heating up the whole house and baking it for 4-6 hours. 

If you're not vegetarian/pescetarian like we are, add 8oz of cooked smoky bacon.  I used a Tbsp of Liquid Smoketm instead.

1 pound dried Kidney Beans
1 large Onion, diced
1 Bell Pepper, diced

3 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1+ tsp Smoked Paprika
15oz Pomitm Tomato Sauce
1/3 cup Molasses
1/4 cup Bourbon
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp Liquid Smoke – I like Mesquite, but Hickory is better here
2 teaspoons prepared yellow or dijon Mustard
Kosher Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

If you're using bacon start by cooking it in your soup pot. Add the beans and 6 cups of water, and cook, covered,  for about 45 minutes @ 325F until the beans are getting tender.  Now add onion and garlic and everything else. Cook uncovered @250F another hour or so until the beans are completely tender and much of the liquid has reduced to a more gravy like consistancy. 

Serve by themselves, with hot cornbread on the side, or over baked potatoes like this:

Fakes Soupa, Eggplant "Confit", Butternut Casserole

Fakes Soupa
No, not "fake" soup!   It's pronounced "fa-kehs" and it's a Greek lentil soup.  Sally's been on a kick lately of wanting more fiber in our diet, and lentils are really high on the list.  A serving of this soup is about 1/5 of your RDA for fiber.  Besides, we like the taste of lentils. 

Makes 4-5 servings:

4-1/2 cups water or vegetable broth
8 oz. Lentils
1 lb Tomatoes, diced/chopped  
1 stem Celery, chopped
1 medium Carrot, diced
2 Bay Leaves
2-4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Onion, diced
1 Tbsp Cavender'stm Greek Seasoning
1/8 cup EVOO
Vinegar or lemon juice to taste as a top dressing (optional)

In a splash of EVOO, cook the tomatoes, celery, onion and carrot with the herbs and spices, until starting to soften.  Add the water and when it boils reduce heat to simmer and add remaining EVOO and the lentils.  Remove the bay leaves and adjust the seasoning.  Simmer 30-45 minutes until the lentils are just softening.

Drizzle each bowl with vinegar or lemon juice to taste, and serve with crusty bread.

Eggplant "Confit"
My culinary friend and cookbook author Faye Levy posted a question this week about favorite eggplant recipes.   Here's a dish I first presented 'way back in 2016.  Seems like a lifetime ago.  It's not really confit because it's not smothered in oil the way duck confit is.  Plus, we're not making it as a way to preserve things.  But it's a low,  slow cook in a bit of EVOO plus the juices of the veg.  Serve with rice, or quinoa, or a mix of the two like I did.

2 large Japanese Eggplant sliced into 1/2" rounds
1 stick Celery chopped
1/2 medium Onion, chopped
4 clove Garlic, chopped
1/2 cup chopped packed fresh Spinach
1/2 cup chopped packed fresh Basil
24 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
1 tsp Cavender's Greek Seasoningtm
1/8 cup EVOO

Saute the onion, garlic and celery in about half of the EVOO, while you slice the eggplant.  Toss in the eggplant and spice, and drizzle with the rest of the oil, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes at 220-225F.  Add half of the tomatoes and leafy greens and continue slow cooking (covered) for another 20 minutes or so while you cook the rice.  

In the last few minutes add the remaining tomatoes and heat through.  Plate and serve.

Cavender's
Well, it's not quite "Greek Week" here in my kilted kitchen, but "two out of three ain't bad" as the sadly deceased Meatloaf sang!

Anyway... for those of you who don't know it, here's Cavender's Greek Seasoning.  There's also a salt-free version for those who watch their sodium intake.   Put some of this in a pound of ground pork as you fry it up for a pretty decent imitation gyro meat.  Add it to soups, stews, dishes like those above.  Even put it on your popcorn!    

What's in it, you ask?   Label says:  salt, black pepper, garlic, oregano, flavor base (whatever that is), onion powder, and five other spices.  Gotta love secret herbs and spices!


Butternut Casserole 
This is my riff on a FOK recipe for a Sweet Potato Casserole.  Features a mushroom dressing anda savory vegan cream sauce.  Makes four servings in  a 9x9 casserole dish.

                                              
Butternut
1 medium Squash

Peel and seed.  Cut into 1/2" rounds. Par cook in the microwave or steamer until fork tender,

Sauce
1/4 cup raw Cashews
3/4 cup "plant milk" -- I used plain Almond Milk/Creamer
1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast
1/8 cup  Oat Flour -- grind your own from dry oatmeal
1/8 cup Lemon Juice -  fresh squeezed is always best
pinch of Salt &  Black Pepper

Soak the cashews in boiling water for 15 minutes.  Drain, reserving 1/4 cup water.  Take the reserved water and everything else for a spin in your food processor until you get a nice smooth sauce.

Dressing
1/2 Red Onion, diced
8 oz Mushrooms,  diced
2-3 cloves Garlic, minced
2 tsp dried Thyme
2 tsp dried Rosemary
1 Tbsp Vinegar -- red wine, malt or balsamic
1/2 cup Breadcrumbs -- I used Panko
1/4 cup dried Cranberries

Saute the onion, mushrooms and garlic in a splash of oil.  Add the spices and vinegar and cook for another 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and toss with the breadcrumbs and cranberries.

Assembly
Lay down a splash of sauce in your 9x9 baking dish.  Add a layer of squash. 

 Top with about half the dressing, then more sauce.  Repeat.  Save some sauce to drizzle on the plated casserole.

Pre-heat oven to 400F and bake the casserole 25-30 minutes.

                                   

Asparagus Pesto, Nasubi, Cabbage Rolls Two Ways, "Fried" cauliflowerRice with Pineapple, Collard Pickle Update

 Simple Asparagus Pesto
This is the perfect thing to make with those "too tough to eat" stem-ends from the asparagus you buy.  Don't throw the stems away, stow them in a zip top bag in the freezer until you have enough to make this fabulous sauce!

1 lb Asparagus stems -- from about 2 bundles
2+ cloves garlic
1/4 cup Toasted Pine Nuts
+/- 1/2 cup EVOO
1/2 cup Parmesan (the cheap canned stuff is perfect here)
1+  Tbsp Lemon Juice, to taste
a pinch of salt

Microwave the stems (with a splash of water) for 3-5 minutes until tender.  Cool.  Put everything but the EVOO in the food processor and start pulsing.  Gradually add the EVOO until you get a consistancy you like.  Store in a screw-top jar in the fridge for up to a month.

I like to use this as a base for asparagus and other savory tarts rather alfredo sauce, blue cheese dressing, or a tomato based sauce.   Also a good base for Avocado Toast, simply  tossed with hot pasta or as a cracker dip.

Glazed Nasubi (Japanese Eggplant)
Tis the season when we get those wonderful, long slender Japanese eggplant from the Farmer's Market.  They tend to be sweeter and less seedy than the large pear-shaped aubergines.  This simple dish Japanese dish is one of my favorites for these tasty veg.

Nasubi, sliced into ½" thick rounds
12-18 Cherry Tomatoes, halved (or diced tomatoes)
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Mirin, Sake, or White Wine
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp minced Fresh or Crystallized Ginger
Udon or Soba Noodles, or Rice, cooked

In a small pan bring the liquids, sugar and ginger to a simmer and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Reserve.

In a skillet over medium high heat, cook the eggplant rounds in a splash of vegetable oil for 3-5 minutes until just starting to soften. Add the tomatoes and toss to combine. Cook for a minute or two longer. Add the glazing sauce and toss to coat.

Serve alongside udon or soba noodles, or rice.  I used fettuchini sized rice noodles.

Cabbage Rolls
Got a nice head of cabbage the other day as a Farm Freebie from the SW Florida Produce Co-op, and needed something to do with it.  I don't make cabbage rolls often because they're a pain.  But I found a simple way to get the soft cabbage leaves which made things a lot easier.  

Filling:  I had a lot of crumbles left from making black bean rissoles, so I made a pot of rice and combined the two with herbs, spices and and egg for binding.  

Sauce:  I got a large box of yellow cherry tomatoes at the Farmers Market (Sally prefers them for their low-acid).  Pureed the tomatoes, along with some onion and a bit of celery.  And spices, of course, including caraway seed.  Then I cooked the puree down to thicken it up.  If tyhat's too much work, just buy a jar of chunky pasta sauce; but this will taste much better!

Cabbage:  Here's the trick.  Cut the core out of the bottom of the cabbage.  Set it, core side down in a larg-ish bowl and pour in 1/2" of water (or broth).  Cover and microwave on high for about 10 minutes.  Turn the head over and microwave another 10 minutes.  Cool enough that you don't burn yourself, and start pulling the leaves off

Fill and roll the leaves and place seam side down in a baking dish.  When the dish is full, top with the tomato sauce and bake at 350F for one hour.   

 

Three rolls makes a good serving with some sort of side dish.  I had made a fresh loaf of Foccacia -- as a loaf in a pan, not a round.  And, I used half AP and half Whole Wheat flour!  Turned out fabulous!! 

De-constructed Cabbage Rolls

So I had a lot of filling and cabbage leftover (it happens), and no sauce..  Spooned the filling into a baking dish, topped with sliced tomatoes, and baked it for about 30 minutes @ 400F.  Tasty with a splash of BBQ sauce or Lizanotm.

Fried cauliflowerRice with Pineapple
Yes, riced cauliflower is still a "thing".  Still tasty too, with the right preparation.  Like this take on "fried" rice.  Use whatever veggies you like; here's what I had.  The "trick" is adding diced pineapple and it's really good!

10-12 oz bag Riced Cauliflower (or make your own)
1/4 cup water or Japanese broth
1+ cup diced Bell Pepper
1+ cup diced Carrot
1+ cup diced Green Beans
1+ cup diced Onion
1/4 cup Soy Sauce

1+ cups diced Pineapple
3-4 cloves chopped Garlic

Bring the water or broth to a boil in your skillet.  Add the garlic and onion and simmer for a few minutes until things start to soften.  Add the other diced veg and continue cooking.  Now add the riced cauliflower and cook for only a minute or two.  Lastly,  add the pineapple.  Cook only long enough to heat it through, and serve.

Collard Pickle Update

Two weeks in the fridge and I just had to taste,  Wow!  Garlicky and tart, crunchy and juicy.  Everything I want in a pickle!   Try 'em, you'll like 'em.

New Year, New Beginnings, Eggplant "Taquitos", Egg Substitute, Healthy B-Split

Collard Greens Hack!
Not yer Mamaws collards!   Collard greens with blackeyed peas is a traditional southern New Years dish.  But the sulphurous smell of cooking collards puts a lot of people off.  

To prevent stinking up the whole house, collards have to be cooked differently from the way Mamaw (or Paula Deen) stewed them for hours!   I got a huge bundle of Co-Op Collards to make collards and blackeyed peas for New Years, and here's what I did.

Trim the leaves away from the massive central stems. Roll and slic ethe leaves into 1" strips for quicker cooking. Chop the stems into 1-2" pieces and reserve for pickled collard stems (see below).

Put a huge wad of chopped collards in a large microwave-safe bowl, add 1/4 cup of water and toss. Microwave on high for 4-5 minutes until the leaves are about half wilted. Repeat if you need more greens.

Now make up your 'pot likker' -- broth, ham hocks, chopped tomato, diced onion, herbs and spices, and bring to a boil.  I used liquid smoke rather than having smoked pork in the likker.

Add the par-cooked collards, put the lid on the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the greens in the liquid for about 15 minutes to finish wilting them and letting them absorb the likker flavors. Remove the lid part way through cooking if you want to reduce the pot likker a bit.

Plate and serve with blackeyed peas and cornbread for a real Southern supper.

No more sulphur smell!!! The collards are done but not mushy!

Pickled Collard Stems
...or almost anything, really -- green beans, broccoli stem slices, etc.

Chop your soon-to-be-pickles into bite sized pieces, wash them and drain. Pack them into a screw-top jar, all the way to the top and beyond so they have to be pushed down to tighten the lid.

Vinegar. White, balsamic, wine, apple cider, malt, whatever you've got. I like a blend of all of them... Pour in your vinegar(s) to completely cover the veg in th jar.

Pour the vinegar out (through a strainer, directly into a pot on the stovetop.

While you bring the vinegar(s) to a boil, add your spices and herbs to the jar of veg - about 1 Tbsp of herbs/spices per cup of veg.

What spices & herbs?  The shy's the limit!  Whole peppercorns, seeds like fenugreek, mustard, dill, cumin, coriander, celery, star anise, cardamom, etc. Ground dried herbs like red pepper flakes, chopped garlic, dried onion, bay leaf, cumin, rosemary, and more. Can't decide? Just use a pre-packaged "pickling spice".

When the vinegar comes to a boil, pour it over the jarred veg and spices, all the way to the top, and tighten the lid down. Let the jar set out until the contents come to room temperature, before storing in the fridge.

Wait at least 2 weeks before trying your new pickles. They'll last in the fridge for up to six months.

Eggplant Taquitos 
My Italian food photographer friend Luciano Furia, of Naples, Italy, posted a photo of a family eggplant-spagetti dish he called involtini di spaghettini in melanzane. Basically sort of spaghetti-eggplant tacos, with fork rolls of cooked, sauced spagetti as the filling, and baked or friend rounds of eggplant as the taco shell. This inspired me to create these cheese-filled eggplant taquito rolls on a bed of spaghetti.
Cook up a batch of spaghetti big enough to lay down a bed in a 9x13 baking dish, and make a nice hearty vegetable filled "gravy" to coat them with (or use a chunky commercial pasta sauce. 

Reserve leftover sauce for topping.

Slice a 2-3 large eggplants lengthwise, about 1/4" thin.  Spritz them with EVOO and broil just a few minutes to soften them so they can be easily rolled up.  You'll want 16-20 good slices. 

Open a package of mozzarella string cheese sticks and slice them in half lengthwise, for the filling.

Roll an eggplant slice around a half cheese stick and place it seam-side-down on the bed of spaghetti.  Repeat until all the cheese sticks and eggplant slices are used.   

Spoon any remaining sauce around the taquitos.   Top with shredded mozzarella or a good Mexican melting cheese.  Bake at 400F for about 30 minutes. 

Plate and serve.

Apple Sauce/Egg Swap!
So there I was, everything laid out and triaging my ingredients to make our regular Friday fried cod supper, when I realized I did not have an egg to dredge the fish in before breading.  I knew that the cornmeal would not stick properly to the fish by itself, or make a decent crust.  What to do??

Luckily the Internet was just a couple clicks away; and after a brief search I discovered that -- in this situation and others -- you can substitute apple sauce for the egg!! 

Why in the world I had apple sauce but no eggs, I haven't a clue!   But dang if it didn't work.

I patted the filets dry, then brushed them with apple sauce before dredging in the cornmeal.  Trust me, you aren't going to 'dredge' fish filets in a pool of apple sauce!   Here's the result.  The taste was not "apple-y" but there was just a touch of sweetness.

Healthy Banana Split
This has become one of Sally's favorite fruit desserts.  A banana, a big dollop of Siggi'stm Skyr yogurt, a drizzle of local honey and a sprinkle of shaved almonds.

Pulled Jackfruit, Baked Oats, Mongetes, Roasted Cauli w/ Tahini & Pomegranate

Pulled Jackfruit
We really like having bags of ready-to-use jackfruit in the freezer, and not buying the commercial stuff.  It gives you all the textures of pulled pork, but is really a fruit.  

Pulled Jackfruit Sandwich

You want to buy a "green" or unripe jackfruit for turning into meat-substitute.  The ripe fruit tastes like Juicy Fruit gum!  Even slicing one open smells like the inside of your Mom's purse!  Processing an entire jackfruit can take awhile -- they can get up to 150 lbs! -- but the process is well worth the effort.  I got this 20.1 lb jackfruit from the Co-op and "recovered" almost 15 pounds of useable meat.  The skin went into our compost bin.

Processing Jackfruit
You'll want a big sharp knife or two and a saw (trust me on this).  Oil the blades well while using,  as jackfruit sap is very sticky!  You'll also need a large stockpot to par-cook the jack, zip-top bags, and a painter's drop cloth is handy for gathering up the mess at the end!

1.  Saw/cut the jackfruit into 1" thick slices and halve them. Remove the seeds and the coarse skins in the seeds pockets.  The yellow bits around the seeds are the sweetest part of the fruit.  The seeds can be salted and roasted like chickpeas.

                            

2.  Once you get a couple slices cut, add water to your stockpot, fire up the big burner on your stove, and start stacking the pieces in to boil.

3.  You need to boil the slices for about an hour after you add the last slice to the pot.  Transfer the cooked fruit to a collander and let it drain -- the longer the better -- and cool.

4.  When the boiled fruit is cool enough to handle, it's time to start "disassembling" things.  Use a sharp knife to cut the spikey skin away first.    You'll see there are 3 "textures" of the meat -- just like there is in a pork roast.  There's the firm center and up against the skin, the stringy outer meat where the seeds are, and the slippery bright yellow bits from around the seeds. 
                                   

This cutting board of jackfruit is only partially chopped/pulled

Use a sharp knife to thinly slice the center and other firm parts.  Pull and chop the stringy bits, and chop the soft yellow parts.  You want to get the pieces down to about 1/2" long or thereabouts.  I like to toss the processed meat back into colanders and let it drain again before packaging in zip-top bags and freezing. 

There's a LOT of liquid in jackfruit that you really don't need when it comes time to cook with it.  Some recipes call for you to bake the pulled jack for an hour or so at 200F to 300F to cook off even more liquid.  Not a bad idea.  Or set it out in the hot sun for a day, covered with cheesecloth to keep the bugs off.

Making Pulled Jackfruit 
I package my chopped Jack in about 1.5# quart bags.  That makes a lot of whatever you want -- pulled Jack, Jack Tacos or Tamales, casserole additions, etc.  Here you'll need buns (I like the ciabatta rolls I get from Publix), and your favorite BBQ sauce.  I also like to counter the richness of pulled Jack or pulled pork with a nice tart dill pickle.
                                           
Put the thawed Jack in your barely oiled skillet and start to saute it; mainly to reduce the liquid.  Then, as you see above, just add you favorite Q sauce and toss to combine and heat it through.  You can also use taco or enchilada seasoning packets to flavor the Jack.    Mound it high on your bun and dig in -- you earned this!

BluBlack Baked Oats
Breakfast?  Or Dessert?   Your choice.  Either way this crusty, tasty combination of steel cut oats, fruit, milk and egg is a wonderful thing!  You can make this "overnight", or "same day".  I opted for overnight.    

3/4 cup Steel Cut Oats
1/2 cup sliced Almonds
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
1 cup Fruit -- I used a mix of blackberries and blueberries
2 cups Whole Milk
1/8 - 1/4  cup "Syrup" -- Honey, Cane Syrup, Maple Syrup, or Golden Syrup
1 Egg, beaten
3 Tbsp melted Butter
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

In one bowl, stir to combine the liquids.  In a larger bowl combine the dry ingredients (minus the berries).  Add the liquid mixture to the dry and stir well to combine.  If you're doing the overnight version, put this mix in the fridge for 6-8 hours so the oats absorb the liquid.  For "same day" let the mixture stand on the counter for at least an hour before proceeding.

Next day, spread the fruit out in an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish and pour the chilled mixture over them.

Bake in a pre-heated 375F oven for 50-60 minutes until you get a nice crust.   

Try to let it cool before you dive in!!!
                              


Roasted Cauli with Tahini Sauce & Pomegranate Glaze
Had a nice head of Co-op cauliflower and wanted something different to do it justice. 
                             
This recipe did the trick.  I actually broke down and bought a big can of tahini for once.  Expensive but tasty.

1 head Cauliflower cut into large florets
EVOO to coat
Salt & pepper to taste
1-2 tsp Sweet Hungarian Paprika
Pomegranate Glaze or Molasses, homemade or from a jar.

For the Tahini Sauce:
1 clove Garlic finely mashed
3 Tbsp Tahini
juice of half a Lemon
2 Tbsp Skyr or Greek Yogurt
Salt & pepper to taste
water to adjust thickness

For the Pomegranate Glaze:
1 cup Pomegranate Juice, unsweetened
1/4 cup Brown Sugar

Spray or toss the cauliflower with the EVOO, then spread it on a baking sheet and dust with the spices.  Roast at 425F for 45 minutes, remove to serving bowl and let it cool a bit.

While the cauli is roasting, make the Tahini Sauce and Pomegranate Glaze
                                 

For the Sauce:
Put the garlic and lemon juice in a bowl.  Make sure the tahini is well mixed with its oil as it tends to separate during storage.  Add the tahini, spice and the yogurt, and stir.  You want it just a bit thinner than yogurt, so add a tablespoon or two of water as needed.  Reserve.

For the Glaze:
Bring the juice to a simmer in a small pan.  Whisk in the sugar.  Keep whisking while the liquid reduces by about a third.  Remove from the heat and reserve.

To serve:
Ladle the sauce on the cooked florets and drizzle on the pomegranate glaze. 
                                  
Serve the sauce and glaze at the table so diners can add more if they choose, along with wedges of the other half of the lemon, for squeezing.
                                  

Mongetes
I was reminded recently of  this great Spanish tapas/side dish recipe and made a batch to go along with the Roasted Cauliflower dish above.  There are a milli0on recipes, I keep mine simple.

Cooked White Beans
Chopped Garlic
Diced Onion
Lemon Juice to taste

Saute the onion and garlic until it's getting soft.  Add the cooked beans (no liquid) and keep cooking until they are heated through.  Plate and add a splash of lemon juice.