Springtime flavors

Springtime is here, and with it comes an abundance of fresh and colorful ingredients. Try this menu of light meals to help you enjoy the season.

SEAFOOD PAELLA 

SERVES 6

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup onions, chopped

1 cup red bell peppers, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups long-grain white rice

¼ cup dry white wine, optional*

1¼ cups low sodium chicken or seafood stock

Pinch of crumbled saffron (or ½ teaspoon turmeric)

1 pound jumbo shrimp (21–25 per pound), peeled and deveined (tails removed)

1 cup frozen green peas

½ cup small green stuffed olives, halved or sliced (optional)

1¼ pounds mussels, cleaned 

In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Sauté onions and bell peppers until onions are golden, about 2–3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté an additional minute. Add rice, wine, stock and saffron and cook covered and undisturbed until most liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Add shrimp and cook 5 minutes until shrimp start turning pink. Stir in peas and olives and place mussels on top. Cover and cook until mussels open wide, about 3–5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand until all liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Chef’s tips

How to clean mussels. Put mussels in a large bowl of salted cold water for 20 minutes. This removes any sand that might be on or in the mussels. Drain, and using a stiff brush, remove any barnacles or debris from the outside. If any mussels have a beard (strands of black, fibrous threads) remove by pulling on it—it should come out easily. Discard mussels with broken shells or any that remain open after you tap them gently.

No wine? No problem. If you prefer not to use wine, add additional stock.

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Asparagus prosciutto tart

SERVES 2–4 AS AN ENTRÉE

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

2 cups grated/shredded Emmental or Gruyere cheese

½ pound sliced prosciutto, torn or cut in half crosswise

1 pound asparagus, trimmed

1–2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a half sheet or baking pan with parchment paper. Roll out pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Place on baking sheet. Using a paring knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch from edges—not cutting all the way through. Using a fork, pierce holes all over the bottom of pastry inside the knife markings. Bake pastry until golden, about 10–15 minutes.

Remove pastry shell from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Arrange half of prosciutto on cheese. Place asparagus crosswise inside the pastry shell on top of prosciutto, alternating ends and tips. Place remaining prosciutto on top of asparagus in a decorative pattern of your choice. Brush tart all over with olive oil. Sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Bake until asparagus spears are tender, 15–20 minutes. If the pastry is browning too fast, tent with foil. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes, slice and serve. Sprinkle with Parmesan, if desired.

Chef’s tip

Scoring puff pastry. When scored, the edges will rise higher than the base of the crust and form a border that will prevent the ingredients from sliding off the dough. Poking holes, or “docking,” prevents the dough from puffing up or forming air bubbles during baking.

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Linguine with ramps and garlic 

SERVES 4

½ pound ramps (8–12), roots cut off

1 pound linguine

½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, divided

1 garlic clove, minced 

Kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup freshly grated Romano cheese

Crushed croutons

Separate leaves from the bulbs and stems. Slice ramp bulbs and stems and set aside. Chop leaves and set aside. Keep separate. Cook pasta according to instructions. Drain, reserving 2 cups of pasta water. Keep warm.

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Cook the bulbs and stems for about 3 minutes until softened. Add garlic and continue to cook for an additional minute. Add salt and pepper and stir. Add 1 cup of pasta water and whisk together. Transfer pasta to skillet and toss together. Add remaining butter and cheese and toss until well combined. Add ramp leaves and toss again. Add more pasta water if needed to thin sauce. Check taste and add more salt if needed. To serve, twirl pasta onto serving plate and garnish with additional grated cheese and crushed croutons.

Chef’s tip

What are ramps? Ramps are wild onions, also called wild leeks, and are related to spring onions. They grow in wooded areas throughout the South, Northeast and Midwest. They are foraged in the springtime and can be found in supermarkets and farmers markets. If you are unable to find ramps, substitute with spring onions or scallions and add a little more garlic to your recipe.

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Sautéed cod and lentil salad

SERVES 4

Lentil Salad

1 cup cooked green lentils (cook according to instructions)

1 small English cucumber, diced

½ red onion, finely diced

½ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

½ cup sundried tomatoes, diced

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, minced

Kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Cod

1½ pounds cod fillets (or tilapia, haddock, sole or halibut)

1–2 teaspoons homemade SPG seasoning (salt, pepper, and garlic)

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter

Lemon wedges, for garnish

Add the cooked lentils, cucumber, onion, mint and tomatoes to a large bowl and set aside. In a small bowl or lidded jar, add olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper and whisk (or shake if using a jar) until totally combined. Drizzle lentil mixture with just enough of the dressing to moisten.

Season cod with seasoning blend. In a skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Add fish, skin side down, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully flip fish over and add butter. Cook, basting with butter until fish is cooked through. Transfer salad to a large serving platter and place fish fillets on top. Serve with lemon wedges.

Chef’s tip

SPG seasoning

Salt, pepper and garlic (SPG) is a common all-purpose seasoning blend. Make a big jar of it and keep it on your cooktop to add to all your favorite dishes.

½ cup fine kosher or sea salt

¼ cup medium ground black pepper

¼ cup granulated (not powdered) garlic

Combine ingredients well and store in a lidded jar. Shake before each use.

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Cooking with shrimp

Ready to cook shrimp like a pro? Use these tips.

Fresh vs. frozen. Frozen shrimp can be used interchangeably for fresh shrimp in any recipe. Thaw shrimp in the refrigerator overnight before cooking, or, if you’re in a hurry, in a bowl under slow-running cold water until thawed.

Should I remove tails from shrimp? This is a personal preference. Generally, the tails are removed to make the dish easier to eat. However, in more sophisticated dishes, the tails may be left on for appearance and presentation.

What’s your favorite color? While there are over 300 species of shrimp worldwide, the four main types available in our area are white, pink, brown and red. Once cooked it is almost impossible to visually tell them apart.

Keeping count. Shrimp is graded by size based on the number of shrimp per pound.

Colossal (also referred to as U15) = 15 shrimp or less per pound

Extra Jumbo = 16 to 20 shrimp per pound

Jumbo = 21 to 25 shrimp per pound

Extra Large = 26 to 30 shrimp per pound

Large = 31 to 40 shrimp per pound

Medium = 41 to 50 shrimp per pound

Small = 51 to 60 shrimp per pound

Tiny = 61 to 70 shrimp per pound

Prawns vs. shrimp. There is no distinguishable difference in the taste of prawns and shrimp. They are interchangeable in recipes.

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What’s cooking at SCLiving.coop/food/chefbelinda

Can’t get enough of shrimp recipes? Neither can we! Visit SCLiving.coop for these recipes and how-to videos.

Cooking Carolina shrimp—Chef Belinda Smith-Sullivan shares four delicious ways to serve up our state’s favorite seafood.

Shrimp Chilaquiles—Add shrimp to this this Tex-Mex version of migas and turn dinner into a fiesta. 

Cajun Shrimp over Dirty Rice—Take a culinary trip for two to New Orleans with this Cajun classic. 

Shrimp and Andouille Jambalaya—Let the good times roll with the classic flavors of the Big Easy.

Black Bean, Corn and Shrimp Chowder—Grab a spoon and dig into a warm bowl of happiness to ward off the winter chill.

Seafood and Sausage Chowder—Savor the combined flavors of shrimp, scallops and Italian sausage for a hearty winter meal served in a homemade bread boule.

Deveining shrimp. In this how-to video, Chef Belinda Smith-Sullivan shows us how professional chefs devein shrimp.