Easy dinner recipes: Three great ideas for garlic lovers

Love garlic? You can’t go wrong with these easy dinner ideas. Stick with the amount of garlic given in the recipe, or go ahead and double it. Triple it, even. We dare you.

Whether you call them chickpeas or garbanzo beans, if you’re a fan, they don’t get much better than this refreshingly bright salad, one of our Top 10 Recipes from 2011. Marinate chickpeas in a blend of lemon juice, olive oil and salt, then toss them with some Spanish chorizo, tomatoes and a little garlic, green onion, parsley and bell pepper. Marinate the beans first thing in the morning, then assemble the salad in the last few minutes before you sit down to eat. It makes a colorful side, or a perfect light meal. - See more at: https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2012/05/dinner-tonight-chickpea-salad-with-chorizo.html#sthash.J3QhXScu.dpuf
Craft’s mushrooms: A blend of mushrooms -- crimini, shiitake, oyster, trumpet royale and maitake -- is sauteed in a rich garlic-shallot butter and tossed with chopped fresh herbs in this dish, which works well either as a substantial side or light main course.

Sizzling shrimp with garlic and hot pepper: Dinner doesn’t get much simpler than sizzling shrimp with a touch of garlic and a sprinkling of hot pepper, ready in less than half an hour. That’s plenty of time to slice a baguette (to soak up all those amazing juices) and pour a couple of glasses of wine before you settle in for the evening.

QUICK & EASY: Terrific recipes in under an hour

Quinoa with shiitakes, fennel and cashews: Nutty quinoa, meaty shiitake mushrooms, caramelized fennel, garlic and crunchy toasted cashews. Sound good? These flavors come together in perfect harmony in this salad, which can be dinner tonight in less than an hour.

You can find the recipes below.

And for more ideas, click through our easy dinner recipes gallery and check out our Dinner Tonight page, devoted to recipes that can be made in an hour or less. Looking for a particular type of recipe? Comment below or email me at noelle.carter@latimes.com.

RECIPES: 99 easy dinner ideas in about an hour or less

Peel-’n’-eat shrimp

Total time: About 55 minutes, plus marinating time for the shrimp

Servings: About 5 servings (10 shrimp each)

Note: Adapted from chef David Lentz of the Hungry Cat. Mexican white shrimp are available at seafood markets and fine fish counters. Pabst or Tecate is recommended for the beer. The restaurant serves this dish with cocktail sauce.

2 1/2 pounds Mexican white shrimp, defrosted

4 (12-ounce cans) of beer, divided

2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning

1 tablespoon Hungarian

paprika

2 tablespoons celery salt

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 head garlic

5 tablespoons best-quality olive oil, divided

1 large white onion, chopped

1 sprig rosemary

1 chile de arbol

2 lemons

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with the contents of 1 can of beer. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.

2. In a small bowl, combine the Old Bay, paprika, celery salt, kosher salt, cayenne pepper and ground ginger. Set aside.

3. With a sharp knife, cut the head of garlic (with the peel) in half crosswise. In a large stockpot heated over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the chopped onion, all of the garlic, the rosemary and chile de arbol and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of the spice blend and the juice of 1 lemon, stirring. Add the remaining beer and reduce the liquid by three-fourths over high heat, about 20 minutes.

4. Drain the shrimp and add them to the pot. Cover the pot, and steam just until the shrimp are cooked, 4 to 5 minutes over high heat. The shrimp will be ready when they turn white; be careful not to overcook them.

5. Remove the shrimp to a large baking sheet with sides and drizzle with remaining olive oil. Sprinkle over more of the spice blend to taste (we used 2 tablespoons). Sprinkle with the parsley and the juice from the remaining lemon. Serve immediately.

Each serving: 279 calories; 36 grams protein; 4 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 10 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 339 mg. cholesterol; 888 mg. sodium.

- See more at: https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2012/07/dinner-tonight-peel-and-eat-shrimp-from-the-hungry-cat.html#sthash.McBIxgv5.dpuf
CRAFT’S MUSHROOMS

Total time: 40 minutes | Serves 4 to 6

3 sprigs tarragon

6 sprigs parsley

3 sprigs chervil

3 medium-sized shallots

12 cloves garlic

6 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups halved or quartered crimini mushrooms

1 1/2 cups halved baby shiitake mushrooms

1 1/2 cups diced oyster mushrooms

1 1/2 cups diced trumpet royale mushrooms (also known as eringe mushrooms)

1 1/2 cups diced or torn maitake mushrooms (also known as hen of the woods)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Pick the leaves off the tarragon, parsley and chervil. Mince them together and set aside for later.

2. Mince the shallots and garlic cloves together. Using a sauté pan, cook the garlic and shallots in 3 tablespoons oil over medium-low heat until they are translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently so the shallot and garlic does not burn. Add the butter and continue to cook the garlic and shallots until they are tender. Set the garlic-shallot butter aside.

3. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the remaining vegetable oil and sauté the mushrooms until they are golden brown, seasoning with one-half teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper, or to taste.

4. Add the garlic-shallot butter to the mushrooms as well as the chopped herbs. Stir the mushrooms in the sauté pan so that they are evenly coated with the herbs and garlic-shallot butter.

5. Taste the mushrooms and add more salt if needed.

6. Drain the mushrooms briefly on paper towels to remove any excess fat if desired before serving.

Each of 6 servings: 207 calories; 3 grams protein; 7 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 20 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 15 mg cholesterol; 3 grams sugar; 202 mg sodium

SIZZLING SHRIMP WITH GARLIC AND HOT PEPPER

Total time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4 to 6

Note: Adapted from “Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking” by Paula Wolfert. She recommends using an 11- or 12-inch Spanish cazuela or straight-sided Flameware skillet. She also recommends using a heat diffuser for slow, steady cooking (especially if using an electric or ceramic stove top). Aleppo pepper can generally be found in Middle Eastern markets and cooking stores, as well as online. Marash pepper can be found at select Middle Eastern markets and online.

1 pound peeled small (about 60) or medium-large deveined (24 to 30) shrimp

1 scant cup extra-virgin olive oil, preferably Spanish

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

1 teaspoon mildly hot dried red pepper such as Aleppo or Marash

2 tablespoons hot water

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon sweet pimenton de la Vera (smoked Spanish paprika)

4 to 6 slices chewy country bread

1. Rinse the shrimp and wipe dry with paper towels. Leave them at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes so they are not ice-cold when they hit the pan.

2. Combine the olive oil, garlic and hot pepper in the cazuela. Set it over medium-low heat and warm the pan slowly, gradually raising the heat to medium or medium-high until the oil is hot. Continue to cook until the garlic sizzles and just turns golden, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Immediately add all the shrimp and cook until they are firm and curled, 2 to 4 minutes, depending on their size.

4. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons hot water and pinches of sea salt and pimenton. Serve at once right from the pot with the bread for soaking up the delicious oily sauce.

Each of 6 servings: 415 calories; 15 grams protein; 15 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 33 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 112 mg. cholesterol; 0 sugar; 470 mg. sodium.

QUINOA SALAD WITH SHIITAKES, FENNEL AND CASHEWS

Total time: 40 minutes

Servings: 4 to 6

Note: This recipe calls for a wok. Quinoa is generally available at health food stores as well as at well-stocked supermarkets, including Whole Foods stores.

2 cups quinoa

1 quart water

Salt

1/4 cup peanut oil

5 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

2 cups thinly sliced fennel (about 1 large bulb)

2 cups sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms

1 cup sliced green onions, both white and green parts (about 1 small bunch)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup toasted, salted cashews

4 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

4 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime

1. Rinse the quinoa under cool running water, then drain well with a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth-lined strainer (the grains are very small and will slip through a coarse strainer). Heat a wok over medium-high heat and toast the quinoa, shaking the pan frequently, just until the grains dry, are just beginning to color and have a nutty aroma, about 4 minutes. Set aside in a bowl.

2. In a medium, lidded pot, bring 1 quart of water to a boil over high heat. Stir in the quinoa with a pinch of salt, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook the quinoa until the grains are translucent and tender and the germ has spiraled out from the grain, 12 to 15 minutes (be careful not to overcook). Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, heat the wok again over high heat. Add the peanut oil and heat until it just begins to simmer. Stir in the garlic and fry, stirring constantly, just until the garlic is golden, about 30 seconds (the garlic can burn quickly). Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon, keeping the oil in the pan, and set aside.

4. Add the fennel to the oil and fry, stirring or tossing frequently, until it is caramelized, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oil and set aside. Add the shiitakes to the oil and stir-fry until caramelized, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir the green onions in with the mushrooms and continue to stir-fry just until the green onions begin to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and vinegar to the mixture and stir or toss to combine, then remove from heat.

5. In a large bowl, gently toss the quinoa with the warm shiitake-green onion mixture, the fennel, garlic, cashews, parsley, cilantro, lime zest and juice. Season to taste with additional salt if desired and serve immediately.

Each of 6 servings: 497 calories; 17 grams protein; 65 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams fiber; 18 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 273 mg. sodium.

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