Lobster Ravi in Tomato Cream

Since Lent is just a week away I have been looking into more fish recipes. Here's my first one!

Lobster Ravoli in Tomato Cream

Ingredients
For the Shrimp Stock:
1/2 pound unpeeled large shrimp
1 yellow onion, quartered
2 stalks celery with leaves, cut into pieces
1 lemon, halved
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 cups water

For the Sauce:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup white wine
1 cup canned petite diced tomatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
16 lobster ravioli

For Garnish:
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Directions
Peel and devein the shrimp, reserving the shells and heads. Chop the shrimp into bite-size pieces.
To make the shrimp stock, combine the shrimp shells and heads, onion, and celery in a large pot. Squeeze the lemon juice into the pot, then add the lemon halves as well. Add the dried basil, oregano, thyme, peppercorns, 1/2 cup parsley, and 3 cups of water. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, skimming away any foam or impurities that have risen to the surface. Strain the shrimp stock and set aside.
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the shrimp pieces until pink and almost cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add the shallots to the pan; cook and stir until the shallots have softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, lemon zest, salt, and ground pepper. Cook for thirty seconds, then add the white wine. Bring to a boil and cook until the white wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp stock to the pan, bring it to a boil, and simmer until the sauce is reduce by half, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, fill a large pot with heavily salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in ravioli, and return to a boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the ravioli float to the top and the filling is hot, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain well, reserving a little pasta-cooking water to thin the sauce, if necessary.
Stir the diced tomatoes and cream into the shrimp sauce and heat through. Return the shrimp to the pan, taste the sauce, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Fold the ravioli into the sauce.
Place four ravioli onto each of four warmed pasta bowls or plates and top with sauce. Garnish the pasta with chopped parsley and lemon zest.

Benihana's Meal!

Who doesn't love the super yummy Asian food of Benihana's? But the price makes it hard to go often. The show is well worth it though! But what do you do when you have that insane craving for it? Why, you make it at home of course! And who would have guessed how inexpensive and easy it was! I made this last Sunday for my Mom, Dad, Gran, and family! The 7 of us ate for around $30 total! Wow! So here are the recipes I used. Sorry, everyone ate it so fast I didn't have time for pictures!

Fried Rice (I didn't put on quite the spectacle that the hibachi chefs do but I held my own.)

Ingredients:


2 ounces cooked chicken
8 ounces steamed rice
2 eggs
1 teaspoon onion, chopped
2/3 teaspoon carrot, chopped
2/3 teaspoon green onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sesame seed
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
6 pinches pepper 6 pinches salt (optional)

Directions:
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 20 mins
1 Scramble eggs and chop after cooking.
2 Saute chopped onion, green onion and carrots until done and mix with chopped scrambled egg and chicken.
3 Break off chunks of steamed rice and mix with vegetable, egg and chicken.
4 Add sesame seed and salt and pepper, stirring well. 5 Add butter and soy sauce into the mixture, stirring well until done.



Shrimp Sauce (This yummy pink sauce is SPOT on to the restaurant!!)

Ingredients:

1 cup peaches in heavy syrup
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise (the real stuff)
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon honey (optional)
2 tablespoons ketchup or 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

Directions:
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 10 mins
1 Mix all ingredients, except vinegar, in a blender and refrigerate overnight to let the flavors blend. 2 Add Vinegar before serving and mix well.

Ginger Sauce (This is the dipping sauce, not salad dressing)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup sake
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon garlic, grated 1 teaspoon gingerroot, grated

Directions:
Prep Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 5 mins1 Put all ingredients in a bowl and stir well.

Teriyaki Sauce (used on chicken)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sake
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup mirin
2 tablespoons sugar

Saute Mix
3/4 lb boneless beef top loin steaks, sliced thin or 3/4 lb boneless chicken, cut into bite size pieces 4 spring onions, roughly chopped

Tater Tot Casserole Stolen from Hungry Girl!

Cooking for a crowd can be a bit of a challenge -- you want to make something delicious that everyone will enjoy, keep it from being super-fattening, and avoid spending hours in the kitchen. Luckily for you, we LOVE solving problems... Read on!



Not-Your-Mom's Tater Tot Casserole
PER SERVING (1/6th of casserole, about 1 cup): 273 calories, 7.5g fat, 880mg sodium, 35.5g carbs, 8g fiber, 5.5g sugars, 15.5g protein -- PointsPlus™ value 7*This recipe is packed with so many delicious items, and it's crazy-easy to make! Plus, who doesn't love Tater Tots?!
Ingredients:
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
3 cups frozen chopped spinach
2 cups frozen bite-sized mixed veggies
2 cups frozen ground-beef-style soy crumbles (like the kind by Boca or Morningstar Farms)
1 cup frozen shelled edamame
1 tsp. chopped garlic
One 10.75-oz. can 98% fat-free cream of mushroom condensed soup
36 frozen Ore-Ida Tater Tots (about 3 cups)
Optional: salt, black pepper

Directions:Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat on the stove. Add mushrooms and onion. Stirring occasionally, cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Set aside.Meanwhile, place frozen spinach, mixed veggies, soy crumbles, and edamame in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave for 5 minutes. Uncover and stir. Cover and microwave for 3 more minutes, or until thawed.Once cool enough to handle, drain any excess water from the bowl. Add mushroom-onion mixture and garlic, and mix well. Add condensed soup, and toss until ingredients are thoroughly coated.Spray an 8" X 8" baking pan with nonstick spray, and evenly spoon mixture into the pan, smoothing the surface with the back of a spoon. Evenly lay Tater Tots on top in a single layer.Bake in the oven until entire casserole is hot and the top is crispy, about 35 minutes. Serve it up and, if you like, season to taste with salt and pepper!MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Super Bowl Sunday

When I think of Super Bowl Sunday, I think of two things...beer and bacon. Beer, because, what is better than watching the big game with your favorite brew? Well, that one thing is bacon! Sweet, salty, greasy bacon! MMMMM! So for my Super Bowl party, naturally I made things wrapped in bacon!

First up, Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers.

Ingredients:

Jalapenos

Cream Cheese (I use Weight Watchers)

Bacon

Directions:

I wear rubber gloves when making these, but you don't have to. Cut each jalapeno's top off. Then cut it in half length wise.

Scoop out all of the insides with a spoon.

Throw all of your garbage into your garbage bowl. After scooping out all of the insides stuff the jalapenos with your cream cheese. Then cut your bacon slices in half.

Then wrap the bacon around the jalapenos.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or so. I put my cooling wrack inside of my baking sheet so that the grease drains from the jalapenos. You can flip if you like halfway through cooking, but I seem to lose my cream cheese. And then the end result is following.

Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

Just the sound of this made me starving!

Ingredients:

Frozen Tiger Shrimp

Bacon

Garlic Powder

Salt

Directions:

Thaw the shrimp as directed on packaging. You don't have to do frozen shrimp, you can also use fresh.

Toss shrimp in garlic powder and salt.

Then wrap in bacon, place on pan (I did the same with the pan as I did with the poppers to have them drain). Then broil on high for 5 minutes on each side. And enjoy!

Grilled Gourmet

Who doesn't love grilled cheese? My kids love it, I love it, and my husband can toast it to perfection! I'm sure others have put these combinations together, but I love these gourmet takes on normal grilled cheese.

Brie Melt...mmm...yummy Brie, ooey gooey and delish!

Ingredients:

Double cream Brie

Cranberries

honey

pecans

french bread

butter

Directions:

Butter outside slices of French Bread. Put Brie, all over both sides of the bread. Place honey on top of the Brie, then place cranberries and pecans inside. Grill to perfection.

The Great Goat

Ingredients:

Goat Cheese of your choice

fresh basil

tomatoes

French Bread

I don't think you'll need directions for this one!

BAP (You'll understand the name in a minute)

Ingredients:

Bacon

Avocado

Smooth Provolone cheese

Directions:

Make your bacon and slice your avocado. Prepare your provolone and bread and stuff! MMMMMMMMMMMMM!

The Granny Grilled (This one may be my fav!)

Ingredients:

Gruyere cheese

Tart apples

Directions:

Layer it all on Wheat bread!!!!! OH MY!

Stromboli di Mama

In other words....my Mom's Stromboli!

My mother is a beautiful, old fashioned Italian. She makes her lasagna from scratch (not some frozen box), makes me pasta chichita for my birthday every year, makes homemade cannoli's every Christmas, and tries to get us all interested in the feast of the 7 fishes. So naturally I assumed that her Stromboli was an all day process that I would never master. Surprised? I say so!

Ingredients:

(1 can per Stromboli) Pillsbury refrigerated French Bread (say what????)

Marinara Sauce

Toppings of your choice (we used Italian sausage, onions, mushrooms, and pepperoni)

Cheese of your choice (we used Provolone, Mozzarella, and Cheddar)

Cooking Spray

Directions:

Roll out the french bread and pat down flat. Add ingredients of your choice (sometimes I put the sauce inside the roll, sometimes on the side just for dipping.) Roll up in a spiral and put a little bit of melted butter of EVOO on the top for the browning of the bread. Bake at 375 for 22 minutes.

Slice and enjoy.

9 years of bliss

I'm not generally a sappy person, but today I celebrate 4 years of bliss, and 9 years of marriage....like how that works...hahaha


So for my anniversary, I decided to make a roast.





Dijon Roast




Ingredients:

• Small Beef Roast
• Dijon Mustard
• Garlic
• Thyme (I used dried)
• Basil (I used dried sweet)
• Oregano (I used dried)
• Sage (I used dried)
• And some diced onions

I did all of this to taste and mixed it all with a bit of EVOO and smeared it all over the roast.

Then I baked the roast at 325 for 2 hours. I let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing. YUM! Now what should go with it? hmmmm......



Until next time!