Lobster Stuffed with Crab

I would say that the only thing that sucks about my job is that we are a 365 day, 24/7 facility and holidays really don't mean anything. Last year we at least got to take Christmas day off, but not this year. I worked on Thanksgiving morning but made it home in time to start and fix dinner. I wasn't scheduled to work on Christmas too, but Shayley had a family thing in Salt Lake and I thought offering to work for her was the thing to do. It became even more palpable when Chef Cam said that he was going to serve the guests Lobster Stuffed with Crab, and I would get some! I actually was involved in the tasting of the dish as he was perfecting it. As it turned out though, they didn't let him serve that so I bought some of the lobster from him and served it to Gayle, Mike and Steve on the Sunday after Christmas. The complete meal includes Orzo with Fresh Vegetables (very festive with red and green vegies) and a Nog Shake. I didn't make the nog shake but I had one at the resort and it was yummy. So, here is the lobster/crab recipe and then I'll post the other two.

Bon appetite and stay well until next time!

Lobster Stuffed with Crab
Servings: 4

4 5oz lobster tails

Steam for 5 minutes. Then add them to an ice and water container to let them cool down after cooking. Let them sit in the water for atleast 5 minutes to stop the cooking process.


Crab Filling:

6 oz jumbo lump crab
1/8 cup veganaise
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1/8 cup red bell peppers, roasted and diced
1/8 cup red onion, small diced
1/8 cup tomatoes, oven roasted (should be able to find this in up scale markets)

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees. Split the lobster tails in half. Clean the lobster meat if needed. Then split the crab filling between the 8 ½ lobster tails. Add them to a sheet pan and bake them for 7- 10 minutes or until the lobster and crab heats up.. Make sure not to over cook this. Serve this with the orzo and fresh vegetables.

One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is making really good cookies and then giving as many of them away as I can! The tradition goes back to when the girls were really young and now a new generation has joined in the fun. This year I went up to Layton and Jen, Denise and I baked all day Saturday the 11th. We made sankakkers, which are a traditional Norwegian Christmas cookie that you make in shells, a new cookie I started making last year, double-ginger chocolate chunk cookies, and homemade turtles. Jen also made another cookie batter and Lauren and her friend Kimberly made cute green Christmas tree cookies. I thought it would be Lauren or Katie who would help us with the sankakkers but it was the five year old, Ethan, who helped with those. It was hysterical watching him jam the dough into the shells, but Aunt Denise was very patient with him. The ones he made we put on a special plate for his friends.
So, I want to share the recipe for the double-ginger chocolate chunk cookies. They are super yummy!
Bon appetite and stay well until next time!

Double-Ginger Chocolate Chunk Cookies
30 cookies
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks) room temperature
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar (plus 1/2 cup for rolling)
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup coarsely chopped candied ginger
1 cup dark chocolate chunks (chop a gourmet chocolate bar for the best results)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, spices and cocoa in a large bowl. Set aside.
With a mixer, cream together butter and 1/3 cup dark brown sugar and 1/3 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Beat in egg yolk. Add molasses and vanilla. Add flour mixture. Mix until no flour pockets remain. Stir in chocolate and ginger. Chill dough until firm.
Place 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a bowl. Roll tablespoonfuls of cookie dough into balls and roll in sugar.
Place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, rotating pan after 5 minutes, until cookies are beginning to crack and edges are just set. Do not overbake.
Let cookies cool briefly on baking sheet and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Grilled Turkey Sandwich

Leftover turkey sandwiches are great but these are really, really good!
Bon appetite and stay well until next time!

Grilled Turkey Sandwich
4 sandwiches

1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Salt and cayenne to taste
2 1/2 cups coleslaw mix
2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
8 tablespoons cranberry sauce, divided
8 slices rye or pumpernickel bread, buttered on one side
8 slices Swiss cheese, divided (4 oz)
8 ounces roasted turkey breast, thinly sliced, divided

Whisk mayonnaise, vinegar, salt and cayenne together in a bowl. Stir in coleslaw and parsley; set aside.
Preheat a griddle or large nonstick skillet to medium.
Assemble sanwiches spreading 1 tablespoon cranberry sauce on the unbuttered side of each slice of bread. Top each with a slice of cheese, then arrange turkey on 4 slices of bread; top each with 1/4 cup slaw. Place remaining bread on slaw, buttered side up.
Grill sandwiches, pressing them lightly with the back of a baking sheet. Cook until golden on one side, about 2 minutes, flip0 and grill until bread is toasted and chees is melted.
501 calories per sandwich

Turkey Tortilla Soup

As I stated in a previous blog, Randy and I don't have many traditions around the holidays. Some would say some of what we do aren't really tradition, but we do the same thing every year so I think that it is!
For many years I had the day after Thanksgiving off and I always start my holiday decorating on Friday and finish sometime on Sunday. I now work on Friday so I didn't get to start until Saturday this year. I always fill the disc changer up with Christmas CDs and the first one I listen to while decorating is Neil Diamond. Yes, nothing like a Jewish man singing Christmas carols to get me in the mood! We always start the Christmas movie watching with A Christmas Story. I love the dialog in this movie and it is just so funny!
At least one night on that first weekend I make my Turkey Tortilla Soup. I have had a ton of tortilla soups at many different restaurants, but this recipe beats them all! Do watch the tortilla strips in the oven as they can burn easily.
Bon appetite and stay well until next time!

Turkey Tortilla Soup
8 cup servings

2 cups onion, diced
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded, diced
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
4 cups chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes in just (14.5 oz)
2 Cups cooked turkey, chopped
1 cup canned black beans, drained, rinsed
1/4 cup scallions sliced
2 tablespoons mined fresh cilantro
juice of 1/2 a lime
6 white corn tortillas
Shredded Monterey Jack, sour cream, sliced avacado and prepared tortilla strips.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Stack tortillas and slice 1/4 inch by 3 inch. Toss tortilla strips in 2 tablespoons oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake until crisp, 12 to 14 minutes, remove from oven.
Sweat onion, corn, garlic and jalapeno in 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomato past, chipotles and seasonings; cook 1 minute. Add broth, tomatoes, turkey and beans, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes.
Finish soup with scallions, cilantro, lime juice and salt to taste. Top each serving with cheese, sour cream, avacado and tortilla strips.
282 calories per serving.

Gary's Green Beans

Well, I have really been beating myself up because I haven't blogged as promised. There are so many reasons, none of which need to be mentioned, all of which are very valid.
I try so hard to be prepared for the "holiday season" and it always comes before it should. Who knew that Thanksgiving is always on the 4th Thursday of every November? Isn't there some flexibility? But, being an A personality that is an over achiever, I can't help myself from trying to do more than is humanly possible, plus, I got sick. Hadn't been sick for 2 years so didn't quite know how to act.
Really, the only thing that got me through the last couple of weeks was the fact that Jill was here and wanted to do a bunch of cooking. Normally that doesn't mean anything Monday through Friday because Randy does the cooking for dinner those nights and I'm responsible for Saturday and Sunday. But, it meant a ton!
So, as promised, we're going to start with Gary's green bean dish that is so yummy, and easy. It is a rather "general" recipe that you can increase quantities as you need. I promise, my leftover recipes will follow. You can always cook another turkey!!
Bon appetite and stay well until next time!

Gary's Green Beans
serves 2 people

One large handfull of fresh green beans, stems cut off. Julienne the green beans and then cut them approximately 2 inches each.
Pleace the green beans in a steamer using about 1 1/2 cups water. Steam for about 10n minutes or until they are just past the raw crunchy side or to your satisfaction. Save the water.
In a hot pan, place a couple teaspoon raw sliced almonds. Keep stirring so as not to let the almonds get past the light tan side as the flavor gets too strong when they are brown.
Julienne a fourth of a large red bell pepper. Take two large mushrooms, cut in half and slice thinly. In a really hot pan pour a tablespoon of olive oil and add the bell peppers, allow them to lightly darken on one side to develop flavor (don't let them sit and burn, keep stirring) then add the mushrooms and continue cooking until the mushroom are lightly brown.
With the string bean water cooled, add a tablespoon of butter and two teaspoons of flour. Heat this to make a light butter sauce. Add the beans, mushrooms and nuts to the pan with the sauce and stir over heat until all is coated with sauce.

1 large hand

Green Bean Casserole with Onion Rings

I already told you that Fall is my favorite time of the year. When I was a kid in the Salt Lake area, we had the beautiful colors in the mountains. We don't have that here in Southern Utah. When we moved here Randy asked what trees were indigenous to this area and my simple answer was none! But November begins the holiday season for me and that is what makes this time of year so special.
Jill and Kirsten arrived yesterday for a week-long stay. We were talking about traditions and it made me think about some of the holiday traditions we had as kids, not many, and the traditions that Randy and I have. Again, not many. And some would say that they aren't even traditions, but, they are ours! As a kid we always spent Thanksgiving with Coral and Karl McRae and their kids. We would have the dinner at our house one year and they would have the dinner at their house the next. I don't remember much about the cooking because we were always playing games in the basement and only came upstairs when dinner was ready. I do remember a "kids" table. Brent and I were the youngest so we were always at that table. No matter which house dinner was at, the menu was the same. Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, yams with marshmellows on top, string bean casserole, rolls, bread and butter pickles and olives, lots of olives! When Great Aunt Mandy came, she always brought apricot nectar and we added 7 Up to it for our drink. She always brought butter mints as well. Dessert was always pumpkin pie. After dinner the adult males would retire to the front room and take a nap in front of the fire place. The kids would go back down to the basement and play and I assume Mother and Coral did all the cleaning up.
When Randy and I got married 22 years ago, we were living in Livermore, California and the "traditions" started the very first year. First tradition, Randy, Carl, Gary and Steve (I affectionately called them the gruesome foursome)always played golf on Thanksgiving morning. I did all the cooking on Thanksgiving in those days. Because it was just the two of us, we kept it rather simple. No yams because neither of us like them so why bother. Plenty of turkey, potatoes and gravy, string beans, rolls and no pumpkin pie. Yes, no pumpkin pie because Randy doesn't like pumpkin! So, for several years I suffered in silence. A number of years went by and we invited bro Gary and Patrice over for Thanksgiving. It was great to have them but it sure made a dent in my leftovers! As the years went by we invited other friends as well and if I didn't end up with enough leftovers, I would just cook another turkey! But, if others were coming we always had two desserts, something chocolate for Randy and pumpkin pie for everybody else! The only other "tradition" we have on Thanksgiving is football. We actually plan the meal around half-time! And, since everybody in my family loves to hate (well, loved, because they aren't much fun to hate amymore)Dallas, we were all rooting for the same team, whoever Dallas was playing!
This year it will be a small group for dinner. Jill and Kirsten, Randy and I and Steve.
I wanted to post some of my recipes from past years. I wanted to start with an updated green bean casserole that I got from Cuisine at Home. I'll follow that up with the green bean recipe from bro Gary. I'll also be posting some of my favorite recipes for using your leftovers. I love a hot open-face turkey sandwich as much as the next person, but there is so much more you can do with all those leftovers!

Bon appetite and stay well until next time!

Green Bean Casserole with Onion Rings

Onion Ring Topping

Heat
3 cups vegetable oil
Soak:
1 large onion, sliced into 1/4 " thick rings
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Blend:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cayenne
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil to 350 degrees in a large saute pan over medium heat.
Soak onion rings in buttermilk.
Blend flour, cayenne, salt and pepper in a second bowl.
Dredge onion rings in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Fry until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels before serving.

Saute:
2 strips thick-sliced bacon, diced
Add:
1/2 cup onion, sliced
8 ounces button mushrooms, quartered
Pulse:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Melt; whisk in:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Slowly add; stir in:
1 1/2 cups milk warmed
herbed cheese mixture
salt and pepper to taste
Combine:
1 pound haricot vert, blanced
sauteed mushroom mixture
herbed cheese sauce
Before serving, top with:
Onion Ring Topping.

Coat a 1 quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.
Saute bacon in a saute pan over medium heat until nearly cooked.
Add onion and cook until tender. Stir in mushrooms; cook until soft and onions are golden, about 5 minutes, then set aside.
Pulse cream cheese, butter, Dijon, garlic, herbs, lemon juice and Worcestershire in a food processor until blended; chill.
Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute.
Slowly add warm milk, whisking until thick. Stir in herbed cheese, salt and pepper until melted.
Combine blanched beans, mushrooms and cheese sauce in a large bowl. Transfer to prepared casserole dish and chill until ready to bake (up to 1 day ahead).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake casserole for 30 minutes or until filling is bubbly. Before serving, top casserole with fried onion rings.

Tiny Tacos

Girls just want to have fun!!!
So, most of you know that I am pretty "crafty." It started in my teens when my mother taught me how to crochet and knit. It expanded to ceramics , cross stitch and needlepoint as the years went on. Once I had filled all my walls at Christmas time I took up quilting. I then bought a bigger house to accommodate it all!
Actually, it is Jen's fault that I took up quilting. I fought the notion of taking it up because I thought that I had enough going on with all the other things. So, why is it Jen's fault? Because she had mentioned that she was interested in taking it up and might want a starter kit. So, Suzanna and I had lunch in downtown Livermore and right next door was a quilt store. Now, isn't that convenient! So, we went in and on the wall was a small Americana wall hanging that I just fell in love with...and it was going to be a class where I could learn how to quilt. And, as a bonus, we had just purchased what was going to be our vacation home for the next 5 years and I was going to decorate the guest bathroom in Americana. Meant to be!!
So, I walked out of the store with the starter kit and the fabric to make the wall hanging. The rest is history. I don't know how many quilts I have made. More than a dozen made specifically to go on beds and probably another dozen or more decorative wall hangings.
My most recent find is a fabric called minkee (sometimes spelled minky if you do a google search). Now, imagine the softest fabric that you can think of and make it 10 times softer. You now have minkee! And it comes in the most vibrant colors and patterns. The first one I made was a baby snuggle and is in greens, blues, browns and yellows. I love it so I will keep it for myself. I currently have it in my office because it gets very cold in my office during the winter and it feels very good over my legs. Also, I can stroke it and that makes me very happy! I had a guest give me a tip and told me to get myself a massage and I thought no way!!! I'm going to get the fabric for a grand snuggle for me! The grand snuggle is roughly 62X70. The girls at my favorite quilt store told me that the animal prints in brown, black and cream were me! I made it and I love it!
So, the girls at the resort went nuts over these blankets so I planned a minkee blanket making party at my house and asked that they bring a finger food. I looked in the Devin Alexander cookbook that I recently purchased and found these fun mini tacos.

Bon appetite and stay well until next time!

Tiny Tacos
2 servings

10 Tostitos Baked! Scoops
1/4 cup finely shredded romaine lettuce
2 tablespoons finely chopped tomatoes
1/2 ounce (about 2 1/2 tablespoons finely shredded light cheddar chees
1 teaspoon lower-sodium taco seasoning
2 ounces 96% lean ground beef
1 tablespoon mild or hot red taco sauce

Arrange the Scoops side by side on a plate.
Mix the lettuce, tomatoes and cheese in a medium bowl until well combined. Divide evenly among the Scoops (about 1 1/2 teaspoons per Scoop).
Stir 2 teaspoons water into the taco seasoning in a small bowl until it has no lumps. Set aside.
Prehead a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Put in the beef. Use a wooden spoon to coarsely crumble the meat as it cooks. When the beef is no longer pink, after 1 to 2 minutes, stir in the seasoning mixture. When no liquid remains, after about 1 minute, remove from the heat. Divide the meat evenly among the Scoops, atop with lettuce mixture (about 1 teaspoon in each). Dollop the top of each with taco sauce. Serve immediately.
101 calories per serving