Lobster Bisque - L - Alphabet Challenge

For L I wanted to feature one of my favorite ingredients - Lobster! I don't normally cook with it since it can be expensive and hard to find but it's such a treat when I get to use it. This dish is a bit time intensive so if you're serving this for a party I recommend making it the day before. Just store it overnight in an air tight container and reheat on the stove over low heat when ready to serve. 

1 pound Lobster bodies 
2 ounces olive oil 
1/2 head garlic 
6 ounces carrot 
8 ounces onion 
5 ounces celery 
2 ounces tomato paste 
2 tomato, chopped 
2 stems tarragon 
2 stems parsley 
2 ounces flour, all-purpose, or 3 oz. of white grain rice 
1 ounce brandy 
5 ounces white wine 
1 quart fish fumet or water 
10 ounces heavy cream 
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (add to taste, you're not trying to make a spicy bisque)

Directions: 

1. Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the lobster bodies and cook for approximately 3 minutes until nicely red. Crush the shells and cook for 3 more minutes. 

2. While the lobster shells toast, cut the mirepoix vegetables (carrot, onion, and celery) into cubes. Add to the lobster shells with a pinch of salt and pepper. 

3. Add the garlic and chopped tomato and cook for 2 minutes. 

4. Add the tomato paste, tarragon, and parsley and cook for 2 minutes.

5.  Add the flour or rice and cook to remove the raw flour taste (about 3 minutes) or until the rice is translucent. Mix well with a spatula, scraping the bottom. 

6. Add the brandy and white wine and cook for 3 minutes. 

7.  Add the fumet or water and cook for 30 minutes or until the soup is reduced by half. 

8. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove all shells and veggies. Return back to empty pot. 

9. Add cream and cook for 15 minutes until a rich creamy texture is achieved. Season with cayenne, salt, and pepper. Reserve and keep warm until needed. 

10. Garnish with diced lobster pieces (if available), lobster oil, chopped herbs, or lightly whipped cream.

Kofta Kebabs - K - Alphabet Challenge

K was a tough dish to decide on. I wanted to make my Czech bread dumplings (knedlicky) but since I've made that dish many times I wanted to try something new. I found this Mediterranean Kofta Kebab dish and was excited to try it. I don't typically use cinnamon, coriander, or nutmeg in my meat dishes but it added such an exotic earthy flavor I can't wait to use them again. 

I made some tzatziki sauce, tomato feta salad, and cous cous to serve with it. I also used some store bought pita bread and hummus. Feel free to mix/match your Mediterranean sides to make the dish what you love. 

Ingredients:
1 lb ground lamb
1/2 small onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
2 Tbsp chives
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Combine all of the spices into a spice mix (cinnamon, oregano, cumin, coriander, nutmeg, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper). Set spice mix aside. 

2. In a large bowl add the ground lamb, grated onion, garlic, chives and spice mix. Gently combine using your hands until everything is mixed together. You don't want to over mix or the meat will get tough so be gentle. 

3. Take the ground meat and make into a "meat stick" on a foil lined sheet pan. This will be about 1 inch wide and 3-4 inches long. You're basically making a rectangle that we will skewer later. Cover the "meat sticks" with plastic wrap and allow them to sit in the fridge for 1 hour. While meat chills, take wooden skewers and soak them in water so they don't burn on the grill.

4. After an hour, gently skewer the meat sticks with the water soaked skewers. Try your best to put the skewers directly in the center, all the way through the rectangle long ways so the skewer doesn't fall out during cooking. 

5. Preheat a pan or grill to medium high heat. Cook the kebabs (meat skewers) about 2-3 minutes per side until it's browned, about 8-10 minutes total. Remove skewers from the heat to a plate and let them rest for 2-3 minutes. 

6. When all side dishes are ready you can add the skewers to the plate and serve! They are best served warm. 

Tomato and Feta Salad

This is a side dish for my K dish of Kofta. I wanted to give it it's own recipe because it ended up turning out amazing, especially with the summer tomatoes. You could serve this as a first course or side dish. It's easy to make and I recommend making it in advance so the flavors have more time to meld and marinate. 

Ingredients:
2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 oz feta, cut into small chunks or crumbled
1 Tbsp fresh chives or parsley, finely diced
1 tsp fresh mint, finely diced
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp hot honey
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Add the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, hot honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a bowl. Stir until dressing is combined. 

2. Add the cherry tomatoes, feta, chives, and mint to the dressing mixture. Gently fold to combine all ingredients. Allow it to marinate at room temp for 1 hour. If making in advance allow to marinate in the fridge up to overnight. 

3. Serve the tomatoes and feta with a spoonful of dressing over the top. 

Jerky - J - Alphabet Challenge

J was a tough one to come up with. At first I was thinking a Jalapeno dish but my husband and I don't really enjoy spicy food. I have to credit Brian with this idea for the Jerky. Since I wanted to make a small batch I used a piece of filet mignon. This lead to a super tender beef jerky. If you're looking to make a lot or are on a budget, use the suggest eye of round roast. Whichever meat you decide to pick, make sure it is a lean cut since a the fat in the meat doesn't dry the same way. 

Ingredients: 
One 3-pound eye of round roast, trimmed of fat and silver skin (You could use filet mignon if you’re feeling fancy)
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp unseasoned meat tenderizer (see note)
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

1. Slice the meat between ⅛ and ¼ inch thick with the grain. If it’s hard to cut into thin even slices, you can put it in the freezer for a few minutes to make it easier to cut.

2. Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, meat tenderizer, black pepper, red pepper flakes, onion powder, and garlic powder. Whisk until evenly combined and the sugar is dissolved.

3. Add the meat to the marinade and toss until all of the pieces are evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap or transfer to a large ziplock bag and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours or overnight. Toss the meat (or flip the bag) once or twice to be sure the meat marinates evenly.

4. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil for easy clean-up. Place a wire rack over each pan. Preheat the oven to 175°F and set two oven racks in the centermost positions.

5. Arrange the marinated meat on the wire racks in a single layer, hanging the meat so it does not touch the foil. Bake, rotating the pans from front to back and top to bottom midway through, until the meat is dried out, 3 to 4 hours. To determine if the jerky is thoroughly dried out, take a piece out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature. It should be dry to the touch, leather-like in appearance, and chewy but still somewhat tender.

6. Store the jerky inside an airtight plastic container, Ziploc bag, or airtight glass jars. Properly dried jerky will keep at room temperature for about one week. Refrigerate or freeze for longer storage.

Ice Cream Sandwich Deconstructed - I - Alphabet Challenge

This week the best thing I could think of for the letter I was ice cream! And what better way to eat ice cream in summer then as an ice cream sandwich. I had some extra time this week so I decided to make my cookies and ice cream from scratch. I'm going to focus on the chocolate ice cream in this post but you can find my Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe here. 

To make this ice cream I recommend using an electric ice cream maker. There are other ways to chill the ice cream base like when we were kids and you used rock salt and rolled it but the ice cream maker was so much easier. Plus, I have it and never use it so figured I should utilize it. 

Making ice cream isn't a difficult process but it is time consuming. You have to cook the ice cream base, then chill it for about 6 hours in the fridge. Once cooled you can spin the ice cream to get the right texture and then freeze it for another 6 hours. The chilling steps can be done overnight so I made mine over two days. 

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream, divided

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups whole milk

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/8 tsp. sea salt

3 large egg yolks, beaten

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract  

Directions:

1. Whisk together 1 cup cream and cocoa powder in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and boil/simmer for 30 seconds whisking constantly.

2. Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate and whisk until smooth. Add remaining 1 cup of cream and whisk to combine. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and position a fine mesh strainer over it. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks.

4. In a second saucepan over medium heat, whisk together milk, sugar and sea salt.

5. Once the milk mixture is slightly warm, add ½ cup of warm milk to the beaten egg yolks and whisk to combine. Add the milk/egg mixture back into the saucepan, whisking during the addition. This will temper the egg yolks so they don’t turn into scrambled eggs.

6. Continue to cook the custard over medium heat and stir the mixture constantly with a spatula until the it thickens and lightly coats the spatula (when it reaches about 170 degrees F).

7. Pour the thickened custard through the metal strainer into the other ingredients in the bowl. Stir until combined. Discard any custard residue left on the strainer. 

8. Add the vanilla and stir to combine.

9. Place a lid on top and let the mixture cool in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, or overnight. To speed up the cooling process, you can place the container of the chocolate ice cream liquid base into an ice bath and stir it often.

10. Once the ice cream mixture is cooled to just below room temperature, churn it in an ice cream maker until thick and frozen (30-40 minutes).

11. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 6 hours.

12. Serve!

Parker House Rolls

Parker House Rolls originated in a hotel called Parker House on the east coast. What makes these rolls special is all  of the butter! It's almost like a brioche dough but fluffier. They do take some time to make so if you're planning this as part of a dinner party I would make them early in the day, pre bake them, and then heat them up right at serving time. Serving the Parker House Rolls slightly hot with melted butter on top is the best way to go. I also like to top my rolls with a sprinkle of sea salt to add a little more flavor. 

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. instant yeast
3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup potato flour or you can use more all-purpose flour but potato flour is better
3 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 large egg
4 Tbsp. butter, melted; for brushing on rolls
 
 
Directions:
 
1. Add your milk to a small saucepan and heat until it reaches 105-110 degrees. Remove pan from heat. Add the yeast and sugar and stir until combined. Set mixture aside for about 5 minutes so the yeast can bloom and “wake up”.
 
2. In a large mixing bowl, or in the bowl of an electric mixer with a hook attachement, combine all of the ingredients (except the 4 Tbsp melted butter), mixing to form a shaggy dough.
 
3. Knead the dough, by hand (10 minutes) or by machine (7 to 8 minutes) until it's smooth.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl Allow it to rise for 90 minutes on the countertop at room temp; it'll become quite puffy, though it probably won't double in bulk. Note that the dough takes quite awhile to get going; after 1 hour, it may seem like it's barely expanded at all. But during the last half hour, it rises more quickly.
 
4. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface. Divide it in half. Working with one half at a time, roll or pat the dough into an 8" x 12" rectangle. Brush the dough all over with a light coating of the melted butter. You'll have butter left over; you'll need it for the other half of the dough, as well as for brushing on top of the baked rolls.
 
5. Cut the dough in half lengthwise, to make two 4" x 12" rectangles. Working with one rectangle at a time, fold it lengthwise to about 1/2" of the other edge, so the bottom edge sticks out about 1/2" beyond the top edge. You'll now have a rectangle that's about 2 1/4" x 12". Repeat with the other piece of dough.
 
6. Cut each of the rectangles crosswise into four 3" pieces, making a total of 8 folded rolls, each about 2 1/4" x 3". Flip the rolls over (so that their smooth non-folded side is facing up), and place them in a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan. Repeat with the remaining piece of dough, making 16 rolls in all. You'll arrange 4 rows of 4 in the pan, with the longer side of the rolls going down the longer side of the pan. Gently flatten the rolls to pretty much cover the bottom of the pan.
 
7. Cover the pan, and let the rolls rise for about 45 minutes to 1 hour at room temp on the countertop, until they're puffy but definitely not doubled. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.
 
8. Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, until they're golden brown and feel set. Remove them from the oven, and brush with the remaining melted butter. Pull them apart to serve.

Hush Puppies - H - Alphabet Challenge

This week of the alphabet challenge consisted of hush puppies and ribs. The term hush puppies come from an old story of soldiers sitting around a campfire. To keep their dogs quiet they fried a little bit of dough as a treat and told the puppies to hush. 

Typically hush puppies are served with seafood but when I heard fried cornbread I immediately thought of BBQ. To keep things simple and focus on my H dish, I used store bought premarinated ribs. I recommend making the remoulade sauce in advance, since it tastes better if sits over night. 

Hush Puppies:
1 cup cornmeal (see notes)
1 cup all purpose flour
1–2 tablespoons sugar (see notes)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg
3 tablespoons grated onion
Oil for frying (canola, vegetable or peanut)
 
Directions: 

 
1. Whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, Cajun seasoning, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.

2. In a separate medium bowl, add your milk and vinegar; let sit for 5 minutes.  Whisk in vegetable oil, egg, and onion.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients; mix just until incorporated.

3. Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a Dutch Oven or heavy skillet to 365 degrees.  Using two small spoons, scoop a rounded spoonful onto one spoon and gently push it off with the second spoon.  Fry for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.  Serve promptly.
 
Remoulade Sauce:
1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard 
1 Tbsp sweet paprika
1 to 2 tsp. Creole seasoning, divided
2 tsp. prepared horseradish
1 tsp. dill pickle juice
1 tsp. hot sauce (preferably Tabasco)
1 large clove garlic, minced and smashed
 
1. Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Start with 1 teaspoon of the Creole seasoning and add as much of the remaining teaspoon to taste.

2. The remoulade is better if left in the fridge for a few hours for the flavors to meld.