Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

Had a version of this at Carrabba's.  Like the idea, but not the dish as prepped by them.  Even searching the web didn't yield a recipe I thought I'd like.  Friend Joey, told me about his success with this one.
Ooh, guys, it's just fantas.



Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

16 ounces cavatappi pasta
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
4 slices white sandwich bread
1⁄4 cup flour
4 cups milk
8 ounces fontina cheese, shredded
4 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
3 tablespoons brandy or cognac
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
16 ounces cooked lobster meat, cut into 1″ chunks (meat from approximately 5 1-1/4 pound lobsters)
3 tablespoons chives, minced
2 scallions, sliced

Method:

Preheat oven to 375°. Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, cutting cooking time on package in half. Drain pasta and set aside.
Combine shredded cheeses in a bowl, and toss well to combine. Set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in microwave or in a pan over low heat. Remove crusts from bread and discard. Tear remaining bread into tiny bits, and place in a small bowl. Add melted butter, and toss to coat breadcrumbs evenly. Set aside.

In a large saucepan or stock pot, melt remaining butter over medium heat.

Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until flour mixture is smooth and just starting to darken.

Slowly whisk in milk and simmer, whisking frequently, until sauce has thickened, about ten minutes.

Remove pan from heat, and stir in 2-1/2 cups of the shredded cheese mixture, the mascarpone, and the brandy.

Add cayenne and nutmeg. Stir until cheese is melted and incorporated, and adjust salt and pepper, as needed.

Add half of the lobster.

Add cooked pasta to cheese sauce.

Add half of the chives, and half of the scallions. Stir well to combine.

Transfer mixture to a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Sprinkle with fresh breadcrumbs and the remaining shredded cheese mixture. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, and finish with a sprinkle of the remaining lobster, chives and scallions.

Ground Lamb Gyro

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

1 medium onion, finely chopped or shredded

2 pounds ground lamb

1 tablespoon finely minced garlic

1 tablespoon dried marjoram

1 tablespoon dried ground rosemary

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Tzatziki Sauce

 

Directions

Process the onion in a food processor for 10 to 15 seconds and turn out into the center of a tea towel. Gather up the ends of the towel and squeeze until almost all of the juice is removed. Discard juice.

Return the onion to the food processor and add the lamb, garlic, marjoram, rosemary, salt, and pepper and process until it is a fine paste, approximately 1 minute. Stop the processor as needed to scrape down sides of bowl.

To cook in the oven as a meatloaf, proceed as follows:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the mixture into a loaf pan, making sure to press into the sides of the pan. Place the loaf pan into a water bath and bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until the mixture reaches 165 to 170 degrees F. Remove from the oven and drain off any fat. Place the loaf pan on a cooling rack and place a brick wrapped in aluminum foil directly on the surface of the meat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F. Slice and serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce, chopped onion, tomatoes and feta cheese.

To cook on a rotisserie, proceed as follows:
Form the meat mixture into a loaf shape and place on top of 2 overlapping pieces of plastic wrap that are at least 18 inches long. Roll the mixture in the plastic wrap tightly, making sure to remove any air pockets. Once the meat is completely rolled in the wrap, twist the ends of the plastic wrap until the surface of the wrap is tight. Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight, to allow the mixture to firm up.

Preheat the grill to high.

Place the meat onto the rotisserie skewer. Place a double-thick piece of aluminum foil folded into a tray directly under the meat to catch any drippings. Cook on high for 15 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium and continue to cook for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 degrees F. Turn off the heat and allow to continue to spin for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees. Slice and serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce, chopped onion, tomatoes, and feta cheese.

Tzatziki Sauce 2

• 16 ounces plain yogurt
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
• Pinch kosher salt
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 5 to 6 mint leaves, finely minced

Place the yogurt in a tea towel, gather up the edges, suspend over a bowl, and drain for 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Place the chopped cucumber in a tea towel and squeeze to remove the liquid; discard liquid. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the drained yogurt, cucumber, salt, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and mint. Serve as a sauce for gyros. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

German Chocolate Cake With Coconut-Pecan Cajeta Frosting

 

For the Cake:

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed light muscovado sugar
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups strong brewed black coffee, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Frosting:

• 1 3/4 cups whole milk
• 1 3/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 cup goat's milk or additional whole milk
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, cold
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons coconut rum
• 1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
• 1 1/4 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted

For the Ganache:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted, for garnish
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted, for garnish
• Coconut Whipped Cream, for serving

Directions:

Make the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.

Melt the 12 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the muscovado and granulated sugars and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Add the coffee, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract and continue whisking until smooth and just combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the wire rack and let cool at least 1 hour before frosting.

Make the frosting: Combine the whole milk, coconut milk and goat's milk in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Keep warm while you prepare the caramel.

Combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over high heat and cook without stirring until a deep amber color, 8 to 10 minutes. Slowly and carefully whisk in the warm milk mixture and continue whisking until smooth. Add the vanilla seeds and corn syrup. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the sauce is reduced by half and the consistency of a caramel sauce, about 55 minutes.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, vanilla extract, salt and rum (if using). Transfer the sauce to a medium bowl and stir in the pecans and shredded coconut. Let the frosting cool to room temperature, stirring it occasionally, before frosting the cake.

To assemble the cake, slice each cake in half horizontally. Place 1 cake layer on a cake round and spread one-third of the frosting evenly over the top. Repeat to make 3 layers, then top with the remaining cake layer, top-side up.

Make the ganache: Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl, add the hot cream and the corn syrup and let sit for 30 seconds. Gently whisk until smooth. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Set the cake on a wire rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the chocolate ganache over the cake, letting the excess drip down the sides. Sprinkle the top with toasted coconut and pecans. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours before slicing.

Slice the cake and top with a dollop of Whipped Cream.

"Dunch": Not a Misspelling...

Just a quick note:  I have mentioned the word "dunch" to describe invitation times for years.  I occasionally get the odd look (or clarification e-mail) of befuddlement from new friends who don't know the phrase. 

In this blog it is not a misspelling for "lunch".  It is used to indicate the afternoon as mealtime.

Reference Link.

Chicken Breast Stuffed with Spinach and Feta

This is great for Sunday Dunch.  Adding a quick Mornay Sauce will jazz it up and make it a bit less healthy (as my opinion on butter/fat-free cooking is well known).

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 medium red onion, small dice
• 3 cups spinach, tough stems removed, washed thoroughly and dried (about 3 ounces)
• 1/4 cup of pine nuts
• Dash nutmeg
• 2 (10-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Heat the oven to 350°F. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add spinach & pine nuts and sauté until wilted and water evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add nutmeg and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove mixture from the pan and transfer to a bowl to cool. Wipe out the pan and set aside.
• Cut each chicken breast in half horizontally. Using a mallet or the bottom of a pan, pound chicken pieces to an even thickness, about 1/4 inch thick. Season all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Stir feta into cooled spinach mixture. Lay chicken breasts on a cutting board so the narrowest ends face you. Place 1/4 of the spinach mixture halfway up each chicken piece. Fold the bottom of the chicken up over the filling to enclose it, then roll into a tight cylinder. Use toothpicks or butcher’s twine to secure the rolls. Repeat with remaining chicken and filling.
• Return the frying pan to medium-high heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once oil is shimmering, place chicken breasts in the pan and cook undisturbed until golden brown, about 4 to 6 minutes. Turn breasts over and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake until the filling is hot and the interior of the chicken rolls is white but still juicy, about 8 minutes.

Sausage and Herb Stuffing

8 cups bread cubes (sourdough, Italian or French bread)
1 pound bulk breakfast sausage ( I prefer Neeses)
1 medium onion, chopped (~1.5 cups)
3 stalks of celery, finely chopped (~1 cup)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1.5-2 cups of chicken broth

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. Spread the bread cubes on a cookie sheet and bake until lightly toasted, 8-10 minutes. 
2. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan. Add the onions and celery. Cook until the sausage is cooked through and the onions and celery are soft. Add the herbs and poultry seasoning. Mix well and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, combine the toasted bread cubes and sausage mixture. Poor the melted butter and chicken broth, starting with 1.5 cups, over the stuffing mixture. Stir to combine and add more chicken broth as necessary, depending on how moist you like your stuffing.
4. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10-15 minutes.