Lobster Mac & Cheese

The ultimate in posh and fancy cuisine, lobster mac and cheese impresses company, boyfriends and blog readers. ;) HOWEVER, this was not so much the case with my latest creation...

Boyfriend and I decided we'd stay in a few weekends ago. When we first started dating, I told him I'd make him lobster mac and cheese one day, so he was excited when I suggested making it for our date night in. (It was also on my 52 weeks of new foods list for 2012, so I was happy to make progress on that!)  $75 in cheese and lobster later (WTF!! So much for saving some money by staying in!), I was on my way. I used Ina Garten's recipe and damn her! She made the recipe look so simple on her show! The recipe itself came out well: the sauce was creamy, the textures were on point, but the Gruyere cheese really was disgusting in the dish. It was more nutty than cheesy if that makes sense. If I were to recreate this recipe, I'd use a sharp cheddar only and really try a more classic version of the sauce before adding the lobster. You also don't really need as much lobster as she recommends.

Two things that did work really well were that I steamed the lobster (which kept it fresh and in tact) and also soaked my bread crumbs in 2T of melted butter with one garlic clove. That really amped the flavor.

Will I try this again? Sure. Anytime soon? Negative. I'll stick to my Velveeta thankyouverymuch.

Rotisserie Chicken Three Ways

My mom and brother haven't been feeling well, so with Boyfriend away for a football game, I headed to the store with my dad to pick up fresh ingredients for a nice, warm, healthy pick-me-up dinner. Rotisserie chickens, one of my favorite time savers, were on mega sale, so I picked two up- hoping for leftovers. Instead, I got inspired.

Today I made:

Homemade Chicken Stock

Chicken Noodle Soup

and....

Chicken A La King

After all that cooking, I definitely deserved one of these bad boys:

Asian-Inspired Cole Slaw

Cole slaw may seem like an odd thing to make on a snowy, chilly Saturday, but I had a bag of slaw mix leftover from fish tacos...that I never got around to making! After watching the Big Waste on Food Network, I was inspired to "use what I had" and not go to the food store. Plus, it's freezing. And cold. And icy. No thank you! (Cole slaw also happens to be on my "52 Weeks of New Foods," so I was happy to cross another food of the list.)

This is an Asian-inspired recipe and is made with rice wine vinegar, so it's sweeter and less acidic than those made with cider vinegar (though you can substitute). I'd serve this next to a braised beef or pulled pork. Definitely a keeper! Next time, I'll play with adding scallions.  

Ingredients:

1/3 cup rice vinegar or cider vinegar
1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter (smooth also acceptable)
Red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup dry roasted, unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon soy sauce (used low sodium)
1 teaspoon oriental sesame seed oil

Directions:

Place dressing ingredients in blender, and process them on low until well mixed. (Note: I usually just whisk thoroughly in the bottom of the bowl and add the cabbage in.)

About 1 hour before serving, place the dressing in a large bowl and gradually add all the shredded cabbage tossing well to mix. Stir in red pepper flakes (if you are using them). Cover bowl, chill for 1 hour, tossing it every now and then.

The First Dinner Party of 2012/ Baked Crab Rangoons

Our first dinner party of 2012 went off without a hitch! On the table, a linen tablecloth made by my great grandmother. On the menu:

• White Bean and Tomato Oil Dip with Crudites 
• Baked Crab Rangoons (recipe below)
• Garlic Bread
• Flank Steak with Gorgonzola Cream 
• Onion Oven Baked Potatoes
• Roasted Asparagus
• Chocolate Oreo Cream Cheese Pie

Baked Crab Rangoons

Ingredients:
 

8oz. fresh crabmeat

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) cream cheese (I used the light and it was fine)

6 green onions, thinly sliced (plus 2 for garnish)

1/4 cup mayonnaise (I used the light version and it was OK)

24 won ton wrappers

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F.

 Soften the cream cheese by putting it in a microwave safe bowl and microwaving until soft (~45 seconds). Add the crab, mayo and green onions. You can also add cayenne, pepper,etc. Mix.


Push one wonton wrapper into each cup of a sprayed muffin tin. (Note: I used a mini muffin tin, and would recommend this.) Bake won ton wrappers in muffin cups at 350°F for 5 to 7 min. or until lightly browned. Fill with crabmeat mixture and bake 6 to 8 min. or until filling is heated through.

Let cool for about 5 minutes before eating. Enjoy!