Posts tagged toast
butter poached lobster toast

valentine’s day is just weeks away. every year for valentine’s day, wes and i celebrate with grilled lobster tails and my lemon caesar salad. but this year, i thought it would be fun to add a twist to our lobster tradition.

wes has been working on adding freshly baked bread to our repertoire, so i’ve pretty much been using it for EVERYTHING. and it is the perfect base for a delicious appetizer take on one of the best lobster cob salads i’ve ever had.

these little toasts are packed full of flavor and decadence, and are great for a party with your gals, a dinner party with friends or a sexy night in.

butter poached lobster toasts

serves: 24 mini toasts

prep time: 15 minutes

cook time: 15 minutes

inactive time: 30 minutes

total time: 1 hour

ingredients: 6-8oz lobster tail. 1 stick butter (for extra flavor you could use THIS garlic herb butter). juice of 1 lemon. .25 cup white wine. 1 garlic clove, smashed. 1 small avocado. 1 tbs chopped chives. 10 arugula leaves finely chopped. 10 cherry tomatoes, thinly slice enough for each toast and roughly chop the rest. 3 tbs olive oil, divided. 1 tsp whole grain mustard. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. 24 bread squares (about 1 inch squared) using your favorite crouton/toast bread).

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start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees f. while your oven is preheating, lay your bread pieces on a baking sheet and lightly brush each with some of the olive oil. once your oven is preheated, toast the bread for 7-10 minutes till it is toasted but still a little soft on the inside.

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heat the butter in a sauce pan until it has melted. once it has melted, add in the garlic clove, half the lemon juice and the white wine. bring the mixture to a soft boil.

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cut the shell away from the lobster and slice the lobster tail in half.

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season well with salt and pepper and when your butter is softly boiling, add in the lobster.

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cook until the lobster is barely cooked through. cooking it too long, will give you a chewy lobster. 6-8 minutes should do it. use a spoon to continuously spoon butter over the lobster as it poaches.

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once the lobster is cooked, remove it from the butter and allow it to rest and cool. once it has cooled to room temperature, place it in the fridge till it has chilled. combine the remaining olive oil, remaining lemon juice, mustard, remaining salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk it till well combined.

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once the lobster is chilled, slice it into small pieces and toss it in a bowl with the chopped tomatoes, arugula and the chives.

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swipe just a little bit of avocado on each slice of toasted bread.

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top the bread with a half teaspoon of lobster mix. top each lobster toast with a sliced tomato and drizzle with your vinaigrette.

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serve and enjoy.

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xo, a

butter poached lobster toasts

serves: 24 mini toasts

prep time: 15 minutes

cook time: 15 minutes

inactive time: 30 minutes

total time: 1 hour

ingredients: 6-8oz lobster tail. 1 stick butter (for extra flavor you could use THIS garlic herb butter). juice of 1 lemon. .25 cup white wine. 1 garlic clove, smashed. 1 small avocado. 1 tbs chopped chives. 10 arugula leaves finely chopped. 10 cherry tomatoes, thinly slice enough for each toast and roughly chop the rest. 3 tbs olive oil, divided. 1 tsp whole grain mustard. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. 24 bread squares (about 1 inch squared) using your favorite crouton/toast bread).

start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees f. while your oven is preheating, lay your bread pieces on a baking sheet and lightly brush each with some of the olive oil. once your oven is preheated, toast the bread for 7-10 minutes till it is toasted but still a little soft on the inside. heat the butter in a sauce pan until it has melted. once it has melted, add in the garlic clove, half the lemon juice and the white wine. bring the mixture to a soft boil. cut the shell away from the lobster and slice the lobster tail in half. season well with salt and pepper and when your butter is softly boiling, add in the lobster. cook until the lobster is barely cooked through. cooking it too long, will give you a chewy lobster. 6-8 minutes should do it. use a spoon to continuously spoon butter over the lobster as it poaches. once the lobster is cooked, remove it from the butter and allow it to rest and cool. once it has cooled to room temperature, place it in the fridge till it has chilled. combine the remaining olive oil, remaining lemon juice, mustard, remaining salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk it till well combined. once the lobster is chilled, slice it into small pieces and toss it in a bowl with the chopped tomatoes, arugula and the chives. swipe just a little bit of avocado on each slice of toasted bread. top the bread with a half teaspoon of lobster mix. top each lobster toast with a sliced tomato and drizzle with your vinaigrette. serve and enjoy.

summer tomato + ricotta toast

if you have been following me for any length of time, you know i'm a freak for tomatoes. if you are new, well, i'm a tomato freak. 

as a kid, i would take tomatoes to school in my lunch with a homemade salt shaker made by my mother and eat that bad boy like an apple. i would salt each bite perfectly and didn't give a rats patootie that everyone on the school lunch tables was looking at me like i was crazy.  

looking back now, there were so many signs i would be a cook someday that just didn't seem to mean much then. 

and in my older age, my love of tomatoes has only increased. i'm not really talking about the mealy, all water, no flavor type you get in the off seasons at the super markets. i'm talking about juicy, multi color, crazy shaped and sized SUMMER tomatoes. and friends, we are in the middle of tomato season. i'm in heaven. 

i had picked up a ton of tomatoes from my local produce store for my heirloom tomato & plum salad that i was making for a catering event and got lucky with a few left over. and so this tasty dish was born. you could make this for a delicious summer lunch date or as an appetizer for your next summer gathering. or hell, just for a snack like i did today. 

summer tomato + ricotta toast

serves: 2

prep time: 5 minutes

active time: 15 minutes

total time: 20 minutes

ingredients: 1 cup diced summer tomatoes (whatever you can find, bonus points if they come from someone's garden). 1 garlic clove, minced. 1 tsp lemon juice. 1 tbs fresh basil, sliced thin. .5 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp freshly ground pepper. 4 x 1 inch slices of ciabatta bread. 2 tbs butter. 4 tbs whole milk ricotta. balsamic 2 tbs balsamic glaze (my favorite is from trader joe's, but you can find balsamic glaze at most major super markets near the vinegar/salad dressings). 

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start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees f. while the oven heats, lightly butter both sides of each slice of ciabatta bread. place the bread on a baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes a side. until the bread is nice and toasty on the outside. while the bread is toasting, combine the tomato, lemon juice, the garlic and the salt & pepper in a medium bowl.

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add in the basil and stir to combine.

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when the bread is done toasting, spread 1 tbs of ricotta on each slice of bread.

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top each toast with a big spoonful of the tomato mixture.

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drizzle the toasts with the balsamic glaze.

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serve and enjoy. 

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xo, a

summer tomato + ricotta toast

serves: 2

prep time: 5 minutes

active time: 15 minutes

total time: 20 minutes

ingredients: 1 cup diced summer tomatoes (whatever you can find, bonus points if they come from someone's garden). 1 garlic clove, minced. 1 tsp lemon juice. 1 tbs fresh basil, sliced thin. .5 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp freshly ground pepper. 4 x 1 inch slices of ciabatta bread. 2 tbs butter. 4 tbs whole milk ricotta. balsamic 2 tbs balsamic glaze (my favorite is from trader joe's, but you can find balsamic glaze at most major super markets near the vinegar/salad dressings). 

start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees f. while the oven heats, lightly butter both sides of each slice of ciabatta bread. place the bread on a baking sheet and bake for 6 minutes a side. until the bread is nice and toasty on the outside. while the bread is toasting, combine the tomato, lemon juice, the garlic and the salt & pepper in a medium bowl. add in the basil and stir to combine. when the bread is done toasting, spread 1 tbs of ricotta on each slice of bread. top each toast with a big spoonful of the tomato mixture. drizzle the toasts with the balsamic glaze. serve and enjoy.