Posts in appetizer
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.

pistachio & goat cheese dip

hang in there friends. we only have a couple more crazy weeks of madness till we can all breath a sigh of relief as we prepare for a new year.

between gift exchanges, holiday parties and family gatherings, i know i’m not the only one who is stretched a little thin.

it seems that every event i go to these days is pot luck style. so i needed an easy appetizer that was equally delicious and beautiful. and this dip is just that. it is zesty, and nutty and the caramelized onions and roasted garlic really add some delicious umami to the mix.

pistachio & goat cheese dip

serves: about 4 cups

prep time: 10 minutes

inactive time: 1 hour

active time: 20 minutes

total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

ingredients: 3 cups crumbled goat cheese. 1 cup greek yogurt. .5 cup pistachios. 1 head roasted garlic. half 1 brown onion, thinly sliced. 3 tbs olive oil. handful of pomegranate seeds. 1 green onion, green parts thinly sliced. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. food processor. crackers or veggies for serving.

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start by getting your garlic roasted. follow THESE instructions if you don’t already have some roasted garlic on hand. while your garlic is roasting, you can prep the rest of your ingredients and then finish some other project you surely have waiting for you. when your garlic is roasted, caramelize your onions. in a medium sized pan, heat the pan and 2 tbs of the oil over medium low heat. add in the onions and season with half the salt and pepper. let the onions caramelize, stirring every few minutes for about 15 minutes, till they are soft and browned.

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while the onions are caramelizing, place your pistachios in the bowl of your food processor. blend until the pistachios have turned to crumbs.

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add in the greek yogurt and goat cheese.

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add in your roasted garlic. when the onions are ready, add them into the food processor.

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top the mixture with the remaining oil, and salt and pepper.

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blend until everything is very smooth.

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pour the combined dip into a serving bowl. top with pomegranate seeds and green onions.

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serve with your favorite crackers or veggies and enjoy.

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xo, a

pistachio & goat cheese dip

serves: about 4 cups

prep time: 10 minutes

inactive time: 1 hour

active time: 20 minutes

total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

ingredients: 3 cups crumbled goat cheese. 1 cup greek yogurt. .5 cup pistachios. 1 head roasted garlic. half 1 brown onion, thinly sliced. 3 tbs olive oil. handful of pomegranate seeds. 1 green onion, green parts thinly sliced. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. food processor. crackers or veggies for serving.

start by getting your garlic roasted. follow THESE instructions if you don’t already have some roasted garlic on hand. while your garlic is roasting, you can prep the rest of your ingredients and then finish some other project you surely have waiting for you. when your garlic is roasted, caramelize your onions. in a medium sized pan, heat the pan and 2 tbs of the oil over medium low heat. add in the onions and season with half the salt and pepper. let the onions caramelize, stirring every few minutes for about 15 minutes, till they are soft and browned. while the onions are caramelizing, place your pistachios in the bowl of your food processor. blend until the pistachios have turned to crumbs. add in the greek yogurt and goat cheese. add in your roasted garlic. when the onions are ready, add them into the food processor. top the mixture with the remaining oil, and salt and pepper. blend until everything is very smooth. pour the combined dip into a serving bowl. top with pomegranate seeds and green onions. serve with your favorite crackers or veggies and enjoy.