Posts in eat
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).

IMG_1297.JPG

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.

IMG_1356.JPG

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.

IMG_1358.JPG

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

IMG_1360.JPG

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

IMG_1361.JPG

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.

IMG_1362.JPG

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.

IMG_1298.JPG

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

IMG_1372.JPG

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

IMG_1376.JPG

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

IMG_1378.JPG

serve and enjoy.

IMG_1379.JPG

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.

roasted beet & winter citrus salad

i know that i’m about a month early, but i am already getting excited for valentine’s day. it is hands down my favorite holiday. yes, yes, i know that seems a little odd. and you could probably dive deep into years back to hear all my theories on love and valentine’s day. but i’ll sum up the moral of the story for you.

to me, love isn’t just about feeling all warm and fuzzy about your significant other. to me, that special day of love is all about showing love to your friends, your family and yourself. love is beautiful in it’s many forms and it should be celebrated a little bit EVERY day.

with all that love in mind, i’m spending the next few weeks focused on delicious and beautiful dishes that are perfect for celebrating love with anyone you love. dishes that are great for a crowd, an intimate gathering or enjoyed all on your own.

first up is an absolutely DELECTABLE and beautifully seasonal winter salad. citrus is at it’s BEST right now and are the brightest, boldest and most colorful deep in the winter. not only that, it is packed full of vitamins & minerals to keep your immune system pumped up during cold and flu season.

i prepped this salad for wes and i to enjoy together, but i gave him one bite to show him how amazing it was and then i ate the rest by myself. you know, showing myself some self love.

roasted beet & winter citrus salad

serves: 4

prep time: 15 minutes

cook/active time: 45 minutes

total time: 1 hour

ingredients: .25 cup olive oil. 4 cups arugula. 6-8 assorted citrus fruit, peeled and sliced into .25 inch thick slices (if you are not sure the best way to easily peel your citrus, follow THIS GUIDE. reserve the skins with any fruit on them to squeeze the juice out.i used 2 grapefruit, 2 blood oranges and 2 cara cara oranges because all but my blood oranges were pretty large. however, you can use any combination of citrus fruit that you enjoy eating straight. options like grapefruit, pomelo, blood, valencia, cara cara, and navel oranges as well as tangerines are all awesome options. get creative. the varied fruits give a lot of flavor and visual appeal). 1 smaller red beet (about the size of a tennis ball) peeled and sliced into 1 inch pieces. *note that i cut mine to big. make them a size that you can take in one bite so the salad is easier to eat and they cook faster. .25 cup crumbled goat cheese. .25 cup chopped pistachios. 1 small shallot, minced. the juice of 1 lemon. 1 tsp whole grain mustard. 1 tsp finely chopped chives. 1 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp freshly ground pepper. baking sheet. parchment paper.

IMG_1169.JPG

start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees f. line your baking sheet with parchment paper and place your beets on the pan in an even layer. drizzle them with about .2 tbs of the olive oil and season with half the salt and pepper. roast your beets till tender. about 30-40 minutes.

IMG_1170.JPG

while your beets roast, set up the rest of your salad. in a large bowl or on a platter, lay out your citrus. sprinkle with half the remaining salt and pepper. top the citrus with the arugula, the goat cheese and the pistachios. in a small bowl, combine the rest of the oil, the shallot, any remaining citrus juice you got from your peels, the juice of your lemon, mustard, chives and the remaining salt and pepper. stir well till everything is combined. and set it aside.

IMG_1174.JPG

when your beets are ready, spoon the nice and hot beets onto your salad. drizzle the salad with your vinaigrette.

IMG_1173.JPG

serve and enjoy.

IMG_1171.JPG

xo, a

roasted beet & winter citrus salad

serves: 4

prep time: 15 minutes

cook/active time: 45 minutes

total time: 1 hour

ingredients: .25 cup olive oil. 4 cups arugula. 6-8 assorted citrus fruit, peeled and sliced into .25 inch thick slices (if you are not sure the best way to easily peel your citrus, follow THIS GUIDE. reserve the skins with any fruit on them to squeeze the juice out.i used 2 grapefruit, 2 blood oranges and 2 cara cara oranges because all but my blood oranges were pretty large. however, you can use any combination of citrus fruit that you enjoy eating straight. options like grapefruit, pomelo, blood, valencia, cara cara, and navel oranges as well as tangerines are all awesome options. get creative. the varied fruits give a lot of flavor and visual appeal). 1 smaller red beet (about the size of a tennis ball) peeled and sliced into 1 inch pieces. *note that i cut mine to big. make them a size that you can take in one bite so the salad is easier to eat and they cook faster. .25 cup crumbled goat cheese. .25 cup chopped pistachios. 1 small shallot, minced. the juice of 1 lemon. 1 tsp whole grain mustard. 1 tsp finely chopped chives. 1 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp freshly ground pepper. baking sheet. parchment paper.

start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees f. line your baking sheet with parchment paper and place your beets on the pan in an even layer. drizzle them with about .2 tbs of the olive oil and season with half the salt and pepper. roast your beets till tender. about 30-40 minutes. while your beets roast, set up the rest of your salad. in a large bowl or on a platter, lay out your citrus. sprinkle with half the remaining salt and pepper. top the citrus with the arugula, the goat cheese and the pistachios. in a small bowl, combine the rest of the oil, the shallot, any remaining citrus juice you got from your peels, the juice of your lemon, mustard, chives and the remaining salt and pepper. stir well till everything is combined. and set it aside. when your beets are ready, spoon the nice and hot beets onto your salad. drizzle the salad with your vinaigrette. serve and enjoy.