Roasted Lobster with Basil Mint Pesto

This is a complicated recipe that I have only made once. When I found the base recipe for this, it included the Lobster Tomalley (Liver). Since I know better than to eat the filter system of an animal, I naturally cut that part out. If you would like to enjoy the Tomalley, it is considered a delicacy, however red tide blooming on the east coast has prompted the FDA to warn AGAINST eating the Lobster Tomalley.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
  
• 1/3 cup (packed) fresh mint leaves
  
• 4 garlic cloves
  
• 1/3 cup olive oil
  
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted
  
• 4 1 3/4-pound live Maine lobsters
  
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  
• 2 tablespoons whipping cream
  
• 2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
  
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
  
• Lemon wedges

Directions
Preheat oven to 450°F. Blanch basil and mint leaves in large saucepan of boiling water 5 seconds. Drain. Transfer leaves to large bowl of ice water to cool. Drain. Squeeze leaves to remove excess liquid. Mince garlic in processor. Add basil and mint leaves, 1/3 cup olive oil, and pine nuts. Puree until pesto is smooth. Drop 1 lobster headfirst into large pot of boiling water. Cover; cook 3 minutes (lobster will not be fully cooked). Using tongs, transfer lobster to work surface. Return water to boil. Repeat with remaining lobsters, 1 at a time. Place 1 lobster, shell side down, on work surface. Place tip of large knife in center of lobster. Cut lobster lengthwise in half from center to end of head (knife might not cut through shell), then cut in half from center to end of tail (use kitchen shears to cut through shell if necessary). Crack claws. Repeat with remaining lobsters. Arrange lobster halves, cut side up, on 2 heavy large baking sheets. Discard head sac and long thin intestinal tract that runs alongside lobster tail meat. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Transfer lobster meat and pesto mixture to medium bowl. Stir in Parmesan cheese and cream, then panko and lemon peel. Season pesto mixture with salt and pepper; divide among lobster halves, filling cavities and covering meat completely. Roast lobsters until meat is just cooked through and topping is golden, about 14 minutes. Serve with lemon.
Source:Basil Mint

Lobster Martini with Citrus Salsa

This fresh lobster recipe makes an amazing presentation for cocktail parties!

Ingredients

• 4 Live Maine lobsters, cooked and cleaned
  
• 3 oranges, peeled and sectioned
  
• 1 large grapefruit, peeled and sectioned
  
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
  
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
  
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
  
• 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
  
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  
• Lettuce leaves
  
• Garnish: fried plantains

Directions
Remove shell from lobsters, keeping claw meat intact. Thinly slice tail meat. Combine oranges and next 10 ingredients in a large bowl. Add lobster, tossing until well blended. Spoon mixture into lettuce-lined martini glasses or small bowls. Garnish, if desired.
Source:Martinis

Asian Steak Salad

Any steak you have on hand will be great for this recipe, but I like using New York Strip Steaks to ensure that it turns out as flavorful as possible.

Ingredients
For steak

• 1/4 cup Asian fish sauce
  
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
  
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  
• 2 tablespoons sugar
  
• 2 10 oz. NY Strip Steaks

For salad

• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
  
• 6 tablespoons water
  
• 6 tablespoons sugar
  
• 6 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried hot red-pepper flakes
  
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (2 medium)
  
• 8 oz dried vermicelli rice-stick noodles*
  
• 2 medium Granny Smith apples
  
• 7 oz Asian salad mix (16 cups loosely packed; see cooks' note, below)
  
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves, torn into pieces if large
  
• 1/2 cup salted roasted peanuts (sometimes labeled "cocktail peanuts"), chopped
  

Directions
Marinate and grill steak: Whisk together fish sauce, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Pour marinade into a large sealable plastic bag. Pat steak dry and place in bag, then press out excess air and seal bag. Turn bag over 2 or 3 times to coat meat, then place in a shallow dish (in case of leaks) and chill at least 4 hours and up to 8. Bring steak to room temperature 30 minutes before grilling. Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas). Remove steak from marinade (discard marinade) and pat dry with paper towels. Grill, uncovered unless using a gas grill, over direct heat, turning over once, until medium-rare, 12 to 14 minutes total. Transfer steak to a cutting board and let stand, uncovered, about 15 minutes. Assemble salad while steak rests: Whisk together lime juice, water, sugar, fish sauce, and red-pepper flakes in a bowl until sugar is dissolved, then stir in shallots. Cook noodles in a 5-quart pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain in a colander, then rinse under cold water and drain well. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 1/2 cup dressing. Working around core of each apple, cut thin slices (about 1/8 inch thick) with slicer, then stack slices. Cut slices lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide matchsticks. Combine apples, greens, and mint in a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup dressing and toss well to coat. Thinly slice steak across the grain.

Deep Fried Lobster

This is an easy lobster recipe to make any night of the week! I prefer to use Lobster tails for this recipe, but if you like you can use Live Maine Lobster!

Ingredients

• 2 cups cornmeal
  
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
  
• 4 pounds lobster tails, cleaned and halved but still in shell
  
• 2 quarts oil for deep frying
  

Directions:
In a gallon sized plastic zip seal bag combine, cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder and onion powder. Shake well. Place one half of a lobster tail at a time in to the bag. Shake to coat the tails completely. Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or large skillet to 365 degrees F. Place one coated lobster tail at a time into the oil. Cook until the lobster turns white and the coating is lightly browned. Let the fried tails dry on paper towels.
Source:Fried

Shrimp Pesto Pizza

Everyone loves Pizza! Just put shrimp on top instead of sausage or pepperoni, and it will be a much healthier treat!

Ingredients

• 1 (16-ounce) Italian pizza shell
  
• Pesto
  
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts (pignoli)
  
• 2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves
  
• 1 cup (4 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese
  
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves
  
  Toppings:
  
• 8 ounces cooked shrimp
  
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided use
  
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
  
• 1/3 cup sliced green onions
  
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
For Pesto:
Lightly toast pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until golden, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. In a food processor or blender, combine basil, cheese, oil, pine nuts and garlic; whirl until pureed.
For Pizza: Preheat oven to 450°F.
Place pizza shell or dough on baking sheet; spread with pesto. Top with 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Top with shrimp, olives and green onions; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated
Source:Pizza

Cajun Scallops

Get ready to spice up your dinner plans with this fantastic scallop recipe. Remember: It's always best to purchase "Dry" Sea Scallops as opposed to "wet" scallops, because a "wet" scallop has been in a bath of chemical plumping agents to make it look larger, and to have fewer scallops make up a full pound. Wet scallops are also far less flavorful than the dry. Don't get ripped off!

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
  
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
  
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  
• 1 teaspoon butter
  
• 1 garlic clove
  
• 3/4 pound fresh scallops
  
• 1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce

Directions
Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add onion, Cajun seasoning, and pepper; sauté 3 minutes. Add butter and garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add scallops; cook 1 minute or until browned. Sprinkle with hot sauce; turn. Cook 3 minutes or until done.
Source:Cajun

Napa Crab Salad

This is a Napa Valley favorite! A fresh salad brimming with fresh Alaskan King Crab meat! This recipe can also be used with Jonah Crab, or Snow Crab!

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  
• 8 cups finely sliced Napa cabbage (about 1 head)
  
• 2 cups grape tomatoes
  
• 1 1/2 cups fresh lump crab meat
  
• 3/4 cup chopped green onions
  
• 1 avocado, cubed
  
• 1 cup cashews
  
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Combine mayonnaise and lemon juice, stirring well; cover and chill.
Gently toss together cabbage and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Carefully toss in dressing. Serve immediately.
Source:Napa Slaw

Stuffed Loster Tails

If you don't feel like preparing the mixture to stuff into the lobsters, I recommend ordering some crab cakes from Lobster Gram. These crab cakes (available in Maryland Style & King Crab) are so full of crab meat, it's difficult to see the stuffing! This is a very heavy meal, so I would advise working up an appetite before hand!

Ingredients

• 4 (1 1/4-pound) lobsters, cooked
  
• 2 cups crushed reduced-fat round buttery crackers (such as Ritz)
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  
• 3 tablespoons fresh Parmesan cheese
  
• 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  
• 4 lemon wedges

Directions
Preheat broiler. Remove the meat from the cooked lobster tail and claws; chop meat. Set lobster tail shells aside. Combine the lobster, crackers, and the next 5 ingredients (crackers through Worcestershire sauce) in a large bowl. Divide the lobster mixture evenly among tail shells. Broil the stuffed lobster tails 8 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with lemon wedges.
Note: You can also use 6 frozen lobster tails, cooked, for this recipe, reserving just 4 of the tails to stuff.
Source:Stuffed

Lobster Dumplings

Another great Asian style recipe. Dumplings are pretty easy to make, but it might take you a few tries to get it right. The final product is fantastic, so don't lose heart trying to get it right!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lobster meat (reserve claw meat for garnish)
  
• 2 tbsp heavy cream
  
• 1 small egg
  
• 1/2 tsp ginger, minced
  
• 1/8 tsp garlic,minced
  
• 1/2 tsp fish sauce
  
• 1/4 cup water chestnuts,finely diced
  
• 1/4 tsp basil, minced
  
• To taste salt and freshly ground pepper
  
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
  
• 1/4 cup water
  
• 12 won ton wrappers

Directions
In food processor or blender, puree the lobster, cream, egg, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, water chestnuts and basil. Transfer to bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate one hour. Combine cornstarch and water in small bowl. Lay out wrappers and place ½ Tablespoon of filling in the center of each. Brush edges of wrappers with the cornstarch mixture. Gather the edges together and twist to close. Place the dumplings on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with wrap and refrigerate one hour. Just before serving, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and cook the dumplings for about five minutes, or until they float to the surface.
Source:Dumplings