Monday, October 19, 2009
Hot & Spicy Cajun Sea Scallops
Good Monday morning Foodies! I hope everyone had an outstanding weekend. I know I did, I prepared Hot & Spicy Cajun Sea Scallops. I had been planning on making Apricot Chipotle Sea Scallops, but me being the forgetful person I am, forgot to get the recipe my co-worker had tried and fell in love with.
So as a back up plan, I reached for my jar of trusty Cajun Dry Rub. I make this recipe in HUGE batches and jar them for use down the road. To get that really fine blend, I like using my mortar and pestle. When you are done blending these, you will have a great dry rub that's perfect for chicken, pork or any kind of seafood you like. Be warned...this dry rub is HOT! Not "Oh...that has a little kick to it"...this is mouth-scorching hot! Use sparingly if you are not looking for a fire. Here is the recipe in a slightly more manageable form.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground Cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
Blend all ingredients together. Transfer to mortar and pestle and grind until a fine powder remains. Jar for future use.
And here is the video of the preparation. Images coming soon!
So as a back up plan, I reached for my jar of trusty Cajun Dry Rub. I make this recipe in HUGE batches and jar them for use down the road. To get that really fine blend, I like using my mortar and pestle. When you are done blending these, you will have a great dry rub that's perfect for chicken, pork or any kind of seafood you like. Be warned...this dry rub is HOT! Not "Oh...that has a little kick to it"...this is mouth-scorching hot! Use sparingly if you are not looking for a fire. Here is the recipe in a slightly more manageable form.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground Cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
Blend all ingredients together. Transfer to mortar and pestle and grind until a fine powder remains. Jar for future use.
And here is the video of the preparation. Images coming soon!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
1,000 Followers and FREE Double Fudge Mint Brownies
Good morning Foodies! It's a sunny (but chilly) Wednesday here in Chicago, and I just got done placing the order for the Twitter Give Away I did yesterday!
In celebration of reaching 1,000 followers on Twitter, I gave three lucky @NikkiTheFoodie followers 68 oz of sheer gourmet decadence with our Double Fudge Mint Brownies.
I love giving away great gourmet prizes, and I'm particularly fond of this item not only because it's chocolate (drool) but because the photography for it was taken by me!
I cut up a huge slab of brownies, set up my light box and chocolate mint ecstasy followed...
Yeah...it's like that.
I need a brownie now!
So...the three lucky winners are as follows:
@Calla68
@I8LA
@FujiMama
Congratulations to all three of you. Your Brownies are shipping UPS Ground out of Biddeford Maine today, and I truly hope you enjoy them!
In celebration of reaching 1,000 followers on Twitter, I gave three lucky @NikkiTheFoodie followers 68 oz of sheer gourmet decadence with our Double Fudge Mint Brownies.
I love giving away great gourmet prizes, and I'm particularly fond of this item not only because it's chocolate (drool) but because the photography for it was taken by me!
I cut up a huge slab of brownies, set up my light box and chocolate mint ecstasy followed...
Yeah...it's like that.
I need a brownie now!
So...the three lucky winners are as follows:
@Calla68
@I8LA
@FujiMama
Congratulations to all three of you. Your Brownies are shipping UPS Ground out of Biddeford Maine today, and I truly hope you enjoy them!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Meal Planning for The Middle of Nowhere
Good Tuesday morning to you friends and foodies. It's a misty gray Tuesday here in Chicago, and I'm trying to push that out of my head in favor of thoughts of my camping excursion.
Obviously on of the biggest parts of my vacations is always the food. So in the spirit of vacation equals good eats, I have started meal planning so I can create a shopping list for tomorrow.
I think I have the entire meal plan worked out from Friday night to Monday morning...and reading over it is making me hungry.
So here we go...recipes for this camping trip.
Friday Night:
Meal- Dinner
Menu- Grilled Cheeseburgers on Pretzel Buns. Campfire Baked Beans & Smore's for dessert with Hot Buttered Rum.
Yes...Pretzel buns. In my book, there is no better bun for a big thick juicy burger than a stout flavorful pretzel bun. And to my massive joy, there happens to be a bakery on the island we are going to so that means fresh baked bread every day. I think I have died and gone to carb heaven.
Saturday
Meal-Breakfast
Menu-Campfire Skillet Breakfast
Ingredients
1/2 lb smoked apple-wood bacon
4 cups of red potatoes peeled and cubed
1/2 onion chopped
6 eggs beaten with salt and pepper to taste
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
Cook bacon until just slightly firm in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. remove bacon from skillet and set aside. Stir potatoes and onion into the bacon fat. Cover and cook until potatoes are soft. About 10 minutes.
Crumble bacon back into the potatoes, stir in eggs, cover and cook until set. About 2 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and allow to melt. Serve immediately.
This along with some biscuits and some coffee...I'll be good for the day.
On Saturday we plan on going to the City of Big Bay Wisconsin, so we are going to try and find a cool restaurant there. More on that later.
Meal: Dinner- Saturday Night
Menu: 8-10 oz Maine Lobster Tails 6 oz Filet Mignon, Campfire Baked Potatoes and Fresh bakery bread.
For Dessert: Warm Campfire Baked Apples filled with Caramel.
Campfire Lobster Tails. I love this recipe to no end. I made it on the last camping trip I took, and it was the only good thing about that trip. Never before had I enjoyed a lobster tail that was so flavorful and fell out of it's shell like that.
The lemon flavor permeated through the entirety of the lobster tail to the point where all I had to do was drop the meat from the shell and dig in.
It was perfection in a little red outfit.
My favorite lobster recipe of all time, and that's saying something.
Our Filet Mignon....despite the fact that I have enjoyed these steaks more times than I can account for, it still excites me. Tender, flavorful aged full trim filet mignon melts in your mouth each and every time.
These are the steaks that dreams are made of.
Combine the two of them...It's culinary insanity.
And for dessert...Caramel Filled Warm Apples. Again, one of my camping favorites. Too easy, too delicious.
Sunday- The forecast on Madeline Island for Sunday is NASTY. Luckily for me, I have a camper I will be taking with so I don't have to sleep on the ground and can enjoy such novel inventions as heat and a warm place to curl up if it's nasty out.
Love camping, but seriously...I'm a bit old for a week of sleeping on a cold wet ground. With as much as I work I can't get sick. So camper camping it is with my mobile hotel.
With Sundays high only making it to 42F and the low hovering around 30F with chances of rain and snow, I am planning on making a massive pot of soul warming beef stew. That's going to cook all day through breakfast, lunch and dinner. I'll share that ROCKIN recipe with you when I return from the trip. Onto the rest of Sunday!
Breakfast: Griddle Cakes, Sausages and Eggs at the campsite <-- Self explanatory. Lunch:Hobo Pies- Magical Recipe right here, you can pretty much make this in any way you like from vegetarian to ham and cheese or pizza. Versatile, easy and delicious. Perfect camp food.
Dinner: Campfire Beef Stew (See above)
Monday
Meal- Breakfast Before take-down.
Menu- Biscuits, Red Eye Gravy and Sausage.
Then we pack it up, and set off for home, but don't return to the grind until Wednesday. Figured a full day to recover from the long drive and unpack was wise.
And with that, I close this long rambling post and leave you with some images of the place I'm going, because it's breathtaking and I'm super excited.
Obviously on of the biggest parts of my vacations is always the food. So in the spirit of vacation equals good eats, I have started meal planning so I can create a shopping list for tomorrow.
I think I have the entire meal plan worked out from Friday night to Monday morning...and reading over it is making me hungry.
So here we go...recipes for this camping trip.
Friday Night:
Meal- Dinner
Menu- Grilled Cheeseburgers on Pretzel Buns. Campfire Baked Beans & Smore's for dessert with Hot Buttered Rum.
Yes...Pretzel buns. In my book, there is no better bun for a big thick juicy burger than a stout flavorful pretzel bun. And to my massive joy, there happens to be a bakery on the island we are going to so that means fresh baked bread every day. I think I have died and gone to carb heaven.
Saturday
Meal-Breakfast
Menu-Campfire Skillet Breakfast
Ingredients
1/2 lb smoked apple-wood bacon
4 cups of red potatoes peeled and cubed
1/2 onion chopped
6 eggs beaten with salt and pepper to taste
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
Cook bacon until just slightly firm in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. remove bacon from skillet and set aside. Stir potatoes and onion into the bacon fat. Cover and cook until potatoes are soft. About 10 minutes.
Crumble bacon back into the potatoes, stir in eggs, cover and cook until set. About 2 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and allow to melt. Serve immediately.
This along with some biscuits and some coffee...I'll be good for the day.
On Saturday we plan on going to the City of Big Bay Wisconsin, so we are going to try and find a cool restaurant there. More on that later.
Meal: Dinner- Saturday Night
Menu: 8-10 oz Maine Lobster Tails 6 oz Filet Mignon, Campfire Baked Potatoes and Fresh bakery bread.
For Dessert: Warm Campfire Baked Apples filled with Caramel.
Campfire Lobster Tails. I love this recipe to no end. I made it on the last camping trip I took, and it was the only good thing about that trip. Never before had I enjoyed a lobster tail that was so flavorful and fell out of it's shell like that.
The lemon flavor permeated through the entirety of the lobster tail to the point where all I had to do was drop the meat from the shell and dig in.
It was perfection in a little red outfit.
My favorite lobster recipe of all time, and that's saying something.
Our Filet Mignon....despite the fact that I have enjoyed these steaks more times than I can account for, it still excites me. Tender, flavorful aged full trim filet mignon melts in your mouth each and every time.
These are the steaks that dreams are made of.
Combine the two of them...It's culinary insanity.
And for dessert...Caramel Filled Warm Apples. Again, one of my camping favorites. Too easy, too delicious.
Sunday- The forecast on Madeline Island for Sunday is NASTY. Luckily for me, I have a camper I will be taking with so I don't have to sleep on the ground and can enjoy such novel inventions as heat and a warm place to curl up if it's nasty out.
Love camping, but seriously...I'm a bit old for a week of sleeping on a cold wet ground. With as much as I work I can't get sick. So camper camping it is with my mobile hotel.
With Sundays high only making it to 42F and the low hovering around 30F with chances of rain and snow, I am planning on making a massive pot of soul warming beef stew. That's going to cook all day through breakfast, lunch and dinner. I'll share that ROCKIN recipe with you when I return from the trip. Onto the rest of Sunday!
Breakfast: Griddle Cakes, Sausages and Eggs at the campsite <-- Self explanatory. Lunch:Hobo Pies- Magical Recipe right here, you can pretty much make this in any way you like from vegetarian to ham and cheese or pizza. Versatile, easy and delicious. Perfect camp food.
Dinner: Campfire Beef Stew (See above)
Monday
Meal- Breakfast Before take-down.
Menu- Biscuits, Red Eye Gravy and Sausage.
Then we pack it up, and set off for home, but don't return to the grind until Wednesday. Figured a full day to recover from the long drive and unpack was wise.
And with that, I close this long rambling post and leave you with some images of the place I'm going, because it's breathtaking and I'm super excited.
Sea Caves on Madeline Island
The Lighthouse in Big Bay
Monday, October 5, 2009
Campfire Cooking- Another Wisconsin Adventure Planned
Good Monday Morning Foodies! I am fired up and ready to go because this Friday at 3am, yours truly will be on her way up to Madeline Island Wisconsin for my last mini vacation before the crazy holidays begin at work. Ever seen pictures of Madeline Island or the near by town of Big Bay? I had not either, but after I had I was suddenly THRILLED there was no space left in Devil's Lake. Otherwise, I would have never found this place and it seems PERFECT for me in every way!
Here are some pictures I have found:
Madeline Island Sea Caves. Top Canoe destination in the world, when it's winter, Ice Caves take over and there are Christmas Tree Lined Ice Roads...
There are so many naturally beautiful and historical places to visit on Madeline Island, in Big bay Wisconsin and on the Apostle Islands. I know it's going to be awesome, and the drive up should be gorgeous with all of the robust fall colors.
As far as the menu goes...I really only have a few things planned, so I'm totally going to have to do some grocery shopping this week for camping supplies! But atleast I know I'll be making Campfire Lobster Tails, and Filet Mignon from Lobster Gram again. The ultimate comfort food in the ultimate setting.
I love camping.
I'll bring back lots of pictures to share!
Here are some pictures I have found:
Madeline Island Sea Caves. Top Canoe destination in the world, when it's winter, Ice Caves take over and there are Christmas Tree Lined Ice Roads...
There are so many naturally beautiful and historical places to visit on Madeline Island, in Big bay Wisconsin and on the Apostle Islands. I know it's going to be awesome, and the drive up should be gorgeous with all of the robust fall colors.
As far as the menu goes...I really only have a few things planned, so I'm totally going to have to do some grocery shopping this week for camping supplies! But atleast I know I'll be making Campfire Lobster Tails, and Filet Mignon from Lobster Gram again. The ultimate comfort food in the ultimate setting.
I love camping.
I'll bring back lots of pictures to share!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Lobster Bacon and Cheese Strata
Good Wednesday (almost afternoon) foodies! It's definitely fall this week in Chicago, and when this time of year rolls around, we here at Lobster Gram start craving simple comfort foods that warm you body and soul. This recipe is another masterpiece from our Creative Director Nancy, and every delicious ingredient combines beautifully to bake in a nice big cast iron skillet. I am very, very, *VERY* partial to foods prepared in a cast iron skillet. They just taste like home to me. If it's Lobster (the ULTIMATE Lobster Grammer comfort food)and in a cast iron skillet...it couldn't be better. That is...unless you add hot gooey cheese and crispy apple wood smoked bacon to the delicious equation.
Ahem...excuse the drool :)~
But you see what I'm talking about I'm sure...
and here is the blueprint for this culinary masterpiece. Happy eating foodies!
Lobster, Bacon &?Cheese Strata
Strata is a baked dish that combines chunks of bread with eggs, cream... and the rest is up to your imagination. We let ours run wild in this indulgent lobster-filled version. If Challah bread is unavailable for you, a good substitution is the Hawaiian bread for its slight sweetness and tender, cakier texture.
Lobster, Bacon and Cheese Strata
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 loaf Challah bread, cut into 1” cubes (about 8 cups)
1-1/4 cups heavy cream
5 large eggs
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic (about 3 cloves)
2 shallots, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
4 oz. goat cheese
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1-1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
3 cups cooked lobster meat, chopped
8 slices apple wood smoked bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a large, ovenproof skillet. In a large bowl, whisk the milk and olive oil until blended. Add the bread cubes, and toss to coat, allowing it to soak up the liquid.
Then, in a small bowl mix the cream, eggs, garlic, shallots, salt, pepper and nutmeg. In a medium bowl, crumble the goat cheese and mix with the Gruyere, Parmesan, sage and thyme.
Line the bottom of the skillet with half of the soaked bread cubes. Top with half of the lobster meat, bacon and cheese mixture. Pour half of the egg mixture over the layers. Repeat layering with the remaining bread, lobster, bacon, cheese mixture and egg mixture. Bake until firm in the center and golden brown, about 1 hour. The strata will puff during baking, but will settle once removed from the oven.
Ahem...excuse the drool :)~
But you see what I'm talking about I'm sure...
and here is the blueprint for this culinary masterpiece. Happy eating foodies!
Lobster, Bacon &?Cheese Strata
Strata is a baked dish that combines chunks of bread with eggs, cream... and the rest is up to your imagination. We let ours run wild in this indulgent lobster-filled version. If Challah bread is unavailable for you, a good substitution is the Hawaiian bread for its slight sweetness and tender, cakier texture.
Lobster, Bacon and Cheese Strata
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 loaf Challah bread, cut into 1” cubes (about 8 cups)
1-1/4 cups heavy cream
5 large eggs
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic (about 3 cloves)
2 shallots, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
4 oz. goat cheese
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1-1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
3 cups cooked lobster meat, chopped
8 slices apple wood smoked bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a large, ovenproof skillet. In a large bowl, whisk the milk and olive oil until blended. Add the bread cubes, and toss to coat, allowing it to soak up the liquid.
Then, in a small bowl mix the cream, eggs, garlic, shallots, salt, pepper and nutmeg. In a medium bowl, crumble the goat cheese and mix with the Gruyere, Parmesan, sage and thyme.
Line the bottom of the skillet with half of the soaked bread cubes. Top with half of the lobster meat, bacon and cheese mixture. Pour half of the egg mixture over the layers. Repeat layering with the remaining bread, lobster, bacon, cheese mixture and egg mixture. Bake until firm in the center and golden brown, about 1 hour. The strata will puff during baking, but will settle once removed from the oven.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Images from Classic Roasted Chicken with Citrus Herb Oil
As promised...here is the image mash up for
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
