Bone In Rib Eye Steaks with Garden Tomatoes

Fresh herbs and veggies from the garden are the best. Unfortunately, I live in an apartment in Chicago, and the gardening space is...minimal at best. Fortunately for my recipes, my Mother's garden is HUGE! This rib eye steak recipe is great for the late summer months when your garden seems to be producing tomatos at an alarming rate. Think if it a a healthier alternative to ketchup. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
  
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
  
• 6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  
• 2 22 oz Bone-In Rib Eye Steaks (Cowboy Chops)
• 1 head butterhead lettuce, cored, leaves separated (about 6 oz.)
  
• 1-1/2 lbs. assorted fresh heirloom or desired tomatoes, sliced or cut in wedges
  
• 1/2 cup whole basil leaves
  
• Coarse sea salt

Recipe Directions:
For dressing, in small bowl whisk together vinegar, 2 tablespoons basil, garlic, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Slowly whisk in oil until smooth. Remove 2 tablespoons to marinate steaks; set remaining dressing aside. Brush steaks with the 2 tablespoons dressing; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. For charcoal grill, arrange medium-hot coals on one side of grill. Place steaks on rack directly over coals. Cover and lightly sear on both sides, 8 minutes. Move to unheated side of grill. Cover and grill 4 to 6 minutes more for medium rare (145 degrees F). Remove; let stand 5 minutes. (For gas grill, preheat to medium-high. Adjust for indirect grilling. Grill as above.) Diagonally slice steaks; arrange on lettuce leaves with tomatoes and basil. Drizzle dressing; season with salt. Serves 4 to 6.
Source:Rib Eye Steaks with Garden Tomatoes Recipe

Shrimp with Pesto Mac and Cheese

Mac & Cheese is really one of the ultimate comfort foods. This fantastic recipe takes plain old mac to a new level by adding gourmet cheeses, shrimp and pesto. Pesto really is great with cheese and seafood dishes. I absolutely love Shrimp or Lobster pizza with a yummy pesto base and fresh goat cheese!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. fresh or frozen large shrimp
• 8 oz. dried elbow macaroni
  
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
  
• 1 cup half-and-half
  
• 1-1/4 cups shredded Fontina cheese
  
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 2 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
  
• 1-1/2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
  
• Fresh basil leaves

Recipe Directions:
Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Peel and devein shrimp, removing tails. Rinse shrimp; pat dry with paper towels. Chop shrimp and set aside. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and keep warm. In large bowl stir together eggs, butter, half-and-half, 1 cup of the Fontina cheese, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, garlic, pine nuts, chopped basil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Stir in shrimp and macaroni. Transfer to buttered 2-quart casserole. Top with remaining cheeses. Bake, uncovered, 40 to 45 minutes or until heated through and shrimp pieces are opaque. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Top with fresh basil leaves.
Source:Pesto Shrimp Mac and Cheese Recipe

Strip Steak Sandwiches with Horseradish Mustard Butter

This simple steak sandwich recipe is perfect for a gourmet lunch on the go. I usually double this recipe and wrap the sandwiches up in plastic wrap for the week. It's quick and easy, and tastes like it took hours and hours of painstaking preparation. The New York Strip steak is my favorite cut to use for this recipe, but it also works nice with a good rib eye steak.

Ingredients

• 6 tbs unsalted butter
  
• 3 tbs drained bottled horseradish
  
• 3 tbs Dijon mustard
  
• 1 1/2 tbs minced shallot
  
• 2 10 oz New York Strip Steaks
  
• 2 large baguettes
  
• 1 large bunch watercress, tough stems removed

Recipe Directions:
Preheat broiler. Blend together butter, horseradish, mustard, shallot, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl with a fork until well blended. Pat steaks dry, season both sides well with salt and pepper, and put on rack of a broiler pan. Spread top of steaks with 1 tablespoon mustard butter mixture, then broil 2 to 3 inches from heat 5 minutes. Turn over and spread other side with 1 tablespoon mustard butter mixture, then broil 4 to 5 minutes more for medium-rare. Transfer meat to a cutting board and let stand 5 minutes. (Leave broiler on.) Cut baguettes crosswise into 4 equal sections, then halve sections horizontally. Broil bread, cut sides up, about 3 inches from heat, rotating pan once, until golden, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Holding knife at a 45-degree angle, very thinly slice steaks across the grain. Spread cut sides of bread with mustard butter and mound steaks on half of bread. Top with watercress and remaining bread. Serve immediately.
Source:Strip Steak Recipe

Gazpacho with Grilled Seafood

This gazpacho recipe is fantastic for summer grilling. Unfortunately, living in Chicago means the months in which you can get out and grill are not as plentiful as the days of wind, snow and ice. This recipe can be made just as easily using an indoor grill for the seafood, so if you want a taste of summer any time of year, this recipe is for you!

Ingredients

• 1 cup cranberry beans, shelled
  
• Extra-virgin olive oil
  
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
  
• 5 cups tomato juice
  
• 1 large cucumber-peeled, halved and diced
  
• 1 yellow pepper, diced
  
• 1 medium sweet onion, diced
  
• 1 fennel bulb, cored diced
  
• 1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
  
• 1 large scallion, minced
  
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
  
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
  
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  
• 3/4 pound fresh sea scallops
  
• 3/4 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
  
• 6 thick slices bread
  
• 1 large garlic clove

Recipe Directions:
In a medium saucepan, cook the cranberry beans in boiling water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a plate. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. In a large bowl, combine the tomato juice with the cucumber, yellow pepper, onion, fennel, jalapeno, scallion and 2 tablespoons of the cilantro. Add the beans, cover and refrigerate overnight. Stir the lime and lemon zest and juice into the soup. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. Light a grill. Thread the scallops and shrimp on skewers, brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over a medium-hot fire until lightly charred, about 2 minutes per side. Generously brush the bread with olive oil and grill over a medium-hot fire until lightly charred, about 1 minute per side. Rub the bread with the garlic clove. Stir the remaining 2 tablespoons of cilantro into the soup. Serve the gazpacho with the seafood and bread.
Source:Gazpacho and Grilled Seafood Recipe

Grilled Bone In Rib Eye Steaks

Bone in Rib Chops are quickly pulling up on the New York Strip steak as my favorite prime cut of meat. Usually I'm not terribly picky about what kind of salt I use in recipes, but for something like this I strongly recommend you use a natural rock salt.

Ingredients

• Two 22 oz Prime Bone In Rib Chops, scored to cook evenly
• Olive oil (for brushing)
  
• 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
  
• 1 tablespoon natural rock salt

Recipe Directions:
Prepare BBQ (high heat). If using gas grill, leave opposite side unlit; if using charcoal grill, keep opposite side free of coals. Brush steaks with olive oil, then sprinkle both sides with cracked black pepper and natural salt. Grill steaks on hot side of BBQ until grill marks can be seen, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to unlit side of grill, cover, and cook to desired doneness, about 8 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to plates; let cool 10 to 15 minutes.
Source:Grilled Bone In Rib Chop Recipe

Crab Stuffed Lobster Recipe

Stuffed Lobster Tails are one of my favorite meals to make at home. The stuffing for this recipe is so incredible you will want to eat it on it's own! You can use whatever type of crab you like for this recipe, but I find the sweetness of Jonah crab suites this recipe best. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 4 6-7 oz Maine Lobster Tails
• 1 tbs unsalted butter
  
• 1 tbs minced celery
  
• 1 green onion, minced
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
  
• 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
  
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
• 1/3 cup milk
  
• 1/2 lb Jonah Crab Meat
  
• 2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs

Recipe Directions:
Preheat grill to medium heat. Butterfly the lobster tails by carefully cutting a slit down the top side, without cutting all the way through to the bottom. Flip the tail over, and carefully cut the shiny membrane without cutting the meat on the underside. Set tails aside. In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook and stir the celery and green onion in butter until tender. Stir in the flour, mustard, and cayenne pepper. Using a wire whisk, mix in milk slowly, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in Jonah crab meat and bread crumbs. Spoon crab mixture into lobster tails. Arrange tails on the preheated grill, and close the lid. Cook for 12 minutes, or until lobster meat is opaque and the crab mixture is heated through. If tail meat is cooked through, it should be firm and white. If it is grayish or translucent at all, it is undercooked.
Source:Crab Stuffed Lobster Recipe