Butternut Squash & Lobster Soup

It's winter in Chicago for sure. Today is a cold and windy day so I'm going to make some lobster soup for this weekend! This is one of my favorite fall soups of all time. It just seems to warm you all the way to the bone.

Ingredients

• 2 Large Butternut Squash
  
• 2 small Onion
  
• 10 cloves Garlic
  
• 4 Yams
  
• 2 quart Chicken Stock
  
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
  
• 1 Lobster Tail (cooked and broken in chunks)
• 4 stalks Dill
  

Directions
Peel the yams and squash and chop into chunks. Roughly chop the garlic and onion. In a large stockpot, sweat the garlic and onions (add a couple drops of oil to the pan and spread it; then over low heat and covered, let the onions and garlic cook in their own juices until soft. Add the squash, yams and stock. Simmer for about 40 minutes or until soft. Let cool for 30 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender, adding the cream slowly, and return to a pot. Simmer until hot. Blend the dill and oil together. Garnish with lobster and dill oil.
Source:Squash Soup

Grilled Shrimp Satay with Peaches and Bok Choy

The Cheesy Beer Chops were awesome last night. After a heavy dinner like that, we are going to keep it light. Shrimp Satay with peaches it is!

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter, stirred to combine
  
• 1/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
  
• 3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
  
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  
• 2 to 3 teaspoons hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek)*
  
• 9 tablespoons peach nectar, divided
  
• 3 peaches or nectarines, each cut into 6 wedges
  
• 16 uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined
  
• 6 heads of baby bok choy, halved lengthwise

Recipe Directions
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Whisk first 5 ingredients and 5 tablespoons nectar until smooth; season sauce with pepper. Arrange peaches, shrimp, and bok choy on grill. Brush with 4 tablespoons nectar; brush lightly with 1/4 cup sauce. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until peaches are slightly charred, shrimp are just opaque in center, and bok choy halves are just tender, about 2 minutes per side for peaches and 3 minutes per side for shrimp and bok choy. Mound shrimp, bok choy, and peaches on platter. Drizzle with some sauce. Serve with remaining sauce.
Source:Grilled Shrimp Satay with peaches and Bok Choy

Beer Marinated Cheesy Pork Chops

I found this awesome looking pork chop recipe on the Better Homes and Garden's web site last night and it is now the menu tonight. With a title like this, how can you pass it up? I had a good time last night making the roasted peaches. They were absolutely fantastic. That is a recipe I will keep in my favorites section forever. Hopefully this one goes as well!

Ingredients

• 4 bone-in pork chops
• 1 12-ounce bottle honey wheat beer
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  
• 1/4 tsp. salt
  
• 1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
  
• 4 oz. white cheddar cheese, shredded
  
• 2 Tbsp. chopped walnuts, toasted
  
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  
• Fresh Herb Sprigs

Recipe Directions
Place pork chops in a 2-gallon heavy, self-sealing plastic bag set in a very large bowl; set aside. In a small bowl combine beer, garlic, olive oil, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper; pour over pork. Seal bag; marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally. Drain pork chops, discarding marinade. For a charcoal grill, arrange preheated coals around a drip pan. Check for medium heat above the pan. Place pork on grill rack over drip pan. Cover and grill for 35 to 40 minutes or until done (160 degrees F.) (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Adjust for indirect cooking. Place pork on unheated side of grill rack. Cover and grill as above.) Meanwhile, for topping, in a small bowl stir together cheese, nuts, green onions, and remaining pepper. Spoon mixture over chops. Cover and grill for 2 to 3 minutes more or until cheese melts. Garnish with fresh herbs.
Source:Beer Marinated Cheesy Pork Chops

Poached Shrimp with Bay Leaves

Some days I would just rather be at home cooking. Today is one of those days. I'm thinking about making this great shrimp recipe for dinner tonight, but I can't decide between this recipe or reheating the huge freezer bag of home made chicken noodle soup I made a few weeks ago. I really should use that soup, but I feel like shrimp. The soup will keep just fine in the deep freeze for a few more days. Shrimp it is, and I'll stop arguing with myself before I scare people. :)
Also, I found this great roasted peaches recipe by Yavos I really wanted to try it last night, but I was running around for most of the evening and barely had time to enjoy dinner. So it's gonna be poached shrimp and roasted cling peaches tonight. I wish I could go home now and start cooking!

Ingredients

• 12 cups water
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
  
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
  
• 6 whole black peppercorns
  
• 6 bay leaves
  
• 1 celery stalk, halved
  
• 1 carrot, halved
  
• 2 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
  
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  
  

Directions
Combine first 7 ingredients in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes. Drain shrimp and place in a shallow dish. Combine lemon rind and remaining ingredients. Add to warm shrimp mixture; toss well. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Source:Poached Shrimp Recipe

Grilled Rib Eye Steaks with Roasted Pepper Salsa

Cowboy rib chops...22 oz if sheer prime steak bliss attatched to it's flavorful bone. My boyfriend and I were given two pairs of these for our anniversary by my parents and we just got around to taking them out of the deep freeze this weekend. Saturday we had salmon steaks, so come Sunday I was ready for some real red meat. Bone in rib chops are incredible. The amount of flavor in each of these massive steaks is unsurpassed by any cut I have ever tasted. When combined with this incredibly fresh tasting salsa, it's a meal that won't soon be forgotten. I can't wait for another anniversary to roll around!

Ingredients
For salsa

• 6 red bell peppers (2 pounds)
  
• 1 Habanero chile, seeded and minced
  
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

For steak

• 4 22 oz Prime Bone-In Rib Chops
• 3 1/2 teaspoons salt
  
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
  
• Special equipment: an instant-read thermometer
  
• Garnish: flaky sea salt such as Maldon

Directions
Make salsa: Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderately high heat for gas). Oil grill rack, then grill bell peppers, covered only if using a gas grill, turning occasionally, until slightly softened and charred, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer bell peppers to a large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap, then let stand 20 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel peppers, discarding stems and seeds, and cut lengthwise into thin strips. Toss with remaining salsa ingredients.
Grill Steaks: Prepare grill for indirect-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderately high heat for gas). Pat steaks dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Oil grill rack, then sear steaks directly over coals, uncovered, turning over once and moving to area of grill with no coals underneath if flare-ups occur, until well browned, 4 to 6 minutes total. Move steaks to area with no coals underneath and grill, covered, until thermometer inserted into center of meat (do not touch bone) registers 120°F for medium-rare, 8 to 12 minutes more. Transfer steaks to a cutting board and let stand 15 minutes.
Source:roasted

Salmon Steaks with Orange Balsamic Glaze

I love fresh salmon steaks. Aside from being delicious, fresh salmon is packed with Omega 3. I made this recipe for dinner Saturday night and it was absolutely amazing. I served it on top of Jasmine rice for the first time, and I think that's how I'm going to serve it from now on!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
  
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  
• 4 salmon steaks (about 6 ounces each)
  
• Vegetable cooking spray

Directions
Place first 7 ingredients in a large seal- able plastic bag. Shake well. Add salmon and refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove steaks from marinade and pat dry with a paper towel. Coat grill with cooking spray and heat on high. Grill steaks, turning once halfway through, until no longer translucent in the center, about 4 minutes per side.
Source: Orange Glazed Salmon Steak