Lobster and Brie Dip

My family came to visit me for Christmas (YAY!) and it was awesome.  The next series of food posts will focus on all the meals I fed them, and believe me, I made a LOT of food - but that's why I love for my family to come visit.  I get to cook!  And I have so many untested recipes in my Binder-o-Recipes, that I love being able to "knock a few out" :)

I had seen this recipe on Pinterest (god bless / hate Pinterest!), which promised to be a low cal dip made with lobster and brie - just the thought of brie and low-cal together made it seem too good to be true, and made me wonder how it would taste, so I figured I'd make my family the guinea pigs :)

I had the grocery store cook a full lobster for me, so all I had to do was get the meat out.  I don't have any seafood utensils, but I do have a tool box, which is just as handy: 

This recipe also calls for 6 cups of baby spinach, sauteed with garlic.  Oooooh it was GOOD...

After slightly wilting the spinach, you put it in the colander and drain as much of the excess water as possible...

Beautiful brie cheese....

Combine spinach, chopped lobster meat....

With a cream cheese/greek yogurt/brie mixture...

Then bake, and SERVE!  Easy, cheesy :)

It was good.  The garlic-sauteed spinach added so much flavor.  To be honest, I didn't really notice the lobster that much, sigh.  Good lobster should not be wasted. But regardless, it was DELISH.  And, my family seemed to enjoy it (maybe they were just humouring me, you never know!)

I served it with Wheat Thins and Triscuits (variety, people!), but any good cracker, or perhaps some whole wheat crostini, would be fine.

Here's the full recipe:

Lobster & Brie Dip

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups baby spinach, lightly packed
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup low-fat plain cream cheese, softened
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Pinch ground cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked lobster meat
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat Brie cheese, diced (about 7 oz)
• 2 tbsp each chopped fresh chives and flat-leaf parsley
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Cooking in batches if necessary, add garlic and spinach and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until spinach is just wilted. Transfer to a colander, allow to cool for 2 to 3 minutes and gently press to drain excess water. Cool to room temperature and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
2. Add mozzarella, yogurt, cream cheese, lemon juice and cayenne to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until thoroughly combined. Using a spatula, scrape cheese mixture into bowl with spinach. Stir in lobster, Brie, chives and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Transfer dip to a shallow ovenproof casserole dish and place dish on a baking tray. Heat in oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until hot and bubbling. Remove from oven and let rest for 3 to 4 minutes. 
4. ENJOY.

Crustless Broccoli Cheddar Tomato Quiche

My parents came to visit me a few months ago... and whenever they come, I have a list of "to do"s for them to complete - sometimes I ask my Mom to hem a pair of pants... sometimes I ask my Dad to fix a drawer or replace a kitchen faucet.

But a staple of any visit is a trip to CostCo.  I LOVE COSTCO.  I go crazy in that place. I'm like a kid in a candy store, but instead of candy, I go gaga for the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables at crazy insanely inexpensive prices.  A 16 pack of gala apples, a 12 pack of plums, a giant veggie tray, 5 lbs of tomatoes.  My eyes are like saucers and, of course, there's a giant cart that I can easily load up... The problem is that I'm just one person... it's almost impossible for me to eat everything I buy.  Which I conveniently only remember AFTER I swipe the credit card.

So what's a girl to do with a giant bunch of veggies?  Make a veggie quiche!

I started with a Martha Stewart recipe and slightly adapted it to fit my needs:


Crustless Broccoli Cheddar Tomato Quiche
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of broccoli, chopped into bite size pieces
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 6 large eggs (4 egg whites, 2 whole eggs)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3-4 slices of reduced fat cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie dish with PAM spray; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, toss broccoli, tomatoes and cheddar cheese; add to pie dish and spread evenly.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Pour over veggie mixture in pie dish.

5. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

EASY PEASY, right?!?!

It was so easy... and it's so freaking yummy, not to mention healthy.  Crustless quiches (or are they called frittatas?) are my go-to breakfast meal.  You can make them ahead of time, portion out into individual containers, carry to work and easily heat up... and best, it fills you up so you're not starving by 10:30/11am.  It's not a diet maker, not a diet breaker!!!

But now that I've used up all the veggies, I need my parents to come visit me again :) :) :)

Random Inspiration: Pesce all' Acqua Pazza

Do you ever go to the grocery store and see a seasonal, beautiful ingredient, like a carton of fresh California Mission Figs, or a stunning piece of fish? Do you think "Wow, if only I had a recipe to use that gorgeous ingredient in..." and move on without placing said gorgeous item in your shopping cart?  Yeah, I do that all the time, cause I'm a planner. 

Except, a few weeks ago, I was NOT me, and I blame it on a stunning fillet of halibut.  It was just sitting in the case at the seafood counter, and it was thick, and white and PRETTY and I JUST HAD TO HAVE IT.  So I bought it.  No plan for how I was going to make it.  Just boom.  And there I was, a proud owner of a beautiful piece of fish, and I needed to do it justice.

Immediately upon arriving home with this piece of fish in tow, I consulted my trusty binder full of recipes (ala Binders full of women).  I flipped to the seafood section (yes, I organize my binder of recipes into categories... I know, I'm a nerd), and I found this recipe from Shape magazine for Pesce all' Acqua Pazza: 

It's actually a recipe from Teresa Giudice's (she's one of the "Real Housewives of New Jersey) cook book, and apparently Pesce all' Acqua Pazza means "Fish in Crazy Water," which is pretty perfect considering that Teresa is CRAY CRAY, and also... I had just "survived" Sandy, where I experienced CRAZY amounts of water outside my front door, and in fact, inside my front door. (I was never in any personal danger, but it was a surreal experience, and I am, in fact, a survivor, right?!?) 

It was like destiny.  Except, I didn't have any of the other ingredients handy.  (This is why I'm a planner, people!!)

So I made a second trip to the grocery store (thank goodness it's a short half mile walk away), and picked up the remaining ingredients.  But forgot THE MOST important one... a bottle of dry white wine.

Which, at the end of the day is not a problem considering I'm surrounded by at least three liquor stores within a 2 block radius... except that two of those three were still not open yet as they were still cleaning up after Sandy.  I lucked out that the only store open had a bottle of cheap dry white wine.

And then, FINALLY, after three trips for ingredients, I cooked. 

And I sipped (hey, I had an open bottle of wine in front of me!):

Here's the recipe:

Pesce all' Acqua Pazza, slightly adapted from Teresa Guidice

Serves 4, 5 minutes prep, 35 minutes cooking time

1 T olive oil
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lemon, juiced (Teresa calls for the full lemon, thinly sliced, but the rind made the sauce bitter, so I'm steering y'all clear)
4 4-to-6 oz skinless fillets of halibut (or Chilean sea bass fillets or cod)
1/4 t salt
1/8 t freshly ground black pepper
3 T chopped fresh Italian parsley (garnish)

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium.  Add onion and cook, stirring often, for about 3 minutes or until softened.  Mix in garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. 

2. Add 2 cups water along with the tomatoes, wine and lemon slices (only use lemon juice, trust me here!), and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

3. Place fish in the simmering liquid and cover; cook for about 15 minutes or until fish is opaque.  NOTE: I overcooked the fish.  A travesty, I know, so watch your fish closely and don't go away for 15 minutes.  Maybe check on it every 5 minutes or so... 

Look at this gorgeous fillet of halibut!!!  AHHH SO PRETTY

4. Using a slotted spatula, remove fillets and place one each into four bowls, then distribute the tomatoes and lemons evenly; tent each bowl with aluminum foil to keep warm.

5. Increase heat under the skillet to high.  Boil the remaining liquid, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until reduced by half.  Season with salt and pepper. Remove the foil tents from bowls.  Pour broth evenly over fillets and sprinkle with chopped parsley.  Serve immediately.

As you can tell from my commentary, the original recipe called for lemon slices, but that turned the sauce bitter, which is a freaking shame because this recipe had SUCH potential to be SOOO FREAKING good.  Next time I make it (if I ever make it again), just do lemon juice, even though the lemon slices are pretty...)
 
What I learned from this recipe: I shouldn't feel ashamed of being a planner.  I like planning, as I feel I'm more efficient when I only have ONE trip to the grocery store instead of three... but at the same time, I was able to experience something beautiful that I might have missed had I not allowed myself to be spontaneous and go without a plan.  So... I resolve to attempt more spontaneous experiences in my cooking life... even though I know I'll be planning 99% of the time :)

#11 Visit my parents in Alabama

You know those moments in life where you're just so frickin' happy?  You're sitting around a table (or in this instance, a bar), looking at the faces of people you LOVE, laughing and talking, and you're just grinning from ear to ear... and you want that moment to go on forever?  Yeah.  I had that moment when I visited my parents in Alabama (#11).

Alabama means so much to me... it's the place I grew up, went to school, learned how to drive (not stick shift, though ;)), survived tornadoes, fell in love, had my heart broken, and finally, left... Huntsville reminds me of simpler times, when you walk barefoot across thick, green grass to a small garden and pluck a juicy, ripe, sun-warmed red tomato right off the vine, and take a giant, juicy bite.

And while I have these amazing memories, I have not been back to Bama in a while, so I wanted to make sure I visited.  And, I had a good reason - my sister's baby shower!!  If you want to check out her version of the weekend, it's here :)

My gorgeous sister!!

A few of my best friends also wanted to visit Alabama, so they came with us... and we had an incredible trip, charming my parents, being charmed by my parents, drinking vino, eating Mom's home cooking, visiting the local sites, and just enjoying LIFE. It was fabulous.

Mom, Dad, Ellie and Katrin around the downstairs bar :)

Mom's infamous pineapple upside down cake... FRICKIN AMAZING

Cheese?  Cheese!!!!

One of the omelets, hash brown casserole and biscuits, ever...

At the US Space & Rocket Center

The first astronauts to be on the moon wrote a book - a signed copy is at the US Space and Rocket Center's museum

Dad and Dave trying to land a plane :)

Katrin, looking over Dave's shoulder :)

Astronauts in the making?!?!

Us girls, posing in front of the rockets...

Diego, me and Dave on "SPACESHOT".  We rode it about ten times in a row :)

Me in front of the big plane :)

Visiting one of the places where I used to work - Applebee's!!!!

Baby shower food - Southern chicken salad, of course :)

I think the chair is the perfect size for Ellie :)

My favorite baby shower gift - "I drink til I pass out" :)

The above pics were just a few from the weekend - but they highlight some of the best memories... great food, a visit to the US Space & Rocket Center, great wine, lots of laughter, lots of family and great friends.  Simply perfect! :)

Pork Tenderloin with Figs and Shallots

I subscribe to many fitness magazines, not necessarily for the workouts... but for the healthy recipes... that's where I get a ton of ideas on what to cook next.

The September 2012 edition of Shape magazine featured figs.  No real recipes, but mentioned how figs are healthy for you ("Rich in iron, calcium, and fiber..."), and how, since they are savory in flavor, go well with shallots and pork.

Since I had never cooked with figs, I needed some guidance, and thus googled "recipe for pork and figs".  I found this recipe, I cooked it, and it was good.

Start by browning your pork tenderloin on all sides, then transfer to oven for further cooking:

Dice up a few shallots, add to pan.  Then, quarter figs and finely chop some rosemary.

After the shallots are done caramelizing, add some balsamic vinegar and a bit of sugar...

Then, add the figs and rosemary...

Add a squeeze or three of fresh lemon:

Remove pork from oven, letting rest a few minutes, then slice...

And top with the shallot, fig and rosemary mixture...

And devour.  This was sooooo yummy.  I love caramelized onions, and combining that with the freshness of the rosemary and the sweet/savory of the fig was just an outstanding flavor combination.  One of which I highly recommend.

Unfortunately, fresh figs are only in season in late summer and early fall... so I'll add this to my "To Cook" list for next September.  You can use packaged California Mission Figs, and they cooked just nicely...

Updates: Check five, Rafa, and Sandy

Hey all... as you may have noticed, I've been a bit... MIA... sorry about that.  I'm coming back :)  I've had a lot going on in the past few months, and blogging, as much as I love it, takes a lot of effort... so it's fallen a bit on the priority list...

But that doesn't mean I haven't been working on my challenge, or that other crazy things haven't happened.  This post updates you on three big things:
1. I knocked five things off my "30 now that I'm 30" list
2. I became an auntie :)
3. I survived Hurricane Sandy.

Knocking five things off my list:

# 4 Dress like a superhero for Halloween - I've ALWAYS wanted to be Wonder Woman, but for some reason I never felt fit or fabulous enough. And while I definitely don't feel as fit as I would want to be to best represent the amazing superhero, I decided to say "F&*K it", and I ordered the costume.  Voila:

Red Bull gives Wonder Woman her wings :)

# 11 Visit my parents in Alabama - this was very special for me, as not only did I get to hang out with my parents, but I got to attend my sister's baby shower AND three of my bestest friends made the trip with me! I got to show them where I grew up, where I worked, where I went to school.  It ended up being one of the most amazing trips ever... great home cooking, nine bottles of wine, and quality time with friends and family... who could want more?   Look for a blog post detailing the awesomeness soon :)

#14 Go to a concert - I actually went to TWO concerts... one was with my friend Elizabeth.  We attended the Mixtape Festival in Hershey, PA, which is a weekend extravaganza featuring tons of amazing artists: The Wanted, Kelly Clarkson, LL Cool J, NKOTBSB, Carly Rae Jepsen, and many many more...  The second concert was with some great college buddies - Knotwell, Cage (now known as Justin) and Jess... and it was great to grill out, chill out, and hang out...

I'm at the bottom left, and LL Cool J is performing on stage... mmmm yummy!

Jimmy Buffet concert!

#21 See "The Book of Mormon" on Broadway - it's VERY HARD to get tickets to this show, as it's a smash hit that won tons of awards... and it was very very funny... I count myself fortunate that I was able to get tickets, even as far in advance as I did!


#26 See "Fuerza Bruta" - Fuerza Bruta is an incredibly unique experience... it is a performance art show, but there are no seats... so you, as the audience, are standing and moving as the set changes.  You get to interact with the actors, and it's a very cool experience. There also water... you get wet (the amount of wet depends on where you're standing... so you can be spritzed or soaked!), and it turns in to a dance party at the very end.  Here are a few images...

Guy running on a treadmill... he crashed through a "wall" of cardboard boxes filled with what looks like toilet paper

Four girls playing in water... this happened right above you...

So there we have it, I knocked a few items off my list.  Some other CRAZY things that happened to me in the past few months...

I became an auntie!

My nephew, Rafa, was born.  My sister was gracious enough to let me witness the birth, and WOW.  She is one tough cookie... my nephew was HUGE - 9 lbs, 12 ounces... 23 inches long... he's a tall baby... and he's sooooo handsome too.  Here I am, cooing at him and sharing words of wisdom (such as don't feel you have to pair red wine with red meat... just drink whatever you like, and screw the pairing):

I survived Hurricane Sandy...

The other thing that happened is just absolutely F***ing cray cray.  That's really the best way to describe it.  Just "f***ing cray cray".  I'm trying not to curse, but this situation warrants it.  My town of Hoboken (and the Jersey Shore and NYC) got attacked by Hurricane/Super Storm Sandy.  I lost power for a week, which meant no heat or hot water.  And I count myself fortunate that I got power back after one week!  Sure, the lobby/garage of my building had three feet of standing water flooding it, but when I look at the pictures of devastation on the shore line, WOW.  I am truly truly lucky.  For the first few days after the storm, I couldn't leave my apartment since my street had turned in to a river.  I took a few cold showers before I caved and begged neighbors to let me use their shower. The past two weeks have just been SOOOO SURREAL... here's a few of the craziest pictures:

A boat. Up on the sidewalk between Hoboken and Weehawken.

A piece of a boat... you can see the sailboat in the distance...

The other side of the boat... someone spray painted "Global Warming is Real" on the side of the boat...

My temporary work location for 2 days... my work office got flooded, so we were displaced for two weeks...

Hoboken was underwater, so many ground floor and basement apartments flooded... so much trash lined the streets....

The day after the storm, there was 3+ feet of water in the streets, which basically means it was a river.  This pic shows two firefighters in a raft, one of which is hanging on to a rope, which is attached to a tractor, as that is the ONLY way they could rescue some people in the building across my street... F***ING CRAY CRAY

And just one week after the Hurricane came through, we got a N'oreaster... it only graced us with a few inches of white snow, which neighbors promptly made in to a snowman :)  OUR SPIRIT IS STRONG!

So that's whats been going on over the past few months.  Some incredible stuff.... amazing, scary... and after it all I just feel incredibly blessed and thankful.