Summer Lobster Roll Revamped

If there's one thing that's absolutely summer embodied here in New England, it's our lobster rolls.  I just came back from spending the weekend in Cape Cod for the Pan Mass race with my boyfriend and I took this as the perfect opportunity to get my fill of fresh lobster rolls.  Unfortunately, I've still found myself craving them upon my return to Real Life.

For those not from the area, a traditional New England lobster roll consists of fresh cooked lobster mixed with mayo and sometimes accompanied by celery or a bed of lettuce and served in a toasted, buttered hotdog bun. 

In short, it's awesome.

The lobster roll I'm posting here is a variation on the traditional characteristic recipe that was inspired by a Lobster Bruschetta recipe I saw some time ago.  Since it really is so associated with summer, I've combined fresh lobster meat (knuckles, claws, and tail) with seasonal vegetables and flavors - corn, red bell pepper, shallot, scallion, and avocado.  Instead of using mayo as a binder, the veggies are cooked with heavy cream until its thickened and then combined with the lobster.  The result is a sweet and creamy mix of all sorts of summery awesomeness.

Ingredients (5 servings - about a 1/2 cup per roll):

• 8 oz. cooked lobster meat (I used previously cleaned knuckles, claws, and tails) diced small
• 8.5 oz sweet corn 
• 3/4 of a red bell pepper diced small
• 1 1/2 shallots diced small
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbs fat free sour cream
• 1/2 tbs garlic
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• hot dog buns (I used wheat - I'm sure any sort of small yummy role will do)
• olive oil

Recipe:

1.  Dice lobster, pepper, shallots, and scallions
2. On medium heat, sautee the peppers shallots and garlic in a little olive oil until tender.
3. Add the heavy cream, lower the heat, and stir while the cream thickens.
4. Add the lobster, sour cream, and scallions and mix while removing from heat.
5. Toast the hot dog bun, add a slice of avocado to the bottom, and top with 1/2 cup of the lobster salad.
6. Enjoy!

Approximate Nutritional Info per Serving (one bun with 1/2 cup lobster salad):

• Calories: 258
• Carbohydrates: 30g
• Fat: 9g
• Protein: 15g

Apple Chicken Salad

After having been gone for the past two weekends and relying heavily on take-out this past week, it feels so good to finally have some home-cooking again!  This last weekend I spent in Paris, Kentucky meeting my boyfriend's family and exploring their 95 acre horse farm.  I had a great time but it is clear, more than ever, that I could never live down South.  It was very slow paced (I'm a million miles an hour 24/7) and to be honest, the sprawling farms were beautiful but the huge amount of space in between homes felt kind of lonely to me. 

One thing they DO have going for them south of the Mason-Dixon line is some ridiculously decadent, killer food (and apparently an obesity epidemic to match).  At this one restaurant in Winchester (Hall's On the River), I was introduced to what could possibly be the most shamefully unhealthy meal I have ever consumed - the Hot Brown.  Even better is that it came with a side of macaroni and cheese.  Needless to say, I'll be kicking my own ass at the gym all week just to make up for that one item of food alone. 

So, since the past week and a half has been spent chowing down on all sorts of naughty things, I figured I'd start this week with something fresh and light to get back on track.  This apple chicken salad is phenom - filling, colorful, tasty, and incredibly low cal/low fat.  It's great on its own or over a bed of field greens or, as I enjoyed it, as a toasted sandwich with brie.  I had marinaded my chicken breast in garlic, salt and pepper, lemon, and a little Italian dressing overnight prior to grilling it so I didn't feel like the salad needed any spices or any additional salt and pepper added - although I guess it comes down to personal taste.  The sweetness and crunch of the apple and bell pepper work perfectly to offset the savory taste of the grilled chicken and onion.  I think this makes a great summer dish - although I can see it working in the fall with fresh seasonal apples as well.  Either way, enjoy guilt-free :)

All the fruits and veggie prior to adding the chicken, sour cream, and mayo.  Love the colors!

Ingredients (4 servings - about a cup/pp):

• 2 cups shredded grilled chicken (mine was marinaded in garlic, salt and pepper, and a little Italian dressing)
• 1 apple diced
• 3 grape tomatoes sliced
• 1/3 cup of sweet bell pepper 
• 1/3 cup of purple onion
• 1/4 cup scallions (green onions)
• 1/4 cup fat free mayo
• 2 tbs fat free sour cream
• lemon juice

 

Recipe:

1.  Dice the apple, squirt with a little lemon juice (to prevent browning) and add to a large bowl.
2. Shred the grilled chicken (make sure it is somewhat cooled post-grilling) and add to the bowl.
3. Add the onions, scallions, pepper, tomatoes, mayo, and sour cream to the bowl.
4. Mix everything together and serve however you like (alone, over field greens, as a sandwich/panini with brie or cheddar, etc.)

Approximate Nutritional Info per Serving:

• Calories: 106
• Carbohydrates: 13g
• Fat: 2g
• Protein: 11g

Skillet Cheesy Pasta and Sauce

It's a rainy, stormy day and I'm in the mood to just stay in and watch the thunderstorms with Rocky while munching on some comfort food.  I wanted something simple and quick - and to be very honest, this is the ultimate in lazy girl meals.  The whole recipes takes less than a half hour total from start to clean-up and I'm sure would be fabulous with a salad and some crusty bread if you had some sort of last minute hostessing crisis or whatever. 

In the future, I would like to use my own sauce instead of going prepackaged - maybe something with ground turkey to up the protein content a bit.  I used Dreamfields pasta - anything else will probably alter the nutritional content and skyrocket the carbs a bit.  I used all lowfat/skim cheeses - however I'm sure anything a little more full-body will up the awesomeness factor.  All in all, the end result of this particular recipe is an incredibly creamy, gooey, tasty pasta dish that has definitely satisfied my craving for comfort foods on this rainy day.  Enjoy!

Ingredients (6 servings - about a cup/pp):

• 6 oz. elbow macaroni (I used Dreamfields)
• 3/4 cup tomato sauce (I used a jarred four cheese sauce)
• 14.5 oz. drained diced tomatoes (Italian)
• 1 tbs minced garlic
• 1/2 cup skim ricotta
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
• 1/4 cup parmesan
• 1 large onion
• 1 red/orange bell pepper
• fresh basil leaves (I used about 5)
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:

1. Boil pasta according to instructions and set aside.
2. Dice the onion and pepper and sautee in a large skillet until tender and somewhat translucent.
3. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.
4. Add the diced tomatoes, pasta sauce, chopped basil leaves.
5. Stir well and allow to thicken for about 3 minutes.
6. Add the pasta and mix well.
7. Add the 3 cheeses and mix well until melted and evenly distributed.
8. Serve immediately and enjoy :)

Approximate Nutritional Info per Serving:

• Calories: 192
• Carbs: 26g
• Fat: 6g
• Protein: 10g

Shrimp and Quinoa Caprese Salad

I have been on a huge caprese kick lately.  Maybe it's the summer weather, maybe it's my need to try something new, or maybe it's just so awesome being able to use home grown tomatoes and basil rather than go to the supermarket.  Who knows.  Either way, I've been playing around and incorporating caprese into meals at least a couple of times a week - from sandwiches to bruschetta to pasta, I am officially obsessed.

Since I had some extra shrimp and quinoa left over from last night's dinner, I decided on trying a caprese-themed shrimp and quinoa cold salad.  I have to say, I'm really happy with the way it came out.  I used grape tomatoes since they're a bit sweeter than other varieties, have less/smaller seeds, and are generally less goopy.  I also added red onion for a bit of extra flavor.  The tomatoes, onion, and mozzarella get marinaded in balsamic vinegar and then added to the salad instead of being poured directly in which ensures that you don't end up with a soggy quinoa mess.  All in all, very light, flavorful, and a perfect dish for summer.

Ingredients (6 servings):

• 1.5 cups cooked quinoa (about 0.5 cup dry)
• 1 cup grape tomato sliced
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 10 basil leaves
• 8 oz buffalo mozzarella
• 4 oz cooked shrimp
• 3 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:

1. Cook the quinoa according to the directions on the package.  Typically thats done by bringing a 2:1 ratio of water and quinoa to a boil and then allowing it to simmer until the water has been absorbed.
2. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
3. While the quinoa is cooling, slice the tomatoes, onions, and mozzarella and combine with the balsamic vinegar.
4. Slice the basil leaves into thin strips.  
5. I suggest using pre-cooked shrimp for the easiness factor but if you prefer not to - peel and devein the shrimp and sautee until pink.  Allow to cool to room temperature.
6. Drain the excess vinegar from the bowl used to hold the tomatoes, onion, and mozzarella and combine with the cooled quinoa and shrimp.  Add the basil and olive oil and toss well.
7. Serve and enjoy :)

Approximate Nutritional Info per Serving: 

• Calories: 238
• Carbohydrates: 16g
• Fat: 15g
• Protein: 14g

Superhero Cupcakes

 

Today's post pays homage to what might be the coolest tutorial ever on cupcake decorating, found at Sugar Swings! Serve Some.  To some, it may not seem very advanced - but for me, my mind is blown.  I never ever even once thought that it could be so easy to handmake candy toppers for cupcakes, but alas, it is.  All you do is place a design outline underneath a piece of parchment paper (nonstick and see-through), and pipe melted Wilson Candy Melts over the design.  Pop them in the fridge for about 15 minutes so they harden and you're done.  They slide off the parchment paper super easy.

With mine, I made Spiderman, Batman, Green Lantern, and Superman cupcakes.  Each one has a candy topper except for the Spiderman ones - those got icing piped directly onto the frosted cupcake.  All frosting was white vanilla and dyed to match.  I absolutely LOVE the results and this was super easy, quick to make, and opens up all sorts of avenues for future cupcake decorating :)

Piping the black candy part of the Batman logo

Batman finalized

Superman

Spiderman

Green Lantern

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Tonight's entry is a joint effort by me and my boyfriend, Eric.  I've never cooked pork before, let alone a stuffed pork tenderloin so he was incredibly helpful in all of this.  Basically this is a lean pork tenderloin butterflied and pounded until it's a rectangular, flat-ish piece of meat.  After that, a goat cheese/cranberry/walnut/chestnut stuffing mix is spread across the meat and the tenderloin is tightly rolled back up, tied with twine, and cooked.  It's then sliced and served with mashed sweet potatoes and I have to say it came out pretty good.  Pork is one of those meats that combines really well with sweet fruit flavors so the cranberry adds a really nice contrast.  The creamy goat cheese, savory bread stuffing, and sweet dried cranberries sort of melt into the pork and the chestnuts and walnuts take on the flavor of the meat.  I think this would make a great autumn dish, maybe with an apple chutney and possiblyyyy a nice sangria :)

Ingredients (serves about 8):

• 1.5 - 2 lb. lean pork tenderloin
• box of bread stuffing (I used Stovetop's Savory Herb stuffing) - 3 cups needed
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1 cup roasted and peeled chestnuts
• 6 oz. soft goat cheese
• 4 medium sized sweet potatoes (or red yams)
• 4 tbs butter (I used Smart Balance)
• 4 tbs fat free sour cream
• 2 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil
• twine

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F and cook the stuffing according to the directions on the box.
2. In a large bowl, combine the stuffing, cranberries, walnuts, chestnuts, goat cheese, and garlic and mix well.
3. On a large cutting board, butterfly the tenderloin and pound until somewhat flat.
4. Rub the surface of the pork with olive oil and salt and pepper and flip so the spiced surface is now face down.
5. Spread the mix evenly over the exposed meat surface and leave a 1/2 inch border along the sides.  You can pile on the stuffing mix as much as you want, but there's a good possibility (based on the weight and how flat you pounded the meat out) that you won't use all of it.    
6. Tightly roll the tenderloin back up and tie off the ends and a couple of segments in the middle with twine.  You're looking to keep the roll in place when you're cooking the meat as well as keep the goat cheese from oozing out.
7. Put some olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Once heated up, put the tenderloin in and sear on both sides until it turns a light brown.
8. From there, transfer the tenderloin to the oven and cook for about 45 minutes - 1 hour.  Basically, you want the internal temperature to be at least 165*F.  
9. While the pork is cooking, peel the sweet potatoes and cube them.
10. Bring a large pot of water to boil and put the sweet potatoes in.  After 5-10 minutes, change the water and bring to a boil again.  I suppose this isn't really mandatory, I just like getting rid of the starchy water.
11.  Boil the potatoes until they're fork tender and drain.
12. Add the butter, sour cream, and mash until smooth. 
13. Once removed from the oven, allow to sit for a couple of minutes and then slice and serve with the mashed sweet potatoes.

 Approximate Nutritional Info per Serving:

• Calories: 339
• Carbohydrates: 29g
• Fat: 11g
• Protein: 27g

Red Velvet Rice Krispy Treats

I love Rice Krispies treats.  There is absolutely nothing better than that gooey/crunchy combo.  When I was little, my mum used to make these whenever we had elementary school parties and they always got gobbled up super fast.

I wanted to make something special for Biochem recitation class for my students so I decided to revisit Rice Krispies treats.  Hey, they worked in grade school - why wouldn't they work in grad school?  I happened to stumble across this recipe for Red Velvet Rice Krispies treats and lemme tell you, these were AWESOME.  Chocolatey and marshmallowey and red and crunchy... SO good!  So that being said, I did NOT create this recipe - just wanted to share it!  Enjoy!