Grilled Caesar salad

Fresh Pasta from scratch

Lobster pasta

Cheddar bay biscuits

Chocolate Lava Cobbler

Grilled Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons

Yield: 2 servings

2 thick slices Italian bread or 4 thick slices French baguette cut in 1 inch cubes ¼ cup olive oil,

Vegetable oil for brushing grill pan

1 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped

½ cup grape tomatoes split lengthwise

1 large egg yolk

1 small anchovy filet or ¼ teaspoon anchovy paste

Juice of ½ lemons

1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced and divided

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 head romaine lettuce, split lengthwise

Sea salt and pepper to taste

  Preheat cast iron grill pan at medium-high heat.

    To make garlic croutons: In a small bowl toss bread cubes, garlic, and parsley. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over mixture, gently tossing as it is added. Season with salt and pepper and mix being careful not to mash the bread. Spread out croutons on small parchment lined rimmed baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes or until croutons are just crispy outside but still soft inside. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

  To grill romaine: Brush preheated grill pan with vegetable oil Place split romaine head cut side down in pan at 45’ angle. Sear for 1-2 minutes, then rotate romaine 90’. Grill for 1-2 more minutes or until desired grill lines are achieved. Immediately transfer lettuce to cooler uncovered to chill before it can wilt.

 To make Caesar dressing: Add egg yolk, ½ teaspoon garlic, Dijon, and anchovy to a medium mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously to combine and extract flavor from garlic. Squeeze half of lemon into mixture and whisk to incorporate

Fresh Pasta Dough

yield: 2 servings

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon sea salt

  Making fresh pasta dough is fun and very easy. Traditionally, the dough is mixed directly on a board or counter but it is acceptable to begin the dough in a bowl to limit the cleanup. Laminate counter tops are fine for kneading dough but natural or engineered stone is best as it is non-porous and maintains constant temperature, especially important when working with yeast doughs.

  In a bowl or on a countertop, combine the salt and flour. Using your fingers, create a well in the center of the mound, being sure that the well’s walls are equally thick and high. In a separate container, combine eggs and olive oil. Scramble eggs with a fork to incorporate oil.

  Add 1/3 of egg/oil mixture to center of well. Using a swirling motion, pull flour from inner walls of well into eggs and mix until it forms a thick paste. If working on a countertop, be careful not to break through the walls of the well as egg will run out over the work surface. When center is no longer runny, add half of remaining egg mixture and stir to paste. Add remaining liquid and repeat. Continue to mix until fork is no longer effective and then turn dough out onto work surface.

  Knead dough by flattening, folding it in half and pressing hard with the palm of your hand. Rotate 90’ and repeat over and over until dough is a consistent color (no patches of flour or egg mixture) and begins to feel springy. Pasta dough should be visibly bumpy but soft and smooth to the touch. To test, press a finger into dough. The depression made by your finger should spring back almost entirely. Flatten dough into a disk 1 ½ inches thick, wrap with saran and place in cooler to rest for 20-30 minutes or until finger divot does not bounce back. This means that the gluten that was excited in the kneading process has relaxed and the dough is ready to be rolled and cut.

Creamy lobster pasta with homemade pasta 

yield: 2 servings          

1 pasta recipe, prepared and rolled out

½ cup lobster

1 cup heavy cream

• teaspoon oil
• garlic cloves, minced

½ cup parmesan

• teaspoon fresh dill

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ cup white wine

½ lemon, zested and juiced

• tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat add oil and garlic. Cook garlic for 30 seconds then pour in white wine, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Cook slightly and pour in heavy cream. Stir in parmesan, dill, red pepper flakes, and allow coming up to a boil and turning heat off. Stir in butter, and lobster. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Boil fresh pasta and add directly into sauce once cooked.

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Ingredients

             2 cups all purpose flour

 1 Tablespoon Sugar

• Tablespoon baking powder
• teaspoons garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup unsalted butter melted

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper Garlic Butter Topping:

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted

           1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

             1 Tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, and salt. Whisk together the melted butter and buttermilk. Combine with the dry ingredients until incorporated. It will make a thick dough. Fold in the cheddar cheese.
3. Measure out each biscuit in a ¼ cup measuring cup. The measuring cup worked great for packing the dough into the cup and spooning the dough out onto the baking sheet. It made perfect round biscuits. 4. Bake for 10-12 minutes in preheated oven until golden brown. Combine garlic butter topping ingredients and brush onto each biscuit. Makes 11 biscuits.

Brownie pudding (chocolate lava cobbler)

  yield: 8

• cup flour
• teaspoon baking powder
• teaspoon salt

2/3 cup sugar

• tablespoons cocoa powder

½ cup milk

2 tablespoons veggie oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup brown sugar

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 ½ cup hot water

Preheat oven 350

Grease 9×9 pan

In a small bowl mix together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, milk, veggie oil, and vanilla. The batter will be very thick. Pour into prepared pan, spread evenly.

In a small bowl combine brown sugar and remaining cocoa powder, pour over top of thick batter. DON’T MIX. Pour hot water on top and place in the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.