Luscious Lobster
Shrimp and Walnut Pesto Pinwheels with Sundried Tomato Aioli
Caesar Salad
Lobster Ravioli in Lemon Cream Sauce
Pasta Rags with Mushroom Miso Butter
Strawberry Lemon Cheesecake Trifle
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.
Classic Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons
yield: 2 servings
½ head trimmed Romaine lettuce, cut in 1 inch slices
2 ½ inch slices Italian bread, cut in cubes
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon parmesan cheese, grated
½ teaspoon anchovy paste (or 1 small filet mashed)
½ lemon, juiced
¼ teaspoon plus ½ teaspoon garlic, minced and divided
1 large egg yolk
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Sea salt and ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
Small block of parmesan or Romano cheese for garnish
In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 teaspoon garlic, anchovy, lemon and Dijon. Whisk to thoroughly mix. Add egg yolk and lemon whisking again quickly to combine and begin drizzling oil at slowest steady stream possible while whisking vigorously. If oil begins to pool, stop pouring and whisk until excess oil is emulsified. Continue adding oil until a lightly thickened dressing is formed. Taste and add salt and pepper to eliminate acidity of lemon. Set is cooler until needed.
In a small mixing bowl combine ½ teaspoon garlic and 1 tablespoon oil. Mix for 2 minutes to combine and extract garlic oils. Add bread cubes and toss quickly to evenly distribute garlic-oil min. Add parsley, fold in, and transfer croutons to a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 3-5 minutes until cubes are golden brown but still chewy in the center. Set aside to cool.
To assemble the salad, Toss Romaine lettuce and Caesar dressing in a mixing bowl to lightly coat, using only half of dressing to begin. Add more dressing if desired uniformly coating the lettuce. Add croutons and fold until evenly distributed. Divide salad between 2 chilled salad plates and garnish with shaved or shredded parmesan block.
Lobster ravioli
Yield 2
1 pasta recipe prepped and rolled out
FILLING
1 cup lobster chopped
2 tablespoons capers, chopped
2 tablespoons dill, chopped
1/2 cup ricotta
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 lemon zested
SAUCE
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 lemon juiced
1/4 cup parmesan
Dill garnish
In a bowl combine all filling ingredients, taste and season with salt and pepper. On four sheets of pasta place a dollop of filling, 1-2 finger width apart. Brush water around the edges of pasta as well as in-between dollops. Fold pasta onto itself and seal. Cut into pieces and set aside.
Boil water and cook ravioli. Place in a bowl with heavy cream, lemon juice, parmesan and dill. Add taste and pepper to taste, serve.
Shrimp pinwheels
Yield 2
1 sheet puff pastry
1 cup shrimp, chopped
1/4 cup pesto
1 tablespoon minced walnuts
2-3 cloves roasted garlic with oil
1/2 cup dill havarti diced or shredded
1/2 cup mozzarella
Salt and pepper to taste
AIOLI
2 tablespoons sun dried tomato, pureed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1-2 cloves roasted garlic with oil
1 tablespoon basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven 400″
Mix together pesto, walnuts and roasted garlic
Lay puff pastry out on lightly floured surface. Spread over shrimp, dollop over pesto. Sprinkle both cheeses over top and season with salt and pepper.
Roll the puff pastry up like a cinnamon roll and cut into desired sizes. Place on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until puffed and golden.
In a small bowl combine all AIOLI ingredients season with salt and pepper.
Remove pinwheels from oven and serve with AIOLI.
Miso pasta
Yield 2
1 pasta recipe prepped and rolled out
1 cup mushrooms sliced
1/2 onion sliced
2 garlic cloves minced
2 tablespoons miso paste or 1 cup miso broth
1 cup stock (if using miso paste)
4 tablespoons butter
2 green onions sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Using a pasta cutter,.cut pasta sheets into random square/triangle sizes, resembling rags. Boil pasta according to recipe.
In large skillet, over medium high heat add butter cook mushrooms and onions until soft add garlic. Cook until fragrant then add miso with stock/miso broth cook until reduced by half. Turn heat off
Add pasta rags to miso butter. Toss with green onions and serve.
Strawberry cheesecake trifle
Yield 10
1 box instant cheesecake, prepped according to box
2 cups strawberries, sliced
2 lemons juiced
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 box instant white chocolate pudding
1/2.bottle white chocolate dessert drizzle
4 cups whipped cream, prepped
2 cups of cheesecake chocolate chips or white chocolate chips
In a stand mixer combine 2 cups heavy cream, and instant white chocolate pudding. Whip on medium until Stiff. Pour in white chocolate dessert drizzle and mix two combined set aside
In a small bowl combined strawberries lemon juice and sugar.
In a glass or a ramekin put down a layer of prepped cheesecake add a layer of white chocolate cream, add another layer of chocolate chips. Finish with strawberries and whipped cream. Pour over juice from strawberry bowl. Serve.
