{ lobster bake }

I'm not ashamed to admit it ... these New England natives took me a long time to crank out!

It was my first attempt at airbrushing as well (thanks to Lisa, The Bearfoot Baker for the inspiration!), so these little suckers will probably show up in my dreams ... er ... nightmares ... for quite a while.

But again, labor of love, folks. Labor of love.

Now pass the butter.

creamy lobster and shrimp enchiladas

Let me just start out by saying upfront that this is one of the yummiest enchilada recipes I've ever eaten. And believe me -- this Texas girl has had a lot of enchiladas!

The lobster is pricey, but very much worth the extra sacrifice, although crab meat would make an easy substitution (but go for the lobster!). It's a meal that's outstanding for a casual lunch with friends, or dressed up for dinner with company. And the recipe is so simple, you'll want to make again and again ... I promise. Delicious!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1/2 cup salsa verde (I prefer the added kick of jalapeño to tomatillo for this recipe)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (8 ounces) ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 pounds small shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined; cut vertically, so as to retain shrimp shape, but in bite-size pieces
• 1/2 cup cooked lobster meat, cubed into bite-size pieces
• 2 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
• 1 lime, juiced
  
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
  
• 12 flour tortillas (7 inches)
• extra sour cream, cilantro and lime, for garnish (optional)
  

Preparation

• In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in broth and soup until blended. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in sour cream, salsa, cayenne pepper and salt; set aside.
• Place ricotta cheese in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Add lime juice and transfer to a bowl; add the [vertically-cut] shrimp, lobster, 1 1/2 cups of the Monterrey Jack cheese, chilies and cilantro; mix with large spoon.
• Spread 3/4 cup sauce in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Place about 1/3 cup seafood mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down over sauce. Top with the remaining sauce and cheese.
  
• Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until heated through.
  
• Serve topped with a dollop of sour cream, chopped cilantro, and a wedge of lime. Perfect with cilantro rice.
  
• Yield: 6 servings

lobster benedict

One of the great things about living in New England is the abundance of lobster available to enjoy -- I never get tired of it, and could eat lobster pretty much any way. Oooh! That actually sounds like a delicious plan! I might have to explore the idea ....

Anyway, I had some leftover lobster meat from dinner the other night, and obviously didn't want to let it go to waste. So I whipped up some eggs Benedict, with the traditional English muffin, poached egg and Hollandaise sauce. But instead of Canadian bacon, I opted for lobster. The result was a perfect breakfast.

I'm betting shrimp would be good too -- a fabulous brunch item, I'd say.

I love those red crustaceans with the big claws.

lobster ravioli in butter, garlic and olive oil

Very quick, very easy, very yummy dinner.

• 27-ounce package of lobster ricotta ravioli (I use the Pasta Prima Gourmet from Sam's Club)
• 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 6-8 basil leaves, chiffonade
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• Parmigiano Reggiano, to garnish

Gently boil ravioli (about 4 minutes).

In a medium pan, sauté onion and garlic in butter and olive oil until both begin to soften and turn translucent; add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

Place cooked ravioli in large pasta bowl and spoon onion and garlic sauce over it; sprinkle with fresh basil and curls of Parmigiano Reggiano.

dinner from the sea

After a bit of a health complication required me to stay in the hospital for a few nights, my mom and sister flew up to New Hampshire for several days to provide some love and support (and lots of hugs and kisses to Aidan!).

It's been so nice having them here, and letting them go back to Texas is something I'm not at all looking forward to. But in the mean time, we've been trying to squeeze in a little bit of fun while they're here.

Part of the low-key festivities was a fresh lobster feast. Mom, Ty and Aidan picked out the critters at a local lobster pound, so I guess you can say it was a custom-made dinner. Unfortunately my tummy wasn't exactly up for copious amounts of crustacean like I'd hoped it would be, but it was still fun enjoying everyone else ... enjoying!