Taking Risks in the Kitchen: 01

I've decided that each month I will post two new recipes that I've tried in my kitchen that are successful and share with my readers.  I figure this is a good way to hold me accountable for trying new things!  I suppose I am an okay cook.  I know some good dishes, but I wouldn't call myself a risk taker in the kitchen.  I tend to stick to what I know and don't venture out of the ordinary too often.  It's not that I don't like to try new things, but I always fear that something won't turn out well and that I'll have to throw my hard work away because, well, it was just nasty! 

But the issue here is that eating the same stuff gets boring, duh?  So, let the kitchen games begin!  In preparation for getting more diverse meals made in my kitchen, I signed up for Farm Fresh to You.  Probably many of you have heard of it, but if you haven't, it's basically a company that works with tons of organic and local farms to deliver fresh and organic produce to your door step.  I was hesitant to join because it didn't get raving reviews on Yelp and I'm a big believer of Yelp reviews.  But I like that you can control your account from online, see what will be coming in your basket of produce, and switch out items if you're not happy with what will be delivered.  There are also options for different size baskets and frequency.  And I like the idea of getting seasonal produce and trying new things that I normally wouldn't try.

In our first basket we received four sweet gypsy peppers.  I have never had these before or have ever bought them so I didn't know what to do with them.  After Googling around for a bit, I came up with an easy and very tasty recipe.  (See Below)

Stuffed Sweet Gypsy Peppers
Ingredients:
4 Sweet Gypsy Peppers
1 cup of rice (you're choice - I used a medley)
3 tablespoons pesto
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used mozzarella)
a handful of chopped up cilantro

Directions;
Cut peppers in half, discard seeds
spread a thin layer of pesto in each pepper half
scoop cooked rice into each pepper half
sprinkle each half with cheese and cilantro
broil in high for about 6 minutes

Pre-oven Stuffed Peppers

 

Cooked and ready to eat peppers

 

 

The second recipe I will share is a bit more time consuming.  I made Fresh Lobster Salad rolls, but man, so worth it!!!  Apparently, fishermen have been catching an abundance of lobster so until the end of the year lobster prices will be much cheaper than usual.  So, if you love lobster, go and get yourself some.  Joe bought a live 2.5 lb. lobster on Sunday, we boiled it, and then put it on the BBQ for a few minutes.  We ate about half of lobster on Sunday night with just some drawn butter - delicious!  But we had plenty of lobster leftover.  Joe had the great idea of saving it and making lobster rolls.  I love lobster rolls, but have never made them.  Below is the recipe I used - I got it online but added the sautéed garlic from an online recommendation and was so glad that I did that! It added such wonderful flavor.  The recipe below is for already cooked and de-shelled lobster so if you want to try this you will need to cook, de-shell, and chill the lobster before hand. 

 

 

Lobster Salad Rolls

Ingredients: serves 4

4 cups, cooked and chilled lobster

1/2 cup Mayonnaise (I used a bit less)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1/8 cup diced celery

3 cloves of sautéed garlic

a dash of hot sauce

4 hot dog buns that open from the top (they are the larger, thicker buns)

butter to spread on buns after they've been heated

 

 

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together

toast/broil buns so they are a little crisp

spread a light layer of butter on buns

scoop lobster salad into each bun

 

Pretty Simple List of Ingredients (Sans Buns & Salt)

 

Mixed and ready to go on the bun!

 

 

Both recipes were fantastic!  The peppers are great as an appetizer and can be made quick if you already have the rice cooked.  Obviously, the lobster takes more time, but wow, might be one of the tastiest things I've made.  And lobster rolls are perfect for the summer - perfect for a casual summer dinner party!  If any of my readers try these out, let me know what you think!