I spent this past weekend visiting my daughter, Jodi and her boyfriend Neil. While Steve had a seminar, we galavanted around the city, making most of the little time we have together.
Visiting Chicago, or any city for that matter, with Jodi is always an experience! Some people take the time to smell the flowers, but with Jodi we take the time to….(just a little photo journey of our time together)…..
Lunch was an assortment of creative and healthy salads. The most amazing was the cauliflower with jalapeño and parmesan pesto.
MINI LOBSTER ROLLS WITH HERBED MAYO
Makes 15 rolls
FOR THE ROLLS
- 2 lobster tails, thawed if frozen (8 oz. each)
- 3 cups water
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced (zest reserved)
- 1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
- 5 hot dog buns, sliced length- wise and cut into thirds
- 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
FOR THE MAYO
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp. each minced celery, fresh chives, tarragon, and parsely
- 1 Tbsp. minced shallots
- 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
- Combine water, juice of 1 lemon, and 1 tsp. Old Bay in a large sauce- pan. Insert steamer basket in pan, bring water to a boil, place the tails in steamer, and cover.
- Steam tails 8–10 minutes until shells are red and meat is cooked. Remove tails from pan and cool slightly.
- Cut shells lengthwise with kitchen shears. Chop meat into chunks. Preheat broiler with rack 5 inches from the element.
- Mix mayonnaise, celery, chives, tarragon, parsley, shallots, 2 tsp. lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. Old Bay, salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a bowl. Fold in lobster meat.
- Brush rolls with melted butter and broil until toasted, 1–2 minutes. Spoon filling onto toasted rolls and garnish with reserved lemon zest.
Then, of course, on our way to the airport, we HAD to stop for the one and only Shake Shack burger! A delicious patty of perfectly cooked beef topped with cheese and a FRIED CHEESE PORTOBELLO STUFFED MUSHROOM!!! One bite into this massive deliciousness is what I think heaven would be like as the lava fountain of cheese oozes out with each bite….ok. I’m done…😋 (Shake Shack…put it on your bucket list!) People say the secret’s in the sauce, but I say its in the mushroom!
Here is a
FAKE SHAKE SHACK HACK RECIPE FROM SERIOUS EATS! (It has everything but the portobello.)
INGREDIENTS
8 ounces beef sirloin, trimmed of gristle, and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 ounces well-marbled beef chuck, trimmed of gristle, and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 ounces well-marbled beef brisket, fat cap intact, trimmed of gristle, and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons butter, melted
4 Martin’s Sandwich Rolls
4 tablespoons Shack Sauce (recipe follows)
4 leaves of green-leaf lettuce, clipped
8 center-cut slices ripe plum tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
Kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper
4 slices yellow American cheese
Sauce Ingredients
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
4 slices kosher dill pickle
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
DIRECTIONS
1.
Place feed shaft, blade, and 1/4-inch die of meat grinder in freezer until well-chilled. Meanwhile, place meat chunks on rimmed baking sheet, leaving space between each piece and place in freezer for 10 minutes until meat is firm, but not frozen.
2.
Combine meat in large bowl and toss to combine. Pass meat through grinder twice. Form into four disks, about 2-inches tall, and 2.5-inches wide. Refrigerate until ready for use.
3.
Open buns but do not split hinge. Brush lightly with butter, then place under broiler or in toaster oven until golden brown, about 1 minute. Spread 1 tablespoon Shack Sauce on top half of each bun (for true authenticity, squirt out of squeeze bottle into three lines, three passes on each line). Place 1 leaf lettuce and 2 slices tomato on top half of each bun.
4.
Using wadded-up paper towel, rub inside of heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet with vegetable oil, then place over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Season beef pucks on top side with salt and pepper, then place, seasoned side down, in skillet. Using back of heavy, flat spatula, press down on beef pucks firmly to form 4-inch round patties, being careful not to let it stick to bottom of spatula. Season top side with salt and pepper. Cook until crisp brown crust has formed, about 2-minutes.
5.
Carefully scrape patties from skillet, and flip. Top each patty with 1 slice American cheese. Cook until cheese is melted, about 1 minute longer. Transfer patties to burger bun bottoms, close sandwiches, and serve.
6.
Shack Sauce: Combine all ingredients in blender until smooth, scraping down sides of blender with rubber spatula as necessary. Makes about 3/4 cup sauce.
Cheers to sunsets, birthdays, and just about anything you want to toast to….burgers, lobster…anything. Thanks for stopping in and I hope you enjoyed todays read.
xo Laura
PS….I FOUND SOME GREAT THINGS TO SHOP FOR…..
The Summer House Cookbook: Easy Recipes for When You Have Better Things to Do with Your Time $14.94
+ $3.99 shipping
America’s Most Wanted Recipes: Delicious Recipes from Your Family’s Favorite Restaurants (America’s Most Wanted Recipes Series) $13.18 Amazon Prime
Laura Nobil, Realtor® 