PASSIONATE ABOUT FOOD/Valentine's Day

Lemon Pudding

Lobster & Dressing

Soup

Sandwich/Yum

Butternut Squash &
  Sweet Potato Soup
with Lobster Sandwich
+ Lemon Pudding at the end

I found a recipe in a magazine I picked up on the weekend for the soup. The magazine was more expensive than the soup ingredients! However...The magazine is called Woman & Home - Feel Good Food. How could anyone passionate about food leave it on the shelf. And the Woman & Home bit...well I am all for that if at all possible. Who needs to be tied to a desk when there is so much living to be done at home? LOL! Every page has a recipe that needs to be made RIGHT NOW!

I chose one to start with. It couldn't be easier or more fantastic.

Soup
Prep time 15 minutes, Cooking time 30 minutes, Serves 4
1 tbsp olive oil
1 chopped onion
1/2 tsp ground cumin (I added this for interest)
2 crushed garlic cloves (why use one when you can easily use two!)
butternut squash peeled, seeded, chopped
2 sweet potatoes of normal size (not those gigantic ones around these days...they look like they have been genetically modified for giants) peeled and chopped
1 litre + of chicken stock or water
200 ml (or less) of homogenized milk (fat is good!)

Heat olive oil, add onions, garlic and cook for a few minutes stirring around to soften
Add chopped veg
Add water or stock
Season with S & P and I put in a little (1/2 tsp) coarse salt for good measure (salt makes a soup!)
cover and bring to boil
simmer for 25 minutes
puree
Add the homo

Now how hard was that. It is amazing. Freeze what you don't eat for another time.


Lobster Sandwich
Artisan lettuce washed and spun dry
Nice crunchy rolls (Ciabatta style or in this case I used an Ace triangle roll I bought at Loblaws)
Dressing
oh yeah, lobster chunks

Dressing
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 celery stalk minced as best you can
1 green onion minced
1 tbsp capers rinsed, drained minced
(did you know you can buy these at the $1 store for $1 - mother tip)
a bit of dried tarragon as I didn't have fresh
some fresh dill
2 tbsp lemon juice
S&P

Lobster
Bought a can of lobster in a big Valentine's splurge
(because I couldn't think of a better present than that)
defrost in fridge
drain (keep the juice for a chowder and freeze)
dry on some paper towel
leave in large chunks
Fold into the dressing and refrigerate
S&P


Lemon Pudding Yum!
(came in on an email South Beach Diet Phase 1)
Prep 10 min
Cook 5 minutes
Chill time 25 minutes

6 servings

6 egg yolks
2 eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar (supposed to be sugar substitute but...)
1 TBSP lemon peel (large lemon)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice from 2 lemons)
1/4 - 1/2 cup whipped cream

In a medium stainless saucepan (non reactive pan) over medium heat, combine yolks, 2 whole eggs, sugar, peel and juice and cook 4 minutes whisking constantly until thickened to a custard consistency.

Remove from heat; pour into medium glass bowl and refrigerate until cold (25 minutes minimum) before serving.

Top with 1 - 2 TBSP whipped cream. Why not.