Chilled Pistachio and Yogurt Soup

prep: 30 minutes (plus cooling)
cook: 5 minutes

makes 6 (6 ounce) servings

you’ll need…
1 cup shelled, peeled and chopped pistachio nuts, divided
2 cups plain Greek yogurt (non-fat, 2% or whole)
1¼ cup seedless cucumber, peeled and diced, divided
1 clove garlic
1 cup iced water
¼ cup dried hibiscus flowers divided
¼ cup chopped mint, divided
¼ cup chopped dill, divided
¼ cup chopped chives, divided
salt to taste

let’s get to it…
Heat a large frying pan on medium heat. Add the nuts and toast for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and cool completely.
Blend ½ cup cooled pistachio nuts, yogurt, 1 cup cucumber, garlic and iced water until smooth in a blender container.
Add 1 tablespoon of hibiscus flowers, 1 tablespoon chopped mint, 1 tablespoon chopped dill and 1 tablespoon chopped chives to the yogurt mixture and blend until smooth. Season with salt to taste. Refrigerate until chilled.
Place remaining pistachio nuts, cucumber, hibiscus flowers, mint, dill and chives in small bowls or ramekins and serve with the soup.

Cobb Salad inspired by The Hotel Bel Air’s Infamous Salad

prep: 45 minutes
cook: 30 minutes

serves 6

for the salad you’ll need…
1 large head of romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
3 eggs, boiled and chopped
6 strips of bacon, cooked and chopped
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
3 to 4 tomatoes (depending on size) chopped
2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped
1 half red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup crumbled blue cheese

for the Herb Vinaigrette you’ll need…
1¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 shallot, finely minced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoon finely minced chives
2 tablespoon finely minced parsley

let’s get to it…
Wash the lettuce before beginning. Tear romaine lettuce in bite size pieces and place in a large salad bowl.
Place the chopped eggs, avocado, tomatoes, chicken, onion, bacon and blue cheese in even rows on top of the salad greens. Refrigerate.
Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, shallot, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl. Add the chives and parsley and whisk until well blended.
Pour about ½ of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently. Serve remaining vinaigrette with the salad.

Cook’s Tip: Use a blender to make the vinaigrette! Place the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, shallots, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper together in a blender container. Blend on High for 30 seconds. Add the chives and parsley and pulse 5 times until mixed.

Lobster Deviled Eggs

prep: 10 minutes
cook: 20 minutes

serves 16

you’ll need…
8 eggs
1 8-ounce lobster tail, thawed
1 teaspoon seasoning (like Old Bay)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
3 tablespoons finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives (plus a little extra for garnish)

let’s get to it…
Boil the eggs. If you’re not sure how to do it, here’s how. Cool, peel and set aside.
Cut lengthwise through the top of the lobster tail all the way down to the tail with a pair of kitchen shears. Reach inside the shell and loosen and pull the meat away from the shell (don’t remove the meat… the shell is the little oven that gives the lobster flavor); set aside.
Fill a saucepan with about ½-inch water and add the seasoning. Place a steamer into the pan and bring to a boil. Place lobster tail on the steamer in the saucepan. Cover and steam for 12 to 15 minutes or until the meat is no longer opaque. Remove lobster tail from pan and cool completely. Pull meat from the shell and chop into ½-inch pieces (you’ll get about 5 ounces of meat); set aside.
Slice the boiled eggs lengthwise. Wipe your knife off on a damp paper towel in between eggs so you don’t get yolk all over the egg halves. Place the yolks in a large bowl. Slice off a tiny sliver on the bottom of each egg white so they don’t wobble on the plate; set aside.
Add mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and salt. Mash the mixture with a potato masher. Taste and adjust the seasonings. I don’t add a lot of mustard because I don’t like to lose the lobster flavor.
Fold in the celery, chives and lobster gently. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasonings. Sometimes a shake of Old Bay is needed.
Spoon the Deviled Lobster mixture evenly into each egg white half. Sprinkle on the remaining chives (or get creative). Cover carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pasta with Fresh Fava Beans, Peas and Lemon-Chive Vinaigrette

prep: 20 (after shelling)
cook: 15

you’ll need…
1 cup shelled and peeled fresh fava beans  (about 2 to 3 lbs. whole fava bean pods)
1 cup shelled fresh English peas (about 1 lb. whole English pea pods)
2 packages (9 ounces) spaghetti, fettuccine or linguine
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup finely chopped chives, divided
3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest, divided
2 cloves garlic
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

let’s get to it…
Boil a large pot of salted water. Fill a large bowl with ice water.
Add the shelled and peeled fava beans and cook about 3 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. With a slotted spoon, transfer beans to the ice water and let cool 5 minutes and remove. Keep the water boiling.
Add the shelled peas to the boiling water and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. With a slotted spoon, transfer peas to the ice water and let cool 5 minutes. Keep the water boiling (add more water to the pot if necessary and return to a boil).
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
Blend the lemon juice, half of the chives, half of the lemon zest and all of the garlic until smooth, about 30 seconds. With the blender on the lowest speed, add the oil in a thin stream until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Place the cooked and drained pasta in a large bowl and drizzle on half of the vinaigrette; toss gently. Fold in the beans and peas and add the remaining vinaigrette if desired. Garnish with remaining chives and lemon zest.