Chilled Pistachio Yogurt Soup

July16

Here’s your sip of summer. 

Chilled Pistachio Soup - With the delicate flavors of hibiscus, mint and dill. Recipe: http://mamashighstrung.com/?p=7978

A summer soup should be cool and bright, with flavors that pop with every spoonful. But, like everything in life, you’ve got to keep it interesting.

Just like this Chilled Pistachio Yogurt Soup. Dried hibiscus petals, lightly toasted pistachios and a handful of the season’s freshest herbs give this Greek yogurt soup a refreshing lift that is alarmingly addicting. Really.

The accoutrements on the side are a little extra bit of fun… they enhance what’s already in the soup.

Proof positive: The words summer and soup are not an oxymoron.


How To Make Perfect Cobb Salad

August6

Cobb Salad Mama's High Strung

It has been a little cooler than normal around here, so all the fresh summer veggies I crave have been a bit delayed in making their usual appearance at my farmers market.

But that hasn’t stopped me from whipping up my favorite salad of all time: Cobb Salad inspired by the Hotel Bel-Air’s Cobb Salad in Los Angeles.

What’s not to love about this protein-packed totally indulgent salad? Eggs, avocados, tomatoes, roasted chicken, onion, bacon and blue cheese all in pretty little rows on top of mounds of crisp lettuce. Toss it with a little homemade herb vinaigrette and you’ve got a beautiful (and substantial) meal!

That’s a lot of ingredients, I know, but here’s an easy way to remember what to include:

EAT COBB

E is for egg… A is for Avocados… T is for tomatoes… ah, you get the picture.

Most recipes call for iceberg lettuce but I use romaine lettuce instead because that’s what they use at that fancy-do Hollywood hotel where I learned how to make perfect Cobb Salad!

My Dexas Kitchen Tools really helped pull this recipe together easily!

Featured on BlogHer.com

 

Cobb Salad Mama's High Strung

 

Want more great salad ideas? Here are a few:

Crunchy Bacon and Broccoli Salad 

Old School Wedge Salad

Sriracha Potato Salad


Lobster Deviled Eggs + Tutorial!

March27

We fancy! Lobster is cheap right now, so we’re whipping up Lobster Deviled Eggs!We fancy! Lobster is cheap right now, so we’re whipping up Lobster Deviled Eggs!

Cheap lobster you say? Yep, you bet. For a variety of reasons, there’s an overabundance of lobsters, so prices are falling. Costco, Sam’s Club and Walmart are selling frozen lobster tails and cooked claws at amazingly low prices.

And… if you really want to indulge yourself, pick up some live lobsters. Scared to try? Don’t be… here’s what you need to know.

So splurge this weekend and give it a shot! I’ve got a step-by-step how-to-do-it below the recipe. If Lobster Deviled Eggs aren’t your thing, buy the lobster tails anyway, prepare as directed in the recipe below and just dip them into warm melted butter.

Look who’s fancy now!

Step-by-Step Lobster Deviled Eggs

1. Gather your ingredients: 8 eggs; 1 8-ounce lobster tail, thawed; 1 teaspoon seasoning (like Old Bay); 3 tablespoons mayonnaise;  1 teaspoons 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).

Lobster Deviled Egg Ingredients

2. Boil the eggs. If you’re not sure how to do it, click here. Cool, peel and set aside.

Lobster Deviled Eggs-Hard Boiled Eggs

3. Cut lengthwise through the top of the lobster tail all the way down to the tail with a pair of kitchen shears.

Lobster Deviled Eggs- Cut lengthwise through the top of the lobster tail

4. 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.

Lobster Deviled Eggs- Reach Inside The Shell

5. Fill a saucepan with about ½ inch water and add the seasoning.

Lobster Deviled Eggs- Fill a saucepan with water and add seasoning

6. Place a steamer into the pan and bring to a boil. Place lobster tail on the steamer in the saucepan.

Lobster Deviled Eggs: Place steamer in pan and lobster tail.

7. Cover and steam for 12 to 15 minutes or until the meat is no longer opaque.

Lobster Deviled Eggs: Cover and steam for 12 to 15 minutes or until the meat is no longer opaque.

8. 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.

Lobster Deviled Eggs: 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.

9. Carefully 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.

Lobster-Deviled Eggs-Slice eggs

10. Slice off a tiny sliver on the bottom of each egg white so they don’t wobble on the plate; set aside.

Lobster Deviled Eggs-Slice off the end of the egg

11. 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.

Lobster Deviled Eggs-Add Mayo, Mustard, Lemon Juice and Salt

12. Gently fold in the celery, chives and lobster. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasonings. Sometimes a shake of Old Bay is needed.

Lobster Deviled Eggs: Gently fold in the celery, chives and lobster

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.

Lobster Deviled Eggs-Spoon the Lobster Deviled Egg mixture into the egg whites


Plated + Served: Pasta with Fresh Fava Beans, Peas and Lemon-Chive Vinaigrette

June26

This is your reward for shelling all of those fava beans… (no, it’s not a private screening of  “Silence of the Lambs”), it’s a cool pasta dish with all the bright nuances of summer.

 

The best part of this recipe is that you can swap out the major players (favas, peas and chives) and substitute whatever vegetable and herb is the seasonal star of the moment. The result is an exciting new dish with little effort.

And I think Hannibal Lecter would agree, this recipe pairs brilliantly with a nice Chianti… (sorry, I couldn’t help it!).

 

 

 

Hi…
I’m Christina Chavez

I was a TV journalist for many years, but with a house full of kids I decided to come off the road, go to culinary school and follow my passion for cooking. Mama’s High Strung is all about food… everything from creative recipe ideas to some really cool kitchen gadgets and cooking tips. I live in Chicago, but I love to travel and write about my food discoveries! You can reach me by email: mamashighstrung@gmail.com