Love it? Do it!

I've only posted a few of these, but this week I am diverging from the regular Treat Tuesday format and welcoming guest blogger: Sreesha from Love it? Do it. Her blog is filled with awesome recipes so you should go check them out! I would actually love to use Treat Tuesday for more guest recipes so if you are interested email me at about.to.blog(a)gmail.com! Okay now, without further ado I bring you: Sreesha's Summer Salad recipe.

"I'm delighted to be doing a guest post at Lauren's blog. She is such a lively ball of energy, and her enthusiasm is contagious. I decided to fix myself a salad for lunch and it turned out so delicious. The sun decided to show up today with slight traces of spring approaching on us in Birmingham, UK. I thought it would be ideal to fix a light summer salad just to get into the groove of welcoming spring. I was a little weary about the combination in the beginning but it worked. This salad makes for a light lunch, exactly what I wanted."

Sreesha's Summer Salad
Printable version

Ingredients:
1 cup boiled chestnuts
1 cup light mayonnaise
1 cup red or green grapes, halved
1/2 cup sweet canned corn
1/4 cup sugar
7 cups fresh broccoli florets
some Craisins to taste

Directions:
1) In a large bowl, stir together mayonnaise, grapes, chestnuts, corn and sugar.
2) Add broccoli and stir to coat.
3) Cover and chill in the refrigerator for up to 30 minutes.
4) Garnish with Craisins and enjoy!

Fruit Salad?

I feel like I should say "psych!" to everyone who thought this was going to be a recipe for fruit salad. But seriously, cucumbers and tomatoes are technically "fruit" so.... anyway.

This was one of my go to recipes in college because it was tasty and easy and I love tomatoes and cucumber and lemon. The version I made can be found below the main recipe.

Tomato-Cucumber Salad
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 large cucumber
• 2-3 roma or vine tomatoes
• 2 scallions (green onions)
• 2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 c extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice from 1/2 lemon

Directions:
1) Dice tomatoes and cucumber into small pieces and chop parsley (I actually like to use scissors) and scallion and combine in medium/large bowl.

2) Pour olive juice, and squeeze lemon over veggies and mix together.

3) Serve and enjoy!

Optional: Try serving on toasted french bread slices like bruschetta. I wasn't a huge fan when I tried it but you might like it. It may work better if you drizzle olive oil over the slices first.

Extra quick salad for one:
I really like lemon so this is extra lemony.
Use one tomato, 1/3 cucumber, juice from 1/2 lemon, 1 Tbsp olive oil.
I never actually measured the olive oil, just drizzled it over top so it was lightly coated.

Mmmm Soup!

I'm not a big soup person but I do really like mushrooms and when it was served to me at a wedding I felt like I had to at least try it to not look weird and turns out, I loved it. I made my own based on a general recipe and now I have it at home all the time!

Cream of Mushroom  Soup
(Printable recipe)

Ingredients:

• 5 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 c. + 1 c. chicken stock
• 1/2 c chopped onion
• pinch dried thyme
• 3 TBS. butter
• 3 TBS. flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 c. half and half*
• 1/4 c. Marsala wine
• 1Tbsp Sherry

Directions:

1) In a large sauce pan, cook mushrooms and onion in 2 c. of chicken stock with thyme until tender, approx 10-15 mins.

No the onions are not in here as they should be.

2) Let mixture cool slightly then puree in a blender or food processor (I used my Magic Bullet**) until smooth.

3) In a small bowl,  melt the butter in microwave and stir/mix/whisk in flour until smooth.

4) Scrape into sauce pan, and add all the other ingredients (1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper, 1 c. half and half, 1/4 c. Marsala wine, 1Tbsp Sherry).

5) Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and cook until thickened.

6) Add more salt/pepper to taste, then add marsala wine.

Mmmm Soup!

*I had heavy cream already so I used 1/2 c. cream and 1/2 c. whole milk. I think that's what half and half is anyway...?
** DO NOT use the Magic Bullet blender attachment. I tried this once and just got scalded because there is no actual way to seal the top. Not cool Magic Bullet! Also be careful if using a blender, I once did that and it was too full so it came out the top of that too.

I Mentioned the Bisque...

Anyway, this week I have hand picked an awesome recipe for lobster bisque which I tried and loved [it's been modified from this recipe]. This is saying a lot because I am excessively picky. Enjoy!

Lobster Bisque

Printable recipe

Ingredients:

• 10-14 oz. raw lobster tail / claws
• 7 scallions
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 c. butter
• 4 c. chicken stock
• 4 parsley sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 black peppercorns
• 2 1/2 c. milk
• 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
• 8oz. tomato paste
• 1/2 c. sherry
• 1/2 c. heavy cream
• A pinch nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

1) Cut the lobster tail in half, lengthwise, keeping it in its shell.
2) Chop the scallions, onion, and carrot. In a large pan, melt half the butter, and add the scallions and onion. Cook for five minutes or until soft.
3) Add the carrot and cook an additional two minutes.
4) Add the water, lobster tail halves, fish stock, parsley, bay leaf, and peppercorns.
5) Bring to a boil before reducing the heat to simmer for about 20 minutes.
6) Remove the lobster tails from the stock. After the tails have cooled, separate the meat from the shells and set it aside.
7) Allow the stock to continue simmering for an additional 15 minutes; then strain it through a sieve lined with two layers of dampened cheesecloth. Use a rubber spatula to push the stock through the sieve.
8) While the stock is simmering, chop the lobster meat into small chunks. After straining the stock, puree about half of it in a blender with one-quarter cup of stock and blend until smooth. Set the other half aside.
9) Mix the flour and remaining butter into a paste. Place the flour paste into a large pot and mix in the pureed lobster, tomato paste, sherry, cream, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.
10) Add the remaining stock to this mixture.

11) Cook on high heat until the soup boils and thickens, stirring continuously. [May be lumpy until it reaches a boil.] Reduce the heat and simmer gently for another five minutes.
12) Add the remaining lobster chunks before serving.