GAGA RICE

GAGA RICE.
I named this rice "Gaga" because I am infatuated about all the shades of flavor and the bouquet that it has. It is the type of results that if cook and love to cook, you always expect to achieve. I consciously put into this dish "everything but the kitchen sync"in a coordinated way in order to extract the flavors of each ingredient. I can not describe the flavor of this dish, nor its fragrance. It is for sure a party to your eyes and mouth like food suppose to be. Give it a try. I am sure you going to love it.I made this dish to me and my husband today and I really felt the joy of cooking.

Ingredients:
1 tbs canola oil
1 tbs butter
1 diced onion
1/2 diced green bell pepper
1 stalk of diced celery
1 carrot peeled and shredded
4 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 cup of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup of green beans diced
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
1/2 cup of green onions chopped
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
1/2 cup of raisins soaked into 1/2 cup of dry white wine
3-4 hearts of artichoke
10 medium shrimp peeled and deveined. cut in half. Seasoned with salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice and 2 cloves of minced garlic.
4 pron shrimp with peels deveined and seasoned the same way.
12 clams
1/2 spicy sausage diced
30 g of bacon diced
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp of Provence herbs
1 pinch of cumin
1 pinch of powder bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of cooked parboiled rice

Boil the rice into sated water with the green beans, until they are tender but not muchy. Strain and reserve.
Into a skillet add oil and butter and let it heat up.
Fry bacon until it is crispy, remove and reserve.
Add sausage and cook until golden brown, remove and reserve.
Into the same skillet add onions, green bell pepper, celery, carrot, garlic, and let them cook until they start to caramelize, always stirring with a spatula.
Add cut shrimp and stir until cooked. Add cooked bacon and sausage.
Add tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, artichoke, walnuts, raisins with the wine, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, herbs of Provence, cumin, powdered bay leaves, and mix everything together.
Add clams, and cover with lid until they open completely.
Add cooked rice with green beans, and mix everything together.
Adjust salt and pepper
Into another skillet, add 1 tbs of butter and a dash of canola oil and saute the big shrimp until cooked,
Garnish the dish with big shrimp. Drizzle the dish with extra virgin olive oil.

Voila.

GRILLED LOBSTER , A ROMANTIC DINNER FOR TWO.

Grilled lobster dinner is such a spicy, sexy, romantic and delicious meal to serve for someone special. If you really want to impress someone, this is the meal to make. Besides delicious, it is quick and easy. Here is my suggestion for an entire romantic experience. Begin with  lobster tail grilled with butter, serve it with a delicious vinaigrette, and end up with a delicious Mascarpone cheese cake with red fruit to show all your passion. And to crown this meal choose a good dry white wine, and an awesome company.

Voila.

GRILLING THE LOBSTER.

Ingredients:

2 lobster tails

coarse sea salt

Butter

Preheat a flat grill plate to a medium high heat. ( on stove top or barbecue pet)

Place the lobster onto a cutting board with the top shell  up,  and with a sharpened chef knife press it down to cut it lengthwise without separate the halves. 

Now with your hands, make pressure to open them up without separate them in halves.

Salt them with coarse sea salt 

Brush it with melted butter

Grill the lobster tails cut side down opened for approximately 5 minutes (depending on the size of the lobster) or until to seal the flash brown as shown on photo.

Turn the flash side up, brush it again with melted butter, and cook for about 4 more minutes or until you touch the flash with your finger tips and flash is firm. 

Serve with melted butter, and this delicious vinaigrette.

ITA'S BISTRO VINAIGRETTE.

This vinaigrette pairs so good with grilled lobster. The flavors are mild, cleans your palate, it is tang and delicious.

Ingredients:

2 tomatoes small diced

1 cup of hearts of palm diced

1 cup of hearts of artichoke diced

2 tbs red onion diced very small

1/2 cup of cilantro chopped

2 stalks of scallions chopped  

Into a bowl mix all the ingredients together and reserve.

For the sauce:

3 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 tbs mixed balsamic vinegar ans red wine vinegar

Some drops of lime juice

Zest of an orange

A pinch of Provence herbs

A pinch of freshly grounded black pepper

1 tsp of whole grain mustard  

Place all the ingredients into a little bowl and whisk it up until emulsified.

Drain the tomato mixed ingredients and add the sauce mixing it until well combined. 

VOILA.

To close this meal with a gold key to success, what about this delicious Mascarpone cheese cake with red fruit? The recipe is on Ita's Bistro recipes.

 Have an awesome dinner.

 Voila.

.