Donna's Astice Alla Griglia Linguine (grilled lobster linguine)

Ingredients:
Seafood--
3-6 frozen lobster tails (thaw on defrost setting of microwave, 3-5 minutes per pound, and let sit for 3 minutes)
Substitutions: frozen raw shrimp (de-veined) or large prawns.

Grilling Baste-
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (not bottled lemon juice)
1 tablespoon dill
1/4 teaspoon ground sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (multi-colored peppercorns are the best)

Pasta--
1 pkg. linguine

Cheese--
Asiago cheese, grated

Directions:
Bring water to a boil for pasta. Heat grill to med-high. Cut defrosted lobster tails in half lengthwise and butterfly open (if substituting shrimp or giant prawns , de-vein and butterfly.) Mix: oil, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper in a bowl, brush on tails, shrimp, or prawns. Cook linguine while you BBQ the seafood. BBQ seafood 2.5 -3.5 minutes per side, depends on the size of the tails. Remove tails from shrimp or prawns. Remove shell from lobster and slice. Rinse noodles. Toss with seafood and freshly grate Asiago cheese. Serve with a side of Insalata Di Giardino (garden salad).

Selecting A Ripe Pineapple

Pineapples are picked ripe and can spoil relatively quickly, so they are expensive. They may change color but do not sweeten after picked. Look for fruit that is yellowing and has no soft spots. The crown should not be shriveled. Grasp the center most leaf and pull straight up, do not twist. If the leaf comes out easily the pineapple is ripe.

Donna's Pie Crust

Ingredients:

10 inch Two crust pie
2 2/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Butter
7 - 8 Tablespoons water.

Directions:
Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Add butter and cut through the flour mixture until it looks like meal. Add water one tablespoon at a time, sprinkling over dry mixture, and stirring until flour mixture cleans the side of the bowl. Put in a ziploc or airtight container and refrigerate for three hours. Divide in half and roll into two balls. Roll out pie crust on a floured pie cloth, flour sack cloth, or 2 sheets floured wax paper. When between two sheets of wax paper, make sure to flour under the dough and over the dough so it does not stick to the paper. Fold into quarters, flouring surfaces that will touch when folded. Unfold crust in the pie dish.

Fresh Summer Quadruple Berry Pie

Makes one 9-inch two crust pie.

Ingredients:

1 cup raspberries/ loganberries
1 cup blackberries/marionberries
1 cup fresh strawberries (core and quarter)
1 cup blueberries (optional but beneficial to the pie structure and volume)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (not bottled)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pat butter broken up (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare Donna's pie crust and divide into 2 balls. Set in fridge in a ziplock bag.

Combine all pie ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Roll out one ball of pie dough into a large circle line bottom of pie pan, pour in fruit, roll out second ball and cover top of pie. Pinch edges. Cut six 1 inch slits in top of pie. Sprinkle with sugar. Place a 3 inch foil collar around pie and slightly bend in. this prevents crust from getting too dark. Place in 425 degree oven. Place a foil lined jelly roll pan (to catch drippings) under the pie. Bake 15 minutes. Turn heat down to 350 degrees. Bake 1 hour, take foil collar off last 15 minutes to lightly brown the crust. Cool pie on rack.

Serve with vanilla bean ice cream

The blackberries and blueberries give the pie structure. The berries blend well together.

Grilled Lobster Tails

Ingredients:
3-6 frozen lobster tails (thaw on defrost setting of microwave, 3-5 minutes per pound, and let sit for 3 minutes)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (not bottled lemon juice)
1 tablespoon dill
1/4 teaspoon ground sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper (multi-colored peppercorns are the best)

Directions:
Heat grill to med-high. Cut lobster tails in half lengthwise and butterfly open. Mix: oil, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper in a bowl. brush on tails and cook 2.5 -3.5 minutes per side, depends on the size of the tails.

Serving Suggestion: When served with steak, a lobster tail can feed two people.

Cranberry Chicken

I got this recipe from my daughter-in-law Tiffany. She served this when we visiting them in May 2009.

Ingredients:
1 can whole berry, cranberry sauce
1 - 8 ounce bottle Catalina dressing
1 package onion soup mix
Chicken

Directions:
Mix cranberry, Catalina, and onion mix. Pour over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours.

BBQ Pomegranate Italian Chicken

Ingredients:

1 package Zesty Italian Dressing Mix
1/4 cup Pomegranate Vinegar
3 Tablespoon Water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 plump boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions:

Chicken Breasts are thick, slice them in half to make them thinner, this will give you 8 breasts. Marinate chicken in Pomegranate Italian Dressing for 30 minutes. BBQ on medium heat until cooked and tender. These cook fast because they are thin, so watch out.

Serving ideas:
Serve with tossed salad, steamed potatoes, and corn on the cob.