Butter poached lobster

2 lobster tails
1 tablespoon water
1 stick salted butter, cut into 1 tablespoon chunks
Half a garlic, chopped into fine pieces
2 tomatoes, cut into large chunks
Herbs for seasoning (I used Italian seasoning, can use basil, rosemary, oregano etc)

Bring pot of water + salt to boil. (Gordon Ramsey says to add enough salt to make it like sea water, so the temperature is high enough)
Turn off heat and add lobster. Cover with lid and cook for 4 min, enough to get lobster off the shell.
Cut through the cartilage part of the tail and try to get the meat out in one piece. I still can't figure out the technique for this.

In a sauce pan, bring 1 tablespoon of water to simmer over medium-low heat.
Add in butter, 1 piece at a time, add a new piece when the previous piece has melted. Keep stirring.
Make sure the mixture does not boil, or the sauce will break.
Keeping the heat on medium-low, add the lobster pieces and cook for 5min, turning the lobster every minute. Remove lobster and place in a serving bowl

Turn up the heat a little on the remaining butter, add garlic. When fragrant, add tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes until the tomatoes have released some of the juices. Add in herbs.
Pour tomatoes and butter sauce over lobster.

Roasted vegetables

Any kind of roastable vegetable. I used okra, portobello mushrooms and a tomato. Other options include asparagus, onions, zucchinis

Preheat oven to 425F.
Cut up veggies (I roasted portobellos whole).
Drizzle/ brush with oil, salt and pepper. (I added garlic to okra, basil to the tomato and vinegar to the mushroom)
Place onto baking tray in a single layer. Pour excess oil mixture over.
Bake for 15-30min depending on vegetable and amount of crispness desired.
(Veggies should be tender, tomato skin should be falling off, mushroom crisp but still juicy)
Squeeze lemon juice over before serving.

Raspberry marshmallow frosting

7 giant marshmallows
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup frozen raspberries

Melt marshmallows medium heat in microwave. Stir while heated.
Add sugar, water, raspberries and stir
Beat with an electric mixer till smooth
Cool a little and use when still liquid
Wait for it to cool and solidify
Makes enough for 12-18 cupcakes

Pineapple Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup crushed pineapple
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour muffin pans, or line with paper liners.
In a large bowl, stir together 2 cups flour, white sugar, baking powder and salt. Drain pineapple, reserving 1/4 cup juice. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in the reserved juice, egg, milk, vanilla, 3/4 cup pineapple and 1/4 cup melted butter. Mix just until blended.
In a separate bowl, stir together the cinnamon, brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, and 1/4 cup melted butter to make the topping.
Spoon batter into muffin cups to 3/4 full, then spoon the rest of the crushed pineapple over the batter and sprinkle generously with the cinnamon topping.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted in the crown of the muffin comes out clean.

Peach pie

Crust
1 cup butter
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold water
1 beaten egg

Filling
7 peaches/ nectarines, peeled and sliced
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter

Crust
Mix flour and salt
Cut in cold butter
Mix with fork until crumbly
Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time to flour mixture. Mix lightly with a fork until dough holds together. Do not overwork the dough or add too much water.
Divide into 2 balls, flatten and refrigerate in plastic wrap at least 30min.
Roll 1 ball of dough to an inch larger than the 9 inch pie plate, transfer to pan and press into pan.
Trim off excess pastry
Roll the other ball of dough to a 9 inch circle, wrap and refrigerate both the top and bottom crusts while preparing filling.

Filling
Preheat oven to 450F
Place sliced peaches in a large bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, sugar, salt.
Pour over peaches, mix gently.

Brush bottom crust with egg
Pour peach mixture into pie
Dot pie with butter
Cut the top crust into strips and place over pie in a lattice
Brush top with egg

Bake at 450F for 10min
Lower temperature to 350F and bake for another 35-45min
Sit in oven until cool

Lemon cupcake with raspberry frosting

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup low-fat milk

2 lemons, juice and zest

1 stick softened butter (1/2 cup.)

1-2  tablespoons raspberry pureé (I chose not to strain the seeds out, but if they bother you feel free to.)

2 cups confectioners' sugar

Chocolate swirl cheesecake

CRUST:
18 squares graham cracker
1/8 cup white sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
FILLING:
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2.5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
5 eggs
4 tablespoons orange juice
grated orange zest from 1 orange

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Crush graham crackers into crumbs by smashing or with a food processor.
In a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, salt and butter until well blended. Press into the bottom and 1 1/2 inches up the side of an 8 inch springform pan.
Bake for 10 minutes.
In a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt chocolate, stirring occasionally until smooth. Set aside to cool, but do not allow to harden.
In a medium bowl, mix together the room temperature cream cheese and 1 cup sugar until smooth.
Mix in the eggs, one at a time on a low speed, or by hand.
Gradually stir in the orange juice, and orange zest.
Reserve 1 cup of the batter. Pour the remaining batter over the baked crust. Stir the melted chocolate into the reserved batter. Drop the chocolate batter by large spoonfuls onto the white batter. Use a knife to cut through the batter, and leave a swirling design.
Bake for 60 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the center is almost set.
Run a spatula or thin knife around the edge of the pan while it is still warm, so the cake will not crack. Allow cake to cool completely before removing the sides of the pan.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
Cut with a knife soaked in warm water in between each cut.