The Essential Side Dishes with a Delicious Lobster Dinner

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There are only a few entrees more delicious and tender than lobster. Lobsters are healthy and a vital source of protein in human body. While serving lobster as the main course, you should round out your dinner in the company of side dishes that add different textures and flavours to the meal and allow the lobster shine. You should pick the side dishes that can be prepared quick and easily so that you can focus on cooking the lobster perfectly. Not only you but children are also sure to be fascinated by the appetizing main course. The flavour of lobster will swiftly win them over.

While preparing the menu for a lobster dinner, you should always focus on its accompaniments. Here are the lobster dinner accompaniments that you should include while serving the delicious lobster meal.

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Lobster

Lobster is obviously the centrepiece of every lobster dinner. You should pick live lobster either from the marketplace or online stores on the day of your dinner for utmost freshness. Moreover, do not forget to take a head count before buying because lobster is expensive and buying in excess may become costly to you.

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Dipping Sauces

A variety of dipping sauces are the best way to complement your lobster meat. Though people traditionally use butter but expanding on your offerings will allow your guests to choose their favourite flavour. You can go for a lemon aioli for acidic tastes whereas mix garlic and butter together offer a twist on traditional butter. Many people prefer to include their own favourite creamy salad dressings or prepared sauces and creamy dips.

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Vegetables

While accompanying vegetables, you should keep in mind to include the vegetable offerings that are easy and simple to cook. Steamed broccoli or corn on the cob could be ideal vegetable side dish, steam them while lobster is cooking. Alternatively, including a cold vegetable dish like a green bean or cucumber salad with creamy cole slaw dressing may also prove to be a good choice.

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Bread

Bread does not only add starch to the lobster meal but it is of great help when it comes to soak up the lobster juice. To add extra flavour, you can serve the dipping sauce as well. Make sure to prepare the cornbread well ahead of time for a classic lobster dinner. As an alternative, go for rolls or loaves of bread and just heat them in oven for a few minutes before serving.

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Salad

Since lobster is a luxurious meal, including a light salad is vital. You can prepare a fresh vegetable salad with tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, cucumbers and other preferred vegetables. Salad dressing should be light and creamy dressing can be added just before serving. You can also serve the salad dry and let your guests choose their favourite dressing.

So, if you are planning for a sumptuous lobster dinner, accompany it with rich and healthy side dishes.

Seafood is good for Health if eaten in Moderation

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Recently, studies revealed that fish or different types of seafood should not be consumed everyday as they may contain mercury which may lead to mercury poisoning. However, research also reveals that fish and different types of seafood are also rich in nutrients like omega 3 fatty acids, selenium, vitamin D, protein and is also extremely low in fat. It was also debated that if people are so afraid of mercury poisoning, then they should also stop breathing and eating vegetables as traces of mercury is also found in the air, water, plants and soil as mercury is an element that exists naturally.

How much is fine?

Eating fish and other types of seafood in moderation, like twice a week, is considered to be absolutely fine and harmless. Even children and pregnant women can consume moderate portions of fish like trout, catfish, bass, and many more at least twice a week without any worries. If an excessive amount of it is consumed then obviously, mercury will have adverse and toxic effects on lungs, kidneys, eyes, skin, nervous system, immune system and the digestive system.

Who are most at risk?

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Small children and unborn babies have the highest risk of damage caused by mercury as they go through fast neurological development in the years from the last trimester of pregnancy till the first two year of birth. These years are most susceptible to any kind of damage that mercury can cause. Other than this, fish and other types of seafood is the healthiest form of animal protein one can consume as it is low in fat and calories and have high protein content.

The Good Points

Seafood is also full of omega 3 and selenium that is very good for the heart and helps keep, coronary heart diseases at bay and the selenium also helps in the development of the brain. Therefore, if eaten in moderation fish and other types of seafood, is extremely good for health.

Basic Principles of Eating the Steamed Lobster

The connoisseurs of good food around the world love lobster but are intimidated by thinking of cooking and then, eating a whole live lobster. There are several different things to consider before buying and cooking a whole live lobster. Most people want to know about the colour of lobster, whether lobster is fresh and the most humane way to kill a lobster.

If you want to prepare lobster in your home, you should know about the basic method of preparation and also what kind of lobster you should buy from the marketplace. Lobsters taste best when cooked fresh.

You should know that Maine lobster is consumed all over the world because of their freshness and quality meat. However, you are always advised to consume only the fresh and live Maine lobsters for healthy and tasty eating. These days, it has become easier for people to buy live lobster online and enjoy the real flavour and tenderness of Maine lobsters.

Before moving on to the basic principles of lobster cooking, let’s know a few facts about the Maine lobster.

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• Different species of lobster are found around the world, however Maine lobsters are authentic and have five pairs of legs and a couple of large claws filled with meat.

• Maine lobsters are soft-shelled mature lobsters that have just shed their shells. These lobsters can easily be cracked open and have tender and sweeter meat than hard-shell lobsters.

• One should always look out for most energetic one. Another important thing is colour. Maine lobsters are usually brown, black or greenish colour-wise, though all lobsters turn bright red after getting cooked.

• One should go for a lobster that flaps its tail and throws its claws in air at the time of getting picked up, as these lobsters are healthy.

• Keep the lobster alive until you decide to cook them. Do not store them in freshwater because they are saltwater crustaceans and freshwater may kill them.

Now that you have known the basics of buying and storing a healthy and live lobster, know what top Maine chefs say about steaming and eating a lobster.

In the kitchen of famous Maine restaurants, lobsters are generally steamed in a high-pressure steamer in the place of boiling. Most people believe that lobsters produce tender meat when steamed and also involve less risk of overcooking.

• The time consumed in cooking lobster depends on the lobster’s size. A 1 1/8 pound lobsters get cooked in the high-pressure steamer in around 10 minutes.

• The real work begins after the lobster is taken out of steamer.

• You are provided with a moist towel and a bib at the restaurant because tearing the lobster apart while eating can be a bit messy.

• You should also get a cracker and a lobster pick.

• After the lobster is served, first thing to do is tear off the claw. You have to twist the claw gently in one motion while holding the lobster down with other hand.

• Separate the smaller, thumb-like portion of the claw.

• Grab the lobster pick and use it to pull out the meat from shell.

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  Use the cracker to break the tip of larger part of claw. Break the claw in half and remove the juicy meat by using lobster pick.

• Now, separate the tail from body by twisting it. Break the shell and loosen the meat inside by a light squeeze on tail. Meat will come out in one piece.

• You can wipe off the greenish tomalley from the lobster tail’s meat.

• Now, enjoy the lobster meat with melted butter and get the French fries, a baked potato, or a cole slaw as side dishes.

Lobsters are prepared differently, depending on the preferences of lobster-eaters but steamed lobsters are truly a delicious treat your friends and loved ones could ever get.

Your Loved Ones Would Love to Gorger on Shrimp Burger this Holiday Season

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Shrimp is one of the most popular and widely consumed sea foods around the world. Shrimps are of different types and species, which have their own flavour, texture and cooking methods. There are more than 300 species of shrimps found throughout the world, some of which are Farm Raised Shrimp, Imported Shrimp, Gulf Shrimp, Tiger Shrimp and Cold water Shrimp.

The texture and flavour of shrimps depend a lot on the water they are raised in and what they eat. It is natural for wild shrimps to consume seaweed and crustaceans due to which they are thicker shells and more enriched flavour.

In America, shrimps are found in abundance off the Atlantic and Pacific seaboards. Around 95 percent of shrimps are caught between May and October from the warm waters of Gulf States and South Atlantic.

When it comes to nutritional facts, shrimps are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and contain low levels of mercury. Like other sea-foods, they contain high levels of protein, calcium and iodine but low levels of food energy. A meal based on shrimp contributes significant levels of cholesterol in human body. Consumption of shrimp benefits the circulatory system because low levels of saturated fat and high cholesterol content develops the LDL to HDL cholesterol ratio and minimises triglycerides.

The Christmas is round the corner and people are busy planning for the holiday season. They have embraced the holiday spirit. Having a delicious dinner during the holiday is an important part of the holiday enjoyment in the company of loved ones.

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So, if you are looking for an extremely easy yet delicious recipe to prepare this weekend, a shrimp burger is the best bet. You do not need to put in lots of efforts while preparing the shrimp burger, usually made with mayonnaise and breadcrumbs. You only require is pouring the mixture in a food processor and swiftly marinade in butter. Most people love to enjoy their shrimp burger with tartar sauce and iceberg, though cocktail sauce can also be a good idea.

So, are you all set to start cooking the shrimp burger? If yes, you will need certain things to get started. Take a look at the ingredients of the recipe

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• Burger buns, 6
• Peeled and deveined shrimp, 1 ¼ pounds
• Mayonnaise, 1/3 cup
• Salt, 1 teaspoon
• Pepper, ½ teaspoon
• Butter, 2 tablespoons
• Tartar sauce
• Iceberg lettuce

To prepare the shrimp burger, you will at first need to grind 2 burger buns in a food processor and then, transfer it to a bowl. Now, add shrimp in the processor and mix breadcrumbs, salt, mayonnaise and pepper. Form the mixture into 4 patties. Now, take a skillet and melt butter into it. Cook it over the medium heat, turning once. It will take around 9 minutes to come up with a thorough-cooked shrimp burger.

Spread the tartar sauce and lettuce over the buns and enjoy the shrimp burger with your family and friends. This is one of the best and easy dishes to enjoy the holiday season.