Lobster, Artichoke and Spinach Bake

It has almost become a Holiday tradition for the man of this herd to make us happy with a cheese and crustacean bake every year.

 I must say I was apprehensive to see him mix cheese, spinach and artichoke for the first time but my God! it turned out to be sooo delicious. You can read the earlier drama here :) .

He uses crab in the bake usually but moving to the East Coast was the perfect opportunity to experiment with lobster. Oh ya! I am all game when it comes to food. I can clean live cooked lobster like a pro and he can drive us to the end of the earth looking for the best and finest cooked food.

He gets up one long weekend morning and asks me, "Do u want to try freshest wild caught lobster?" I said I would love to and in about 15 minutes the herd was in the car. Where are we going... to Maine????  He chuckled . . . and my facial expression cannot be mentioned here :)) U won't believe we crossed two states just to try lobster. It was phenomenal I have to admit some surprises are worth it. Now am I the crazy foodie here or he? :))))

So here is the red, white and green dish. Perfect for the season.

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE
Ingredients:

Lobster -1 cooked - (steamed with shell ) or buy two tails instead its much easier,crack or cut the tail shell open (remove black thread like part) or even canned lobster or crab meat works well for this recipe.

Artichoke - Canned ( 14 oz can)

Spinach - 3-4 handfuls

Ricotta cheese - 1 cup

Sour cream - 1 cup 

Mozzarella cheese - 1/2 cup or more

Butter - 1 tbsp melted

Rosemary ,thyme,oregano, basil mixture - 1 tsp

Garlic and parsley powder - 1 tsp

Red chili flakes - 1/2 tsp+

Salt and pepper to taste

Method 

Keep the ricotta cheese and sour cream on a sieve to drain of excess liquid.(Put cheese cloth on sieve if it has big holes to prevent cheese and cream flowing off)
Crack the shell of the cooked lobster and cut it into chunky pieces. Keep claw meat pieces separate to use later.Check youtube for perfect cleaning videos.
Drain the artichoke and roughly chop it also chop the spinach if u like.

When the above ingredients are ready add it to half of mozzarella cheese,mix spices to hot melted butter to warm up the fragrances,  mix  everything well till combined and bake at 350°F for approximately 15-20 minutes in middle rack once u see the liquid in the mixture is almost dry spread the claw pieces of lobster and remaining mozzarella cheese bake for 5 more minutes until the top browns well. Do not let the mixture over bake a s the lobster will become chewy and rubbery.
Note:  the baking time will differ depending on the water content in the spinach,cheese n sour cream, also type baking dish used. Please keep a close eye after 15 minutes.
Allow it to cool slightly then serve as a dip with chips or lobster artichoke and spinach bake with bread or buns.

Note :My local grocer cooks the live lobster for me.I am yet to muster courage to bring live ones home.:)))

Did u know lobster was considered trash and later as poor man's food in 1800s. When did it get fancy? When the railroads started in America, the inland passengers did not know how the coast looked upon it and treated lobster as exotic. Lobster demand has not seen a bad day ever since. What a game changer !

Hope you like it.
Meena

Here are more Holiday side dish ideas from Food Network friends:

Feed Me Phoebe: Butternut Squash Gratin with Gruyere and Pistachios
The Lemon Bowl: Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms
Homemade Delish: Fennel and Potato Gratin
The Mom 100: Broccoli Rabe with Preserved Lemon
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Rye & Roasted Butternut Squash Dressing
Red or Green: Green Beans with Chipotle Butter
The Mediterranean Dish: Shrimp Bruschetta
The Wimpy Vegetarian: Fail-Proof Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Lobster, Artichoke and Spinach Bake
Creative Culinary: Baked Mushrooms in a Parmesan Cream Sauce
Healthy Eats: 7 Holiday Sides That Won't Spoil Dessert
FN Dish: 5 Indulgent Side Dishes to Deck Your Holiday Table