Lobster with Vegetables

By Kipp Rix

Sometimes at the firehouse, you need to take a meal up a notch, such as when sending a brother or sister off to face the golden ring we all strive for … retirement! This meal is easy to prepare and cook and keeps us on the health(ier) side of the fence. Living in the high desert of northwest New Mexico, it is hard for me to find quality seafood, but a search of the Internet produced a list of companies back East that will ship high-quality lobster meat and even live lobsters at a somewhat reasonable price. For this meal, I ordered just lobster claw meat.

Ingredients:

4 cups lobster meat

4 cups large shrimp

1 ½ cups baby carrots

1 ½ cups broccoli pieces

1 cup sliced tallow squash

1 cup green beans

4 tablesspoons unsalted butter (divided)

2 tablespoons lemon pepper

1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper

1 tablespoon minced garlic

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Shredded parmesan, romano, and asiago cheese blend

Cooking Directions:

1. In a large frying pan, place 2 tablespoons of the butter and melt over medium heat.
2. Add the lemon, pepper, and garlic; cook for 1 minute to season the butter.
3. Add the vegetables and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are fork tender. Place vegetable mixture in a bowl and hold in a warm oven.
4. To the frying pan, add the remaining butter and heat on medium high to melt.
5. Add the shrimp and lobster meat and cook, stirring often, until warmed and cooked through.
6. Add lemon juice and fresh pepper, stirring once more to combine.
7. Plate vegetables, top with meat mixture, and spoon remaining sauce over the meat.
8. Sprinkle cheese mixture over the top of the plate.

Firefighter and Fire House chef Kipp Rix has been in the fire service for 21 years working as both a volunteer with San Juan County, NM, and a career firefighter with Farmington Fire, NM. Kipp’s journey into the world of cooking started at an early age inspired by Graham Kerr (the Galloping Gourmet) and Julia Child. Currently Kipp’s style of cooking specializes in outdoor grilling and smoked meats with a flair for southwest flavors. Kipp has published two Fire House cookbooks, “Fire House Favorites” and “14 Days on Rt. 66,” available through his Web site (fhpllc.net). In 2012, Kipp’s chili “Animas River Red” was awarded the title of “Best Fire Fighter Chili” in the state of New Mexico, having taken first place at the Hook N Ladder Chili Cook Off sponsored by the Ruidoso Fire Department. Kipp is also an adjunct instructor with San Juan College in the fire science department and conducts specialized fire training. In 2011, Kipp became a contributing writer for Fire Engineering and Fire Life, writing a monthly cooking article, and in 2012 launched his premier episode of the Fire House Cuisine Cooking Show on the Fire Life Web site. In 2015, Kipp became a contributing writer with Inspire Health Magazine, where he shares his Fire House-inspired recipes “Healthy Food with an Attitude.”