Love & Basketball: Dean Dome drama determines date

Scott and I will celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary tomorrow. We chose our wedding date allowing sufficient time to plan a wedding and make all of the proper arrangements. More importantly, we chose the date by when we could obtain North Carolina basketball tickets at the Dean Dome in Chapel Hill, N.C. Scott asked me to marry him in August, and we allowed six months to plan, but the first item in making the plans was to call the ticket office at the University of North Carolina and see when we could have basketball tickets on a Wednesday night game. Having secured the tickets, the wedding date was set.

It was unseasonably warm the day we were married, and the church even ran the air conditioner that February day. Surrounded by so many of our family members and friends, it made for truly a perfect day and just about the happiest day I could ever imagine.

In thinking about this day, I will share some special occasion recipes that we will use for our anniversary as we dine with our children.

Lobster-Stuffed Beef Tenderloin

2 lobster tails (4-6 ounce)

1 (2 -3 pound) beef tenderloin

1-2 teaspoon lemon pepper

1/2 cup melted butter

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 cup minced shallot

2 cups sliced mushrooms, you can quarter them if you wish

3/4 cup dry red wine or 3/4 cup chardonnay wine

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small saucepan combine the butter and minced garlic-keep warm over low heat. Cook the lobster tails in boiling salted water until done-about 5 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain and submerge in cold water to stop cooking process. Cut a lengthwise slit in the tenderloin within 1/2 inch from bottom. Open. Sprinkle with the lemon pepper. Remove lobster shells and discard. Place tails "end to end" down the center of your tenderloin. Whisk butter-garlic mixture and drizzle 2 tablespoons down lobster tails. Wrap beef around the tails and tie with cooking twine at 1 and 1/2 inch intervals. Place roast on a rack in roasting pan and sprinkle with lemon pepper. Roast uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Meat thermometer will read 140 degrees for rare or 150 degrees for medium-rare. Sauté the shallots and mushrooms in the butter garlic mixture until golden. Add the wine and heat thoroughly, reducing just a bit. Remove roast and loosely cover with foil. Let stand for 5 minutes before carving. Cut into thick slices and offer the wine-butter sauce at table.

Shrimp Twice-Baked Potatoes

4 (6 to 8-ounce) russet potatoes, scrubbed and pricked all over with a fork

Vegetable oil, to coat potatoes

4 slices bacon

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails removed

1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

1 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch

4 green onions, thinly sliced, white and light green parts; dark green parts chopped, for garnish

1 cup grated cheddar

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1/3 cup sour cream

4 tablespoons mayonnaise

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Rub the potatoes with vegetable oil and put them on a baking sheet. Bake the potatoes until tender, about 1 hour. While the potatoes are baking, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 7 minutes. Transfer the slices to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, then crumble. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of bacon grease from the skillet. Cut the shrimp into thirds. Reheat the bacon grease over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, Cajun seasoning, and a pinch of salt. Cook until the shrimp are opaque, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes. When the potatoes are done, let them cool slightly (leave the oven on). Slice off the top third of each potato and carefully scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Scoop out the potato from the top third, and add that to the bowl, then discard the skin. Leave about 1/4-inch border of potato inside the skin. Mash the potato flesh with 1 teaspoon salt, the green onion, cheese, butter, sour cream, mayonnaise, and black pepper. Stuff the potato skins with the filling, mounding any extra on top. Divide the shrimp on top of the potatoes and sprinkle with the crumbled bacon. Return the potatoes to the oven on the baking sheet and bake them until heated through, about 15 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven, sprinkle with the reserved chopped green onions and serve.

Green Bean Bundles

10 slices bacon

1 pound fresh green beans

1 cube beef bouillon

4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until partially cooked. Drain, cut each piece in half, and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place the green beans on a rack or special steamer basket over the boiling water. Cover with a lid so that the steam does not escape. Steam for a few minutes until the green beans are done. Set the green beans aside. Reserve about 2 cups of the water and dissolve the bouillon cube in it. Take a bundle of green beans (4 or 5) and wrap them with a piece of bacon. Secure with a toothpick if necessary. Place the bundles in a shallow baking dish. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the reserved stock with the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, butter, brown sugar, and garlic powder. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the sauce over the bundles and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until the bacon is done.

Caramel Apple Pie

1 unbaked pie shell with top

1/2 cup butterscotch caramel topping

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

8 cups baking apples, peeled, cored, sliced 1/2 inch (6 to 8 medium apples)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon milk

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 cup butterscotch caramel topping

Vanilla ice cream, if desired

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place cookie sheet on bottom oven rack. Make pie crusts and use a 9-inch glass pie plate. In small bowl, mix 1/2 cup topping and 2 tablespoons flour; spread in bottom pie crust. In large bowl, mix apples, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and the cinnamon. Spoon over caramel. Gently press apples. Cut small shapes from top crust to allow steam to escape. Place crust over apples. Seal edge and flute. Brush crust with milk; sprinkle with sugar. Bake 60 to 70 minutes or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. (After 30 minutes of bake time, cover entire pie with foil to prevent overbrowning.) Cool about 2 hours before serving. In small microwaveable bowl, place remaining 1/2 cup topping. Microwave uncovered on high 30 to 45 seconds or until warm. Top slices of pie with ice cream; spoon topping over top.

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at newssemissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by Southeast Missourian staff.