Ultimate Crab Cakes

Hubby and I love a good crab cake.  Rigby loves crab, but is unsure if she likes crab cakes.  So for small bite night, I made a crab cake.  And they were good.  To me a good crab cake is more crab than filler and these are definitely more crab than cake.  Hubby and I both enjoyed them, immensely. 

To make these crab cakes, I used mainly lump crab meat and a small amount of meat from the shells.  The cakes were amazing.  Nicely browned and packed full of crab.  Much like making meatloaf, it is important to not overwork the crab cake.  And to allow the cakes to sit in the refrigerator until they get firm, this will make them less likely to fall apart when cooking.  Since this was the last course at small bite night, there were left over crab cakes.  But on the positive side, the left over cakes made a killer Alfredo-Crab baked shells. 

Ultimate Crab Cakes

Source: Tyler Florence

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, finely minced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 1/2 pounds jumbo lump crab meat
• 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, plus more if needed
• 1 large egg white
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Heat a 2-count of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion gets kind of caramelized. Dump that into a bowl and fold in the crab meat, bread crumbs, mayonnaise, egg white, lime juice, and cilantro, mixing just until well blended. Season with salt and pepper. Shape the mixture into 6 fat crab cakes. Put them on a plate, cover, and stick them in the refrigerator to chill.

To serve, heat a 3-count of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the crab cakes and cook for about 4 minutes each side until nice and crisp.

Coconut Macaroons, A Confession, and An Award!

I have a dirty secret.  My blog posts are scheduled, like weeks in advance.  Seriously.  Am I super organized, no.  Truthfully, up until recently, I wasn't even working, by choice, so I had plenty of time to post my post daily.  In fact, as this post goes up, I'm more than likely just waking up and getting Rigby off to school.  Later today I'll start my new job.  It's part time and withing walking distance of my house.  Not sure how I feel about working so close to where I live.  It's going to be interesting, first I haven't worked on the floor as a nurse in close to 3 years and I haven't worked as a nurse in any capacity in over a year.  Plus, this will be the first time I'm working, because I want to.  I get the distinct feeling our lives are about to get very interesting.

Now onto what I a calling my new guilty pleasure, Coconut Macaroons.  Macaroons are great by themselves, but melt a little high quality chocolate and dip the macaroons in them...  I impulsively bought the ingredients for macaroons on Valentine's Day.  I made a small batch, taste tested them, and then made a double batch.  I preformed quality control until I was certain they were delicious.  Rigby decided she didn't like them, which is unfortunate for her.

Here's how I made my Coconut Macaroons:

Coconut Macaroons

Makes about 18 macaroons depending on size

• 1 7 ounce package shredded sweetened coconut
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 egg white
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Chocolate for dipping, optional

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Grease and flour a cookie sheet.  (Skip this step and your macaroons will stick and teh person cleaning up after you will be livid)

Combine flour, sugar, salt, and coconut in a bowl and mix well.  Stir in egg white and vanilla until well combined. 

Drop macaroons by the tablespoon full on the prepare cookie sheet.

Bake in a 325 degree oven for 12-14 minutes ot until edges are golden brown and crispy.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Once cooled, dip bottoms of macaroons in some melted chocolate.  Enjoy!

Now to the rewards part I've received two Liebster Blog Awards! One from Anna at Crunchy, Creamy, Sweet and Ramona at Curry and Comfort. Both excellent bloggers and both blogs worth checking out. I strongly suggest you guys check them out!  Thank you to both of you lovely ladies!

Liebster Blog Award is given to talented  and loved bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

Here are the rules:

• Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.
• Link back to the blogger who presented the award to you.
• Copy and paste the blog award on your blog.
• Present the Liebster Blog Award to 5 blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserve to be noticed.
• Let them know they have been chosen by leaving a comment at their blog.

I'm giving this award to:
Amy at Amy's Cooking Adventures
Andrea at Quest for Delish
Inessa at Grab and Go Recipes
Food Crazie
Stephanie at Cookin' Cowgirl

Small Bite Night - Cipolline Tempura

It's a rare occasion that we make fried food.  (Guess I should have stated that about 6 small bite nights ago).  Rigby doesn't like onions, if she knows there is onions in something, she'll spend time picking them out, unless they are chopped very fine.  So imagine my surprise when she tried these onions. 

A cipolline is a small, sweet, flat Italian onion.  And they are delicious, especially when dipped in tempura batter and fried to perfection.  The perfect one bite.  To go along with the onions, I made a simple aioli with some sriacha and garlic.  Back to Rigby and the onion.  She tried one, didn't make any strange faces, and then asked for the next course.

Cipolline Tempura

• Kosher Salt
• 1 pound small cipolline onions
• 1 cup cake or rice flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup ice-cold sparkling water
• 2 cups peanut or other neutral-flavored oil

Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil.  Toss in the cipolline and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender.  Drain and let cool.

When the onions are coll enough to handle, use a paring knife to peel off the outer skin and trim off the hairy ends.

To make the tempura batter combine the flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl.  Add the cold sparkling water and mix a loose batter forms. 

Pour the peanut oil into a large saucepan over medium-high heat; the oil should come 1 1/2 to 2 inches up the sides of the pan.  When the oil is hot enough, dip onions in the tempura batter and then add them to the oil one at a time.  Fry until the batter is crisp, but still pale and golden.  Remove onions from the oil to the drying station and salt immediately.

Serve with dipping sauce of choice.

Sweet Glazed Butterflied Chicken

What is more comforting than a whole roasted chicken?  {Probably the scalloped potatoes I made to go with them}  Lately, I've had no desire to do anything, especially grocery shop, clean the house, laundry, or take things out to defrost in time for dinner.  Yesterday morning I ended submerging a whole chicken in a pot of cold water to defrost it in time for dinner, but it was worth it.  The chicken is butterflied, (spine removed, breast bone cracked, and pressed flat), seared in a cast iron skillet, roasted in the oven, AND then glazed with the most perfect sweet, tangy, ans spicy glaze.  Very delicious.  A moist and juicy chicken with that sticky glaze.  Almost like a BBQ chicken, but some how better.  I liked the fact the chicken was started in a cast iron skillet and finished in the same skillet.  Less dishes for clean up.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Sweet Glazed Butterflied Chicken

Source: Sunny Anderson, Cooking For Real, Food Network

• 1 (5 pound) chicken, spine removed and butterflied
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons grated onion
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Liberally season the chicken with salt and pepper. Allow to rest on the counter for up to 2 hours to come to room temperature.

Heat a large oven-safe pan (such as a cast-iron skillet) over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Right as the oil begins to smoke, add the chicken, skin side down. Press gently while cooking and allow to sear until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Using tongs, flip the bird over so that the skin is on top and place the pan in the oven. Be gentle with the tongs, they could rip the skin; try gripping the legs to flip. Place the pan in the oven and roast about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a sauce pot on medium heat, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the onions, garlic and allspice, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper. Sweat the onions for a few minutes, but do not brown. Add the brown sugar, mustard, hot sauce and vinegar. Cook a bit more to bring the flavors together, and then remove from the heat.  I let this cook for about 10 minutes.

When the chicken is around the 140 degree F mark, about 30 minutes in, remove from the oven and brush on the glaze. Return to the oven and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees F, about 15 minutes more. Let the chicken rest 10 minutes before serving. Cut off the legs, and then slice the breast off and cut into portions.

Small Bite Night - Fried Calamari

I love calamari.  But more so if it's made right.  To me that means: lightly breaded and cooked to perfection, no rubbery calamari for me.  I prefer calamari served with a rich and flavorful tomato sauce, with perhaps a little lemon drizzled over the top.  And i love the combination of tubes and tentacles.

This calamari recipe is by far my favorite and the most easy thing on the planet to make.  The calamari is lightly dredged in flour, dried parsley, salt, and pepper.  Once dredged, it takes a quick bath in hot oil and then drained on paper towels and seasoned with more salt.  Surprisingly, Rigby likes calamari.  Although I'm thinking if she knew what it was, she wouldn't eat it.

Fried Calamari
Source: Giada de Laurentiis

Peanut oil, for deep-frying

1 pound clean squid with tentacles, bodies cut into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick rings

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons dried parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 lemons, cut into wedges

Pour enough oil into a heavy large saucepan to reach the depth of 3 inches. Heat over medium heat to 350 degrees F. Mix the flour, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Working in small batches, toss the squid into the flour mixture to coat. Carefully add the squid to the oil and fry until crisp and very pale golden, about 1 minute per batch. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the fried calamari to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.

Place the fried calamari and lemon wedges on a clean plate. Sprinkle with salt. Serve with the marinara sauce.

Butter Me Up Shrimp Scampi

I do love to try a new recipe.  I've had this recipe on my list of things to make for awhile.  I originally saw the recipe on 30 Minute Meals.  Hubby was watching it with me that day and he is not a shrimp fan, but said he would be willing to try it.  We just so happened to have all the ingredients on hand, so I made it for dinner last night.  And it was awesome.  I loved it, hubby enjoyed the pasta, and well Rigby, she was Rigby.  She chose to fill up on salad, just because she could.  Hubby did try the shrimp and decided they weren't the worst thing in the world, but enlisted Ben and Spike (they're Canine Americans) to help him with anymore shrimp in his pasta.  To me this was a make again recipe.

Butter Me Up Shrimp Scampi

Source: 30 Minute Meals

• Salt
• 1 pound pasta, I used linguine
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails off
• 1 tablespoon seafood seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
• 2 lemons, 1 sliced and 1 juiced
• 1 stick butter
• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 cup white wine

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the pasta and cook to just-shy of al dente. Remove and reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.

Add the shrimp, the seafood seasoning and 1 sliced lemon to a medium bowl and toss to coat.  Set aside

Over low heat melt the butter in small pot, then stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes. Let cook and bubble gently for 10 minutes.

Heat large skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat Add the fennel seeds and the shrimp with the lemon slices. Cook until the shrimp are pink, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the white wine and the juice of 1 lemon. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the serving bowl, reserved cooking water and butter to a pasta bowl and toss until the liquids are absorbed by the pasta, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve. 

Braised Country Style Pork Ribs

Last week was one of those weeks where very little was done.  Meals were mostly leftovers, the house went uncleaned, but somehow laundry got done.  Hubby was called out on a locums assignment at the last minute and Rigby received her midterm grades.  There seemed to be a definite rib theme on Food Network one afternoon, so on Friday, I dropped Rigs off at the school and headed to the store to purchase some ribs.  Sadly, they didn't have the beef short ribs I wanted, so I opted to for some country style pork ribs.  Now I have ribs and no real plan.  I started the ribs by searing them until they were brown, then added some vegetables, later some apple cider vinegar and tomato sauce, and lastly beef stock, before popping the whole thing into the oven to cook the rest of the way.  The ribs were delicious, and fork tender and the braising liquid made an incredible sauce.  Served over some creamy mashed potatoes, yum.  Here's what I did:

Braised Country Style Pork Ribs

• 5 pounds country style pork ribs
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 2 onions, diced
• 3 ribs of celery, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2-3 cups beef stock

Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy bottom oven safe Dutch oven and preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Season ribs on both sides with salt and pepper.  Sear ribs until they are brown on both sides, do this in batches and take your time.  Remove ribs to a platter and set aside.

Drain out excess oil from the dutch oven and add 1 tablespoon of fresh olive oil to the pan.  Add onions, carrots, and celery and cook until vegetables are soft and starting to turn brown.  Add garlic and cook an additional minute or two.  Stir in tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the apple cider vinegar and cook an additional 5 minutes. 

Add the ribs back to the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the ribs half way up.  Place cover on the pan and place in a 300 degree oven.  Check ribs after 2 hours and add more beef stock if needed, braise ribs another hour.  Remove cover and cook an additional 30 minutes, to allow the liquid to reduce into a yummy sauce.

Remove ribs to platter, skim off any fat from the sauce and serve over mashed potatoes.  Enjoy!

Small Bite Night - Sausage and Pancetta Stuffed Mushrooms

I like making stuffed mushrooms, they are pretty much a blank canvas.  Rigby and hubby like to eat stuffed mushrooms.  When Rigby was tasked with finding recipes for Small Bite Night, I was not surprised she picked this recipe. 

Normally when I make stuffed mushrooms, I make a stuffing with bread crumbs, marscapone cheese, and sausage.  This recipe used Italian sausage and pancetta.  These are delicious.  A crunchy stuffing loaded with sausage and pancetta, all served in a mushroom cap.  The perfect bite.

Sausage and Pancetta Stuffed Mushrooms

Source: Cook Like a Rock Star

• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 pound pancetta, cut into 1/4 inch dice
• 2 onions, finely diced
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• Kosher salt
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
• 1 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned. Caps reserved. Stems removed and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the pancetta and bring to medium-high heat. Cook the pancetta until it starts to brown and crisp on the edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the onions and the red pepper flakes and season with salt. Continue cooking until the onions are soft and aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in the finely chopped mushroom stems and rosemary and cook until the mushrooms are brown and soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

In a large bowl, combine sausage, egg, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs, add the mushroom mixture, season, and mix well.

Make a small tester patty and saute in a small saute pan. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Once your satisfied with the taste of the tester patty, generously fill mushroom caps with the stuffing mixture and arrange them on a rimmed baking sheet. Pout 1/4 to 1/3 cup water into the pan to keep the mushrooms moist. Bake until the filling is cooked through and brown and crispy on the top. Transfer to serving platters and enjoy!

Apple Fritters

One of the things I miss about my life in Wisconsin, (other than friends and family), is stopping at the bakery on my way to work.  Sometimes I'd get cookies to bribe staff with or get myself an apple fritter.  The apple fritters there where delicious, moist, and covered in glaze.  And as I sit here, I'm trying to think of the last time I had an apple fritter and realize it's been a very long time.  Well over a year.  So this morning I made a batch.  And they were delicious.  Hubby and I are in agreement apple fritters must contain chunks of apple. (Apparently the last time he had one, there was no apple, just dough)  I used up the leftover apple slices from last night's cheese fondue, which was roughly an apple and half.  Instead of the sugar glaze, I rolled the fritters in cinnamon and sugar.  These turned out amazing.  The sweet, crunchy exterior, the soft and somehow flaky inside, paired with the slight tart from the chunks of Granny Smith apples, made for what I have to say is the best apple fritter I ever ate.  How successful were these, Rigby ate three. 

Apple Fritters

Adapted from: About.com

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 -2 chopped apples
• Peanut oil for frying
• Additional cinnamon and sugar for dipping

In a large mixing bowl combine, flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.  Beat together egg and milk and add to the dry ingredients.  The batter should be thick, gently fold in the chopped apple.

Pour 2-3 inches of oil into hot oil and heat to about 370 degrees.  While waiting for the oil to heat, set up drying station (baking sheet lined with paper towels, cinnamon sugar, and a clean plate.)  Once oil is hot, carefully drop tablespoons full of dough into the hot oil and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 2-3 minutes.  Carefully drain paper towels and roll in cinnamon and sugar while still hot.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Enjoy!

Chicken Chimichangas

Last week I had boiled a chicken to make a tasty broth for a soup.  I used half of the chicken in the soup and saved the other half to use later.  The later use turned out to be chicken chimichangas.  Since the chicken was already cooked, it was just a matter of heating the filling in the oven, filling the tortilla shells, and then baking in the oven until golden brown and crispy.  The recipe called for the chimichangas to be fried in hot oil and I had every intention of doing that.  And then I changed my mind.  I sprayed a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and then sprayed the tops of the chimichangas and popped them in the oven until golden brown.  Once they're done, top the chimi however you want.  I used tomato, lettuce, queso, and sour cream, delicious.

Chicken Chimichangas
Source: Simple and Delicious

• 1/2 chicken shredded
• 1 cup refried beans
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 6 8-inch flour tortillas
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Nonstick cooking spray
• topping for chimichangas

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine the chicken, refried beans, chili powder, cumin, garlic salt, hot pepper sauce, and cayenne pepper.  Heat until completely warmed through. 

Spoon 1/3 cup filling onto each tortilla; sprinkle with cheese.  Roll the chimichangas and place in a large baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Once all chimis have been rolled, spray tops with cooking spray and bake in the oven until golden brown in color, about 15-20 minutes.

Top chimichangas with toppings of choice.