Craving Crab

I don't cook with Crab much.  It really is a shame because I adore the flavor of delicate lump crabmeat, but a pound of crabmeat is just so expensive that I can't justify it unless it is for a special occasion.  I made an exception for this recipe because it looked so very delicious.  I love lettuce wraps and I love grilled corn so I figured crab meat would just take this to a whole new level.  Even though this was a very expensive weeknight meal, it truly was worth the money.  It was a nice change in the usual weeknight rotation and it was a great tasting meal!

Corn and Crab Lettuce Wraps
Cooking Light September 2010

 

Ingredients

• 5 ears shucked corn
• 1 cup chopped bottled roasted red bell pepper, rinsed and drained
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 16 ounces lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 
• 3 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 3/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 12 Boston lettuce leaves

 

Preparation

1. Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Place corn in pan; cook 8 minutes or until slightly charred, turning frequently. Cool slightly. Cut kernels from ears of corn; place in a large bowl. Add bell peppers, green onions and stir to combine.



Gently add crabmeat  to corn mixture; toss gently to combine.




2. Combine lime juice, mayonnaise, black pepper, salt, and ground red pepper in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.



 Pour dressing over crab mixture;



 toss gently to coat.



 Serve salad over lettuce leaves.



Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe

Shrimp Scandal

I love to eat dishes with shrimp, but hate hate hate to peel shrimp.  Luckily I have a very willing shrimp peeler in my home.  Forrest always steps up to the plate without complaint when it is time to peel shrimp.  And EVERY single time he is peeling shrimp for us he reminds me why he really doesn't mind peeling shrimp.  As the story goes, he used to peel shrimp during P.E. class in high school.  His P.E. teacher would pay Forrest and his friend $5 for every 5 gallon bucket of shrimp they would peel for him during their regularly scheduled P.E. class.

Now.....there are so many things wrong with this story I don't even know where to begin.  First off, that is highway robbery.  Five bucks for the labor that would go into peeling a five gallon bucket of shrimp is nearly slave wages.  Then there is the whole "teacher paying their student" factor in addition to letting them miss their regular P.E. class for his own benefit!  Those are all of the more serious issues associated with the tale.  Then the practical side of me kicks in and I start thinking about the minor logistical details, like where did he refrigerate 5 gallon buckets of shrimp before and after they were done.  Or what was he doing with 5 gallon buckets worth of shrimp, did he own a restaurant? Cook for a shelter?

Regardless of the wackiness of this memory, I am just glad it didn't turn my husband off of his shrimp peeling ways.  And I am happy it worked in my favor, because my going rate isn't even $5 bucks..... all I can offer in the end is a really delicious meal!

Shrimp, Corn & Chorizo Salad
Adapted from Cooking Light July 2013

 

Ingredients

• 12 ounces large shrimp, peeled
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce)
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 3/4 ounces sliced fresh Mexican chorizo sausage
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, divided
• 12 red grape tomatoes, halved and divided
• 12 yellow teardrop tomatoes, halved and divided
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

 

Preparation

1. Combine green onions, garlic, corn and tomatoes in one bowl.



Combine Shrimp, Chorizo, Sriracha, and salt in another bowl.



Stir to distribute Sriracha.  Combine both bowls of the two mixtures.  Add 1/4 cup minus 1 Tbs chopped basil; toss shrimp mixture gently to combine.




2. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shrimp mixture to pan, and cook for 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and sausage is cooked, stirring frequently. Place about 1 1/2 cups shrimp mixture in each of 4 shallow bowls, and sprinkle each serving with 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind, 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice, 6 tomato halves, and a sprinkle of the remaining chopped basil.



Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe

Craving Creoles

It is hard to imagine a New Orleans summer being known for anything other than its oppressive heat.  Surely if you aren't a local that is how you would most rapidly associate our summer months.  Shoot, even if you are a local, it is pretty hard to deny this place is hot - really hot!  But I think foodie New Orleanians (aren't all New Orleanians foodies?) have two things to get us through these rough hot months of summer: snowballs and creoles.  Creole tomatoes are the delicacy of the summer months here in New Orleans and it is hard not to be totally addicted to these thick, meaty, juicy, bright red tomatoes.  I don't even really like tomatoes, but I can't get enough of the perfect creoles offered in South Louisiana.  You can find them anywhere from the local supermarkets and roadside stands to your Great Uncle's backyard garden. I don't remember a summer day growing up where my Grannie didn't have at least three creoles resting on her windowsill above her kitchen sink just waiting for their turn in the daily rotation of creole tomato sandwiches or creole tomato salad.

I have been buying a few creole tomatoes each week and finding different ways to incorporate them into our weekly dinners.  I have exhausted the more expected combinations and was thrilled when I came across this recipe.  It advertises this dressing as "tomato's new best friend" and I new immediately which type of tomato would round out this "friendship" perfectly.

Cucumber Basil Buttermilk Dressing
Adapted from Southern Living June 2013

 

Ingredients

• 4 cups peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced cucumbers (about 4 large cucumbers)
• 2 teaspoons table salt
• 1 1/2 cups Non-Fat Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups light mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons finely grated sweet onion (about 1/2 large onion; do not use juice)
• 1 tablespoon finely grated garlic (about 3 large garlic cloves)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup whole buttermilk
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 

Preparation

Toss together first 2 ingredients; drain in a colander 30 minutes.




Mix together yogurt and next 9 ingredients using a rubber spatula.



Until well combined.



Stir in cucumbers; let stand 30 minutes.



Cut thick tomato slices and server dressing drenched over the top.  Finish with a sprinkle of fresh basil and cracked black pepper.  Refrigerate dressing for up to 2 days.   This makes a TON of dressing, so halve the recipe if you are only looking to serve this once.



Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe

Better Brunch

I love frittatas.  I normally server them for dinner since I am not usually hosting brunches on a regular basis.  But I think this is the perfect brunch dish served with something else sweet like a breakfast muffin or a fruit salad. I love brunch.  I went to brunch on Mother's Day and it was so much fun.  They didn't serve a frittata.  It was yummy anyway.  Maybe I just like to drink champagne in the early afternoon.  Either way, brunch is my idea of a good time. 

Mushroom Frittata
Adapted from Cooking Light January 2013

 

Ingredients

• 2 ounces finely grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 large eggs 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided 
• 1 (8-ounce) package sliced cremini mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 cups baby arugula
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine first 3 ingredients; add 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring with a whisk.



Heat a 10-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil; swirl to coat. Add mushrooms and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; sauté 6 minutes or until mushrooms brown and most of liquid evaporates.



Stir in onions; sauté 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium.



Add egg mixture and basil to pan,



 stirring gently to evenly distribute vegetable mixture;



cook 5 minutes or until eggs are partially set. Place pan in oven. Bake at 350° for 7 minutes or until eggs are cooked through and top is lightly browned. Remove pan from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Run a spatula around edge and under frittata to loosen from pan; cut fritatta into slices while still in pan.

3. Combine the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, arugula, and lemon juice. Top the fritatta with arugula mixture and serve.



Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe

Strange Seasons

We don't mark our Seasons here in New Orleans using temperature changes.  The truth is that it will be hot (really really hot) for probably three more months in my hometown.  We don't have a true Fall and our Winter is always very mild.   We note season changes using other factors.  Summer into Fall is usually the end of SnoBall Season and the beginning of College Football, we work with what we have ;-)  So even though we won't have to retire our grill anytime soon, I feel like my days for recipes like these are getting numbered.  Especially since this has been the frequent scene around my house:

Grilled Watermelon with Prosciutto and Feta

Adapted from Southern Living August 2012

 

 Ingredients

• 3 (1/2-inch-thick) watermelon rounds, quartered
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Sea salt
• 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
• 4 ounces feta, crumbled
• Fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

 

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to 350° to 400° (medium-high) heat. Brush both sides of each watermelon quarter with olive oil, and season with desired amount of salt. Cut prosciutto into thin strips.
2. Grill watermelon quarters, without grill lid, 2 minutes on each side or until grill marks appear.



3. Transfer watermelon to a serving plate; top with feta, prosciutto strips, and fresh basil. Drizzle watermelon with balsamic. Serve immediately.



Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe

Bun Bust

One of my favorite things to get while dining out casually when I lived on the East Coast was Shrimp or Lobster Rolls.  I didn't live in Maine so the quality of lobster was never really the star of the show.  My favorite part was the New England Style hot dog bun with the split top.  When I saw this shrimp salad roll in the latest edition of Cooking Light I was so excited to see it served on that type of bun.  I had my hopes set high that I would be able to find that specific delivery method here in the south.  I searched several supermarkets in my area all to no avail.  But I shouldn't have been surprised, because I think the reason I love those buns so much is because I had never seen them while living in New Orleans and they were a novelty to me.  I would have been thrilled to have been able to serve these on the perfectly grilled split top bun to stay authentic, but I had to make a regular old hot dog bun do.  And by time I took my first bite I had forgotten my ingredient substitution because the shrimp salad was so yummy that it didn't matter.

Shrimp Salad Rolls
Adapted from Cooking Light August 2012

 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 pound)
• 1/4 cup canola mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• 4 (1 1/2-ounce) hot dog buns
• 8 Boston lettuce leaves

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; swirl to coat. Add shrimp to pan; season with salt and pepper to taste (not the salt and pepper called out in the ingredient list, that is for later); sauté 4 minutes or until done.



Place shrimp on a large plate; chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes. Coarsely chop shrimp.



Combine mayonnaise, and next 6 ingredients (through cayenne pepper) in a large bowl.



Add Shrimp to the mayonnaise mixture,



and mix to combine.



3. Open buns without completely splitting; arrange, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Spray with Pam.  Broil 1 minute or until toasted. Place 2 lettuce leaves in each bun; top each serving with 1/2 cup shrimp mixture.



Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe

Book Club Bounty - August

I recently started a Book Club. It is made up of a diverse group of women based on the way membership was determined. I was allowed to invite in two members, two invites for my sister and two for my mom and a few random adds. We did this to ensure that we would have a group of ladies from different generations, with different viewpoints and varying opinions. We had our first meeting this past week and it went wonderfully. It was fun, intriguing and intellectually stimulating. I have never been in a book club and was excited that it seemed we avoided a common book club mistake of creating an excuse for gossiping and drinking (although we did those things too ;-). I really wanted to discuss the book we had chosen, evoke thought and hear different interpretations from the other members. I think we did a great job.

Even though I wanted our first meeting to be solely focused on the discussion of the book we read, of course I still wanted to start the evening out with a perfectly planned spread of noshes. This dish was on the menu and it was very delicious and easy to throw together.

Since we will have Book Club monthly I plan on highlighting one of the items I serve at each meeting here as well as tell you the book we read in case you are looking for a good read. We read "Room" by Emma Donoghue. It was a very interesting read. It was definitely different from anything I have ever read before and provided for great discussion. I highly recommend this book.

Tomato Feta Pasta Salad
Adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients

• 1 pound fusilli (spirals) pasta
• Kosher salt
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 4 ripe roma tomatoes, medium-diced
• 1 small can of sliced black olives
  
• 1 pound good feta cheese
• 6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

For the Dressing:

• 5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
• 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 12 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 cup packed flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water with a splash of oil to keep it from sticking together. Boil for 12 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Drain well and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, feta and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

For the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper with a whisk.

Pour the dressing over the pasta,

sprinkle with the Parmesan

and parsley

, and toss well.

Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe

A+ Avocados

One of the food items I was most surprised to read as a suggestion for baby's first food was avocado. I haven't seen jarred avocado in the baby food aisle and have never seen another baby eat one so it was quite a surprise. But according to all the information I read, it is a great first introduction food because it is easy on the baby's stomach and doesn't tend to cause any type of adverse reactions. I was also really excited to put it in Rex's rotation because both Forrest and I are avocado junkies (we even visited an avocado farm during a vacation to Central California and posed with the trees for pictures as if they were celebrities) and I thought it would be cool for him to indulge when we do.

Well unfortunately Rex hated the fatty fruit. He acted as if we were putting chunks of poison in his mouth and he gagged and coughed violently until we got the message and stopped shoveling the green goopey spoonfuls into his mouth. We were disappointed to say the least. How could he not take to our beloved avocado? We still aren't sure, but we do know he wasn't as excited to be eating it as we were to be serving it to him. We will try again though since we aren't willing to accept the fact just yet that he doesn't share our avocado affinity.

It wasn't all disappointment though in the avocado department that evening, because there was one positive outcome. Although Rex didn't like his portion, we certainly did. Below is the recipe we made with our avocados that night and it was sinfully indulgent! The dressing doesn't seem like much while you are making it especially since it is made up of mostly water, but it is perfection. And paired with the mono-seeded fruit, it is divine!

Avocados with Warm Bacon Parsley Vinaigrette
Adapted from Sunset April 2009

Ingredients

• 1/3 pound thin-sliced bacon
• 2 firm-ripe avocados, each pitted, peeled, and cut into 4 to 6 wedges
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley

Preparation

1. Cook bacon in a large frying pan over medium-low heat until crisp.

Drain on paper towels; let cool. Remove pan from heat and discard all but 2 tbsp. bacon fat. Divide avocado wedges among 4 plates.

2. Heat reserved bacon fat over medium heat. Add garlic, 1/4 cup water, the lemon juice, and sugar and simmer 1 minute, stirring.

Season with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley

and crumble in bacon.

Stir to incorporate.

Immediately pour over avocado wedges and serve.

Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe

Boys of Summer

I moved back home to New Orleans for a bunch of reasons, but by far the most pressing was family. I hated being away from their daily activities, holiday celebrations and milestone events and I missed them terribly every day I was gone for the last three years. For me, being back is all about moments like this one captured below.

These are my oldest nephews at their first baseball game together and it was awesome. My sister did a great job capturing every moment of the big game with her camera, but nothing is a fitting substitute for being there in person. This is for sure an event I would not have been in attendance for while I was living in D.C. and one I am elated I got to witness in person. Seeing the excitement on their faces during the pre-game warm up, the anxious nerves they both expressed as the game started, and their proud grins as they ran to greet us after the game was over was priceless. I am so happy to be home and even happier to get to be part of these special moments again!

Macaroni Salad
Adapted from Paula Deen

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked large elbow macaroni
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons diced green onions
• 1 tablespoon chopped pimento
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

Whisk together the mayo, mustard, lemon pepper, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Mix all the rest of the ingredients together except for the macaroni in a large bowl.

After all the ingredients are incorporated, add the macaroni and combine.

Cover and put into the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Click Here for My Adapted Printable Recipe