Aug 10, 2020 | Appetizers, Recipes, Seafood
I just love Crab Cakes, don’t you? What’s not to like? They’re crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside and delicious to boot!
For some reason I used to think Crab Cakes were something you ordered as an appetizer at a fancy restaurant, that is until I realized just how easy they are to make at home. Actually what prompted me to explore the making of crab cakes were the Crab Cake burgers they had on the menu at Ruby Tuesday’s. I loved them! Then for whatever reason they disappeared from the menu, boo! In the end I decided that Carb Cakes were super easy to make, and guess what, you can even make a bunch to freeze for later use!
So know not only do we make homemade Crab Cakes for those Crab Cake burgers, we make them for potlucks, game days, birthday parties, and other events. They’re great appetizers and snacks too of course!
For the best Crab Cakes I use Jumbo Lump Crab meat or if I can’t find that Lump Crab meat is the next best thing. I avoid using canned crab meat as it’s too shredded and in my opinion has a fishier smell and taste.
So here’s my recipe for Crab Cakes and Remoulade, which is a must have! Remoulade is the dipping sauce for the cakes and I also use it as a condiment when making crab cake burgers.
Crab Cake
Ingredients:
1 Lb. Jumbo Lump Crab meat
1/4 Cup Panko
2 Tsp. fresh parsley chopped
2 Stalks Green onions chopped
1 Tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
1 Egg
1/2 Tsp. Dijon Mustard
1 Tbs. Mayonaise
Oil for frying
Directions:
Combine crab, panko, parsley, green onion, and Old Bay in a bowl. Mix well, it should be lumpy so don’t over mix it.
In a separate bowl beat egg, mayo, and mustard together.
Combine with crab mixture until it’s evenly distributed.
Form into patties – larger patties for burgers or small ones for appetizers.
Place on a sheet covered with parchment paper and refrigerate for about 1/2 hour or until firm.
Heat oil in pan and pan fry patties until it turns brown and crispy on the outside, gently turn over and fry other side.
Drain on paper towels before serving.
Remoulade
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Mayonaise
1 stalk green onion chopped
1 Tsp. relish
1 Tsp. Hot Sauce (I use Crystal or Louisiana)
1 Tbs. Horseradish (not the creamy type)
1 Tbs. Dijon Mustard
1/8 Tsp. Cayenne Red Pepper
Directions:
Mix everything together. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Easy Crab Cakes with Remoulade
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Easy Crab Cakes with Remoulade
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Jul 30, 2020 | Appetizers, Recipes, Snacks
Looking for something fun and simple to make for lunch this summer? Something the kids and adults will love? How about these Ham & Cheese Sliders?
These Ham & Cheese Sliders are super easy to make and they’re great for lunch, snacks, and even potlucks. We serve them during pool parties, the kids and adults love them. Best of all they’re very easy to make and can be prepped ahead of time. Just pop them in the oven about half an hour before serving. They’re great hot or cold.
Here’s what you need to make them! I’m sure your family will love them as much as mine does. The kids usually fight over the left overs!
By the way you can use ham or if you prefer turkey or turkey ham. I use King’s Bakery Hawaiian Sweet Rolls but if you can’t find them any kind of sweet dinner rolls will work. I also use the ham and cheese I have sliced at the deli, I like the slices a bit thicker; but you can use the packed have you find at your grocer’s refrigerated case like Oscar Mayer or whatever brand you prefer. I use Munster Cheese because it melts well and has a mild flavor everyone enjoys, but you can use whatever cheese you like.
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Ham & Cheese Sliders
2 Package King’s Bakery Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
1 Lb. Sliced Ham
1 Lb. Sliced Munster Cheese or your preferred cheese
1/2 Stick Melted Butter
1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tbl. Chopped fresh parsley
Cooking spray
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9″ x 13″ baking pan with cooking spray.
Cut dinner rolls in half horizontally.
Place bottom of rolls tightly against each other in the pan, you should be able to fit 36 rolls.
Cut Ham and Cheese slices into squares about the same size as the rolls.
Place 2-3 slices of ham and 2-3 slices of cheese on each roll.
Place Roll tops on the cheese filling.
Mix garlic powder and parsley into melted butter.
Brush butter mixture on the rolls.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Serve hot or cold.
Jul 28, 2020 | Appetizers, Desserts, Recipes
This is the perfect side for your next BBQ.
YIELDS: 8
PREP TIME: 0 HOURS 10 MINS
TOTAL TIME: 0 HOURS 30 MINS
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE PASTA SALAD
1 lb. penne
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder
Kosher salt
2 c. chopped romaine lettuce
1 c. halved grape tomatoes
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 c. croutons
2/3 c. Caesar dressing
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook penne according to package directions until al dente. Drain and transfer to large bowl.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Season chicken with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt. Cook until golden and cooked through, 8 minutes per side. Let rest 10 minutes, then cut into 1″ pieces.
Add romaine, tomatoes, Parmesan, croutons, and chicken to pasta bowl.
In a medium bowl, whisk together Caesar dressing, lemon juice, and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Pour over penne mixture and toss to combine.
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
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Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
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Jul 24, 2020 | Appetizers, Recipes, Snacks
Looking for something simple, light, and tasty for lunch? These no cook Turkey & Cheese Pinwheels are a hit with kids and adults alike. They’re easy to make, require absolutely zero cooking skills, and are really good.
We used to buy them by the tray at Costco. We all loved them and they were always a big hit at potlucks. But it seems the price went up on a try, either that or I finally paid attention to the price. Whatever the case may be $40 for a tray of something we can easily make at home seemed a bit steep.
So we’ve been making these pinwheels at home. I’ve actually had my grandsons making them. They put them together and I slice them. We recently hosted a pool party in our backyard and these Turkey & Cheese Pinwheels were on the menu. The kids had some for lunch and snacked on the rest all afternoon.
These Turkey & Cheese Pinwheels are ideal for lunch, snacks, as appetizers, and for potlucks. Best of all you can whip a tray up in no time! Here’s what you need to make them. Feel free to adjust the amounts needed to suit your needs.
Turkey & Cheese Pinwheels
Ingredients:
1 Pkg. 10″ Flour Tortillas (or you can use Spinach Tortillas)
1 Container Strawberry Flavored Cream Cheese Spread
1 Lb. Sliced Turkey Breast (I like to use the roasted turkey breasts from the deli, I have them sliced a little thicker, but you can use any brand of pre-packaged Turkey Breast)
1 Lb. Sliced Swiss Cheese
Lettuce Leaves (I use the Mizuna lettuce I grow in my garden because they are flat, but you can use any type of lettuce or even spinach leaves)
Directions:
Spread cream cheese evenly on a tortilla. Spread to about 1/4′ from the edge.
Place turkey slices on top of cream cheese, you will need more than 1 slice to fill the surface of the tortilla.
Place Cheese over the turkey slices.
Gently flatten lettuce leaves and place on top of the cheese.
Roll the tortilla jelly roll style. Make sure you roll the tortilla tightly so that it won’t unravel when you slice it.
Seal seam to the roll with a dab of cream cheese to keep it from unrolling.
Slice off both ends of the roll. Slice it so that both ends are straight and show the filling.
Slice the roll from left to right making sure each slice is about 1″ wide. You should get about 6 slices.
Place pinwheel slices on serving platter and repeat process until you have enough pinwheels for your needs.
If you have leftovers you can store them in the fridge in airtight containers.
Turkey & Cheese Pinwheels - Easy Finger Food
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Turkey & Cheese Pinwheels - Easy Finger Food
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Jul 9, 2020 | Appetizers, Recipes
Tapas some of my favorites things when visiting Spain. Tapas are appetizers or snacks that are generally eaten in the evenings before dinner. We usually enjoy them with a pitcher of Sangria.
Tapas are usually smaller servings of Spanish favorites and are a great way to sample a variety of dishes. They can be hot or cold and range from olives to small bowls of scampi style shrimp. One of our favorites are Blistered Peppers, they go great with Blistered Olives which can be green or black olives.
In Spain this particular tapa is made with Padron or Shishito peppers. Those peppers are about 10 times milder than a jalapeno pepper; blistered peppers are generally on the sweet peppery side not the spicy side like jalapeno or habanero peppers.
But Padron and Shishito peppers are not easy to find in the US. So I had to look for an alternative. After experimenting with different types of green peppers I can honestly say that you probably won’t be able to find anything equivalent, however you may be able to come close. I’ve found that the closest substitute are Anaheim Peppers although they will have more heat and are bigger than either Padron or Shishito Peppers. Another option I’ve used are Serrano Peppers which are easier to find in Hawaii. Serrano Peppers are about the same size as Padron or Shishito Peppers but have more heat than either pepper and a bit more heat than the Anaheim pepper.
Whichever you ultimately use the process of making Blistered Peppers are the same. So here’s my recipe.
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Blistered Peppers
Ingredients:
10-12 Fresh Peppers (Padron, Shishito, Anaheim, or Serrano Peppers which ever one you can find or prefer)
1 Tbs. Olive Oil
Coarse Sea Salt
Directions:
Wash Peppers leaving the stems on.
Dry peppers on a paper towel.
Heat Olive Oil in small frying pan.
Add peppers and gently cook in hot oil until skin starts to blister and turn sort of white.
Remove from heat and toss in coarse sea salt to taste.
Serve hot or cold. I like to serve them in small ramekins or mini cast iron skillets
