crab

Crab Cake Sliders with Pineapple Kiwi Salsa.

January 30, 2012 · 83 comments

This is one time in your life I’m going to say that you really want crabs.

The GOOD kind.

I mean, there’s just so much to be said about these short little sliders. !!!

…their crispy crab midsections.

…their tiny toasted buns.

…the cascading juicy fruits cubes.

…their adorable general plumpness.

Because if there’s one thing I love, it’s a sandwich packed so fat that you can barely get your mouth around it.

And I’m willing to do anything just so you’ll make them and join in the mush fest with me.

Well, that’s only three quarters true.

Anything including video cameras or broccoli is strictly prohibited.

Back around the time when I wore silk shirts blanketed by paisley vests, leggings with lace squares on the bottoms, my fair share of skorts and bowed down every Sunday at the temple known as Limited Too, I sort of thought crab cakes sucked.

Like… why would I want to eat a cake made of crustaceans when I really just want to eat a cake made of sugar? And why would I order crab cakes when the only seafood I ever think about is that lobster romano that my mom brings home half of in a styrofoam container nearly every.single.week.? That I hurry up and eat when no one’s looking then blame it on my brother? And why am I finding, like… thick chunks of stale bread in my crab[less] cakes and not any actual crabs?

And seriously… why is my hair permed?

I’m so glad that phase is behind me. All of them.

Crab Cake Sliders

[from my simple & light crab cakes]

makes 8-10 sliders, depending on bun size

1 pound lump crabmeat

8 saltine crackers, crushed (I used multigrain)

1 large egg

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt or mayo

pinch of cayenne pepper

salt & pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

8-10 whole grain slider buns or dinner rolls

Combine all ingredients except for olive oil in a bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Heat a skillet on medium heat and add olive oil. While it’s heating, form the crab mixture into small patties that will fit the size of bun you’ve purchased. Place them in the skillet and cook until lightly golden brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side.

 

Spicy Lime Yogurt Spread

1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

1 teaspoon sriracha sauce (or more if desired)

zest of half of a lime

juice of half a lime

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth and combined.

 

Pineapple Kiwi Salsa

1 kiwi, peeled and chopped

1/2 jalapeno, chopped

2 pineapple rings, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped red onion

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

the juice of half a lime

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Monday is better with these.

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{ 83 comments }

Crabmeat Stuffed Eggplant.

December 27, 2009 · 32 comments

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Helllo. :)


How are you doing?


I am swell – and really enjoying time to relax on this nice little Christmas vacation. While this may be the first time in months that my husband and I have had an extended period of time at home together, and while he sometimes makes me lose my marbles, I am thoroughly enjoying it. Our bedroom floor may be covered in 65lbs of my clothes, and I have 382 loads of my own dirty laundry to do, but I’m sure he is enjoying it just as much.



This crab stuffed eggplant is phenomenal. Remember our friend Barb, the wonderful one who gave me her restaurant recipes?? This is another one of her’s, and oh my – it sure is a tasty one.


It is also heart healthy, protein packed, and low fat. I know – where is the Jessica you know and what have I done with her? No worries – I plead temporary insanity.



I started with one giant eggplant. It took a good search in the grocery store, since all vegetables and their concurring locations have been burned from my mind.

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I sliced it in half, let it sweat a bit, then baked it for about 15 minutes before scooping out the center. What goes in the center is incredibly delightful.



The filling started with some sauteed onions in olive oil and paprika.

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And a bit of diced tomatoes and tomato paste.

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I am not even a fan of tomato sauce, and I was about to gobble this up. It smelled delectable.



I used some giant lump crabmeat – the good kind. It tastes fabulous alone and I need to handcuff myself and tape my mouth shut while cooking with it. That’s not unusual.

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Before I added the crab, I added the eggplant remnants that I scooped out.

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Into the eggplant went the crab stuffing. Topped with lots o’ cheese. C’mon – all the cool kids do it.

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I think I may have mentioned it 4 million times before, but cheese is a staple for me. Actually, it’s an addiction. My thighs are addicted to it.


But that’s neither here nor there.



I baked these puppies until the crab stuffing warmed through and my thigh stuffing the cheese melted. For someone who highly dislikes veggies and tomato sauce, I finished this off in .2 seconds.

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In fact, I’m sure as soon as my husband sees this post, he is going to wonder ‘when the heck did she make this?’


Ah, yes. The joys of being a newlywed.


I can put this up there along with my other favorite newlywed discoveries, like bed cover-stealing and bodily functions.


Yikes. Guess I should be more proper around food.



Either way, the crab stuffing is mouth-watering delicious.

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Crabmeat Stuffed Eggplant

Serves 2

2 eggplants

1 cup crabmeat

2 onions, sliced

2 teaspoons paprika

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tomatoes, peeled and sliced

1/2 teaspoon oregano

2 tablespoons parmesan

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons parmesan

1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend

pinch of cayenne

salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.

Trim stems from eggplant and slice them in half lengthwise. Score the cute surface with a fork, sprinkle with salt, and let stand for 15 minutes.

Rinse eggplants and pat dry with paper towels. In a skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and saute eggplants, cut side down, until brown. Take them out of the skillet, set on a baking sheet, and bake for 10-15 minutes until tender. Set the oven to 425.

Cook the onions in the remaining olive oil until soft. Add the paprika, tomato paste, tomatoes, oregano and cayenne. Season and cook until the mixture is think and puply.

Scoop out flesh of eggplants, reserving the shells. Add flesh to tomato mixture, and cook for 3 minutes longer. Add crabmeat and heat thoroughly.  Pile the mixture into the eggplants and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 425 for 6-7 minutes or until brown.


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Enjoy this heart healthy meal, and I’ll be sure to return tomorrow with a pound of butter and cup of sugar. However, it would be nice if my loving, adoring hubby’s bodily functions would stay in the past.

{ 32 comments }

Holiday Appetizers 101: Crabmeat Bites.

December 3, 2009 · 35 comments

This appetizer includes three of my most favorite ingredients:

Cheese

Butter

Seafood

 

There is no going wrong here. The perfect combo, right? If it had some bacon in it, I’d be in heaven.

 

My mom has been making these crabmeat bites for as long as I can remember – probably 15 years or more?

And while she is chronically late to every party we attend, and this appetizer usually arrives at dinner time, it still gets eaten in record speed. Everyone loves them!

(And over the years, her lateness has gotten better. Though I am still scarred from being late everywhere I went as a child, and now arrive to my destination an annoying 15 minutes early. This does not bode well if you are trying to be ‘fashionably late,’ which I didn’t even realize was cool until … now.)

 

It’s a simple start by throwing everything in a saucepan.

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I usually don’t use canned crabmeat and prefer the more ‘fresh’ variety. This canned crab is what we have always used for this dish and I didn’t intend on switching things up here. It tastes too good.

 

The ingredients combine and melt together to create the spread.

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I used the light, multigrain english muffins, because that is what we normally eat. They have 8 grams of fiber. (Not that my husband needs more.)

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However, they were a bit chewy. My mom always uses regular, white english muffins and they toast up very nicely. If you’re making this for a party, I would suggest using the regular ones. For taste’s sake.

 

Once the cheese, butter and crab has melted, it gets spread on each side of the english muffin, and topped with paprika.

Of course, I use smoked paprika, since I have this insane, unruly love affair with it. My mom uses regular paprika, and it tastes great, too!

 

They go into the oven to crisp up and get all bubbly.

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Cut them into tiny triangles – perfect for finger food!

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They will get gobbled up quickly, but cutting them into four’s leaves more room for sharing. Sometimes I have eaten an entire english muffin pre-cut. I know that probably shocks the heck out of you, given how … regimented I am. 

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Crabmeat Bites

1 jar Kraft Old English Cheese Spread

1 stick butter

1 small can of crabmeat

12 english muffins

a few dashes of paprika

Preheat oven to 350.

In a small saucepan, combine butter, cheese and crabmeat until melted together. Allow it to thicken a bit.

Slice english muffins in half and lay on a baking sheet. Spread crabmeat mixture on muffins and sprinkle each with a dash of paprika.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and muffins are crisp. Once cooled, cut into four’s (triangles) and serve.

 

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Doesn’t this look like perfection? I promise if you make these, they will be highly requested from here on out.

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Has Christmas come early at work? With people bringing in cookies, treats, and gift baskets, holiday weight gain can start earlier than anticipated. Make it a December to Remember, and try this at-home cardio workout when you are pressed for time.

 

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{ 35 comments }

Whole Wheat, Buttery Crab Cakes.

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   I love this recipe.   It usually ends up slightly different each time since I rarely measure anything, but I include the same ingredients.       I threw this together when I was sick of eating crab cakes with too much ‘filler.’ These bad boys MELT in your mouth. And they are also fairly healthy!     Begin with 16oz of lump crabmeat.                         No imitation crab here.          Beautiful chunks ‘o crab.                And lots of protein!        My main seasonings.                             I am having a love affair with smoked paprika. It is so, so good. I add it to pretty much everything these days.                   It is one of those ingredients that leads people to say “what exactly is in this? I can’t pinpoint it, but it’s excellent!’     Well – that’s what I would probably say.     I use about 1-2 tablespoons of Olive Oil mayo to hold things together. [...]

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