Crab Cakes

Crab cakes are one of those things you don't think about much when you live in the land-locked western United States. If they do show up on the menu at a restaurant, it is rare and they are usually rather pricey. I was picking up a few items at Costco a few weeks ago and saw shelled crab for $29.99 in a one pound container. Crab cakes entered my mind and I looked for a recipe on line and decided to get the crab and make the cakes. All I can say is "wow, are these good!"

Servings: Makes 6 large crab cakes 

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Total Time: 40 Minutes, plus at least 1 hour to let the crab cakes set

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large eggs
• 2½ tablespoons mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
• 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup finely diced celery, from one stalk
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley 
• 1 pound lump crab meat (see note below)
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• Vegetable or canola oil, for cooking

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.
2. Combine the eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, salt, celery, and parsley in a large bowl and mix well. Add the crab meat (be sure to check the meat for any hard and sharp cartilage) and panko; using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture together until just combined, being careful not to shred the crab meat. Shape into 6 cakes (each about ½ cup) and place on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This helps them set.
3. Preheat a large nonstick pan over medium heat and coat with oil. When the oil is hot, place the crab cakes in the pan and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Be careful as oil may splatter. Serve the crab cakes warm with the tartar sauce.

Aspargus, Goat Cheese and Tarragon Tart

Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Tarragon Tart

By Melissa Clark

Because you don’t have to make your own crust, this gorgeous asparagus-striped tart is so easy it almost feels like cheating. But it’s not. It’s just simple yet stunning, effortlessly chic and company-ready. As there are so few ingredients in this recipe that each one makes an impact, be sure to buy a good all-butter brand of puff pastry. If you can manage to serve this tart warm, within an hour of baking, it will be at its absolute best, with crisp pastry that shatters into buttery bits when you bite down and still-runny cheese. But it’s also excellent a few hours later, should you want to get all your baking done before your guests arrive. If tarragon isn’t your favorite herb, you can use chives, basil or mint instead. And if you can manage to trim all the asparagus to the same length, this tart will be especially neat and orderly looking.

 INGREDIENTS

1 cup goat cheese, at room temperature (4 ounces)

1 large egg, lightly beaten, at room temperature

1 large garlic clove, finely grated or minced

1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves, plus more for serving

1/2 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more for sprinkling

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup crème fraîche, at room temperature (8 ounces)

All-purpose flour, for dusting the work surface

1 sheet or square all-butter puff pastry, thawed if frozen (about 9 to 14 ounces; brands vary)

8 ounces thin asparagus, woody ends trimmed

Extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Freshly ground black pepper

Red-pepper flakes (optional)

1 1/2 ounces Parmesan, shaved with a vegetable peeler (about 1/2 cup)

 

PREPARATION

YIELD 6 to 8 servings

TIME 1 hour

PREPARATION

YIELD 6 to 8 servings

TIME 1 hour

 

Step 1

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, use a fork or a wooden spoon to mash together the goat cheese, egg, garlic, tarragon, lemon zest, salt and nutmeg until smooth. Switch to a whisk and beat in the crème fraîche until smooth.

Step 2

On a lightly floured surface, roll out puff pastry into a 13-by-11-inch rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a parchment lined cookie sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score a 1/2-inch border around the edges of the puff pastry.

 

Step 3

Spread the crème fraîche mixture evenly inside the scored border. Line up the asparagus spears on top, and brush them with olive oil. Sprinkle some salt and the grated Parmesan over the asparagus.

 

Step 4

Bake until the pastry is puffed and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Let it cool on the cookie sheet for at least 15 minutes or up to 4 hours before serving. Then sprinkle black pepper, red-pepper flakes (if using), the

shaved Parmesan and tarragon leaves. Drizzle a little oil on top. 

 

Tip

You can assemble the tart 1 day in advance; but reserve the

sprinkling of salt and grated Parmesan until right before baking.

Loosely cover the tart and store it in the refrigerator until it's time to

bake.

 

Spiced Ginger Shrimp

I saw this recipe on the New York Times but made a modification because I did not have some of the spices it called for.  The result is delicious without the spices, which were 1 1/2 tsp. of garam masala or five-spice curry powder or Baharat.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced, greens and whites separated
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 pound extra-large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup of halved sweet cherry tomatoes
• 2 TBSP unsalted butter
• fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, torn or coarsely chopped

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, combine ginewr, garlic, scallion whites, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Add shrimp and toss well. Heat a large skillet over high heat and add the olive oil. Add the tomatoes and 1/4 tsp. salt. Cook until the tomatoes start to wrinkle, about 2 minutes.

Add shrimp mixture and saute for another 2 - 4 minutes, turning the shrimp until they are pink all over.                                

Gently stir in the butter and cook for another minute, until the shrimp are cooked through. Remove from heat and add a squeeze with fresh lemon juice. Garnish with mint and scallion greens and serve immediately.

This goes well with rice.  I'll try soba noodles the next time I make it.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

This is my go-to recipe for pork tenderloin.  Always good, always appreciated by those it is served to.  The grilling gives the meat a nice crust.  Fresh herbs are not needed and the flavor it just as good with dried herbs--I've made it both ways.  We served it for Thanksgiving dinner this year and roasted it in the oven as my mother does not have a grill.  If you go this route, sear the meat first and then roast at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes. But grilling is the way to go for this entree.

2 1/2 lbs. pork ternderloin
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP. fresh thyme or 2 tsp. dried
1 TBSP. fresh sage or 1 tsp. dried
1/4 tsp. allspice
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground pepper

Mix the garlic, thyme, sage, allspice, salt, pepper in small bowl.  Rub on the pork tenderloin and let stand for a minimum of 30 minutes.  Grill over medium for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally; do not overcook. Serve with a fruit salsa, a pineapple mango salsa is recommended.

Chicken Puttanesca Parmesan

This is one of my new favorites and I have made it with chicken and with cod--both versions are delicious! It's quite easy to make and it really packs a punch with flavor.  I came across the recipe in the Salt Lake Tribune.

Chicken (or cod) Puttanesca Parmesan
Serves 4

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 4-4-6 oz. cod fillets)
1 egg, beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 TBSP. olive oil
4-6 oil-packed anchovies
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, cored and chopped
1/2 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP. capers
5 large leaves of fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to create two thin halves.
Place the egg in a wide shallow bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Place the breast (or cod fillet) one a time in the egg, then the bread crumbs, pressing as needed to adhere the bread crumbs to the meat.  Arrange on baking sheet, mist the tops w/cooking spray and bake for 20 minutes, until lightly browned.

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the olive oil and add anchovies and red pepper flakes until the anchovies have dissolved.  Add onion, saute for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer.  Cook just until the tomatoes begin to break down, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the olives, garlic, capers and basil.  Season with salt and pepper.

When the chicken is done, transfer to a serving plate or individual plates and spoon the sauce over each and then top with Parmesan.