Crab stuffed Portobella mushroom cap

Every year my uncle makes a wonderful appetizer for family holidays, it is actually a spin off of something that my grandfather started making.... crab stuffed mushrooms. I decided to take this from an appetizer to main course by increasing the size of the mushroom! Portobello caps make the perfect single serving dinner, you can dress them down with sauce and cheese and make it into a "pizza" or class it up with ingredients like crab. The hearty texture makes it a great substitute for meat, no matter if you are a true vegetarian or just celebrating meatless Mondays. I love mushrooms in just about any form. We are lucky enough to have a great mushroom "farmer" (perhaps cultivator is a better word?) that visits the Union Square Farmer's Market regularly, Bulich Mushroom Farms.

This recipe is quite simple and really no different that many of the crab cakes that I have made before. Since the mushroom cab provides some of the structure I felt that I could leave out the breadcrumbs and make this pure crab-tastic indulgence. I did however make a few "true" crab cakes by adding about 1/2 c of breadcrumbs to the leftovers (I unfortunately only had 2 mushroom caps on hand and the pound of crabmeat quickly dominated them!)

click through for the recipe!

Crab Cake Lettuce Wrap

Crab Cakes are so simple to make but they are always a hit. These easy appetizers can be fried in advance and just heated in the oven before being served to guests. Or you can only skip the frying and just bake them however, I love the crunchy crusty layer that forms when you give them a pan frying. I like to use a lot of meat and a handful of breadcrumbs in my crabcakes however it is possible to make one with no breadcrumbs at all. For an even crunchier shell you can always roll your crabcakes in a second layer of breadcrumbs.

 

The lettuce wrap is a fun way to serve and present a crabcake along with a spicy remoulade sauce to top it and give it a little kick.

Crab Fra Diavolo?

Shrimp Fra Diavalo is an easy dish that is found on countless "red sauce" Italian restaurants all over America - though most people say that it is not something normally found in Italy. Either way the combo of seafood with spicy crushed red pepper in a fast and easy tomato sauce makes this a perfect weeknight meal as it can be made quickly and after work those minutes count! I decided to skip the shrimp tonight and go with lump crabmeat.

I used a can of  pre-cleaned crab meat however if you are feeling adventurous you can always get your own crab and clean out the meat yourself. Or class the dish up with the addition of lobster or scallops instead of the crab.  The sauce takes about as long as it does for the pasta to cook so get your water starting to boil and then begin to assemble the sauce. The next question is to cheese or not to cheese. Traditionally fish pasta dishes do not take the usual sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese however I can't resist the unami taste and usually go light but need a little something!

6/17/10 - Amazing Roasted Vegetable Salad

This salad isn't really a salad.... its a buffet! This everything salad was inspired by an excellent lunch I recently had at the Time to Eat Diner in Bridgewater, NJ. For under $15,  I got a plate filled to the brim with Grilled Steak, Chicken and Veggies as well as baby mixed greens. There was so much I actually split it in half for 2 days lunch. Since I was adding so many more veggies I decided to skip the meat and go with seafood as a little twist on the dish.

First I had to take a quick walk to the Farmer's Market to grab some potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers and beets. When I got home, I roasted the veggie then prepared a mixed green salad that was the base of my dish. To top everything off I added some seafood which was the perfect compliment to the filling salad. Since I had different eaters with me I let everyone find their own mix from the ingredients mixed together. This meal was super easy to prep.... the only equipment needed is a sharp knife and a baking sheet (well and an oven!)> I am lucky to have an aunt who went to culinary school and frequently sharpens my knifes... if you aren't so lucky check out the Daily Special on FoodBuzz for a deal on the Chef's Choice Angle Select Knife Sharpener.

Check out our homemade Salad Bar:
Green Salad - Mix of red leaf, romaine and boston lettuce, cucumber, tomato, carrots and scallions
Roasted Potatoes
Roasted Beets
Roasted Veggies - Broccoli, Cauliflower, Red & Green Peppers
King Crab Legs
Tuna Salad - Tuna, mayo, pickles, chipotle mustard
Cheese

6/18/10 - Softshell Crab Po'boy

A few weeks ago I went out to Long Island for the Nautical Mile Seafood Festival and had some delicious seafood. I was very impressed by the fish market and when I was recently back in the area I stopped into Two Cousins Fish Market in Freeport, NY. As I pulled up I noticed the special - soft shell crabs...Sold! I was soon thinking of all the ways to enjoy this delicacy. However, once I found this Mark Bittman clip I quickly made up my mind.

I made my own version of a remoulade sauce for the crab giving it a bit more of a bite. The fried crab is served on a fresh roll. I was excited to try the Nature's Pride that was sent to me as a part of the Tastemaker's Program on Foodbuzz. For this sandwich I used the Country White Bakery Buns which were delicious.This basic two-step cornmeal batter is a perfect for a nice crisp fried crab.

Keep reading for the recipe!

2/18/10 - No-Breadcrumb Crab Cakes

While my normal crab cakes are light on the breadcrumbs, I wanted to see if I was able to get a decent cake with out any crumbs at all. I have challenged myself to try and cook wheat-free for a few weeks but I still wanted to eat the crab I had. As always there are a lot of crumb free recipes out there but I ended up doing much of my own thing. I served the crab cakes with a side of broccoli and a dollop of wasabi mayo...I ended up having to spoon some of the mayo off though cause it was a little to spicy for me!



No-Crumb Crab Cakes
1 lb lump crab meat
2 eggs - beaten
1 tbsp lt mayo
1/4 red bell pepper- finely diced
1/4 green bell pepper - finely diced
1/4 red onion - finely diced
2 tbsp fresh cilantro - diced
2 tbsp fresh parsley - diced
1 tbsp old bay seasoning
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt

2 tbsp veg oil

1) mix all ingredients (except oil) together and form small crab cakes
2) place on a greased cookie sheet and place in refrigerator to chill for 30 min
3) bake in oven at 350 F for 15 min
4) heat oil in pan and lightly fry each cake till browned on each side
5) pat excess oil with paper towel and serve