Annapolis Crab Cakes

Annapolis Crab Cakes

1 pound of jumbo lump crabmeat (Phillip's brand from Jungle Jim's)
10 saltines, crushed (to make a paste-like consistency)
2 tbsp mayonaise
2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
2 tsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp prepared yellow or dijon mustard
1 egg, beaten
Worcestershire Sauce to taste
Crush saltines into small pieces. Mix in mayonaise, Old Bay, parsley, mustard, egg and Worcestershire Sauce. Stir in crabmeat. Shape into patties. Broil or fry until golden brown
Makes about 20 appetizer-sized or 8-10 entree sized

Chicken, Sausage & Seafood Gumbo

Chicken, Sausage & Seafood Gumbo

Some key points/tips:
1) For the roux, I recommend using any kind of seafood stock, but you can use a mixture of flour and water and other seasonings if you choose.
2) Remember to use a non-reactive (non-cast iron) pot for any gumbo (I didn't even know this, found this tip on the website) that includes tomatoes, as they will discolor.
3) Do not use imitation crab/seafood meat!
4) There are many different ways to make Gumbo. My way is how my mom used to make it when I was a young lad with a little extra to give it flare! I hope you enjoy making this delicious dish!
5) As with cooking any other dish, don't feel weird if you begin to talk to yourself and the ingredients or begin to speak with an accent (lol, it's not just me is it...)

Got some helpful tips, references and inspiration from this website: http://www.gumbopages.com/food/soups/seafood-gumbo.html

1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup flour
1/2 medium white onion, diced
1/2 medium yellow (sweet) onion, diced
1-2 green bell peppers, diced
3 ribs celery, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tomatoes (or 8 Roma tomatoes), seeded and diced (if you like tomatoes in your gumbo - I used 4 Roma tomoatoes)
4 quarts seafood stock (may not need to add all 4 quarts, monitor liquid level and adjust accordingly.)
1 quart lobster stock (kick it up a notch...BAM!)
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning (adjust to taste; may need more or less depending on your taste preference)
1/2 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
1/2 teaspoon of Lemon Pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 skinless chicken breast, cubed
2 chicken legs, 2 chicken thighs, remove from bone and cube (not needed, but I threw it in for added chicken flavor)
1 pack of smoked sausage (2 in a pack), slice 1/2 inch thick slices
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound of fresh backfin crabmeat (I used Phillips Brand - Jungle Jim's)
1 pound fresh lump crabmeat (I used Phillips Brand - Jungle Jim's)
1 tablespoon flour (for thickening if needed during cooking - gumbo liquid should be thicker than broth, but less viscous than chowder; almost like a bisque consistency)
2 cups cooked long-grain white rice (adjust based on # of servings)

Note: Amounts can be adjusted to accomodate larger or smaller parties. Constantly taste Gumbo throughout the cooking process as to correctly adjust seasonings.

In a large pot, heat the oil and add the flour. Stir constantly until a light brown roux is formed, then add the onions, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Sauté until the onions become translucent and the vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the seasonings, and about 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, and continue to cook another 10 minutes. Add the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook another 45 minutes. (Make sure to taste Gumbo during seasoning process and adjust accordingly)

While Gumbo is simmering, cook chicken breast, leg and thigh cubes in a non-stick pan with a little olive oil. Lighly season chicken with Old Bay seasoning, pepper and a little lemon pepper (this can be ad-libed as you don't want the chicken to over-power the gumbo). Transfer cooked chicken to the Gumbo.

In the same pan, cook the smoked sausage and transfer to Gumbo.

With the gumbo on very low heat, add the shrimp and backfin crabmeat 10 minutes before serving and the lump crabmeat just before serving (don't cook the crabmeat, just stir until it is brought to temperature of Gumbo - this is the part I forgot to do, as I left crabmeat at home lol!).

Add additional stock/flour to thin or thicken the Gumbo. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Let stand for 15 minutes.

Place about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of rice into bowl or plate and ladle the gumbo over and around it.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Buffalo-Chicken-Dip/Detail.aspx

Prep Time:5 Min
Cook Time:40 Min
Ready In:45 Min
Servings: 20 servings

Ingredients
2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup pepper sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot®)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 bag of tortilla chips

Directions
Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on Low setting until hot and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips.

Blanched Chinese Broccoli With Oyster Sauce - Gai Lan

Source: http://chinesefood.about.com/od/vegetablesrecipes/r/chinesebroccoli.htm

I didn't use the recipe above; mine is much less complicated

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of Chinese broccoli from Chinese supermarket
  
• Oyster Sauce
• 1 clove garlic
• Vegetable oil
• Salt
  

Directions:

• Separate/cut leaves from stems
• Cut stems into 2 inch lengths; cut the tough ends off
• Heat 1-2 tablespoons into large saute pan on medium heat, throw in the garlic until golden
  
• Stir-fry the stems for 10 minutes or until soft and pretty tender
• Add the leaves in with a 1/4 cup of water and cover, stirring occasionally
• Salt to taste
• Cover/steam for 5-10 minutes
• Drizzle with oyster sauce

Apple Pie by Grandma Ople

Original source : http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Apple-Pie-By-Grandma-Ople/Detail.aspx

Ok i don't know Grandma Ople, but Jackie adapted this recipe for her yum-licious apple pie.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced
• Sprinkling of cinnamon
• 1/2 egg to brush crust
• Top of pie (lattice) - recipe is below
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
2. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. (Jackie sprinkled some cinnamon on the top) Cover with a lattice work of crust (and brush with some egg). Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
3. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Never Fail Pie Crust (for top/lattice)

source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Never-Fail-Pie-Crust-II/Detail.aspx

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups butter flavored shortening
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup ice water
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, mix flour, shortening, sugar and salt.
2. Add ice water, vinegar and egg. Beat to combine.

Chinese Beef Tomato Rice

This recipe was made by Christine for the inaugural October 2009 Local Eats dinner as a tribute to her Chinese heritage. Mom makes this all the time and while this is close, it's not quite the same because we all know mom's make things best :).

Chinese Beef Tomato Sauce Over Rice
(Source: modified from About.com)

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound beef, such as flank steak
• 4 large or 6 medium tomatoes
• 2 green onions or 1/2 a regular onion
• 2 slices ginger - I prefer to leave this out
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon ketchup
• 1 egg, optional
• 2 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 4 tablespoons water
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Marinade:

• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• Splash of sesame oil, optional
• 1 1/4 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions:

1. Cut the beef across the grain into thin slices that are approximately 1 1/2 inches long. Add the marinade ingredients. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
2. While meat is marinating, prepare the remainder of the vegetables. Heat a large pot of water to boiling. Scald the tomatoes, plunging them briefly into the boiling water, then remove the skin and cut each into 4 to 6 equal-sized wedges (bigger for chunkier sauce, smaller for smoother sauce - note: the tomatoes will shrink and cook down).
3. Cut the green onions along the diagonal into sections about the same length as the beef or slice regular onion.
4. Heat a wok or large pan over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the heated wok. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and if desired, the ginger. Cook briefly until aromatic, then add the beef. Let brown briefly, then stir-fry until it changes color and is 80 percent cooked through. Do not overcook. Remove from the wok. Clean out the wok if necessary.
5. Add the tomato wedges. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of salt over top. Add ketchup. Cover and bring to a boil.
6. If adding egg, crack into the tomato sauce and let begin to set before breaking apart (should form egg strings as in egg drop soup).
7. Give the cornstarch/water mixture a quick re-stir. Uncover the wok and push the tomatoes up to the side. Add the cornstarch and water mixture in the middle, stirring quickly to thicken. Add the meat back into the pan. Mix everything together and bring to boil to thicken. Add more cornstarch/water mixture if not thick enough.
8. Taste and adjust the seasonings if desired. Serve hot over rice.

Pizza Bites

Source: http://www.sweetlifekitchen.com/2008/10/pillsbury-pizza-crust-pizza-bites.html

Pillsbury Pizza Bites

48 appetizers

• 2 (13 7/8 ounce) cans pillsbury refrigerated prepared pizza dough
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 48 cubes
• 48 slices pepperoni
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cups pizza sauce or marinara sauce, heated

1. Preheat oven to 400º.
2. Spray 3 9-inch pie pans with cooking spray.
3. On lightly floured surface, roll out one pizza crust and pat into 12x8 rectangle.
4. Cut into 24 squares.
5. Place one pepperoni slice and one cube of cheese on each dough square. Place in mini muffin pan.
6. Repeat with remaining dough, pepperoni and cheese.
7. Mix together oil and Italian seasoning. Drizzle or brush over rolls.
8. Top with grated parmesan.
9. Bake at 400º for 16-20 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Serve with warmed pizza or marinara sauce.
11. To Freeze: Flash freeze on a cookie sheet until frozen solid, label and place in a ziplock bag.
12. To Reheat: Microwave approximately 30 seconds or more to heat through.

Plum Kuchen

Source: http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/07/plum-kuchen/

Note - I doubled the recipe to create the "double decker" effect. ;) I also added some Greek Yogurt Icing:

• 5.3oz container Greek yogurt
  
• A good splash of vanilla extract (I used 2 tsp)
  
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar [to desired thickness]
  

1. Whisk all ingredients until they become a bit thick.
2. Place in the fridge to thicken even more (at least 30 minutes).
   
3. Spread between layers and over top

Plum Kuchen

Plum Kuchen
Adapted, barely, from Gourmet

This yeasted cake is unbelievable: moist, light and with a complexity to its sweetness that most standard coffee cakes don’t have. Mine dipped a little when it baked, no doubt because it was left to rise almost an hour too long. That said, don’t skimp on the rising times — you want to get all of the lightness and height possible out of your dough.

Gourmet notes that this can be made with any stone fruit and that it tastes the best the first day. I don’t know, though, I had some that had been wrapped in foil in the fridge overnight and couldn’t find a thing not to like. Two days, however, might be pushing it.

Gourmet says it serves 8, but I cut mine into 16 squares

2 1/4 teaspoons or 1 (1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105–110°F)
2 cups (267 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (18 grams) all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup sugar (220 grams), divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (124 grams) (preferably Greek-style, but I used regular yogurt and it worked just fine) at room temperature
1 large egg, warmed in shell in warm water five minutes
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 sticks (5 ounces or 142 grams) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons and softened, divided
3/4 pound firm-ripe plums (about 4 small), halved and pitted

Stir together yeast and warm water in mixer bowl and let stand until foamy, about five minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.)

Add two cups flour, 2/3 cup sugar, salt, yogurt, egg, zest, and vanilla to yeast mixture and mix at medium-low speed 1 minute. Beat in one stick of the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until incorporated. Beat at medium speed until dough is smooth and shiny, about five minutes. (Dough will be very sticky.) Scrape down side of bowl and sprinkle dough with remaining two tablespoons flour. Cover bowl loosely with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Spread remaining two tablespoons butter in bottom of an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan and sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Cut each plum half into five or six slices and arrange in one layer in pan. (I had quite a bit of extra plum slices to snack on, but my plums were also giants.)

Stir dough until flour is incorporated, then spread evenly over plums. Loosely cover with buttered plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until almost doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Bake until kuchen is golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan five minutes, then invert and unmold onto a rack to cool completely.

Serve with additional yogurt, lightly sweetened, or sweetened crème fraîche.

Penne a la Vodka

This recipe was made by Christine for Chris at the inaugural October 2009 Local Eats dinner to represent his Italian heritage.

Penne a la Vodka
(Source: Modified from All Recipes)

PREP TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 15 Min
READY IN 25 Min
SERVINGS 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 pound thinly sliced pancetta bacon, chopped
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/3 cup vodka
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp dried basil (or several shredded fresh basil leaves)
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Parsley for garnishing, optional
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, optional

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta, and saute until lightly browned. Add garlic and onions and cook until onions are translucent and garlic is aromatic.
3. Add vodka and stir until it is reduced by half, about 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Stir in tomato sauce, cream, and all seasonings. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes. Stir every few minutes.
5. Stir in pasta, and heat through. If desired, garnish with parsley and serve with parmesan cheese.