MexiCali Crab Cakes

Elizabeth and I made these last night! It makes 10 good size crab cakes - very tasty! Next time I will probably increase the amount of red pepper and jalapeno. Good option for lent and really healthy too :)

Yield

5 servings (serving size: 2 crab cakes and 1/4 cup sauce)

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons stick margarine
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 pound lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, drained
1 cup finely crushed cornflakes
Cooking spray
1 1/4 cups cocktail sauce or medium-hot salsa
Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°.

Melt margarine in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add celery, bell pepper, and jalapeño; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Cool.

Combine mayonnaise and the next 5 ingredients (mayonnaise through egg) in a large bowl. Add celery mixture, breadcrumbs, green onions, crabmeat, and corn, and stir well. Divide crabmeat mixture into 10 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Dredge patties in cornflakes.

Place patties on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes; turn patties over, and bake an additional 10 minutes or until golden. Serve crab cakes with cocktail sauce, and garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Nutritional Information
Calories:308 (30% from fat)
Fat:10.2g (sat 1.9g,mono 3.2g,poly 3.6g)
Protein:23.2g
Carbohydrate:30.9g
Fiber:1.1g
Cholesterol:139mg
Iron:2.3mg
Sodium:1634mg
Calcium:126mg

Cooking Light, AUGUST 1997

Crescent Rolls with Bacon and Cream Cheese

Crescent rolls, real bacon pieces, cream cheese and black pepper.

Flatten out the rolls and spread cream cheese, bacon and pepper. Roll in a long tube and cut into one inch pieces. Bake in the oven on 350 for about 10 mins or until they are golden. Easy as can be – and Rachel likes to call them little pieces of heaven.

Tex-Mex Lasagna

Elizabeth and Jan have both made this and said it was great! Jan made it first and said she really liked it, but next time would use diced tomatoes with jalapenos/chiles instead of the plain diced tomatoes. Elizabeth made the following variations to use ingredients she had on-hand:

• added some shredded rotisserie chicken
• used Red Gold diced tomatoes w/ chipotle
• added about ½ can of green chiles to the sauce mixture
• used corn tortillas instead of lasagna noodles


Use different salsa to vary the flavor of this lasagna. Make it smoky with chipotle salsa, or spice it up with the hot stuff.

Yield
4 servings

Ingredients
3/4 cup bottled salsa
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (14.5-ounce) can no salt-added diced tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can no salt-added tomato sauce
Cooking spray
6 precooked lasagna noodles (such as Barilla or Vigo)
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups (8 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°.

Combine first 4 ingredients; spread 2/3 cup sauce in bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 2 noodles over sauce; top with 1/2 cup corn and half of beans. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese; top with 2/3 cup sauce. Repeat layers once; top with remaining 2 noodles. Spread remaining sauce over noodles. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Cover and bake at 450° for 30 minutes or until noodles are tender and sauce is bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes. Sprinkle with onions.

Recipe from: myrecipes.com (Karen Levin, Cooking Light, JUNE 2004)

Sweet Potato Fries with Basil Salt and Garlic Mayonnaise

This recipe is from Elizabeth and she says they are awesome!

Cook Time: 45 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
5 sweet potatoes, cut into about 1 by 5-inch "fries"
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the sweet potato "fries" on a foil-lined baking sheet and toss with the olive oil. Bake until golden, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile combine the basil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. In another small bowl combine the mayonnaise, garlic, and lemon juice, and stir to combine.

When the sweet potato fries come out of the oven, sprinkle with the basil salt. Serve with the garlic mayonnaise alongside for dipping.

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Crustless Quiche

This recipe is from Lisa - she made it for us one day when we had a Deloitte Mom's playdate and it was so good. She said it only took five minutes to get everything in the pie dish and she let it bake while she was getting ready - good idea! I have made this twice for visiting family since she gave me the recipe and everyone loves it!

Preheat to 350 degrees.

4 eggs
1 ½ cups milk
1 package dry Knorr vegetable soup mix
Cheese – shredded asiago and cheddar mixed (I probably used almost 1 cup) – although use whatever you like.
½ bagel toasted and torn

Spray pie dish with Pam
Bake for 45 – 50 min.

Chicken Scallopine with Sage and Fontina Cheese

From Trisha! She said she made it for her girlfriends one night and it was a big hit!

Cook Time: 35 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

6 (4 1/2 to 5 1/2-ounce) chicken cutlets, pounded thin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 sage leaves
3 ounces grated fontina cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, halved
1/2 cup white wine
1 (28-ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Special Equipment: toothpicks
Directions
Place the chicken cutlets on a clean work surface, narrow end facing you. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place one sage leaf crosswise on each of the pieces of chicken. Sprinkle each of the pieces of chicken with 1/2 ounce (about 2 tablespoons) of fontina cheese. Roll up the chicken and seal with one or two toothpicks.

Warm the olive oil and halved garlic clove in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken. Brown the chicken on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and remove and discard the garlic. Add the wine and simmer for 2 minutes while scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes and red pepper flakes in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the tomato mixture to the reduced wine in the pan. Simmer for 5 minutes to let the flavors marry.

Return the chicken to the pan. Simmer the chicken in the tomato sauce for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken over and simmer until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the pan. Season the tomato sauce with salt and pepper. Spoon the tomato sauce onto serving plates or a serving platter. Slice the chicken into 1-inch rounds. Remove the toothpicks. Place the chicken over the sauce and serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Italian Wedding Soup

This looks good - hopefully I will get around to trying it soon :)
Cook Time: 45 min
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

* 3/4 pound ground chicken
* 1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed
* 2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
* 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
* 1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
* 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
* 3 tablespoons milk
* 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the soup:


* 2 tablespoons good olive oil
* 1 cup minced yellow onion
* 1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
* 3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
* 10 cups homemade chicken stock
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars
* 1/4 cup minced fresh dill
* 12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.

2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, All Rights Reserved

Jalapeno Popper Spread

I have only made this once, but it is really good and really does taste like a Jalapeno Popper! Elizabeth also tried it and thought it would be good to spread on a bagel - I agree!

PREP TIME: 10 Min
COOK TIME: 3 Min
READY IN: 13 Min
YIELD: 4 cup (32 servings)

INGREDIENTS

* 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
* 2 ounces canned diced jalapeno peppers, drained
* 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Stir together cream cheese and mayonnaise in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in green chiles and jalapeno peppers. Pour mixture into a microwave safe serving dish, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
2. Microwave on High until hot, about 3 minutes.

FOOTNOTES

*
Baked Variation
*
If you would like to brown the cheese, bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 30 minutes.

Allrecipes.com

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

This is my favorite way to make tilapia. I have also tried it with salmon and it is equally as delicious!

PREP TIME: 5 Min
COOK TIME: 10 Min
READY IN: 15 Min
YIELD: 8 servings


INGREDIENTS

* 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
* 1/4 cup butter, softened
* 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
* 1/8 teaspoon celery salt
* 2 pounds tilapia fillets




DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Allrecipes.com

Spinach and Feta Pita Bake

I think this looks like a good recipe to try!

PREP TIME: 5 Min
COOK TIME: 12 Min
READY IN: 17 Min
YIELD: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

* 6 (6 inch) whole wheat pita breads
* 1 (6 ounce) tub sun-dried tomato pesto
* 2 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
* 1 bunch spinach, rinsed and chopped
* 4 fresh mushrooms, sliced
* 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
* 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 pinch ground black pepper to taste



DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Spread tomato pesto onto one side of each pita bread, and place them pesto side up on a baking sheet. Top with tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, feta cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and season with pepper.
3. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven or until pita breads are crisp. Cut into quarters and serve.

Allrecipes.com

Chocolate Fondue

We made this for Valentine's Day dessert - so yummy! Again - no picture!

Prep Time: 15 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings


Ingredients

* 16 ounces chocolate (milk, dark or semisweet), broken in pieces
* 1/2 pint whipping cream
* 1/2 cup caramel topping
* 3 tablespoons Torani hazelnut syrup or favorite liqueur

Directions

Place all ingredients in a ceramic fondue pot over low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture is melted and smooth. Do not allow to bubble. Arrange an assortment of bite-sized dipping foods on a lazy Susan around fondue pot. Some suggestions are strawberries, bananas, apples, grapes, cherries, pound cake, marshmallows, raisins and shelled nuts. Spear with fondue forks or wooden skewers, dip, swirl and enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence

Pan Sauteed Filet Mignon with Caramel-Brandy Mushroom Sauce

Tim and I made this for our Valentine's Day Dinner it was awesome! Sorry no picture to share!

Cook Time: 22 min
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

* 4 (8-ounce) filet mignons
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 2 teaspoons coarsely cracked black pepper
* 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms
* 1 head roasted garlic, cloves separated and peeled
* 7 tablespoons brandy
* 6 tablespoons light brown sugar
* 3/4 cup heavy cream
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Season beef with salt on all sides. Place coarse pepper in a shallow dish and dip the cut sides of the filets into the pepper, pressing lightly to coat.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and sear on both sides until well browned, 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the steaks to an oven-proof baking dish and place in the oven. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes for medium-rare.

While the steaks are cooking in the oven, add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter to the same saute pan used for the steaks. Add the mushrooms and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown around the edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the skillet and reserve.

Remove the skillet from the heat and add the garlic cloves and 6 tablespoons of the brandy to the hot pan, stirring to loosen any browned particles from the bottom of the pan. Return the skillet to the heat, being careful that the brandy does not flame up. Cook until reduced by half; this will happen very quickly. Add 2 tablespoons of the remaining butter and the brown sugar, stirring to combine. When the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is bubbly, whisk in the cream, reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until mixture is sauce consistency and coats the back of a spoon. Add the reserved mushrooms to the pan and season with the salt, and pepper. Remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining tablespoon of butter and the remaining tablespoon of brandy. Serve immediately over warm steaks. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2004

Lemon Spaghetti

Cook Time: 8 min
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti
2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 lemons)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions:

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the oil, Parmesan, and lemon juice in a large bowl to blend.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the lemon sauce, and the reserved cooking liquid, adding 1/4 cup at a time as needed to moisten. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon zest and chopped basil.

Optional: Elizabeth added chicken to this recipe to make it a meal vs. a side dish.

Source: Giada De Laurentiis, Everyday Italian

Shepherd's Pie

Prep: 15 min., Cook: 25 min., Bake: 15 min., Stand: 5 min.

Yield
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground round
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 (8-oz.) package fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
4 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 (14 1/2-oz.) can stewed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
*Cheese and Carrot Mashed Potatoes
Preparation

1. Brown beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 10 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Remove ground beef from skillet using a slotted spoon; reserve 2 Tbsp. drippings in skillet. Reduce heat to medium.

2. Sauté onion, mushrooms, and garlic in hot drippings over medium heat 10 to 11 minutes or until tender. Stir in ground beef, peas, and next 4 ingredients. Sprinkle flour over meat mixture. Increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, bay leaf, and vinegar, breaking up large tomato pieces with a spoon. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove bay leaf. Transfer mixture to a lightly greased 3-qt. baking dish or pan. Spoon Cheese and Carrot Mashed Potatoes evenly over meat mixture, smoothing with back of spoon.

3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Note: To make ahead, prepare recipe as directed through Step 2. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Freeze up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator 24 hours. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until thoroughly heated, shielding with aluminum foil after 25 minutes to prevent excessive browning.

*Note: To make this easy - I used frozen mashed potatoes (1/2 a bag) and added about a cup of shredded cheddar cheese, salt and butter to taste. The recipe for Cheese and Carrot Mashed Potatoes can be found in the post below.



Source: Alberta Watson, Chicago, Illinois, Southern Living, JULY 2008

Cheese-and-Carrot Mashed Potatoes

Prep: 20 min., Cook: 10 min. Serve these as a side dish with meatloaf, pot roast, or your favorite steak.

Yield
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
1 (1-lb.) package baby carrots
1 tablespoon butter
1 (22-oz.) package frozen mashed potatoes
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Preparation

1. Place carrots and 1/4 cup water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; fold back a small edge to allow steam to escape. Microwave at HIGH 8 to 10 minutes or until carrots are tender. Drain.

2. Stir in butter. Coarsely mash carrots with a potato masher.

3. Prepare potatoes according to package directions, using 2 1/2 cups milk. Stir in cheese, next 3 ingredients, and carrot mixture until well blended.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Ore-Ida Frozen Mashed Potatoes. Do not use refrigerated mashed potatoes.



Source: Alberta Watson, Chicago, Illinois, Southern Living, JULY 2008

Heavenly Bananas Foster Bread Pudding

I made this for Ang and Ariel's super bowl party - it turned out pretty good. I didn't use the Classic Angel Food Cake recipe - but decided to take the easy way out and use the purchased angel food cake. Next time I will use one and a half cakes vs. just one because it was a little too soggy for me, but still really tasty. Oh and it says that it takes 2 hours, but it is really easy and I actually did it in between our photo shoot that day :)

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours (with baking times)
Yield: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

1⁄2 of a baked Classic Angel Food Cake or 1 (9 oz) purchased angel food cake, cut into 1-in. cubes (about 6 cups)
2 1⁄4 cups milk
3 large eggs
1⁄2 cup packed light brown sugar
1⁄4 cup spiced rum
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 firm-ripe bananas, sliced 1⁄2 in. thick
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Lowfat vanilla ice cream (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spread out angel cake cubes on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes, tossing three times, until lightly toasted and dry. Turn off oven.

2. Whisk milk, eggs, sugar, rum and vanilla in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved. Gently stir in cake cubes and banana slices; pour into an 8-in. square baking dish. Cover dish with foil. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature for cake cubes to absorb most of the milk mixture.

3. Heat oven to 350°F. Bake, covered, 30 minutes. Remove foil; continue to bake 25 minutes or until pudding is set.

4. Let stand 15 minutes. Dust top with confectioners’ sugar. Serve with small scoops of vanilla ice cream.


Woman's Day Kitchen from Woman's Day | February 10, 2009