Crabby Macaroni Salad

Am I not.....HILARIOUS?  I know, it was a sad attempt at humor.  This has been one the craziest days I have had for awhile, and frankly, I am so tired, I am on cup of coffee number 2, just to get the job done kids!

The truth is, this is another "for the love of hubby" recipe.  He has been asking for some sort of seafood macaroni salad for awhile.  He has been oh so patient, for more than I would have been if I were waiting for something from him.  Finally he said in this cute little desperate voice, "Honey, I know you are really busy but could you write up some sort of salad with crab and pasta in it for me and use black olives"?  Easy enough.  I just picked up some of the great farmers market finds I had from the weekend and went to town. 

I am not a huge fan of mayo based salads, but I guarantee you will love this one.  It makes me so happy when my husband requests something and I am able to create it for him just how he likes it.  Nothing makes me happier than to hear his "insert moan" and then "Christine, Christine, Christine, hits another one OUT OF THE PARK"!   Love is grand isn't it?

This is going down as a Simmerman family staple.  I hope it is enjoyed by yours too!

16 ounces shell pasta (or any very short pasta), cooked and cooled
10-12 ounces crab meat, real or imitation
10 ounce can of black olives, chopped
1 med-lg bell pepper, chopped fine
1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered. (use a large regular tomato if you want)
1 cup Hellmann's Mayo (or best foods)
1 T chives
1/4 tsp,. garlic powder
2-3 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. salt
black pepper to taste

You can add the pasta while it is still slightly warm if you wish.  Otherwise, mix all ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving!

Easy?  Definitely!  Delicious?  DEFINITELY!

Enjoy!

Crab Cakes

Hello friends!  I am sorry for my absence but as most of you know I got a Mother's Day surprise to beat all sunrises!  My kids showed up with their new twins who we haven't yet met, to surprise me!  It was awesome!  So I took 3 days to spend quality time with my children and grandchildren and now am back and refreshed and ready to get back in the kitchen!

It is funny I made these last week, actually only 2 days before my son came to see me, as his crab cakes are the B-E-S-T!  However, I think mine are awesome so you are getting mine and maybe one day I will share HIS! 

It seems crab cakes we order out,  are often all breading and no crab.  Ick.  When I order a crab cake, there better be identifiable seafood IN it and it shouldn't just appear to be Stove Top Stuffing fried into a patty!  You know what I mean?  I like flavor dimension, I like color and I like a nice sweet crab flavor.  You can make this with imitation or real crab meat.  The choice is up to you, your taste and/or budget.  We had cocktail sauce and some horseradish mayo we used for dipping!  Try these and let me know what you think.  I think you will be one happy crabby cake eater!

12 oz.. crab meat (imitation or real)
1/4 cup Hellman's Mayo
1/2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
1 tsp. parsley, minced
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 oz.. diced pimentos
1/2 tsp. celery seed
2 tbsp. melted butter
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups bread crumbs (plus 1 extra cup)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl large enough to accommodate the mixture.  Place your 1 extra cup of breadcrumbs into a bowl to dust both sides of your crab cake before frying.  Preheat a nonstick skillet with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter melted in it.  Take a handful of the mixture, make into a ball and slightly flatten it, carefully lay in bread crumbs, and then flip and coat the other side and then place in pan.  Fry on MEDIUM HEAT for about 2-4 minutes per side depending on the size.  I got about 10 crab cakes from this mixture.  When they are done, drain on a paper towel to absorb excess oil and serve with your favorite sauce!  You may need to add more oil and butter halfway through frying!

Enjoy the crabby goodness!

PS make these really small for party appetizers!

Scrumptious Crab Salad

The weather is getting warmer!  Finally!  Although admittedly, I don't mind the bitter cold, I DO mind the snow and ice!  You know the hot weather will get here and we will all be whining about how hoooooooot it is, right? HA!

So let me just give you a quick rundown of a few foods my husband strongly dislikes...
celery
carrots
bell pepper
olives

The list goes on, HOWEVER.....all of these things are in this crab salad that he deems "BEST EVER"

When my husband and I decided to make this, he wanted it loosely based on his favorite crab salad he had ever eaten from home at a place called "Mulford's Seafood" in Millville, NJ.  Imagine my surprise when he wrote a list of ingredients he wanted in it.  WHAT?  Where is my husband?!?!  I wasn't surprised he didn't want onions, I mean, he has now convinced himself he is allergic to them after all!  He is so adorable!  We tweaked, and twisted, and added and subtracted and came up with a salad he now says is his favorite.   I don't like crab salad, so when I tell you this is "amazing", that is all hubby talking!  Summer time is a huge sandwich season for us.  Cold salads, deli meat, etc.  Anything to not heat up the kitchen!

This is really easy to toss together and the longer you let it chill in the fridge, honestly, the better it gets.  Serve it on a salad, on a roll, rolled up in a tortilla, you name it, you can use it to carry this deliciousness to your lips!  I hope you like it!

12 ounces crab meat (imitation or real)
3/4 tsp. celery seed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup very finely minced green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely minced celery
1/3 cup finely grated carrots
1/4 cup chopped black olives
3/4 cup Hellmann's Mayo

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.  Chill for at least 3 hours before serving.  My husband says, "no, it needs to sit overnight".  I served these on buttered and toasted ciabatta rolls!

I hope you enjoy this as much as my dear husband does!!

ENJOY!

Crab Cheese Wontons

The sun is shining so bright today.  You know Mother Nature has one hand on her hip, and using the other hand to point and laugh, right?  Because it is cold as crap outside, but from inside you think it might be ok for shorts and flip flops.  You put said items on to go to the store and people look at you funny.  I mean if you DID it, they would look at you funny.  WHAT?  Ok, so yea, I DID.  They are all dressed up like Eskimos.  Pfftttt.

Anyway, I FINALLY got this recipe.  I know you can find these recipes anywhere, but the right amount of this and that, is an art, and my friend Leng is on it.  She made these for us so long ago, back when we were friends in Jersey!  She and her husband and family live back in Vegas, we are back in Nebraska, so I knew my only immediate chance of getting them again was a Facebook email and making them myself!  Thankfully Facebook had taken its meds that day and the email was delivered.  When I saw how easy this was I couldn't believe it.  Easy AND awesome. You know how we feel in our family about Chinese food.  I mean seriously, we should just change our last name to like, hmm, I wonder what the Asian version of "Smith" is.  Seriously when I just said that the first name that came to mind was "Long Duck Dong".  A complete 80's teen.  Did anyone else want to BE Molly Ringwald?  Anyone else want to marry JAKE RYAN? Sorry, off topic.

Anyway, so do you call these crab cheese wontons or crab rangoon.  I always called them crab cheese wontons when they were from a real Chinese restaurant and crab rangoon when they were mall Chinese.  What do you call them? 

Here is Leng's recipe for,  Crab Cheese Wontons,.  Thanks so much for letting me share Leng!! I did add an extra ingredient on accident, grabbed the wrong bottle but loved it so gonna through it in!

1 pkg wonton wrappers
1/4 cup crab meat FINELY chopped (real or fake!)
4 ounces softened cream cheese
1 tsp worchestire sauce
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1-2 green onions,  minced
1/4 tsp sriracha (or any hot sauce) OPTIONAL

Combine softened cream cheese, worchestire, soy sauce, garlic powder, green onion and hot sauce.  Fill your wontons with 1/2 tsp of the mixture in the center and fold however, you like them folded.  Just make sure to run water around all the edges so it seals well and no cheese leaks out. Prepare all wontons before frying!!

Now prepare your oil  I use peanut oil.  Put 3-4 inches in a heavy medium sauce pan.  Heat oil to 350 degrees.  Make sure to fry only a few at a time so you don't overcrowd.  This should make between 22-28 wontons.  (I think, LOL)  I did double fry a few of mine just see the difference.  I fried them, let them cool, and then fried a second time.  Was ok but not worth the time.  Drain on paper towels, or newspapers!  Sprinkle with salt when they come out if you wish!!  I would do it though!  I mean I DID do it. You know what I mean.

 

Use your favorite dipping sauce OR, don't use any at all!  Word to the wise, only make as many as you will need or eat, they aren't as good reheated!  I guess you could REfry them, but.....you get what I am saying!

Your "more Chinese takeout recipes than you can stand"chefwannabe

 

PS. If you don't groove on CRAB cheese wontons, try my regular FRIED WONTONS!

Who feels crabby? Easy Crab Dip

I LOVE that you all have opinions.  I loathe fence riders and you certainly let me know!  Some of you are staunch real crab meat lovers and some like imitation, a few don't mind either.  I am a real crab only girl and I don't like it mixed with anything.  It is such a sweet, delicate flavor I don't want anything to ruin it for me!

My husband, a coast boy, who loves almost all seafood, also occassionally enjoys imitation crab meat.  I know in small towns and rural areas, you are lucky to even find the imitation!  I loathe canned crab. Ack!

So hubby got sent to the store, and if you have followed me for awhile you know how a trip for 2 things turns into a 100.00 shopping trip.  Friday was no exception.  He found some imitation crab meat and bought it because, ya know, he thought I might "make me a hot dip for while we have some drinks". Of course darling, I would LOVE to.  Does your husband ever do that?  Mine does and even though he wasn't sure what would be in said dip, he brought home a few things I could add and had some idea's on where I should go with this recipe.   I mean, of course he would have an opinion!  He ALWAYS has one!  That is what I love about him.  Umm...right? HA!

I am sure this is really a pretty standard recipe.  I am likely not the first person to come up with it, however, it is just what I had in the fridge that I thought might work.  It did and he loved it!  I made a half recipe but I will give you the full recipe amounts.  I would use an 8x8 or 9x9 casserole to bake it in!  Dip bagel chips, pita crisps, or crackers!  The choice is yours and the choices are endless!

Here is what you will need....

8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup Hellmanns!
1 3/4 cup crab meat.  (I chopped half very fine and left half quite a bit chunkier)
1/2 tsp Sriracha (or any hot sauce optional)
1/4 tsp black or white pepper
1/2 cup grated parm or Italian mix cheese (mix half in with mixture and half on top)

(I would also add a scallion, chopped fine either mixed in or on top, hubs hates onions)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees!  In a small bowl combine cream cheese, Hellmanns, crab meat, hot sauce, pepper and half of the cheese. 

Spread into a baking dish 8x8 or similiar.  Spread evenly, and then sprinkle remaining cheese on top.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Make sure to check at 20 and make sure it is bubbling and the cheese is melted!  Garnish with chopped parsley or green onion if you prefer!

Serve with your choice of crackers or crisps or chips!

Your "sometimes I feel crabby "chefwannabe...