I was worried as I handled the crab that the cakes were too delicate and were going to fall apart during the transfer to the pan/frying process. Miraculously, I only lost one, and it became the tester crab cake. They definitely take a little finesse, but just make sure you add Panko to your hands before handling the crab mix and you will be ok. Many people eat crab cakes with a remoulade (and I have a great recipe if you want it) but I made a warm lemon-wine sauce and it really makes the dish.

I’ve never made crab cakes before, so I am open to any suggestions. I want to try a version with Florida Stone Crab and maybe even a Sauce using Key Limes instead of Lemon, but I have to say - these ones were delicious, so good in fact that they have probably ruined all restaurant versions for us

INGREDIENTS

Crab Cake Mixture (Makes 11-12 cakes)

• 1 lb Lump Crab Meat
• 1/3 Cup Mayonnaise
• 1/2 Cup Green Onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 Cup Green/Red Pepper, minced/li>
• 1/4 Cup Celery, Finely Sliced
• 1/4 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
• 2 Large Eggs, Beaten
• 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 TBS Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 TSP Cayenne Pepper
• Kosher Salt/Pepper
• 2 TBS Butter

Lemon Sauce

• 1 Cup Dry White Wine
• 1 Cup Chicken Stock
• 1/3 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
• 2 TBS Butter
• 2 1/2 TSP Corn Starch
• 2 TSP Sugar
• 1/2 TSP Salt

Bed of Lettuce

• I used 1 lb of Bibb lettuce, as that’s what I had on hand, but this would be good with just about any type of salad greens - especially peppery arugula.
• Lemon Wedges

DIRECTIONS

Cooking the Crab Cakes

1. In a large mixing bowl, pick through the lump crab meat to make sure there are no remaining shells.
2. Add the Mayonnaise, Green Onions, Green Pepper, Celery, Panko Bread Crumbs, Garlic, Deli Mustard, Eggs, Cayenne Pepper, Salt/Pepper. Mix well. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
3. In a large Saute pan (non-stick will make your life easier - but I use all stainless pans), over medium heat, add 2 TBS unsalted butter and enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan liberally.
4. Add some Panko to your hands and grab a handful of the crab mixture. Make a ball, about the size of a large meatball, and set into the pan. Use the back of a spoon to lightly flatten the ball to about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thickness. I could get 6 in my pan at a time.
5. Make sure you check the oil when you add the first one, it should start to sizzle and bubble around the edges, sort of like pancakes do. Let them cook about 3-4 minutes on the first side (til golden brown, then flip carefully with a spatula and cook another 2 minutes. Try not to touch them at all until you are ready to flip, this will keep them together.
6. Remove to a plate with a paper towel to absorb some of the excess oil until ready to serve.

Making the Lemon Sauce

1. Add the wine and stock to a sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce by 1/2 (about 4-5 minutes).
2. In a separate bowl, add cornstarch and sugar to the lemon juice.
3. Slowly add the lemon mixture to the wine/stock reduction and whisk until thick.
4. Finish by whisking the butter and salt into the sauce and leave over low heat to keep warm.

Serving

1. Toss the lettuce with 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the warm Lemon Sauce and divide evenly among your plates.
2. Top with 2-3 crab cakes and drizzle remaining lemon sauce over the cakes.
3. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Seeryously Gude.

Number of Attendees: 13 Adults, 2 Kids, 2 dogs

Christmas Brunch Buffet MENU

• Homemade Pancakes
• Organic Light Maple Syrup
• Eggs Blackstone - (a variation of Eggs Benedict)
• Lump Crab Eggs Benedict
• Traditional Potato & Spicy Sweet Potato Latkes
• Fruit Salad
• Bacon, Bacon, and more Bacon
• Honey Baked Ham & Rolls
• Cinnabons - here is the recipe I will use

Drinks

• Mimosa & Poinsettias (For the Champagne, we use Cristalino — Poinsettias are + cranberry juice; splash triple sec/cointreau
• Champagne Punch

MacGyver the Halloween stash:

Ingredients
10 mini Snickers Bars (about 1 cup chopped)
1/4 Cup Buttermilk (optional - sub w/ 1/2 & 1/2 instead)
1/4 Cup Half & Half
2 Cups milk
2 tbs sugar

Directions

1. Chop the Snickers.
2. Combine the Snickers and sugar in a saucepan. Add the buttermilk and half & half.
3. Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you whisk. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn’t scorch.
4. Stir in milk and heat until very hot, but do not boil! Remove from heat and strain into mugs through a sieve.
5. (Optional) Add Whipped Cream to the mugs & cool it to drinking temperature.

That’s ours — feel free to embellish, but PLEASE tell us what you did!

Seeryously Gude Thanksgiving Prep Week.

Bird Ordered? Check.
Tree Bought? Check.
Giddy Holiday Spirit? Check.

Menu??? Check out below.

MENU
Number of Attendees: 17 Adults, 2 Kids, 2 dogs

Starters

• Easy Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes - Recipe Here (at the bottom)
• Assortment of Sweet/Dill Gherkins, Olives, and Kettle Brand Organic Sea Salt & Black Pepper Chips
• Arugula, Pear, Walnut & Blue Cheese Salad with White Wine & Lemon Vinaigrette
• Butternut Squash Coconut Ginger Soup - My Recipe

Main Dish

• Brined - 18 LBS Naturally Raised, Free Range Turkey - After brining, I will use this method to roast
• 4 Stuffed Organic Cornish Game Hens
• Turkey Gravy - recipe I will use

Sides

• Mashed Potatoes - My Recipe
• Herb Stuffing - My Recipe Coming Soon
• Green Bean Casserole - My Recipe
• Praline Sweet Potato Casserole - Recipe I use every year
• Sweet Baby Corn & Butter - Frozen
• Dinner Rolls

Desserts

• Pumpkin & Apple Napoleons
• Key Lime & Chocolate Cream Tarts - My Recipes Coming Soon
• Coconut Cake - Recipe Coming Soon

Drinks

• Poinsettias - Champagne (we use Cristalino) + cranberry juice; splash triple sec/cointreau

I have tried making mashed potatoes many ways and from many different types of potato - the traditional russets, butter and milk to garlic smashed potatoes, to mashed sweet potatoes and even mashed cauliflower when I am really paying attention to calories.

Thanksgiving is NOT the time to do that and last year, I hit the jackpot when it comes to creamy, rich, buttery mashed potatoes. This is exactly how I will make them again this year.

INGREDIENTS

• 5 Lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes, Peeled and Cubed
• Quart Chicken/Turkey Stock
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• 4 TBS Butter
• Kosher alt/Pepper
• 1 TBS Olive Oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Peel & Cube Potatoes. Make sure you use *Yukon Gold* - this is a must. Add them to a large sauce pan and cover with the stock until the potatoes are covered by about an inch. Add some water if needed.
2. Boil until potatoes are soft enough to pierce easily with a fork - this will vary depending on how big or small you cut your potatoes.
3. While the potatoes are boiling, in a small sauce pan, warm the heavy cream and butter over medium low heat.
4. Drain the potatoes and return to the hot pan. Mash the potatoes with a hand mixer and slowly add the warm cream/butter and mix until creamy smooth. You may not use all of the cream, use your eyes (and mouth) to determine how much you need
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Swirl Olive Oil on top to finish.

Enjoy!

Since this isn’t exactly a figure friendly dish - I usually save it for times when work/life has me in a fetal position and Mac & Cheese is the only thing that can help. My recipe is a fabulous base recipe that you can devour as is or feel free to start layering goodness - try substituting 1/2 the cheese for another cheese of your choosing OR adding herbs like sage, Thyme OR go for the Coup de grâce and add BACON!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni
• 1/2 Cup Onion, diced finely
• 3 Cloved Garlic, minced
• 3 TBS butter, unsalted
• 1 TBS ground mustard
• 1 TSP Cayenne Pepper
• Kosher salt/pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 1/2 Cups sharp cheddar, shredded
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Boil salted water and cook the pasta to al dente - (I use Organic Whole Wheat, and yes it is STILL awesome). Rinse when done and set to the side.
3. In a sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat, add the onions and garlic and saute until translucent.
4. Add in about 1-2 TSP Salt/Pepper, the mustard, cayenne, and paprika. Whisk in the flour and continue whisking for about 4-5 minutes.
5. Stir in milk, cream, and bay leaves - simmer for ten minutes. Remove bay leaves.
6. SLOWLY add in the egg (you do not want it to scramble). Stir in 1 cup of cheese. Check for seasoning and add more S&P if needed.
7. Add the cheese sauce to the macaroni and pour into a 2 1/2 quart casserole. Top with remaining cheese & Panko Bread Crumbs
8. Bake for 30 mins. Remove from oven and let it rest for five minutes before serving.

I will even eat this for breakfast in the morning!

While my mom was sad that we didn’t have the usual Turkey left overs, I fed about 10 people with the 4 breasts. They were a complete hit — I mean really, you put bacon on ANYTHING and it gets instantly better. Had I known about bacon martinis, I may have served those in addition to the Champagne! I also roasted a couple of stuffed Cornish game hens for the kids that weren’t feeling so adventurous, so you will see those in the pictures too.

INGREDIENTS

• Brine - recipe here
• 4 Turkey Breasts
• Sage Butter - recipe below
• Kosher Salt/Pepper
• Cornbread / Herb Stuffing of your choice - recipe below
• 1 LB Bacon

DIRECTIONS

1. NIGHT BEFORE: Brine turkey breasts in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours.**Note: I bought turkey breasts that were still on the bone from a butcher. I cut the breasts off the bone and then used the bones to make Turkey Stock for gravy the next day.**
2. MORNING OF: Take the breasts out of the brine, pat dry, and return to the fridge for a few hours so that the skin has a chance to really dry.
3. Using a knife, cut a slit long the side of each breast. Cut a shallow slit at first and then slowly keep running your knife along the slit until you almost all the way through the beast. You are making a pocket for the stuffing.
4. Preheat the oven to 450.
5. Gently lift the skin of each breast and add about 1-2 TBS of the Sage Butter (recipe below). Rub the breasts with Olive Oil and then sprinkle with Salt & Pepper. Sear briefly in a hot saute pan with about 2 TBS Olive Oil for about 3 minutes on each side to brown the skin. Remove from Pan, save any drippings and allow to cool so that you can handle them again.

SAGE BUTTER RECIPE — Mix together in a bowl: 2 Sticks Salted Softened Butter. 1/4 Cup chopped Sage. 1 TSP Kosher Salt & Pepper. Sett aside until ready to use. If making ahead of time, return to the fridge, but be sure to take it out and let it soften again before use.

6. Stuff the Breasts with the stuffing (we did 2 with Cornbread Stuffing and 2 with our traditional herb stuffing - recipes below).



7. Wrap each breast with several strips of bacon — pulling the bacon taut as you go around to close the stuffing pocket and hold everything together. Use some butcher’s twine as well if needed.
8. Put breasts in a roasting pan that has a rack in it so that the breasts are not resting directly on the bottom of the pan. Put a little Turkey Stock and Dry White Wine in the bottom of the pan.
9. Roast at 450 for 15 minutes, then turn down to 350 and finish cooking approx - 45 minutes. Use your meat thermometer to check starting at about 30 minutes — Do not over cook them! Allow to rest for about 10 minutes. Remove the twine if you used it. Slice the breasts horizontally into ovals so that you can see the stuffing inside. Serve with Turkey Gravy.

CORNBREAD STUFFING RECIPE

* 6 large corn muffins
* 2 TBS butter
* 1 Sweet & 1 Hot Sausage
* 1 Cup Carrot, Celery, Onions or Shallots, chopped
* 1/2 cup sage leaves, chopped
* 1 egg
* 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 1/2 cup turkey stock
* Kosher Salt & Pepper

1. Melt the butter in a medium saute pan over medium. Add carrots, celery, onions and cook, stirring, for about 8-10 minutes until soft and caramelized.
2. Add sausages (remove skin) and crumble. Add sage. When the sausage is cooked through, remove mixture and add to a large mixing bowl.
3. Add the corn muffins and break up with your fingers. Season really well with salt/pepper. Mix sausage mixture and cornbread until combined.
4. In another bowl, beat the egg, cream, and stock — pour over the cornbread. Stir again until combines. Taste for seasoning. Set aside or put in the fridge until ready to use. Put any extra in a buttered baking dish and put it in the oven with the turkey at the end - about 30 minutes.

Last year I made a pretty spectacular version - a ton more work, but WAY worth it. Try it out! Green Bean Casserole with Mushrooms and Pancetta Recipe:

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 Cup Pancetta, diced
• 1/2 Cup Onions or Shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Cup Crimini Mushrooms, sliced
• Kosher Salt/Pepper
• 8oz Cream Cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 Cup Whole Milk/Heavy Cream
• 6 TBS Butter
• 1 TSP each Thyme, Oregano, Crushed Red Pepper
• 1 TSP Lemon Juice
• 1 TSP Worcestershire
• 2 TBS Flour
• 1.5 LBS Green Beans, rinsed, trimmed, halved, blanched
• French’s French Fried Onions

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350..
2. Saute pancetta over medium heat. Remove when crisp and set aside on a paper towel.
3. Saute Onion, Garlic and brown the Mushrooms in the pan with the grease from the pancetta. Add a little Olive Oil if needed. Add 1 TSP Kosher Salt/Pepper and cook until translucent and mushrooms start to release their water (4-6 minutes).
4. Pulse together in a food processor cream cheese, butter, spices, Lemon juice, Worcestershire.
5. Remove the mushroom mixture from the pan, but leave any oil left in the bottom. If there is none, add about 2 TBS olive oil. Add the flour and make a roux. Add the milk, whisk together and stir in the cream cheese mixture.
6. Add the mushroom mixture, pancetta, blanched green beans into the sauce. Add Salt/Pepper if needed.
7. Pour it all into a baking dish, top with French’s French Fried Onions (or ones you made yourself). Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

As I got more confident, I decided to try a more complicated soup for Thanksgiving 2008 - using Butternut Squash, but I wanted some Asian flavors too. It was amazing and I thankfully took copious notes while I added ingredients. We will be making this again this year with all Organic ingredients (and yes, we will have visions of The Tale of Despereaux in our minds).

Here is the recipe:
Butternut Squash Coconut Ginger Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Butternut Squash
• 1 1/2 TBS Butter
• 2 TBS Olive Oil
• Chicken Stock
• Kosher Salt & Pepper
• 1 Medium Onion, diced
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 Medium Leek, washed, sliced
• 14 oz Can Unsweetened Coconut Milk
• 3 Stalks Lemongrass
• Juice of 1 Lime
• 2 TBS Fresh Ginger
• 4 Cups Chicken Stock
• 1 Cup Pinot Grigio (or other dry white wine)
• pinch Saffron
• 1 minced jalapeno
• 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350. Halve and seed the squash. Put in a large baking dish with a small amount of water in the bottom. Cut the butter into 4 pieces and put in the hallow of each squash. Brush the squash with stock, salt/pepper. Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes. You know its done when you can easily pierce it with a fork. Once the squash is done, pour the butter into a sauce pan, and set aside to cool.
2. Heat the pan over medium heat and add olive oil to the butter. Saute onion, garlic, and leeks and season with approx 1 tsp kosher salt. One they start to get translucent (about 4-5 minutes) turn the heat up to medium high and deglaze with the wine. Cook for a minute and then turn back down to medium and cook until it reduces by half (10-12 minutes).
3. Add the stock, coconut milk, saffron, ginger, jalapeno, and lemongrass stalks.
4. Scoop the squash flesh out of the rind and add to the stock. Add in the pumpkin.



5. Cook on medium-low for 25-30 minutes. Remove the lemongrass and puree with a stick blender or in batches in a food processor.



6. Check seasoning and add salt/pepper if needed. Finish by mixing in the fresh lime juice and garnish with Thai basil if you can find it just before serving.
]]> http://www.seeryouslygudecooking.com/?feed=rss2&p=51 http://www.seeryouslygudecooking.com/?p=36 http://www.seeryouslygudecooking.com/?p=36#comments Sun, 14 Dec 2008 15:44:50 +0000 Shannon http://www.seeryouslygudecooking.com/?p=36 Every year for as long as I can remember my family has made “Snowballs” as part of our Christmas Cookie menagerie.

Snowballs are full of ground pecans, covered in powdered sugar (and they are my husband’s favorite cookie).

This year, I was thinking about making Christmas cookies with my little chefs and thought:

“couldn’t we stack the snowballs and make little snowmen?”



Yes we can.

They may not look perfect, but they are incrediably easy to make, the kids had a blast, nothing raw in the ingredients - so they can even eat the batter, and they baked up just fine.

To make into snowmen, we used two snowballs, the top one smaller that the bottom. We decorated with Chocolate Chips, M&M’s and even Nerds. Once they were done - we had a “snow storm” and covered them with sugar.

Here is the snowball cookie recipe:

Snowballs

1 Cup Butter
1/4 cup White Sugar
2 cups Ground Pecans
2 cups Flour
Confectioner’s Sugar

Directions:

Cream the butter. Add in the sugar and pecans, mix well. Slowly add in the flour until combined. Shape into balls (about 1 tbs).

Bake at 300 degrees on ungreased cookie sheet for 45 minutes. Roll in confectioner’s sugar. Let cool. Roll again.

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