Crab Queso Dip

This is a great appetizer for a game day tailgate or any fall party.  You can make it on the stovetop and serve or transfer to a crockpot to keep warm.  It's great with tortilla chips or pita bread. 

This is one of those places that you can save a few calories and fat grams and use the reduced fat cream cheese and sour cream as well.  I don't think you'll notice the difference.  Add in plenty of jalapeno peppers to give this a good kick.  Using canned crab meat will also save you a few dollars or comes in handy if you can't get fresh.  Getting fresh quality seafood for an affordable price in Kentucky isn't always easy so I went with canned here.

Crab Queso Dip
Recipe inspired by Paula Deen

1 T olive oil
1/2 large or 1 whole small onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4-6 jalapeno peppers, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 8 oz packages cream cheese, cut into 1 oz pieces (I used 1/3 less fat Neufchatel)
1 cup sour cream (I used reduced fat)
1 cup milk (I used 2%)
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated/shredded
12 oz lump crab meat (I used well-drained canned crab meat)
2 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

In a dutch oven or deep skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat and add onion, bell pepper, jalapenos and garlic.  Cook 3-4 minutes until slightly softened.  Reduce heat to medium and add cream cheese.  Stir to distribute and melt.  When melted, add sour cream and milk and stir to incorporate.  Mixture should be relatively smooth aside from the vegetables.  Add shredded cheese and stir to melt.  Add crab meat and spices.  Stir until well mixed and simmer an additional 5-10 minutes.

Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with chips or transfer to a crockpot and set on "warm" setting to keep hot.

Linguine with Zucchini and Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce

The zucchini looked especially good at the grocery store the other day and it was on sale so I picked up a couple with an idea for a pasta dish in my head. I decided to use a whole wheat linguine and julienne the zucchini, along with a red bell pepper into long thin strips to put in the pasta. I wanted to make a spicy tomato sauce to bring everything together so I started with a can of fire roasted tomatoes to add a layer of smoky flavor.



I added some shrimp to round out the meal. Do yourself a favor and take the tails off before you cook them though. I bought the pre-cooked frozen shrimp the other day because they were on sale and didn't think about the fact that they had the tails on them until I dumped them in the pan. Not a huge deal, just makes it a bit of a hassle to eat.

Linguine with Zucchini and Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce

1 T olive oil
1 T butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt (+ more to salt pasta water)
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 T tomato paste
1 small zucchini, julienned
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 cayenne pepper, minced
1/2 pound linguine
20-24 large shrimp
2 T fresh basil, chopped
1 T flat leaf parsley, chopped

Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat and add butter and oil. When hot, add onion, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook about five minutes until onions are translucent and add tomatoes. Break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon and cook to reduce. Stir in tomato paste, add cayenne pepper and cook sauce for about ten minutes to reduce.

Meanwhile, heat a large pot of water to boiling for pasta. Salt water liberally and add pasta. Cook to al dente and drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of pasta water.

About five minutes before pasta is done, add bell pepper and zucchini to the tomato sauce. Stir in some of the reserved pasta water to thin sauce to desired consistency. Add shrimp and cook until opaque or heated through if pre-cooked. Toss with pasta and add parsley and basil and serve.

Spicy Shrimp Mango Salad

Whenever the weather warms up, instead of craving pasta and chili, I want grilled chicken and salads and fruit. At least its a good change in my eating habits. As I've said before, frozen shrimp is a great choice for weeknight dinners. It can be thawed very quickly, doesn't require a lot of time to marinate, and cooks in just a few minutes.


Fruit and salads don't belong together in everyone's mind but if you haven't tried it, give it a chance. The sweet and spicy goes great together. This particular salad was one of my favorite seafood dishes, grilled mahi mahi topped with mango salsa. The Caribbean jerk marinade for the shrimp works great in this salad because it has a bit of heat but the marinade is also a little sweet. The marinade looks like a lot of ingredients, but its mostly pantry staples and comes together very quickly.

Spicy Shrimp Mango Salad

Salad:
3 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
3 cups baby spinach
1 mango, diced
18-20 medium shrimp, marinaded (see below)
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 cup corn kernels
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp to pan and cook about 3 minutes, turn over and cook on remaining side 1-2 minutes just until opaque. Remove shrimp to a plate and add reserved marinade, black beans and corn to pan. Cook about 3 minutes until hot and sauce is slightly thickened. Add to shrimp and mango and top with cilantro. Add lettuce and spinach to a large bowl or divide among plates. Top with shrimp mixture and serve. (Add dressing if desired, with the reduced marinade, I didn't need one but I'm not a big dressing person to begin with. A simple honey lime vinaigrette would be perfect.)

(Note: I would also have added some diced jicama to this but my husband is not a fan and I don't use enough of it to buy it just for me but it goes perfectly with this if you like it.)

Marinade:
1 jalapeno, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T brown sugar
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 T fresh thyme
1 tsp salt
Juice of 1 lime
2 T olive oil
1 T dark rum
1 T orange juice

Mix all ingredients together in a plastic bag or shallow bowl, remove 2 T of marinade and set aside. Add thawed shrimp. For a milder marinade, remove ribs and seeds from jalapeno; to make it spicier, leave the seeds and ribs in. Toss to coat and refrigerate for about 20-30 minutes.

Spicy Crab Macaroni and Cheese

Inspired by the leftovers from my crab cake recipe that I had in the refrigerator, I decided to make some slightly fancier macaroni and cheese. Turned out to be fantastic. Since I'm assuming you won't have leftover crab cake mixture, the recipe below is from the beginning. Enjoy!


Spicy Crab Macaroni and Cheese

8 oz lump crab meat (you can use canned if you want)
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 white onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T butter
2 T flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup pepper jack cheese
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
8 oz short cut pasta (I used a mix of whole wheat rotini and regular elbow pasta because that's what was in the pantry)
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large pot of water for pasta. When boiling, add a generous spoonful of salt and pasta. Cook to just al dente, strain and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt 1 T of butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add red pepper, onion and garlic and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly. Roughly chop crab meat and add to pepper mixture. Beat egg, add Worcestershire sauce and add to mixture. In the same pan, melt the remaining butter and add flour. Whisk until foamy. Slowly add milk, whisking frequently. Stir in mustard and cayenne pepper. Cook until the mixture thickens slightly. Reduce heat to low and add in cheeses a handful at a time, stirring until melted. Add crab mixture and pasta. Stir everything together to mix well. Add thyme and salt and pepper to taste.


Pour mixture into a 9x13 baking dish and top with bread crumbs. Bake for approximately 30 minutes until bubbly.

Crab Cakes

Crab cakes are something that I used to be afraid of... seafood in general used to intimidate me. It always seems so delicate and I'm afraid I'll ruin it. A lot of seafood is relatively pricey so I didn't want to take a chance and waste a bunch of stuff. But I decided they couldn't be that difficult. After reading a comparison post on the blog Proceed with Caution, I had a little more insight into what my recipe would be. She highlighted recipes from Cooks Illustrated, Chronicles of a Fledgling Cook, Ellie Krieger, and Good Things Catered. Ultimately I sort of combined what I liked about each of the recipes and made up my own. I know most people would follow a recipe the first time they make something but I threw caution to the wind with this one.


I think they turned out great. I made about half of this filling into crab cakes and made 8 smallish (about 3" in diameter) crab cakes and the rest of the filling I think I'll turn into seafood enchiladas. Also, I used canned lump crab meat but if you've got fresh, by all means use it.

Crab Cakes

1 T butter
1 pound crab meat
1/2 red pepper, finely diced
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Miracle Whip (I used Fat Free)
1 egg
1 T Dijon mustard
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp dill
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
Canola oil for frying


Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cool. Meanwhile, roughly chop crab meat. Add crab to cooled pepper mixture. Lightly beat egg and add with miracle whip, mustard and Worcestershire sauce, mixing gently. Mix bread crumbs with seasonings and gently stir about 1/2 of the crumbs into crab mixture.


Form mixture into small patties and dredge in remaining bread crumbs, pressing firmly to form patties. Transfer to a plate and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.



When ready to cook, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add approximately 4 T canola oil to coat the bottom of the pan well. When the oil is hot, add crab cakes in batches, leaving room to turn them in the pan. Don't overcrowd them. Cook approximately 5 minutes per side until crisp and golden brown.

Orange Ginger Mahi-Mahi

As part of our healthy meal plans, I'm trying to incorporate more fish. I only started eating fish about 3-4 years ago and I really prefer lighter, white fish. We got quite a bit of snow today by Kentucky standards.

The dogs had a blast playing in the back yard but the roads were a mess. Since I don't have kids, you get to see a few pictures of my pups.

Ok back to the food... since it was snowy and cold here today and fish and citrus seemed like a nice, light summery meal. I had some oranges that needed to be used in the fridge so I decided to try that tonight. This turned out to be really good. The orange flavor wasn't overpowering but was definitely there. An orange juice reduction glaze would be good if you wanted to increase the orange flavor even more.

I served this with spiced oven-baked sweet potato fries. You can make your own, but Super Target sells a bag of frozen ones (its the only place I can find them around here but I'm sure plenty of other stores do too) that I just season with a mix of salt, chili powder, and garlic. When I make my own, they never crisp up as well, so for sweet potato fries, I like the frozen ones, maybe someday I'll figure out the trick to making my own.

Orange Ginger Mahi-Mahi

2 Mahi-Mahi fillets
1/4 cup orange juice
1 lemon
1 orange
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
2 T soy sauce
1 T olive oil (I used citrus infused oil but only because I had it on hand)
1 tsp citrus grill seasoning (I used Grillmates)

Marinate fish with orange juice, zest of lemon and orange, juice of lemon, grated ginger and soy sauce in a large food storage bag in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Season fish with grill seasoning on one side and place seasoned side down in pan. Season top side and cook about 5 minutes until golden brown crusted. Flip over and cook about 3-4 minutes more until cooked through. Top with orange slices and remove from heat.

Spicy Lime Shrimp and Rice

Just like 80% of the U.S. did last week, we made a New Year's resolution to eat healthier, lose weight, and get back in shape. Just like last year, and the year before that... but this time we mean it! So you can expect lots of healthy recipes including lean meats, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. While we aren't going on a diet in a traditional fad diet type way, we are going to make an all-over effort to clean up our eating habits, cutting back on refined carbohydrates, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, etc. but without cutting out flavor and variety. We are also implementing a get fit plan by rejoining the gym and trying to work out before going to work in the morning since it seems to be the only consistent routine we can have.

Spicy Lime Shrimp and Rice

About 24 large shrimp, shelled and de-veined
1 T olive oil
2 T lime juice
1 tsp Garlic Salt (I use Lawry's)
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup brown rice
1 small can Rotel Original tomatoes
1 cup water
1/2 cup corn (I used shoepeg corn because I already had it open but yellow corn works just fine)
1/2 cup black beans, rinsed and drained

Season shrimp with cayenne pepper and garlic salt, and 1 T lime juice over shrimp, lightly toss and refrigerate about 20 minutes.

Heat tomatoes and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add rice and stir occasionally until boiling. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Continue cooking until rice softens and most of liquid is gone. (I used Uncle Ben's quick-cooking brown rice so it was about 15 minutes.) Stir in black beans and corn, cover and cook on low for about 3 more minutes.

When rice is almost done, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and when hot, add shrimp, cook about 1 minute and turn over, cook another minute or so until shrimp are opaque. Remove to a plate and toss with remaining lime juice. Serve with rice.

This recipe serves about 4 people serving 6 shrimp per person which is the suggested serving size, but we don't have any shrimp left over and there were only 2 of us eating but at least shrimp are low in calories and that's a pretty good indication that this meal didn't taste like diet food!

Fusilli with Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce

On nights when you forget to defrost something for dinner, frozen shrimp can save your dinner plans. Frozen shrimp require about 5 minutes of cold running water and a colander to defrost. And they cook in about the same amount of time. Plus shrimp are healthy and relatively low in cost. That and they taste delicious with a mild, creamy tomato sauce.

Fusilli with Shrimp and Tomato Cream Sauce

Recipe inspired by Pioneer Woman

1/4 - 1/3 pound large, uncooked shrimp, peeled and de-veined

Approximately 1/2 box of fusilli or other short cut pasta (I use whole wheat)

1 cup diced tomatos

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup dry red or white wine (I used zinfandel but chardonnay would work just as well)

1/2 small white onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T butter

1 T olive oil (I used roasted garlic infused oil)

About 1 T fresh, chopped flat leaf parsley

About 1 T fresh, chopped basil

About 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a pot of water to boiling for pasta. When it comes to a boil, add salt and pasta. Cook until al dente and drain. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter and add olive oil over medium high heat. Add shrimp, season with salt and pepper, and cook until they turn pink. Don't overcook them, once they are opaque, they are done. Set them aside on a cutting board.

Add garlic and onions to the pan. Saute about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add wine and scrape the bottom of the pan. Saute about 3 minutes until liquid is mostly cooked off. Add diced tomatos and continue cooking for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in cream. Stir until well combined and let mixture simmer for about 5 minutes. Add herbs and crushed red pepper and return shrimp to pan. Add drained pasta and salt and pepper to taste.

Chipotle Citrus Swordfish Steaks

I had an almost empty bottle of chipotle citrus marinade in the fridge that I'm not sure why I kept, but I wanted to use on my swordfish steaks so I added my own blend to it to make enought marinade for 2 swordfish steaks (in reality, I probably could have marinated 4 steaks with this amount). I think this marinade would work really on chicken too.

Chipotle Citrus Swordfish Steaks

(Serves 2)

2 swordfish steaks

2 T canola oil

1 small can chipotles in adobo, chopped, sauce reserved

1 lime

1 T olive oil

1 T lemon pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

(Note: I also added about 2 T of Kroger's Chipotle Citrus marinade to this but its unnecessary as the above ingredients pretty much recreate the marinade.)

Add chipotle peppers and sauce, lime juice, olive oil and garlic to a large ziploc bag. Add steaks and marinate for at least 30 minutes to about an hour. Heat a grill pan over high heat and add canola oil. Heat almost to smoke point. Sprinkle both sides of steaks with lemon pepper and add to pan. Cook for approximately 6 minutes per side. Resist the urge to move the fish too early. You need to give it time to develop good grill marks and cook so it wont stick to the pan. Turn the fish and cook through. If necessary to cook through, reduce heat and continue cooking until done.