Remoulade

Remoulade

One taste of this Remoulade Sauce and you will be transported back to the Big Easy. That’s right, New Orleans. Full of life and flavor like that fun city! This Remoulade is the perfect accompaniment to Crab Cakes, Po Boys, Fried Shrimp and Oysters. Also super tasty when used as  a sandwich spread! 

Remoulade Sauce
1 Cup Mayonnaise

1 tsp. Parsley, dried

¼ Cup Creole Mustard

2 Tbsp. Green Olives, chopped

2 Tbsp. EVOO

2 Tbsp. Celery, fine diced

1 Tbsp. Hot Sauce

1 tsp. Roasted garlic, granulated

2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

½ tsp. Chili Powder

1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

½ tsp. Black pepper, ground

2 Green Onions, sliced

1 tsp. Capers, chopped

Mix all Remoulade ingredients together and chill until use.

 

Crispy Crab Cakes

Crispy Crab Cakes

You don’t have to go to your favorite beach side restaurant to enjoy fresh and delicious crab cakes!  Not only are these crab cakes totally yummy, they are really easy to make.

Crispy Crab Cakes

1 pound Dungeness Lump Crab Meat

½ Cup All-purpose Flour

3 Cups Bread Crumbs, divided

¼ Cup Water

1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard

1 ½ Cups Natural Butter Olive Oil

1 tsp. Hot Sauce

3 Eggs, divided

1 tsp. Parsley, dried

¼ tsp. Celery Seed, ground

¼ tsp. Red Pepper Flakes, crushed

¼ tsp. Smoked Paprika

½ tsp. Sea Salt

¼ tsp. Black Pepper, ground

½ Lemon, juiced

1. In a medium bowl add the crabmeat, 1 cup of the bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, hot sauce, 1 egg, parsley, lemon juice, and salt and pepper, to taste, and gently combine. Divide the crab mixture into 6 equal patties and arrange on a sheet pan lined with waxed paper.

2. Set up a breading station using 3 baking dishes or pie plates. In the first dish combine the flour with a healthy pinch of salt and pepper. In the second dish whisk together the remaining 2 eggs with 1/4 cup of water. In the third dish combine the remaining bread crumbs with a healthy pinch of salt and pepper. Dredged the crab cakes in the seasoned flour, then in the egg wash and then coat them thoroughly in the bread crumbs. Arrange on a sheet tray.

3. Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the cakes in batches of 6 until brown and crispy, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

4. In a small bowl whisk together all of the remoulade ingredients and set aside until ready to use. See Remoulade Recipe

5. In a large bowl whisk together the olive oil, blood orange juice and Dijon mustard. Add the arugula, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss to coat.

6. To Serve:  Divide the salad equally between 6 plates. Top with a crab cake, drizzle with remoulade and serve.

Braided Easter Egg Challah Bread

Braided Easter Egg Challah Bread

Hey, it’s Spring! This is the time of year when the cool, damp mornings of Winter give way to the crisp, clear skies of Spring. The hummingbirds are returning and the bulbs you’ve forgotten about are starting to make an appearance! Spring has Sprung and Easter is on its’ way. Why not welcome Spring with this delicious and fun recipe! You can make these breads individually or as a large braided bread to be used for a centerpiece at your Easter Table. These are especially fun to make with the kids in your life. Everyone can make their​ own!  
Braided Egg Challah Bread

1 pkg. Active dry yeast

4 Hard cooked Eggs, colored (optional)

¼ Cup Water, tepid (80° to 90 ° F)

2 ½ Tbsp. Sugar

1 tsp. Cardamom

½ Stick (2 oz.) Unsalted Butter, room temperature

½ Cup Whole Milk

½ Tbsp. Honey

1 ¼ tsp. Salt

2 Eggs, large

2 Tbsp. Blood Orange Olive Oil

3 ¼ Cups (approximately) All-purpose or Bread Flour

Vanilla Bean Sugar

Rainbow Non-pareils

Egg Wash

Directions: In medium bowl, whisk together yeast, water and a pinch of the sugar (save the rest for a little later) and cardamom. Let rest for about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Cut the butter into small pieces and toss into a small saucepan with the milk; heat until the milk is warm to the touch and the butter has melted. Pour the butter mixture into a large bowl and add the remaining sugar, honey, and salt, stirring with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar and salt. Let cool to no warmer than 70° F.

Add yeast mixture to milk mixture, along with eggs, and stir with a wooden spoon to mix. Stir vigorously and add flour ½ Cup at a time. Once the dough clings together and forms a shaggy dough, turn dough onto a floured board and knead, adding flour if necessary. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.

Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave at room temperature for an hour or so or place in the refrigerator overnight.

Remove dough from bowl and without kneading, cut the dough into four even pieces. Take each piece and cut it into 3 pieces. Roll each piece into a 6-7 inch rope. Braid all 3 ropes together and bend both ends of the braided ropes to connect at the ends, forming a circle. Place on a papered sheet pan. Brush dough with egg wash and place hard cooked egg in the middle of the braid. Repeat with remaining braids.

Set aside until dough doubles in size, Re-egg wash gently and sprinkle with Vanilla Bean Sugar and non-pareils if using. Bake bread in a pre-heated 375 degree oven until golden brown.

Grilled Fresh Pineapple with Strawberry Rum Sorbet

Grilled Fresh Pineapple with Strawberry Rum Sorbet

Hey, it’s Summer! Your barbeque is probably already ablaze with all of your favorite warm weather fare. Why not keep the party going (and your house cool) with this deliciously easy dessert!

 

Grilled Pineapple

Fresh grilled fresh pineapple

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 2 Ripe Pineapples peeled and sliced into ½ inch rounds
  • EVOO for brushing the grill
  • ¼ Cup Pineapple White Balsamic Vinegar *Or Traditional Balsamic
  • 2 Tbsp. Turbinado Sugar

Instructions

  1. Heat grill and brush grates with EVOGrill each slice for about 2 minutes per side. Remove from grill and brush with Pineapple White Balsamic Vinegar. Sprinkle with Turbinado Sugar before topping with Strawberry Rum Sorbet.

Recipe Notes

*You can pan-fry the pineapple instead of grilling if you wish.

Strawberry Rum Sorbet

Quick and easy tasty sorbet.

Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • ½ Lemon seeded and roughly chopped
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 2 pounds Strawberries hulled
  • Juice of 1 Lemon
  • ¼ Cup Rum
  • 2 Tbsp. Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar *Substitute with Traditional Balsamic or omit

Instructions

  1. Place the chopped lemon and sugar in a food processor, and pulse until combined. Transfer to a bowl.
  2. Purée the strawberries in a food processor, and add to the lemon mixture, along with the juice of 1 lemon. Taste and add more juice as desired. The lemon flavor should be intense but should not overpower the strawberries. Pulse in rum and Strawberry Balsamic. Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and churn until frozen.

Recipe Notes

Top each grilled pineapple slice with a scoop of sorbet.

Now we’re talking! A work in progress

Now we’re talking! A work in progress

Now we’re talking!The galley kitchen is gone and the new kitchen is really taking shape. The kitchen space has more than doubled! New cabinets have been put in, quartz countertops, new stainless appliances and a moveable kitchen island are also in place.
Previously, the kitchen sink faced a wall. As if washing dishes wasn’t tedious enough, facing the wall made it feel even more like a “time out” 🙂   With Jeff’s newly designed kitchen, I now have a view of the outside of our deck and driveway, complete with lots of trees. Since the new “view”, I am lucky enough to have a view of the Nature Show going on outside.While washing dishes, I have seen all kinds of birds, javelinas, coyotes, deer, and the family cat from a few doors down that is becoming way too comfortable at our house. On the plus side, we have not seen any mice lately!
Before we moved into the cabin, we researched A Frame Cabin kitchens and décor extensively. There really was not a lot out there, lots of pretty pictures but, nothing really transferrable to the space we have or would have after we tore out the old kitchen. As I’ve said before, my husband is both handsome and handy so he made his own plans. As in all projects, some things don’t go according to plan. This was the case with our kitchen sink. We picked out a beautiful deep sink and faucet to put in our remodel. Unfortunately, what we didn’t realize is that with an A frame wall, there is not enough room for the faucet. Oops! Really it was more like  $!*!*!. So, our plan B for the sink was to put the faucet at the side of the sink instead of the back. Guess what, now it is a custom sink!  It actually looks pretty cool and functions really well. I love cooking in my new kitchen! Thanks Jeff! XO
Not exactly a Chef’s kitchen!

Not exactly a Chef’s kitchen!

When we toured the cabin with our Realtor 3 1/2 years ago, we were not exactly bowled over by the kitchen. It was a tiny galley kitchen that was fine for weekends up at the cabin but, as full time residents, a remodel would have to be in the plans. Luckily for me, my husband in handsome and handy! He assured me that he would make the kitchen a priority before we moved up full time. I had every confidence in him since he had already completed a kitchen remodel at our previous home in Phoenix.

Here is Jeff’s handiwork from the Phoenix kitchen remodel.  You can see why I would have every confidence in him working his magic again!  And so it begins…..