Jumbo Crab Cakes

This recipe is a cross between Southern Living and Thomas Kellers crab cake recipe.  I added the panko bread crumbs for a nice crunchy outer layer.  Its really good.  Add the cool cucumber sauce for another layer of flavor.  You can make the patties earlier in the day and then pull them out later for a quick dinner!

Ingredients:
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped sweet red or green pepper
3 TBSP white wine Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
3/4 tsp ground red pepper
1 lemon, halved
1 lb fresh lump crab meat, drained
1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, divided
1/4 cup butter or margarine
Olive oil
2 cups Panko bread crumbs
Cucumber cream sauce or Tarter Sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix the first 6 ingredients, stir in the juice of half of one lemon, crab meat, and 1 cup bread crumbs.
Shape into 8 (4 inch) patties.  On a small plate coat the crab cakes with the panko bread crumbs.  Heat 2 TBSP oil and 1 TBSP butter in large sauce pan over medium heat.  Cook the crab cakes for about 4 minutes on each side.  Transfer the crab cakes to a baking dish.  Place in oven for an additional 4 minutes.  Arrange on platter and serve with lemon wedges and cucumber cream sauce or tarter sauce.

Chorizo Stuffed Chicken with Sun Dried Tomato Sauce

It's Monday and I didn't have to work tonight so I thought I would spend a little extra time on dinner. This unexpectedly only took a few minutes to put together and 25 minutes to cook.  An awesome dinner in less than an hour. Sweet! This is one of those that you can make for guests and really wow the pants off of them.  Not literally but you know what I mean.   

For the Chicken:
4 garlic cloves
1/4 lb pork chorizo
4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled (look near the mexican cheese section)
1/2 cup jack cheese, grated
1/2 tsp dried thyme
salt and fresh ground black pepper
olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
chopped cilantro for garnish

For the Sauce:
4 sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped (if you get chopped tomatoes, use enough to equal 4 whole dried tomatoes, about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, smashed
2 TBSP basil, chiffonade
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and fresh ground pepper

Make the Chicken:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Chop garlic and saute with a little olive oil for about 2 min.  Set aside.  In same pan cook the chorizo over medium high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until browned.  With a slotted spoon, remove the chorizo and drain on paper towels.  Place chicken breasts in a plastic zip lock bag and pound thin with a meat pounder/tenderizer or a rolling pin. 

Take your time so that the chicken breasts stay in one piece.  Rotate the chicken around as you pound it.  Lay the chicken out onto your work surface and spread evenly the chorizo, cotija, jack cheese and a little of the garlic. 

Don't overfill with filling or it will be hard to roll up.

 Roll up each breast up, tucking in the sides and gently squeezing as you go. 

Place the chicken seam side down in baking dish.  Sprinke with thyme, salt and pepper.  Drizzle a little olive oil over the top. 

Pour the wine around the chicken.  Bake for about 25-30 minyes until cooked through.   Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Make the Sauce:
In a blender or food processor, add sun dried tomatoes, red wine vinegar, garlic and basil. 

Basil chiffonade.

Blend until smooth. 

Slowly add the olive oil and blend until emulsified.  Season with salt and pepper. 

To serve slice the chicken into 1/2 inch thick slices and drizzle with sauce.  Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.  Prepare yourself to hear the oohs and ahhs and mmmm's.

Recipe adapted from Linda Martin @ Sweet Basil Cooking School 

Sour Cream Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ooey gooey warm cinnamon rolls from scratch?  Yes please! You can make these the night before and bake them in the morning. You may be able to tell that I was up late at night making these.  The pictures are a little dark.  We had a father day brunch and they didn't last but a few minutes after I pulled them out of the oven.  I got one and when I went back to get another they were gone.  Next time I'm making a double batch for sure.

For the Cinnamon Rolls:
1 (8 oz) carton sour cream
2 TBSP butter
3 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 package active dry yeast
3 cups all purpose flour
2 TBSP butter softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 (8 oz block) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter softened
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Make the frosting:  Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with electric mixer until smooth.  Gradually add powdered sugar.  Beat at low until light and fluffy.  Stir in vanilla.  Set aside. 

Make the cinnamon rolls:  Heat sour cream in a small saucepan on medium low heat until it reaches 105-115 degrees.

In a large bowl mix together the warm sour cream, 2 TBSP butter, 3 TBSP sugar, salt and baking soda.  Add egg and yeast.  Blend well.

Add 1 1/2 cups flour and beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended.  Gradually stir in just enough flour until a soft  dough is formed.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it 4 or 5 times.  Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Roll the dough out into an 18x6 rectangle.  With your fingers spread the 2 TBSP softened butter over the dough leaving the top 1 inch plain.

Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over the dough leaving the top one inch plain.

Roll up the dough, starting at the bottom and then seal at the top.  Put a little tiny bit of water at the top of the dough to seal it.  Slice the roll into 12 (1 1/2 in) slices.  Place the slices in a greased pan.  Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts for about 30-45 minutes.

They will almost double in size.  From this point you can keep them covered and place in fridge overnight if you want to bake them in the morning.  Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes until golden.  As soon as you take them out of the oven spread a layer of frosting on them.  If they aren't gone before they are cooled add another layer of frosting.   Enjoy!

Strawberry Pretzel Layered Dessert

Today we are visiting cousin Katie her husband Cory and her little baby boy Everette.  They just moved into a new house and are having a pot luck!  Yay!  Another excuse for me to make something.  I learned this recipe in a Toast masters meeting.  The exercise that day was giving instructions.  One of the girls did a presentation on how to make pretzel salad dessert and she even brought samples.  This recipe is so good.  There is a crunchy pretzel layer and a creamy cream cheese layer. It has sweet and salty flavors as well.  It is just so good!  Be prepared to share the recipe because more times that not someone will ask you for it. 

Ingredients:
3 cups crushed pretzels
1 cup (2 sticks) melted butter
3 TBSP granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1 package cream cheese softened
1 tub whipped topping, thawed
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 large package strawberry jello
4 cups water
12 oz frozen strawberries or mixed berries

Make the crust:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put the pretzels into a zipper bag or use a food processor and crush them.  You want smallish sized pieces not pretzel dust.  Melt the butter and pour into a 8x11 baking dish.  Mix in the pretzels and the granulated sugar.  Spread this mixture evenly onto the bottom of your pan.  Bake for 7-8 minutes.  You will see the mixture bubbling.  Don't bake it for more than 8 minutes or you will have concrete instead of a nice crust.  Sprinkle top with kosher salt.  Set aside and let it cool completely.

Make the Jello topping:  Dissolve the jello in 2 cups boiling water.  Add 2 cups very cold water and frozen berries and let set just a little in the fridge about 20-30 minutes.  Its ok if it looks a little  bit lumpy. Don't forget about it or you wont be able to top your dessert! 

Make the cream cheese filling:  With a hand mixer or stand mixer mix the softened cream cheese and the powdered sugar together.  Fold in the whipped topping.  It will look like marshmallow cream when it is blended.  Let this set in the fridge for about 10 minutes.

Cameron snuck this out of the sink!

Build your dessert:  Very gently spread the cream cheese filling over the completely cooled crust.  Be sure the spread all the way to the edges of the pan so your jello won't leak through to the crust.  Pour the jello on top of the cream cheese layer.  Cover and put it back into the fridge to let it set up completely. Its best if  it sets overnight. Be ready to share the recipe!  Everyone loves this dessert!

Remember, spread all the way to the edges.

Watermelon Sorbet

Mmmmm.  Nothing says summer like juicy watermelon running down your chin.  This watermelon sorbet is refreshing, beautiful and so easy to make.  I made a double batch and it didn't last the day. 

You will need:
5-6 cups seedless watermelon chunks
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 TBSP fresh lime juice

Make the syrup: In a medium saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside to completely cool.

Make the watermelon puree: Put the watermelon chunks into a blender or food processor. Pulse about 20 times to chop the melon and then process until the watermelon is completely pureed. 

Press the watermelon through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds and any extra pulp.

Freeze it all together: Combine with the cooled sugar syrup and the lime juice. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Pour the watermelon mixture into the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker. I have a Cuisinart frozen yogurt, ice cream and sorbet maker.  Its a great thing to have.

How pretty is that color?!

 Mix until the sorbet has thickened, approximately 25-35 minutes.  The sorbet will have soft serve texture. You can enjoy your sorbet right away or put it into an airtight container and place in the freezer until firm for about 2 hours.

Enjoy!