Stuffed Crabs

This recipe will take care of one pound of crab meat. Let's stop again for a moment. Peeled Crab A one pound container of crab meat is what you'll normally find in the seafood market or grocery. Yes, it's expensive, but hey, you want it, you pay for it. Or, you can do what we did in the "olden days"... (boy that makes me feel old), catch and peel your own. Whatever the case, get the meat.

This recipe will make about a dozen stuffed crabs depending on the size of the shells You can also make your own little fake shells with heavy duty aluminum foil, or buy the ones at the grocery.  If you happen to boil your own crabs just clean out some of the shells and use those (the original way). 

Prepare the following:

1 - cup onion chopped fine
1/2 cup celery chopped fine
1/3 cup bell pepper chopped fine.
3 cloves garlic chopped fine
1/4 lb (1 stick) butter or oleo (Parkay)
1 sm. can (5 oz.) evaporated milk ("Pet milk" is what we call it) and 1 egg, mix together well. Five slices of "Evangeline Maid Bread"... or your favorite... (take the crust off)...
Break the bread in small pieces and soak it in the Pet Milk. Just put this on the side for now.
In a pan melt butter, add onions and sauté for 5 minutes (med-low fire). Add celery and bell pepper and sauté another 15 minutes. Add garlic, sauté for another five minutes, stir and then add the following.Crab meat (1 lb.)
1/2 cup green onions
1/4 Tsp salt
1/4 Tsp black pepper
1/ Tsp Creole Seasoning
1 Tbs. Worcestershire
2 - 3 drops liquid crab boil (if the crab meat is from the grocery - if the meat is left over from a crab boil you don't need the liquid crab boil)
Sauté on low for about 10 minutes, stir often as this will burn fast... now taste it. If you find it a little too spicy it's actually "just right". Why?... because you'll be adding the soaked bread which will level out the seasoning. Stuffed crab mixture It's a tasting thing... taste as you finish it up.
Add the following:
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Soaked bread with milk
1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley
Stir well, simmer (on a low fire)  for about 10 minutes and taste. Add seasonings as needed. Hey, everything is cooked, get the taste like you want it now.

Stuffed Crabs
When you like the seasonings turn the fire off (put the oven on 400ºF now)
and let the crab mixture rest for about 15 minutes.  Stuff the crabs shells. Now, sprinkle seasoned bread crumbs on top and put the results in the oven. Cook on 400ºF for about 20 minutes on the top rack. This is just to brown the bread crumbs, don't dry them out to brown the bread crumbs (just a warning).
This is a "rich" crab meat recipe. You can add more bread if you like to fill it out, but, you'll probably need more seasoning. Do it like you want.
Options:
You can make a casserole with this, and, you can make this into patties and fry them,. it's optional. If you make patties dredge them in seasoned flour instead of bread crumbs.
I've seen this done with potatoes and even rice as the filler instead of the bread.
Which ever way you prepare it, it's good. Don't be afraid to experiment.......

Siopao

Baked Siopao (Baked Pork or Chicken Buns)

You normally find these Chinese dimsums as white steamed buns. I found this baked recipe from one of Martin Yan’s cookbooks, The Best of Martin Yan.  It is exactly the same recipe for the steamed pork buns except that these are baked and therefore come out looking brown instead of white.

Ingredients:

Dough:

    * 4 tbs sugar
    * 1/2 cup warm milk
    * 1/3 cup warm water
    * 2 tsp active dry yeast
    * about 2 1/2 cups flour
    * 1/2 tsp salt

Filling:

    * 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
    * 2 tbs vegetable oil
    * 1/2 cup minced green onions
    * 2 tsp minced garlic
    * 1/2 cup water
    * 4 tsp hoisin sauce (Hoisin sauce, or haixian sauce, is a Chinese dipping sauce.)
    *  4 tsp oyster sauce
    * 1 tbs sugar
    * 2 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbs water
    * 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

Directions:

   1. Dissolve 2 tbs sugar in milk and water. Sprinkle the yeast and let              stand in warm place until bubbly, about 10 minutes.
   2. Gradually add remaining sugar, 2 cups flour and salt. Add more                   flour as needed until dough is no longer sticky.
   3. Place dough on a lightly floured work space  and knead until smooth  and elastic (about 6 – 8 minutes). Place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour).
   4. Prepare filling. Heat oil in wok or pan. Add green onions and garlic, frying for 1 minute. Stir in water, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce and sugar. Add cornstarch solution, boil, stirring until thick.  Add chicken. Cool.
   5. Prepare dough.  Punch down dough then roll into a cylinder. Cut into 12 equal pieces, rolling each piece into a ball. Cover.
   6. Flatten each ball and roll into a circle about 4 – 6 inches in diameter. Place 1 heaping tbs of filling in the center. Gather edges of circle over the filling; twist and pinch edges together to seal.
   7. Place buns seam side down 2 inches apart in a baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place until puffy and light. Brush tops with egg yolk.
   8. Preheat oven to 350F. Bake buns 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Southern Cooking

Try More Ideas here                                

                                                                                                                         


As folks in South Louisiana know, Cajun boudin sausage is a delicious blend of rice, pork, and spices injected into a natural casing and served everywhere from the fanciest restaurants to gas stations in the country. One thing is for sure, boudin is some of the finest Cajun food you'll ever eat. While most locals believe that they know where the "best" boudin is made The Boudin Link is THE GUIDE to boudin. Bring a little down-home Louisiana cooking and some true Cajun dishes to your own table.


                                                                                                                                    
  BOUDIN
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 2.5 hours
    Yield: Approximately 16 links
    Serves: Approximately 32  people as an appetizer, snack, or side dish.
   
    2 3/4 pounds pork butt, cut into chunks
    1 pound pork liver, cut into pieces
     2 quarts spring water
    1 cup chopped onions
    1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
    1/2 cup chopped celery
    5 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
    2  teaspoons cayenne
    1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
    1 cup minced parsley
    1 1/4  cup chopped green onions
    6 cups medium-grain rice (cooked)
  
Put the pork, liver, water, onions, bell peppers, celery, 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the cayenne, and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper in a large heavy pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 2 hours. Drain and reserve 2 cups of the broth. Grind the pork and liver together with 1/2 of the parsley and 1/2 of the green onions in a meat grinder fitted with a 1/4-inch die.  Add the rice, and the remaining salt, cayenne, black pepper, parsley, and green onions and mix well. Add the broth, slowly, and mix.  Stuff the mixture into sausage casings or otherwise utilize the mixture.  If stuffed into casing it should be heated in a steamer or rice cooker.  Heat in oven or on the grill for a crisp casing.  Serve warm.  Freeze leftovers.

Southern Cooking

OK this one came from down south Louisiana in the small town of Houma and if anyone knows about Houma Louisiana Folks there sure can cook 


CRAB CASSEROLE
 1lb. lump crab meat
1 pkg. frozen broccoli ( 20 oz. )
1 pkg. 8 oz. elbow macaroni
1 can crm. mushroom soup
1 soup can of milk
1 med onion chopped
6 toes garlic chopped
12 oz. shredded Cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons parsley flakes, garlic pd. your favorite


BREAD CRUMB TOPPING

1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. garlic pd.
2 tablespoon. Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoon's. butter or mar.
( Blend with fork until crumbly )

pre cook macaroni and broccoli , using package directions.
Drain. Saute onions, garlic in casserole dish until clear.
Add remaining ingredients to casserole. Mix well. Bake in 350
oven about 40 Min's. until bubbly. Top with bread crumb
mixture and brown. Use 4 qt. casserole dish. Serves 8 to 10.
Really great taste treat. ENJOY..... Gloria

Southern Cooking

Justin Wilson (chef)

His safety lectures that he made to refinery workers prompted him on the road to becoming a Cajun storyteller. He remembered it this way on the back cover of The Justin Wilson Cook Book:

"Way back when I first started as a safety engineer, I took myself pretty seriously, and I found I was putting my audiences to sleep. So having lived all my life among the Cajuns of Louisiana, and having a good memory for the patois and the type of humor Cajuns go for, I started interspersing my talks on safety with Cajun humor."

 

 

 

Southern Cooking

Down South Louisiana every Monday this is whats for dinner if you were to eat out or at home.   Some put Ham in as well and others serve with a pork chop this is a  Great crock-pot meal as well just don't soak the beans put it all in and let it cook on low


Red Beans and Rice

    * 1 pound red beans, soaked overnight
    * 1 medium onion, chopped
    * 1 bunch of green onions, chopped
    * 7 cloves of garlic, chopped
    * ½ cup parsley
    * 3 rib celery, chopped
    * 1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
    * 2 bay leaves
    * 1 teaspoon thyme
    * salt and pepper
    * 1 pound smoked sausage cut into 1 inch pieces
   
  
Drain the beans. Put them in a large heavy pot and add 3 quarts of fresh water. Cover and simmer for one hour or until the beans are tender. Watch that the water does not boil down too far. The beans must be covered with water at all times. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the rice. Add more water to cover if needed. Simmer for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until the liquid has thickened. Serve over rice.

Salmon Croquettes

Though the pink fish is much loved by most,  I never really took to cooking it at home. It took just one recipe to change the status quo. A recent issue of  Cooking Light had an easy and healthy recipe for salmon croquettes.
Just remember that the mixture should be squishy. Don't keep adding flour/ crumbs until you can shape the patty well, because the croquettes firm up as they cook.

SALMON CROQUETTES
(makes 6)
2 wild salmon fillets (or a 15 oz. can)
2-3 tbsp baby dill, chopped
2 tsp lite mayo
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
1 egg white
2-3 tbsp dry bread crumbs plus more for dredging
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil or cooking spray for frying

If you are using fillets, heat a pan and coat with spray. Place salmon skin side down and turn the heat to medium high. When you see the skin begin to peel remove pan from heat. Let cool and peel skin off.

Place salmon in a large bowl and mash with a fork. Add remaining ingredients and season to taste. Shape into patties, cover with film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat a skillet and coat with oil or spray. Dredge patties in crumbs lightly and place on pan. Cook on each side until golden brown. Serve with mustard or horseradish sauce.