Crab Cakes with Aioli Sauce

Occasionally, I find myself with very odd cravings, and I'm sure you can all relate! Sometimes the cravings are pretty general - spicy food, for example. And sometimes, they are very specific - like Mi Ranchito's cream cheese chicken enchiladas!!

Most recently, I found myself craving seafood. I wanted something that I hadn't eaten in a long time - so no salmon or shrimp. And I wanted something that was a new recipe for me, since I love trying new things and posting them on my blog. I wanted something that wouldn't set me back too much money, since seafood is generally a bit higher-priced. I ending up finding a recipe for crab cakes that looked super easy and delicious - and since the recipe calls for canned crab, I knew it wouldn't be too expensive!

These crab cakes are totally awesome. Several reviewers on Allrecipes said that even though this recipe uses canned crab, it is so delicious, there's no reason to use fresh crab! These cakes are crunchy on the outside, yet soft and hot on the inside. Since they are baked and not fried, they are also surprisingly healthy. Served alongside a garlic-y homemade aioli sauce and mashed potatoes - it just doesn't get much better!

Crab Cakes with Homemade Aioli Sauce

8-12 green onions, chopped

3 (6-oz) cans canned crabmeat, drained well

2 eggs

3 TBS mayonnaise

3 tsp dry mustard

1 sleeve crushed Ritz crackers

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

pinch of other mixed seasonings - Old Bay or seafood seasoning

salt + pepper

bread crumbs (approx. 1 cup)

Aioli Sauce

3/4 C mayonnaise

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2 TBS lemon juice

pinch of salt + pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (the best part! don't leave it out!)

1. For aioli sauce, mix all together and refrigerate.

2. Combine all ingredients except bread crumbs. Form into 1/2-inch patties. Roll patties in bread crumbs until coated.

3. Spray muffin pan with PAM. Divide crab mixture among muffin cups - depending on how large you want your patties, you may use between 6-10 muffin cups.

4. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, until lightly browned and heated through. Serve with aioli sauce.

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Iced Pumpkin Cookies

My plan for the blog this week was to upload a crab-cake recipe. Buuuuttt...things change. You see, I've had these two cans of pumpkin in the pantry. I was convinced that somewhere out there, I could find a cookie recipe that called for canned pumpkin, with the remainder of ingredients being items I would already have in my pantry. I got lucky! I stumbled across this recipe on Allrecipes - not only did it meet my criteria, but it ALSO has 4.5 stars and has been rated by almost 30,000 people! Ahhh, the beauty of Allrecipes.

Let me just tell you - these cookies, well, they're a keeper. The reviewers online said things like, "super moist - more like cake!" and "reminds me of a muffin top." At first I wasn't so sure - I've been craving real cookies! But I am so happy that I gave this one a shot. I could tell while they were baking that they would be super pretty, because they keep their shape while baking, rather than flattening like a normal cookie. But only after they were done baking did I take the first bite - YUM! Full of pumpkin flavor with hints of nutmeg and clove. The "cookie" is super soft - in fact, I agree with reviewers that you shouldn't wrap this cookie up - leave it exposed to air, or very loosely covered, because it is SO moist that the icing will soften and run all over the cookie.

I highly recommend that you make these little guys as soon as possible!

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

2.5 C all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C butter, softened
1.5 C white sugar
1 can pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Glaze
1.5 C powdered sugar
3 TBS milk
1 TBS melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Set aside.

2. In medium bowl, mix the 1/2 C softened butter + white sugar, using an electric beater. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 tsp vanilla. Beat until creamy. Slowly mix in dry ingredients. Do not overmix. Drop onto greased cookie sheet by spoonfuls; press down slightly.

3. Bake for 15-20 minutes in the preheated oven. Let cookies cool. To make glaze, mix the four ingredients and drizzle over the cookies.

Pizza Loaf !

This post is a fun one for me. Part of being my friend means occasionally letting me raid your cookbook/recipe collection. My friend Aimee subscribes to a cooking magazine called Taste of Home, and a couple months ago, I spent some time raiding her recipes from this magazine. One recipe she said I had to try was a "pizza loaf" - I was definitely intrigued! I wrote the recipe down and last week, decided to give it a go. Even before it was finished baking, I couldn't wait to eat it - you'll see why!

This recipe is a tiny bit tricky to put together but hopefully my directions help you through it. This is a perfect weeknight, dinner-in-front-of-the-TV meal. I also think it would work great as an appetizer if you're with friends. Be sure to serve it with a side of warm pizza sauce. This pizza loaf is piping hot on the inside with gobs of melted cheese and pepperoni. The crust is crunchy on the outside and doughy on the inside. It has become one of my new favorite recipes - sometimes its great to get away from more complicated recipes/ingredients and stick to something simple. I can't wait to make this again soon!!!

Pizza Loaf

2 packages of refrigerated crusty french loaf bread
1 TBS flour
1.5 C mozzarella
3/4 package pepperoni, finely sliced (apparently turkey pepperoni tastes just as good)
1 jar pizza sauce (I bought 2 because I love pizza sauce)
1 beaten egg white
2 TBS grated parm
italian seasoning

You will also need a rolling pin, counter space to roll the dough on, and a brush for the egg white, but a spoon would probably do just fine too.

1. Place one of the dough loafs on a floured surface. Using a sharp knife, make a lengthwise slit down the center to within half-inch of the bottom (don't cut all the way through!) Open dough so it lies flat. Sprinkle with a bit of flour on each side, so rolling pin doesn't stick. Roll into a 14"x5" rectangle. Repeat with 2nd loaf.

2. In a bowl, mix mozzarella and sliced pepperoni. Spread half of the mixture down the center of each loaf. Drizzle each loaf with 4-5 TBS of pizza sauce. Roll each loaf lengthwise into a log - HINT: this is tricky, so take it slow, because you log is probably very full! Pinch the sides of the log together to get it to hold its shape. Seal the seams on the ends, as well, by pinching together. Place each loaf, seam side down, on a baking sheet sprayed with PAM. Once the loaves are side-by-side, twist the loaves together 2-3 times - be careful that your loaves don't spill out their contents or break.

3. With a knife, make several shallow slashes on each loaf. Brush the entire loaf with egg whites. Sprinkle with parmesan and italian seasoning. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cover with foil and bake another 4 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve with pizza sauce.

Turkey Croquettes with Spinach Potatoes

I love a good cookbook. I love old cookbooks, new cookbooks, celebrity cookbooks, homemade cookbooks. I love themed cookbooks - appetizers or drinks, for example. I love cookbook "guides" - The New Basics Cookbook is one on my shelf. I love itty bitty cookbooks with hard-to-find ingredients, and huge cookbooks in binders with every single ingredient in existence.

When I buy a cookbook or receive one as a gift, I read it cover to cover. I write down recipes and page numbers on a little card, that I then put in the front cover for future reference. I do this because, let's be honest - we all know that we won't use some recipes. That's ok. A cookbook, in my opinion, is like a set of photos - most will be just ok, but 5 or 6 will be total keepers, and you'll find yourself coming back to them over and over.

If there's one recipe I'm confident I will be making until I'm in a rocking chair, its this one. This recipe is from a Rachael Ray cookbook called "365: No Repeats" which I received as a gift from Brett's mom. I've made it twice now and the flavor is, well, incomparable. The pan drippings from the turkey croquettes make a to-die-for gravy - last week when I made this recipe, I literally ended up with the best gravy I have ever tasted (I was eating it with a spoon like soup.) The spinach potatoes are a perfect add-on. It sounds strange to put spinach into mashed potatoes, but you HAVE to do it! Its fantastic.

Enjoy!

Turkey Croquettes with Spinach Potatoes

3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 lb ground turkey
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tsp poultry seasoning
dried thyme + parsely
salt + pepper
1 egg yolk
2 C bread crumbs
1/4 C olive oil
2 TBS butter
2 TBS flour
3 C chicken broth
1/2 C half and half (I buy fat free)
1/3 bag baby spinach, rinsed and patted dry

1. Place potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Salt the water and bring to a boil. Cook potatoes until tender.

2. While the potatoes cook, make the croquettes. Place the turkey in a bowl. Add celery, onions, poultry seasoning, the egg yolk, some dried herbs, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine and form 8 patties. Coat both sides of the patties with bread crumbs.

3. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Cook the patties 5 minutes on each side. Remove croquettes from pan and keep warm. Reduce the heat to low. Add 2 TBS butter to the skillet and melt, then whisk in the flour. Cook the roux for a minute or two. Whisk in 2.5 cups of the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Thicken for a minute or so, and reduce heat to low. Taste the gravy and season with salt and pepper if needed.

4. Drain the cooked potatoes and return to pan. Add remaining 2 TBS butter, half cup of chicken broth, and the cream. Season with salt and pepper and mash. Fold in the spinach leaves until they wilt into the potatoes.
5. To serve, place the potatoes on a plate and place the croquettes on top. Spoon gravy over the dish.

Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden

For as long as I can remember, one of my favorite Italian restaurants has been the Olive Garden. I love that the soup and salad have tasted the same for years (and by "the same," I mean - amazing!) I love the bright and warm atmosphere and the last few years, I have also come to love the Chianti =)

At work, I sit next to a very fun co-worker and sometimes we chat about what we've been cooking lately. A few weeks ago, she said she was making Zuppa Toscana. She said it like a true Italian (!) and I had absolutely no idea what it was! She said, "you know, the potato and sausage soup at Olive Garden." My reply? "NO WAY!" Immediately followed by, "I need that recipe!" I added it to the next week's menu list and wow, what a treat!

Brett likes to complain when I make soups, saying they don't fill him up, but he didn't complain about this one. It has 3 huge potatoes, a full pound of sausage, several strips of bacon....how can that not be a filling meal?!

Pour this into a big bowl, sit down for a good movie, and you've got yourself one good night!

Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden

1 lb ground italian sausage
crushed red pepper, salt, pepper
1 large diced white onion
3-4 strips of bacon
3 garlic cloves, minced
10 C water
5 chicken bouillon cubes
1 C heavy cream
3 large potatoes, sliced or diced
small bunch of kale

1. Sautee sausage and crushed red pepper in large pot. Season with salt and pepper. In same pan, sautee bacon.
2. You should have a fair amount of fat left in the pan to now sautee your onion. Sautee onion about 10 minutes. Add garlic, and sautee another minute or two. If the onion/garlic begin to burn at any point, add a few tablespoons of water to the pan.
3. Add chicken bouillon cubes and water. Heat to boiling.
4. Add potatoes and cook until soft, about 20-25 minutes.
5. Add heavy cream and heat through.
6. Place a small amount of kale in the bottom of your serving bowls, and add soup.

Enjoy!