Fridge Friday: Episode 20

It may be 7:44 P.M., but it is still Friday, Fridge Friday. Want to see what is in my fridge?

Do you see that sweet corn over on the left side of the fridge? I had grand plans to grill it and serve it up beside some steaks with chili-lime butter, but that isn't going to work this week. Hubs had some dental work done yesterday and really isn't up to corn on the cob...or steaks. Thankfully, the weather is cool. *rant*Really? Did I just say THANKFULLY the weather is cool IN JUNE? Where IS summer?*end rant* Anyway, with these cooler temps comes the opportunity to extend soup season for the tender mouth of my Hubs.

Yes, I do realize that my last submission to this much neglected blog was also a Fridge Friday post featuring a soup with corn as a star ingredient. I am sorry for the repetition. Rest assured that Potato-Corn Crab Chowder is an entirely different soup from Corn and Bean Soup. Both are hearty and benefit greatly from the pop of sweetness of freshly-cut-from-the-cob corn. However, the similarities end there. Creamy, rich, bursting with new potatoes and delightful lumps of crab, Potato-Corn Crab Chowder is really one of my favorite soups. I must warn you not to skimp on the crab; use only the real deal. (I know. In the Midwest, it isn't always easy to get the real thing for seafood, but DO IT. You won't regret it.)

Potato-Corn Crab Chowder

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups potatoes, cubed

1-2 cups corn kernels (cut from 2-3 ears of fresh corn, or use frozen)

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups milk (I often substitute half-and-half, or part heavy cream for some of the milk.)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 (14 ounce) can creamed corn

1-2 cups lump crab meat

cayenne pepper (to taste...some like it with a kick, other do not)

2-4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Melt butter in a large, heavy pot.
Saute onion in melted butter until tender.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
Add potatoes and corn kernels; stir to combine.
Sprinkle in flour, cook for 1 minute stirring constantly.
Add broth, milk, and creamed corn; season with pepper and nutmeg.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently.
Cover and reduce heat to low to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
Stir in crab meat and parsley, cook 5 minutes to heat through. (Serves 6-8)

A Good Kind of Crabby

Recently, I have been accused often of being crabby. I wasn't happy with a lot of things that were going on, and I wasn't dealing with anything effectively. I was crabby, very crabby. Some things that were rubbing me the wrong way have changed, but I still have adjustments to make to totally conquer my crabbiness. Just like everyone, I am a work in progress.

One thing that I won't change at all is Spicy Cajun Crab Soup. It is a good kind of crabby. Our recent stint of cold, gray, rainy weather begged for soup, and this was a great way to warm up and fill up after a long day. Lumps of rich crab meat swimming in a spicy broth with tomatoes, onions, and spinach is incredible. Be sure to use a good quality Cajun seasoning, as it can make or break the soup. I like a lot of flavor and that nice heat left in the back of the throat after each spoonful. This soup doesn't disappoint when served up with cornbread. Add a salad to the meal and invite over some friends. It is that good.

This soup might even edge out our favorite Potato and Crab Chowder as the best crabby soup. Crabby is good with it produces a great meal On My Plate.

Spicy Cajun Crab Soup

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup diced onion
¼ cup flour
3-5 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
2 ½ cups chicken broth
1 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 (6 ounce) bag baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, minced

1 pound lump crab meat

Melt butter and oil together in a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add onion and sauté until tender and translucent.
Whisk in flour until smooth and cook until golden, about 3 minutes.
Add Cajun seasoning to taste and stir well.
Add chicken broth and stir until smooth.
Stir in tomatoes with juices and simmer on medium-low heat for about 3 more minutes.
Add spinach, thyme and garlic. Cook just until spinach is wilted, about 1 minute.
Add crab meat and heat through, stirring gently to preserve the large chunks of crab.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Serves 6.)

For the Love of Crab

I adore crab. Give me crab legs, crab appetizers, crab and pasta, crab salad, crab chowder, fake crab, real crab, even krab with a "K". It all makes me a happy girl. So, it isn't any great surprise that the menu for our Valentine's dinner incorporates crab. I suppose that it also isn't any great surprise to learn that Hubby and I aren't going out to eat on this romantic night. In our small town, dining options are limited. And, honestly, just as New Year's Eve is considered "amateur night" for the drinkers, I think that a dinner out on Valentine's Day is just asking for disappointment. Menu prices are usually inflated, cooks and wait persons are running ragged, and the chance of the entire experience leaving you screaming, "For the love of..." is pretty large. I would rather do something special at home. I would rather love me some crab from my own kitchen.

I had picked up a tub of pasteurized lump crab meat during my last run through Sam's Club. Valentine's Dinner seemed like the perfect opportunity to create luscious crab cakes with it. I love good crab cakes, and think that the best recipe lets the sweetness of the crab shine through. I don't want a lot of filler, and don't need heavy seasonings. I want to enjoy the richness of the crab, and Virginia Crab Cakes are the pure heaven for me.

In restaurant menus, crab cakes are often found sitting prettily on top of pasta dishes as a main course. To round out my Valentine's dinner, I zoomed in on a recipe that I had snagged some time ago but hadn't yet tried. Roasted Red Pepper Puree with Prosciutto and Pasta appears to be a great complement for my love of crab. The sauce is rich and flavorful enough to stand on its own with the pasta, but the crab cakes elevate the meal to something even more special. Valentine's Dinner is crab cakes and pasta On My Plate.

Virginia Crab Cakes
2 cups lump crab meat
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 large eggs
½ cup heavy cream
1 dash hot sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons grated onions
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

In a bowl, combine crab meat and bread crumbs.
In a small bowl, whisk eggs well and add cream, whisking.
Add cream mixture, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, onion and salt and pepper to taste to crab mixture and combine well.
In large heavy skillet, heat 1 tbs butter over moderate heat until foam subsides and into it drop half of crab mixture by tablespoons.
Cook crab cakes until golden brown, about 2 minutes, on each side, and repeat with remaining tablespoon butter and crab mixture. (24 appetizer size and 12 main dish crab cakes)

Roasted Red Pepper Puree with Prosciutto and Pasta
4 large red bell peppers
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
8-10 basil leaves, snipped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound dried pasta (linguine, spaghetti, or your favorite)
3 ounces prosciutto, cut into thin strips
½ teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper

Cut the red peppers in half, remove and discard the seeds and inner membranes. Flatten the pepper with the heel of your hand and place skin side up on a baking sheet, repeat with other peppers. Broil the peppers until they are completely charred and blackened. THE SKIN WILL NOT PEEL OFF EASILY UNLESS ITS BURNED! Remove the peppers to a plastic or paper bag and close tightly, place in the freezer until the peppers are cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
With your fingers, peel and discard the loosened skin from the peppers, rinse under water.
Roughly chop the peppers and combine them with the oil, parsley, Basil and garlic in a food processor.
Spray an 8 inch skilled with cooking spray, and sauté the prosciutto over high heat, just to heat through.
Stir the meat into the red pepper puree, add salt and pepper and taste to adjust seasoning and pour over bed of cooked pasta. (Serves 4)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!