Crabby, crabby, crabby

I have seen as much lobster and crab as I can take for the season, year, my life while visiting New England; I eat lobster at least three out of seven days.  Wow, can you say too much?  

I learned a couple of things about eating seafood; first, it is a gift from the sea; second, you should count your blessings if you are not allergic to it and third, I cannot have so much to ever say, "I have had enough seafood."  

This week's recipe is of course one of my favorites, Crab Frittata.

First get your Crab, any type of crab you prefer.  To me, they are all delicious. 

To prepare your frittata you will need;

6 to 8 eggs or egg substitute

1/2 to 3/4 pound of crab meat (separate the lump)

3 tbs olive oil or non-stick spray for low calorie

 salt and pepper to taste

2 chopped green onions 

1/3 cup of feta cheese

1/4 cup of water 

Beat the eggs with the water for fluffiness, add crab meat, green onions, feta cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the olive oil into a stainless steel or cast iron skillet on medium heat, add the batter and push the sides to allow the mix to cook.  Finish the frittata in the oven at 350 degrees for the last 10 to 15 minutes.  Wait until the frittata is golden in color to retrieve from the oven.  Check for doneness inserting a toothpick in the middle, just like when you bake a cake.  If its runny, it is not ready and leave it in the oven for a approximately 5 to 10 more minutes.

To serve your frittata cut around the edges and use a dish to cover and catch it when you flip it.   It should come right out.

Serve the frittata with potatoes, fresh vegetables or salad.  

I prefer mine with salad and potatoes.

For my salad I use Spinach, grape tomatoes, homemade bacon bits, red onion and honey vinaigrette.

For the salad you will need

1 16 oz bag of baby spinach

3/4 cup of grape tomatoes

4 to 5 slices of crispy cooked bacon (your favorite bacon) 

1/2 small red onion cut in slices

For the vinaigrette you will need 

1/4 cup of honey

1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar

pinch of salt

pinch pepper

2 tsp of olive oil

mix well and pour over your salad and enjoy

   

Baby's Got Pork

 

This week I am working on the road.  I will be traveling for work for the next couple weeks.  So the graphics are not really what I would like them to be.  We are still going to continue our Pork Recipe Series nonetheless.  How many times you think about pork, beef, chicken and end up coming back to the tastiest meat of them all, pork?  I know I have.  People in Iowa got it right, they buy half a pig or the whole pig; that's what my Iowa colleague said and I am sticking to it.   I LOVE PORK!  I could only wish I could have it more often, specially now that I am on the road.

People go through life seeking acceptance, love and so many other things.  I say, "you only live once, and if you are starving yourself or not eating what you really like, you are never going to be happy or make anyone happy."

Now, let us talk about food, my favorite subject.  This week, I have another favorite pork recipe.  Berry Cherry Chops and Wassabi Mash.  All you need to do is  put on your cooking apron and let me talk you through the easy instructions. So, let us cook, eat and be happy.  That is what life is about, happiness.  I hope you are ready for this treat!  

For the pork chops you will need:

6 center cut 1/2 to 1 inch thick pork chops  (it is all up to you)

 salt and pepper to taste

2 crushed garlic cloves

your favorite seedless berry jam

1/2 cup sherry cooking wine

3 tbs olive oil  

1 cup of chopped fennel prongs

1/2 small chopped red onion

1 stainless steel saucepan

Trim the fat from the pork chops and rub them with salt, pepper and garlic.  Let the meat sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours prior to cooking.

Pour the olive oil in a large saucepan 

Add the pork chops and cook on medium heat until no longer pink for approximately 10-12 minutes

Remove the pork chops from saucepan and place in a dish

Add to the saucepan sherry cooking wine, jam, fennel, onions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the saucepan to remove all the flavor from the bottom of the pan.

Once the onions are clear in color, add the pork chops back to the saucepan and cover for approximately 10-15 minutes in medium heat

For the Wassabi Mash you will need:

3 lbs of red potatoes

Approximately 1/2 cup of whipping cream or low fat whipping cream

Wassabi paste to taste (now, you have to watch it, Wassabi is hot) 

all the butter you want; I normally do not measure it, I just use it as I see it fits :) 

salt and pepper to taste

Wash the potatoes and cubed them with skin

Boil until tender, use fork to carefully check for softness

Carefully pour the water out of the pot using pot holders and a colander; safety 1st

Place the potatoes in a deep dish

Pour the whipping cream, butter, salt and pepper and begin mashing 

Add Wassabi paste to your desired taste of hotness 

Stir well and enjoy!

Live, Love, Eat and for your Deity's sake; be Happy,

Carla E

Pulled Pork its what is for dinner!

Our pulled pork dinner was a success story!  First I had to select the best cut for the job; no easy task.  I have cooked a roast or 20, but you really never know how the roast will turn.  

After selecting a boneless pork tenderloin, I decided that I was going to carefully select spices and flavors to compliment a nice pork roast dinner.  I had many side dishes in mind, but had to remember that I like spices, lots of spices.  Also, I have to balance the spice and flavor to create the perfect meal for my family or they will not be happy.  My youngest is not fond of spicy foods.

I am a big fan of Quinoa and rice.  After deciding on Quinoa, I still needed one more semi-sweet side dish that would put this spicy pulled pork diner in check.  That is when I thought of Butternut Squash.  I love Butternut Squash, it has the sweetness of fresh harvest and the consistency of puree.  I love puree and like I have said before, "We should eat to live, not live to eat, but I live to eat!" :)

So, on that note here goes my recipe.

 3 to 4lb pork tenderloin

12oz spicy bbq sauce of choice

1/2 cup of honey

1 or 2 bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup of sherry cooking wine

4oz of tomato sauce or ketchup

1 cup of water

*Keep 4oz of the bbq sauce to prepare serving sauce

2 cups of boiling water

1 cup of Quinoa

Chicken Bouillon

salt and pepper to taste

3 teaspoons of olive oil

1 butternut squash

1/3 cup of olive oil to brush squash or cooking spray (low calorie choice)

salt and pepper to taste

For the pork loin

Combine all ingredients in the crock-pot and let it slow cook until the meat flakes of the tenderloin.

For the Quinoa

Bring water to boil, add olive oil, chicken bouillon and quinoa.  Reduce fire to low and cover.  Stir occasionally and let the quinoa cook for about 15 minutes.

For Butternut Squash

Brush squash with olive oil or spray with cooking spray, sprinkle salt and pepper to taste and bake on 350 degrees on a flat baking pan for 45 minutes.  Check every 20 minutes, as doneness may vary upon high altitude. 

After the tenderloin is done, get it out of the crock-pot and wait for until it is cool to touch, pull meat of the tenderloin and place in a separate dish.

In a separate bowl mix the 4oz of spicy bbq sauce with 4oz of the broth from the crock pot.  Pour over the meat and serve with quinoa and butternut squash, and enjoy!