Hot Crab Puffs

Hot Crab Puffs

Serves 24 (Makes about 48 puffs)

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 pound crab meat
26 ounces puff pastry (3 sheets), thawed in the refrigerator overnight
Finely chopped chives, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, butter, salt, celery seed, and Old Bay until smooth. Add the crab meat and stir to combine.

Cut the puff pastry sheets into 2-x2-inch squares. Gently press the squares into a mini muffin tin. Add a scant tablespoon of crab mixture to each square. Bake until the puff pastry just begins to brown at the edges, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with chives and serve hot.

Recipe Notes

• Make-ahead puffs: The puffs can be assembled the day before, covered in plastic wrap, refrigerated overnight, and then baked off the following day. They reheat well, in a warm oven, the same day they were cooked, but once cooked, the texture declines overnight.
• I prefer backfin crab meat over lump in this recipe because it fits better in the mini tarts.
• I have made these with two different brands of puff pastry and both required 3 sheets, with some scraps discarded. You can measure a sheet of puff pastry ahead of time to determine how many 2-x2-inch squares it will make.

Creamy Shells with Tuna and Spinach

This update to the old-fashioned tuna casserole is just as delicious as you remember: It gets a fresh taste from spinach and a fun shape from shells.

PHOTOGRAPHY:

Everyday Food, March 2012http://www.marthastewart.com/891898/creamy-shells-tuna-and-spinach

• Prep Time30 minutes
• Total Time50 minutes
• Serves4

Ingredients

• • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced small
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 1 hamburger bun, torn into large pieces
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and excess liquid squeezed out
  • 2 cans (6 ounces each) light tuna in water, drained and flaked
  • 6 ounces jumbo pasta shells (about 20), cooked according to package instructions

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly, and cook until slightly thickened and bubbling, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and let sauce cool slightly.
2. In a food processor, combine bun, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and red-pepper flakes. Process until fine crumbs form. Transfer half the mixture to a large bowl and combine with spinach, tuna, and half the sauce; season with salt and pepper. Fill each shell with 2 heaping tablespoons spinach mixture and place in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with remaining sauce and breadcrumb mixture. Bake until sauce is bubbling and breadcrumbs are golden, about 20 minutes.

Cook's Note

Toss Together a Salad:
In a large bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon each red-wine vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Add 3/4 head iceberg lettuce, chopped, and 1 tomato, cut into wedges. Toss to combine.

Slow Cooker Clam Chowder

Slow Cooker Clam Chowder

Ingredients:
12-16 ounces bacon, diced
2 onions, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cans minced or chopped clams, do not drain
8 ounce bottle clam juice
4 cups water
2 cups heavy cream
6 large potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and fresh ground black pepper
fresh parsley, for garnish
bread bowls (preferably sourdough!) for serving (optional)

Instructions:
Have a slow cooker ready to go. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced bacon. Cook, stirring often, until bacon is crisp and the fat has been rendered. Remove the bacon from the skillet with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Set aside to cool. Then refrigerate until ready to serve the chowder.

Carefully spoon out all but 1-2 Tablespoons of the bacon fat. (Place the bacon fat in a glass jar or bowl, let cool, then refrigerate for another use.) Add the onions and celery to the skillet. Cook for 5-10 minutes, scraping up any cooked on bits from the bacon. Add the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds more.

Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker, making sure to scrape the skillet clean with a spatula or wooden spoon.
To the slow cooker, add the clam juice, undrained canned clams, water, cream, potatoes, and thyme. Stir well. Place lid on slow cooker and set to HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours.

Check to see that the potatoes are tender. Taste and season well with salt and pepper. Warm up the reserved bacon. Ladle into bowls or bread bowls and garnish with the reserved diced bacon and fresh parsley.

Yield: 8-10 servings

TIPS:
- For a thicker clam chowder, add 2-4 Tablespoons corn or arrowroot starch mixed with some of the water or cream at the beginning of cooking time. Flour can also be used, but it loses its thickening power after long cooking times.
- For a heartier chowder, add other diced veggies like carrots, leeks, or extra potatoes.
- For a hint of spice, add a few shakes of Tabasco or a pinch of cayenne.
- Fresh clams can be used in place of canned. Use about 5-6 pounds clams, scrub them clean, steam with a little water. Discard any that don’t open. Reserve any juices to add to the chowder. Pour them through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove any sand or sediment. Remove the clams from their shells and roughly chop. Proceed with recipe as directed.
-This recipe can be done on the stovetop in a stockpot. It will take about 30-45 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Be sure to stir often so it doesn’t burn on the bottom.

Lemon-Garlic Roast Fish

Lemon-Garlic Roast Fish
From The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper: Recipes, Stories, and Opinions from Public Radio's Award-Winning Food Show by Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift (Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2008). Copyright 2008 by American Public Media.

Serves 4 generously and multiplies easily
10 minutes prep time, 20 minutes for marinating; 10 minutes oven time
The dish is best eaten hot out of the oven

Cook to Cook: How to Cook Fish - A General Guide
Generally you cook fish for 10 minutes per inch of thickness. I always check it halfway through cooking with an instant reading thermometer. Once it reads 115°F., I turn off the oven and close the door. When the fish gives off a little bit of what looks like a white cream, it is done.

Marinade:

• 1/2 cup good tasting extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 large garlic cloves
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika or mild chile powder
• 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

The Fish:

• 4 1-inch thick salmon steaks (wild if possible), or other fresh seasonal fish
• Leaves from 4 to 5 branches of fresh coriander

1. Heat the oven to 400 F. In a small food processor, puree together the olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice with the spices and salt and pepper to taste. Place the salmon or other fish steaks in a shallow bowl. Pour the mixture over them, and refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes.

2. In a shallow baking dish that can hold the salmon steaks or fish with some room to spare, arrange pieces so they do not touch. Bathe with the marinade.

3. Roast the steaks in the oven 3 to 4 minutes then test center temperature with an instant reading thermometer for 115 F. Once it is there, turn off the oven, close the door and leave the fish for another 4 to 8 minutes, or until you see a creamy white liquid escaping from the meat. Now it is ready to eat.

4. Time varies depending upon the temperature of the fish when it goes into the oven. Serve the fish hot with the pan juices spooned over them and the leaves or coriander.