Working on new recipes

So I am finally getting back to it and I'm working on some new things for the new year. Here's a teaser...

 

Migas breakfast TACOS because breakfast burritos are kind of lame.

Watermelon Cooler

My wife's subway ride brainstorm come to life; this is a great way to finish out the summer.  I have always loved watermelon juice and the addition of ginger, mint and lime take it over the top.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 10 lbs watermelon
2 TBSP Ginger syrup (I use Morris Kitchen Ginger Syrup)
1/2 Cup Simple syrup
4 Large Mint leaves
4 TBSP Fresh lime juice

Directions:
Cut up the watermelon into chunks and discard the rind.  Working in batches put a little of each ingredient into your blender and blend until smooth.  Transfer the liquid to a mixing bowl and repeat with the next batch.  Once everything is blended and together in the mixing bowl, stir to make sure everything is well mixed and transfer to your serving pitchers.  Chill for at least one hour and serve.

Crab Cakes that I made!

Growing up in Baltimore, Chesapeake Bay blue crabs are kind of a religion.  I still remember the feeling of waking up at the crack of dawn on every beach vacation to go crabbing under the bridge with my dad, uncle, grandfather and brother.  We would bring the spoils back to the beach house and steam them up in a huge pot for the entire family to enjoy.  Any leftovers would go to making either crab cakes or crab soup for the following day.  This recipe is from my mom who knows her crab cakes (thanks mom!) and the crab meat is from a crab feast this past weekend (thanks dad!).
A note about crab meat.  Don't even bother to try this recipe unless you can find fresh lump crab meat.  The recipe relies on the flavor of the crab itself which is sweet and fantastic, and pasteurized crab meat doesn't have that same flavor at all.  It probably shouldn't even be called crab. 

Crab cakes with asparagus and Vino Verde from Portugal.

What they should look like after mixing and forming but before cooking.

The finished product.

Ingredients:
1 lbs of FRESH Crab meat (not pasteurized! trust me)
6 Saltine crackers crushed
1 Egg
2 TBSP Pancake mix
1/4 Cup Mayo
1 tsp Ground dry mustard
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Fresh Lemon juice
1/2 tsp Dry parsley
Butter

Directions:
Start by gently picking out all the shells from the crab meat.  Take care not to handle it too much and to let the large lumps of crab stay together.  This is very important.
Next place the oven rack towards the top of the oven and preheat the broiler to 500 degrees.
Combine the egg, mayonnaise, Old Bay, mustard, pancake mix, Worcestershire sauce, parsley and lemon juice in a bowl.  Very gently mix in the crab meat and crackers with you hands and form into cakes.  I prefer a lump shape to mine about 3 inches in diameter but you can do yours however you like.  Pan fry in about a TBSP of butter for 1-2 minutes then finish in the oven until golden brown.

Crab Cakes

I didn't make these but this is how crab cakes should be done.  They were our welcome home dinner with my family when we moved back from Portugal.  A perfect way to be welcomed back to the states.  If you happen to be in Baltimore you can pick these up at By the Docks on Eastern Ave by Bengies Drive-In.  You won't be disappointed.

Where have I been?

I have not abandoned my blog.  I swear.  It may seem like that but rest assured, I am coming back. We just moved back to New York from Portugal and it is taking a bit of time to get settled and get our kitchen sorted.  I am working on a couple of new posts and I have a couple of older posts that never went up so stay tuned!

Vegetable Lasagna

Lasagna is something that was always a bit of a mystery to me.  There are all these layers.  Well that part seems simple enough, but what order do you put them in?  Could it really be as simple as sauce, noodles, cheese, repeat?  The answer is basically yes.  What about the noodles?  They come in sheets.  Do you boil them first and then put everything together or do you just stack them in dry?  Guess what?  Both are right depending on what kind of noodles you get.  Lucky for me I found some fresh pasta sheets at the supermarket so no need to boil before baking.  This recipe is for a small pan (6x9 inches) so expand the recipe accordingly. 

Ingredients:
Sauce:
2 cans of stewed tomatoes
1TBSP olive oil
1/2 onion minced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp Brown sugar
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of salt
1 tsp butter

lasagna sheets
1 zucchini
1 cup of ricotta
1 + 1/2 cup mozzarella
1/8 cup fresh shredded Parmesan
bunch of fresh basil chopped
1 TBSP olive oil


Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400 F.
Start with your sauce.   Heat 1 TBSP of olive oil over medium heat and add the onions.  Saute the onions for 2 minutes, moving them around the pan constantly. Add the garlic and continue to saute for another 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and stir.  Add everything else, stir until combined and turn the heat to low.  Let cook until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
Cut your zucchini into thin rounds, 1/16 - 1/8 inch thick.  I use a mandolin to get uniformly thick rounds so they cook evenly.
Now it's stacking time!
Start by coating your baking dish with olive oil.  The first layer should be 1/3 of your sauce.  Then a pasta sheet.  Spread 1/2 cup of ricotta on the pasta sheet.  Sprinkle on 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella.  Place a layer of zucchini rounds on top of that, then another pasta sheet.  Now the second 1/3 of your sauce. Next a layer of chopped fresh basil.  Spread 1/2 cup of ricotta over that and another 1/2 cup of mozzarella over that.  Now another layer of zucchini and another pasta sheet.  Spread out your final 1/3 of sauce.  Top with 1/2 cup of mozzarella and 1/8 cup of shredded parmesan. 
Cover you baking pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for another 20 minutes.

Attempted Pizza

I have also been working on a pizza dough recipe.  One major problem is that my oven just doesn't get hot enough.  I have been playing around a little to make up for it but the heat of the oven is a really important factor.   I am, however, pretty close so keep a look out for my recipe!  Here are some pics from my last few attempts.  I should note that I have finally found a source for fresh mozzarella so no more shredded on future pies.