Recipe# 57 & 58 -Stirring the Pot: Crab Cakes and Zucchini Crab Fritters

Working my way through Tyler's Stirring the Pot has presented different challenges along the way. Now that I'm more than halfway through the book, one of the biggest challenges has been sourcing some of the more "specialty" items. I suspect this was the reason why I never made them in the first place. It wasn't that Lobster Cakes with Lemon Aioli and Bacon Frisee Salad didn't sound good or that I feared no one would like Zucchini Crab Fritters with Grapefruit Aioli. It was simply because I never found fresh lobster and never ran across fresh crab that looked good enough to use.

When Crab Tater Tots came due for Symon Sundays I knew it was time to get serious and get my hands on some crab. I hightailed it to the city, going to 3 specialty stores, and only found two cans of pasteurized crab in all my searches. One can contained one pound of lump crab meat, $26.99 and the other can contained one pound of claw meat, $8.99. The lump crab meat is ideal, but since I was going to be frying most of my recipes, I opted for the can of claw meat. Eager to make the most of my crab, I spread it out and made three crab recipes. The first recipe was Symon's Crab Tater Tots, the second was Tyler's Zucchini Crab Fritters, and the third was Tyler's Lobster Cakes, which I had to turn into crab cakes simply because I don't think I'll ever find fresh lobster anywhere around here.

Let's talk about these tasty little morsels known as Zucchini Crab Fritters with Grapefruit Aioli. Well worth getting out the deep fryer, these are a real treat! First, zucchini is sliced thinly with a powerfully sharp mandoline. The thinly sliced zucchini is salted and set aside so that they moisture is drawn out and the slices become pliable. Crab is mixed with egg white and seasoned simply with salt and pepper. A spoonful of crab is placed on one end of each zucchini slice and rolled up, starting with the end that has the crab meat. Each zucchini fritter is rolled in flour, dipped in egg, and finished in panko. Tyler always advises to let your coated items set aside in the refrigerator for at least 10-15 minutes. He says that this added step helps the coating to set up. I use this tip constantly, applying it to all coatings, and have had lots of success with it.

After resting, the fritters are ready to be fried for 3-4 minutes and dipped in a delicious grapefruit aioli. Everyone loved these fritters, including my husband who isn't the biggest fan of crab. We ate them up in record time!

Saving the best for last are these fabulous Lobster turned Crab Cakes with Lemon Aioli and Bacon Frisee Salad. (NOTE: In all my travels I didn't find frisee either, so I used a mix of field greens) The crab cakes were very simple and delicately flavored with sliced white bread, egg white and mayo. Panfried until crisp, they were served with the most delicious and bacony salad and an equally delicious and complimentary lemon aioli. I found this recipe to be my favorite of all three crab recipes.

Although I would've enjoyed having fresh crab, the pasteurized canned claw meat worked well in all three applications. I would buy it again if I couldn't find fresh.

Both recipes can be found on Tyler's blog, or by clicking on the links below:
Zucchini Crab Fritters with Grapefruit Aioli
Lobster/Crab Cakes with Lemon Aioli and Bacon Frisee Salad

I'm submitting my Crab Cakes with Lemon Aioli and Bacon Frisee Salad to Beth at The Seventh Level of Boredom for The Bacon Games, a very tasty and promising new foodie adventure.

Thanksgiving Dinner Burger

Ever since I announced the Thanksgiving Dinner Burger Challenge I've been dreaming up all kinds of burger combinations. Ideas were running through my head constantly and then I saw them.....Baked Creamed Pearl Onions, and I knew I had to incorporate them.

My obsession with the creamed pearl onions wouldn't go away so I decided to model my burger after a recipe for sausage stuffing. Using the creamed pearl onions as a topping, I wanted to incorporate all the other elements of the stuffing into the burger. To the ground turkey I added sausage, grated apple, celery and fresh sage. Now for the fun part... the bread. I opted for King Arthur's Stuffing Buns, a sage-scented yeast bun reminiscent of stuffing. To add color and freshness to the burger I decided to top them with a little fresh spinach.

My Thanksgiving Dinner (Sausage Stuffing Inspired) Burgers
Makes 12 mini burgers or 4 regular burgers
1 recipe King Arthur Stuffing Buns, recipe found HERE (Note: Stuffing bun recipe makes 16 mini buns or 8 regular sized hamburger buns)
1 recipe Baked Creamed Pearl Onions, recipe found directly below
About 2 handfuls of spinach

For the burgers:
1 pound ground turkey
1/4 pound sausage
1/2 stalk celery, grated
1/2 red gala apple, grated
4 sage leaves, chopped
1 egg
About 1/2 - 3/4 cup panko or breadcrumbs (enough to bind the mixture)

Prepare stuffing buns, set aside. Prepare baked creamed pearl onions, set aside.

Mix burger ingredients together. Form mixture into 12 mini patties or 4 normal sized burgers. For mini burgers, cook about 3-4 minutes each side.

Place burgers on stuffing bun. Top with spinach and a spoonful (or two) of baked creamed pearl onions.

Baked Creamed Pearl Onions
Original Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup pearl onions, peeled (mine were from the produce dept/could use frozen)
sprinkle with dash of salt and pepper
1 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup crushed buttery round crackers
1/2 cup heavy cream, or enough to cover just the tops of the crackers
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place onions in small ramekin or small casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper. Pour melted butter over onions and sprinkle crushed crackers on top. Pour cream over crackers. Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until bubbly and crackers are golden.

Notes/Results: The turkey burgers themselves were amazing. They were extremely juicy and flavorful from the addition of sausage, grated apple, and grated celery. A very good blend of flavors. The baked creamed pearl onions oozed with cream and looked beautiful pouring down over the burgers. The only issue with these burgers were the stuffing buns. No one liked them. I was a little surprised to find that they were dry (maybe my fault), but also that they lacked flavor and weren't really reminiscent of stuffing in anyway. We ended up eating them on different buns altogether. All in all, the burgers and toppings were a hit, just not the bun.

I had so much fun putting the different elements of this Thanksgiving Dinner Burger together. I'm still toying around with ideas for another Thanksgiving Dinner Burger coming up.

If you'd like to participate in the Thanksgiving Dinner Burger Challenge, please see my original post HERE.

A big thanks to Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies and also to Teresa of A Blog About Food for their contributions, please see each of their links below for further inspiration:
Natashya's Thanksgiving Dinner Burger
Teresa's Favorite Turkey Burger

Fettucine Alfredo for the Kid at Heart

Ah, the good old days. Remember how it felt to be a kid? Full of energy, laughter, and innocence. The days when it was more fun to share a chair with a friend, even though there were plenty of other chairs around. Everything, and I do mean everything, was funny and you giggled and laughed your way through the day.

Silly, playful, and full of imagination you made up games. For example, maybe you and your friend would do something as simple as recite the alphabet. Just for fun you'd start with the letter "A", pointing to the top of your head, working your way down your body so that the letters "H" and "I" arrived at your chest, and the letter "P" arrived.....well, you get the idea right? Something that silly would send you into hysterics, uncontrollable full-on belly shaking laughter. You laughed so hard it hurt. Your temples ached and your side was burning.

The laughter spread to every room in the house and made the adults smile. Loving the sound of laughter, your Dad gets up and snaps a picture(my friend Julie is on the left, I'm on the right). He says something like "This one will be worth holding onto." As usual, he was right. Years later this is one of your favorite pictures. It reminds you that you're still a kid at heart and that even after all these years your favorite thing to do is laugh.

My favorite thing to do is laugh, but my favorite thing to eat, both back in the day and now, is pasta! The kid in me decided that we wouldn't count calories or fat grams this week. Instead I played innocent and naive and made Fettucine Alfredo, a favorite of my daughter's and also an old favorite of mine. I got out the pasta, cream, butter, and cheese and closed my eyes. My husband asked me if I really needed that all that butter and I put my fingers in my ears, "la....la.....la...I can't hear you, I said."

Fettucine Alfredo
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis, recipe found online at Food Network
* 18 ounces fresh fettuccine (I used one pound dried pasta)
* 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
* 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (I used about 1/4 cup)
* 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (I used 8 tbsp. or one stick)
* 2 cups grated Parmesan
* 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
* Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
* Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Drain.

Stir 2 cups of the cream and the lemon juice in a heavy large skillet to blend. Add the butter and cook over medium heat just until the butter melts, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Add the pasta and toss. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of cream, and Parmesan to the cream sauce in the skillet. Add the lemon zest, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. Toss the pasta mixture over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute.

Notes/Results: The alfredo was very indulgent and rich and we did enjoy it. My husband and I enjoyed a small portion with chicken and andouille sausage. My daughter and her friends enjoyed theirs plain. I had read the reviews on this one and heard that the 1/2 cup of lemon juice was too much so I cut it back to about 1/4 cup. I think a little bit of lemon juice is a good thing, but 1/4 cup lemon juice might still be too much. I guess it's all personal preference. Also, this recipe makes a ton of pasta and is best eaten on the day that it's served. If I wasn't serving this to a crowd then I would halve the recipe for sure.

I might feel like a kid at heart, but I don't have the metabolism of one.

Best to save most of it for the kids. They gobbled it up and then wiped out a dozen chocolate chip cookies. Ah, to be a kid again!

Cooking the recipes of Giada De Laurentiis. Feel free to join in the fun....but only if you're prepared to be a kid at heart, which is this week's theme.

Shortbread Candy Bars

Rich and buttery shortbread bars, covered in chocolate, and topped with candy bars. Truly the most decadent and indulgent cookie bars I have ever made. We ate them in record time. I've been thinking about them ever since.

You could make these anytime of year, but they were inspired by leftover Halloween candy. I made two batches of these bars for a party. I used Reese's cups, Reese's pieces, Butterfinger, M&M's, Kit Kats, Whoopers, Snickers and Milk Duds. The Reese's cups, as well as the Reese's pieces, the Butterfinger, and the M&M's were all favorites. The others were a bit cumbersome to eat, but we managed.

*photo credit

Shortbread Candy Bars adapted from Everyday Food October 2010 Issue
Makes 16 bars
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups assorted chocolate candies or roughly chopped candy bars (12 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and salt on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. With mixer on low, add flour in three additions and beat until combined (dough will be crumbly). Press dough evenly into an 8-inch square baking dish. Bake until golden brown and firm, 30-35 minutes.

Scatter chocolate chips on top of shortbread. Bake until soft, 1 minute. With the back of a spoon, spread chocolate evenly over shortbread. Scatter candies over top. Let cool on a wire rack 30 minutes. Refrigerate briefly to set chocolate, then cut into 16 bars. (Store in an airtight container, at room temperature, up to 4 days.)

Notes/Results: Absolutely decadent, delicious, addictive, and satisfying. The perfect indulgence. These bars were very easy, but they do take a little bit of time. You could use one type of candy bar to decorate the entire pan, but I think they look prettiest when they are broken into 4 sections and each section is devoted to a different candy bar. It's always good to have a little variation. The shortbread was thick, dense, and somewhat rich with a butterscotch flavor. The scattered chocolate chips melted to perfection and created a wonderful chocolate coating over the shortbread. Top them with your favorite candy bar and you will be in heaven. (My favorite was the Reese's pieces.) Be sure they are cool and set before you cut them.
*Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart website

Symon's Braised Short Ribs with Orange and Olive Salad

It was late in the evening when I started making these short ribs. My husband was out and the kids were in bed. Ah, quiet time. The perfect time to be in the kitchen. Like a good book, you can get lost in a recipe. The methodical chopping, the sizzling noises, and the intoxicating aromas. If you listen, those ingredients are telling you a story. The story of what's to come.

Last night, in the glorious peace and quiet, I listened. In the end, I didn't really have a choice. All at once, the seductive aromas came screaming at me from across the room. The scent was so promising, so glorious, and so inviting that I couldn't help but sit there and smile. I knew those ribs were going to be fantastic. They were definitely telling me a story. A story with a VERY HAPPY ENDING.

I've made many short ribs over the years and was never really bowled over by them. Symon's short ribs have made me a convert. I have to say that I absolutely loved them. Hands down one of my favorite things I've had lately. I say that a lot, don't I?


Braised Short Ribs
Serves 6
6 pounds meaty beef short ribs on the bone
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 fresno chile, halved
1/2 cup tomato paste
5 sprigs of fresh thyme
3 salt-packed anchovy fillets, rinsed (I use the equivalent in anchovy paste)
1 bay leaf
1 head of garlic, cloves peeled
1 quart (4 cups) Chicken Stock
2 cups dry red wine (I used Barefoot Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, $6.99 a bottle)
1/3 cup red wine vinegar

The day before cooking the short ribs, season them with salt and pepper and refrigerate. NOTE: I did take note of this and season the night before. Is it possible that this step really makes a huge difference in flavor? Maybe so.

The next day, remove the ribs from the refrigerator 30 minutes before you want to cook them. (I'm definitely a big believer in letting the meat come down to room temp before cooking)

Preheat the oven to 325F. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large enameled cast-iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half of the short ribs to the pan and cook on all sides until browned, a few minutes for each side. Transfer the ribs to a plate. Repeat with the remaining oil and ribs.

Pour off all but 2-3 tablespoons of fat from the pan. Add the celery, carrot, onion, and chile to the pan along with a large pinch of salt, and cook over medium heat until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until glossy, about 2 minutes. Add the thyme sprigs, anchovies, bay leaf, and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the stock, wine, and vinegar and bring to a boil. Return the short ribs to the pan, cover, and braise in the oven for 1 hour. (Note: I read in Symon's book that it is very important to use the correct pan when braising. The braising liquid should only cover 2/3rds of whatever you are braising. In my case, the tops of the ribs were peeking out over the sauce).


Lower the oven temperature to 225F and cook for 4 hours, or until the meat is very tender. Remove the ribs to a large bowl and strain the liquid into the bowl. Discard the solids. Refrigerate overnight.


To serve, skim the congealed fat off the liquid and reheat the ribs in the liquid. Remove the ribs to a serving platter and cover to keep warm while you simmer the liquid to reduce it by half. Pour the sauce over the ribs and serve. I served my short ribs over Symon's Soft Polenta with Mascarpone, which is perfectly delicious all on it's own.

Michael Symon's Orange and Olive Salad, recipe sourced by Natashya from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies
* 2 oranges, cut in segments
* 1 shallot, thinly sliced
* 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
* 2 tablespoons capers
* 1 cup packed parsley leaves
* 4 ounces olive oil
* 1 lemon, juiced

For the salad, place all ingredients in nonreactive mixing bowl and toss together.

Notes/Results: The meat on the short ribs was fall off the bone tender and the sauce was so succulent that you could just eat it with a spoon. Full of body and rich flavor, the short ribs went very well with the creamy and cheesy polenta. The salad of oranges and olives rounded out the whole meal, adding a little brightness. All in all, it was a fabulous meal with knock-out aromas. One of my favorite Symon dishes yet.
Note: I also think Symon's recipe for short ribs could easily be adapted to suit a beef roast(I like to use the shoulder cut). A tender beef roast is every bit as good as short ribs and often easier to find, easier to work with, and much more economical. I loved the flavors and the sauce on the short ribs and hope to make a version with a beef roast soon.

I am submitting this to Brenda at Brenda's Canadian Kitchen for her weekly Cookbook Sundays event. I am also submitting this to Ashlee of Veggie by Season for her bimonthly Symon Sundays roundup.

Also, my friend Arlene over at The Food of Love is looking for short rib recipes. If you have a favorite recipe, please send her a link. (You can find her site by clicking on The Food of Love link above.

Out of Italy with Giada's Chicken Burgers

Burgers, burgers, burgers.....I seem to be craving them lately. Mini burgers, turkey burgers, and now the chicken burger. I've tried chicken burgers in the past and haven't cared for them at all, until now. Giada's Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Rosemary Mayonnaise are actually really good.

Chicken Burgers with Garlic-Basil Mayonnaise
Adapted from Giada at Home
Makes 4 burgers
Garlic-Basil Mayo:
1 cup mayo
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced (I always add more garlic and used at least 3, maybe 4)
Burgers:
Vegetable or canola oil, for the grill
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 sandwich rolls or burger buns
1/4 cup olive oil (I didn't use this)
1 cup arugula

For the mayo: Mix together the mayo, basil, and garlic.

For the burgers: Preheat a gas or charcoal grill or place a grill pan over medium-high heat. Lightly oil the grilling rack or grill pan with vegetable oil.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, salt, pepper, and half of the mayo mixture. Using clean hands, gently mix the ingredients and form into 4 patties, each about 1 inch thick. Grill for about 7 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Transfer to paper towels and let rest for a few minutes.

Brush the cut side of each roll with the olive oil (I skipped this step) and 1 teaspoon of the mayo mixture. Grill for 1 - 2 minutes, until slightly golden.

Spread a dollop of the mayo mixture onto the bun tops and bottoms. Top each bottom with a burger, 1/4 cup of arugula, and the top half of the bun.

Notes/Results: Giada's original recipe calls for rosemary flavored mayo. I didn't have rosemary, but I did have lots of basil. I didn't find it necessary to use 1/4 cup olive oil to grill the burger buns, so I skipped that part. I also added quite a bit more garlic to the mayo mixture. We found these burgers to be juicy, flavorful, and satisfying.
**It seems that my market frequently puts ground chicken on sale, sometimes as low as $1.99/lb. I'm not sure if this is the case in all markets, but I suspect that it might be. I'm thinking that a lot of people just don't know how to use it? In the end, it works out well for me because my husband is a big meat eater and I'm always looking for ways to cut down on the meat portion of our grocery bill. If you're like me, then this recipe, as well as Giada's Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs, are both great recipes that use ground chicken. (I've made the Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs three times in the past three weeks).

Now cooking the recipes of Giada De Laurentiis.

A weekly roundup of soups, sandwiches, and salads at Deb's site Kahakai Kitchen.

A Thanksgiving Dinner Burger Challenge

It's Turkey time and there is a new trend this year: The Thanksgiving Dinner Burger! Over the past month or so I've seen all kinds of fun and unique twists on burgers using all the typical ingredients that you'd find on a Thanksgiving Dinner table. If you've been following me for awhile, then you know I am easily excited, and the idea of a Thanksgiving Dinner Burger really excites me. I like the idea so well I thought I would host a Thanksgiving Dinner Burger Challenge and I'd love to have you join me.

What is a Thanksgiving Dinner Burger?


A Thanksgiving Dinner Burger can be a recipe that you follow or an original creation by you. There are no real rules, and it does not have to be a turkey burger, but it should be inspired by ingredients that you find on your Thanksgiving Dinner table. Ingredients on Thanksgiving tables vary from home to home and any or all of these ingredients are welcome in this challenge. Feel free to be as creative as you'd like.


Fun Twists on Common Burger Buns
Pumpkin Burger Buns
Cranberry Studded Burger Buns
Cornbread Muffins (little mini burgers)
Parker House Rolls
Sweet Potato Rolls
English Muffins
Maple Oatmeal Rolls or Buns
Pecan, Walnut, or Chestnut Breads

Ideas for Mix-In's/Toppings:
Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry Mayo
Cranberries
Apples
Stuffing
Sausage
Gravy
Greens: Spinach, Chard, Kale, Collard
Mushrooms
Sweet Potato
Potato
Nuts of any kind

A few fun examples of Thanksgiving Dinner Burgers are:
*Turkey burgers served on homemade pumpkin burger buns
*Little turkey burgers made into sliders on cornbread muffins
*Turkey and Stuffing combined into a burger and served with cranberry mayo
*Turkey burger topped with bacon stuffing, cranberry sauce, and hot gravy
**NOTE: These are examples only. Turkey is not the only meat of choice as far as the actual burger goes. All vegetarian options, as well as any other meat, are perfectly good options in place of ground turkey.

Guidelines:
To join along in the Thanksgiving Dinner Burger Challenge, simply post your burger anytime during the month of November. Once posted, please send an email, along with the permalink of your post, to tony.tracy@att.net. I will include your entry in a roundup which will be posted here at Stirring the Pot on December 1st.

Stay tuned...I'll be posting my Thanksgiving Dinner Burger complete with sweet potato fries and a pumpkin pie milkshake very soon!