Crab Cakes...Best Ever!

it was Sunday and I have been in a clean & purge mood. So when dinner time came...I went to the pantry...I had forgotten to thaw anything doe dinner! I spied Crab in the can...don't whence...yes there are some great canned crab brands out there.  I often keep this & salmon on hand for quick dinners. Living in land & in the foothills, fresh crab is not always available ! (I wish I had had fresh crab!) So next best thing! These crab cakes were maked in a muffin tin and were so tasty. We served them with cocktail sauce & dijon mustard. My fave is to use both! YUM...kicked it over the top!

Crab Cakes...Best Ever!
  The CattleQueen Cooks

Ingredients :

3 cans of premium canned crab meat, packed in water, rinsed, drained and placed in a paper towel to remove excess water. (or 1 pound of fresh Crab)
1 cup of ritz crackers, ground fine
1 smal jar of oil packed pimentos, do not drain
1 egg
1 heaping teaspoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped fine or dehydrated
1 heaping teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce

After baked: Garnish with 1 heaping tablespoon of butter, seasoned lightly with garlic salt

Directions:

Place crab meat in a medium bowl, check for any fragments of shell, fork shred into small pieces
Add crushed ritz crackers , I used a food processor to do this.
In a separate bowl, mix together: The egg, pimentos w/oil, mustard, seasoning. lemon juice. and worcestshire sauce, blend well
Mix the sauce mixture with the crab meat and crackers.
In a prepared muffin tin, add the meat mixture to fill.... makes 10-12 crab cakes depending how fill you fill the muffin tin.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle 1 heaping table spoon of melted garlic butter over the top equally!  Serve immediately!

Serve with Cocktail sauce &/or Dijon Mustard, serve alone, as a meal or on a bed of lettuce.

Ornery gave this a two thumbs up between bites!!!
XO

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Creamy Lemon Caper Sauce...

Creamy Lemon Caper Sauce for Seafood & Poultry dishes.... Rich and dreamy creamy good!

Creamy Lemon Caper Sauce
   The CattleQueen Cooks

Ingredients:

• 2-3 Tablespoons of Flour
• 4 Tablespoons of Butter
• 2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice
• 1 teaspoon of Lemon Zest
• 1/2 cup of dry White Wine
• 1 cup of Chicken Broth
• 1/4 cup of Sour Cream
• 1/2 cup of Whipping Cream
• 1/4 teaspoon of Black Pepper
• 1 teaspoon, rounded, of minced Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon of minced shallots or yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons of Caper's

Directions: 

1. In a sauce pan melt the butter. 
2. Add the onions and garlic, saute' for 2-5 minutes until translucent in color.
3. Stir in flour and blend well.
4. Immediately add the chicken broth and stir with a wire whip.
5. Add the wine, lemon juice and zest. Blend.
6. Add the pepper, the sour cream and the whipping cream.
7. Continue to stir & blend, until it thickens, about five minutes.
8. Gently add the capers to the sauce....
9. Serve over Seafood or Chicken....I love it over Beef too!

Notes:
  Excellent served with Rice, Pasta and sauteed Veggies


I LOVE to drown my food in this sauce...can't get enough of it!  
Enjoy, XO....NeeCee

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Crab Salad...

Crab Salad from PineCreekStyle.... The perfect mix for a salad or a spread on crackers/sourbread.

Crab Salad
  from PineCreekStyle

• 1 package of prepared Crab Meat, rinsed and drained. Pat dry with a paper towel.
• 3 green onions, washed and sliced
• 1 seedless cucumber. peeled, and diced small
• 1/8 cup of capers, drained
• 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro leaves or 1 leveled tablespoon of prepared cilantro
• 2 teaspoons of prepared red peppers (in a tube)
• Dill Weed, to taste
• garlic pepper seasoning, to taste 
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• 2-3 tablespoons of mayonaise
• small squeeze of lemon juice, optional

Instructions:

Mix all together well, serve as a salad on a bed of lettuce, in a sandwich or with crackers

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Lobster Mac 'n Cheese with Vodka Sauce

We were craving Lobster Mac 'n Cheese a while back, when on vacation to Southern Cal. & Disneyland! Do you think we could find this meal??? No!!! So...when we came home...I started cooking! And it was Good!

 Lobster Mac 'n Cheese with Vodka Sauce
NeeCee @PineCreekStyle

Ingredients:

• 1 box of corkscrew or elbow pasta
• dash of salt
• splash of olive oil
• water for boiling pasta
• 1 cup of whipping cream
• 6 tablespoons of butter, sliced
• 3 cups of Gruyere Cheese, grated
• 2 cups of Cheddar Cheese, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 jar of Cheddar Cheese Sauce/Dip (in the Chip & Dip isle)
• 1 small onion, chopped and saute'
• 1 tablespoon, diced garlic
• 1/2 cup of Vodka, **Optional 
• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of cooked Lobster 
• 3/4 cup of Panko crumbs with Pine Creek Seasoning (see recipe) or garlic pepper 

Direction:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees

Boil Pasta in water with a heavy dash of salt & a splash of olive oil. Cook and drain.

Place cooked pasta back into the stock pot, add 4 tablespoons of butter to the pot. Stir in the whipping cream and grated cheeses. Stir gently to blend over a low heat. In a bowl, mix together the cheese sauce, nutmeg, pepper, garlic and Vodka. Blend well and pour the cheese mixture into the hot cheese and pasta. Stir well to blend.

In a small fry pan, sauté' the chopped onion in 2 tablespoons of butter. When lightly browned, fold into the pasta & cheese.

Next fold in the cooked Lobster and stir. Place the Lobster Mac 'n Cheese into a large prepared baking pan (or small single serving casserole pans), sprinkle panko across the top, and season with garlic pepper or Pine Creek seasoning. Bake in the oven at 250 degrees for 30-35 minutes and serve!

**If you like, reserve some cooked Lobster ( and/or chives for color) to use on top as garnish.

Mmmm, so Yummy....Just typing out the recipe makes me want to go cook another batch! BYE, for now, Hello... kitchen!!!
Serving Dinner with Gourmet Style...

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Cheesy Crab Dip...

Crab Dip....Great for the Holidays!

Every year some friends drop by with fresh crab to add to our holiday meals.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! Thank you, Thank, you Jason & Jodi...

We love eating fresh crab with cocktail sauce or drawn butter! But I also love to save a little left over for a recipe or two. This year I made Crab Dip! It was amazing...and it's not just me saying that!
The few who tried it, raved about it!

Cheesy Crab Dip
1 brick of cream cheese, softened
1 package of Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded (about 2 cups)
1 cup of shaved parmesan cheese
1 cup of sour cream
1 jar of marinated artichokes hearts, drained, leaves removed & cut into small chunks
1 heaping tablespoon of capers, drain
1 teaspoon of dehydrated galic
Celery salt & Black pepper, season to taste
1 fresh cooked crab, cleaned and shred into pieces
Mix well, Bake in a prepared small casserole dish at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Cover with foil if needed the last 10 minutes.
Serve with a small sourdough loaf of sliced bread...slightly warmed.
Or Crackers!...Mmmm, maybe just with a spoon!!!
I was told by one of my tasters..." If there were a table full of Crab Dips...this would be the one to EAT, Hands Down!"
Now that's a compliment! Hubby chimed in to report this was the BEST he's ever eaten, put's others to shame!!!
Give it a try....The ingredients are so simple! Most items are probably already in your pantry/fridge.
Your Holiday Guests will Rave about your Recipe with Style...

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