Monday, August 15, 2011

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms


As you can tell from the photograph above...photography is obviously not my strong suit or I would have noticed the chip in the plate and chosen a different plate to photograph these little bites of wonder.  Please forgive me...or don't - but either way try this recipe...I promise my food is better than my photography!

This is my very own, authentic Carol, just me recipe!  I came up with this recipe as an alternative to our cream cheese and sausage stuffed mushrooms.  As usual I used our company as "guinea pigs" to my new recipe and luckily it went well and they are willing to come back again...which is a very good thing seeing how our company that night was my parents!  

To start you will need the following:
Mushrooms, Crab, Mayo, Cream Cheese (yes I know it is not in this picture, I forgot it...I blame it on my photography skills, but it's in there!), Bread Crumbs, Lemon, Green Onion, Red Pepper, Worcestershire, Tabasco, Garlic Powder, Salt & Pepper

Finely chop 1/4 cup each - Red Bell Pepper and Green Onion

Add 1/4 pound Crab meat.
I live in the Pacific Northwest where Dungeness Crab is readily available - so that is what I used.  However, you could use whatever crab you like.  Please promise me you won't use imitation crab though...I think I would have to have myself a good cry...

Add 1 1/2 Tbsp each - Mayo & Cream Cheese

Cut a 1/2" thick lemon slice and squeeze the juice into the mixture

Add a Dash (a few shakes of the bottle)
Worcestershire & Tabasco

Mix Together.
Add 1/4 c. Bread Crumbs, 1/8 tsp Garlic Powder, a pinch or two of Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper (to taste).
Mix Again.

For the Mushrooms:  You want to remove the stems and wipe down the caps to be sure they are clean.
Fill the caps with the crab mixture

We cooked ours on the BBQ, however you could also cook them in the oven.  
BBQ:  Med heat for 15-20 minutes, or until mushrooms are slightly softened.
OVEN: 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until mushrooms are slightly softened.

Once we removed these from the BBQ, Lover poured a little melted garlic butter over each mushroom  They are delicious without the extra melted butter, but if you are feeling like your diet for the day can handle the extra fat it does make them a little more scrumptious!


Crab Stuffed Mushrooms:
12 Mushrooms
1/4 pound Crab
1/4 c. red bell pepper
1/4 c green onion
1 1/2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
1 1/2 Tbsp Cream Cheese
Lemon Juice
1/4 c. Bread Crumbs
1/8 Tsp. Garlic Powder
Worcestershire - dash
Tabasco - dash
Salt & Pepper
Butter (optional)

Remove mushroom stems, wipe clean, set aside.  Mix remaining ingredients together in a small/medium bowl. Fill each mushroom cap with crab mixture.  BBQ or Cook in Oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until mushrooms are slightly soft and wrinkled.  Serve with melted garlic butter if desired.

Makes: 12 stuffed mushrooms

Friday, August 12, 2011

Military School???

This was an actual conversation at my house last night as we talked about 'Back to School'...

Me:  When I was your ages I looked forward to going back to school because by the end of summer I was bored.

Live In #3:  (incredulous look) Did you have a boat?

Me:  No.

Live In #3: (horrified look) Did you have a DS?

Me:  No.

Live In #2:  I like school, but it is too long, when you get home from school you only have like 5 hours until bed time.

Life In #3:  Yeah, we basically get home for dinner and bed.

Live In #1:  (thinking she will help with perspective) Maybe you should send them to boarding school.

Live In #2: (not knowing what boarding school is, but thinking it sounded no good) Maybe you should send HER to Military school.

Live In #3:  Yeah, then they could shave her head.

The End.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Pushing Through....Fried Chicken & Boating

One may have noticed that I have not written much on my blog lately...the truth is I have writers block.  I am not out of ideas, I have a whole list of recipes, wine reviews and summertime fun to capture on this blog, but my creative juices need to be squeezed.

I thought if I wrote about my writers block perhaps it would go away.....
Waiting....waiting....waiting...(imagine me tapping my fingers...pinky, ring, middle, index, pinky, ring, middle, index)...waiting... I am not sure it worked, but I am going with one of my ideas...I hope it turns out witty and fun the way it plays out in my life and I have it in my head...

We have been spending as much time as possible lately boating.  Molly Mae is our second boat and this is our sixth summer boating (3rd on Molly Mae).  I love boating...I can lay in the sun with a glass of wine or martini in my hand and be lazy cause the kitchen doesn't need to be cleaned, the floors don't need to be vacuumed and the live-ins aren't asking me what is for dinner cause they are too busy swimming and having the times of their lives.

Next to my lazy ways and libations, my next favorite part about boating is the fried chicken!  What you say, fried chicken??  Yes!  To me it goes hand in hand with boating...some things are just this way - peas & carrots , peanut butter & jelly, pie & coffee, oreos & milk, fried chicken & boating...see what I mean, it flows!

Lover does not share my opinion about the necessity of fried chicken when boating.  Don't get me wrong he enjoys himself some fried chicken, he just grumbles that we have to stop on our way to the lake to get it hot and freshly fried.  He also doesn't like the crumbs that he finds all over the boat, but since there are no floors that need to be vacuumed while I am boating this doesn't bother me at all!

A couple of weekends ago we headed to the lake early.  Lucky for me there are two stores between me and my favorite lake that usually have their fried chicken ready on our way through town...however on this day we stopped at store number one and they did not have any fried chicken ready.  When I returned to my Lover to announce we had to stop at the next town to get the fried chicken he was not pleased, but he knows better than to mess with a woman and her fried chicken, specifically his woman and her fried chicken...so he obliged (such a smart man)!

Luckily, the next town had their fried chicken ready for me.  It was like they knew I was coming...however that could have been because I had store number one call ahead to store number two to make sure they had their fried chicken ready...yeah, I am that serious about my fried chicken.  Oh, did that chicken ever taste good...just ask Lover!

Looking for the best places to buy fried chicken?  I know all the best spots in Oregon...well maybe not ALL of Oregon, but give me time!