Crabmeat Guacamole Dip

This recipe makes a big bowl full.  Crabmeat and avocado really complement each other well.  I combined two recipes from the "recipe girl" and "The Pioneer Woman" and added some of my own touches as well.  Grab the tortilla chips and ENJOY!

Ingredients:

• 4 Hass avocados
• 1 lemon, freshly squeezed
• 1 t. kosher salt
• ½ t. cayenne pepper
• 4 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 large clove of garlic, minced
• 1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
• ½ C. sour cream
• ½ C. salsa
• 1 lb. lump crabmeat

Directions:

1. Cut the avocados in half and scoop out the avocado with a spoon
2. Place the avocado in a medium bowl and add the lemon juice
3. Toss with a large spoon
4. Add the salt, cayenne, green onion, and garlic
5. Use a knife to cut through the avocado forming large chunks, then use a fork to mash some of the avocado to create a smooth consistency with some larger chunks
6. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, and salsa until all are well incorporated
7. Gently fold in the crabmeat, then fold in the avocados
8. Refrigerate for several hours to allow all the flavors to “marry”

Tips and Tricks:

• I serve this with tortilla chips.
• The lemon is what keeps the avocado from turning brown.  I have another trick to keep the avocados looking nice and green.  Place a sheet of plastic wrap DIRECTLY over the dip, then cover the container with its cover.
• I use light sour cream and 1/3 less fat cream cheese.

Mini Crab Cakes

This is a great appetizer for a cocktail or dinner party.  They are bite size with a hint of spice.  I got the recipe from "Tracey's Culinary Adventures", but you know I tweaked it a bit.

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• ¾ C. Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 egg
• ¼ C. sour cream
• ½ t. lemon zest
• ¼ C. chives, finely chopped
• 1 t. kosher salt
• ½ t. cayenne pepper
• ½ lb. of fresh lump crabmeat
• 1 C. panko breadcrumbs
• ½ stick (4 T.) butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Spray a mini muffin pan (24) with cooking spray
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the cream cheese until it is smooth
4. Add ¼ C. of the Parmesan cheese, the egg, sour cream, lemon zest, ½ of the chives, salt, and cayenne pepper
5. Whisk all the ingredients together until well combined, then fold in the crabmeat
6. In another bowl, combine the ½ C. of Parmesan cheese, the other ½ of the chives, and the panko
7. Add the melted butter and toss together with your hands until all the panko is evenly moistened
8. Spoon one teaspoon of the panko mixture in each well, and press to form a crust
9. Top each with a generous tablespoon of the crab mixture
10. Finally sprinkle the top of each with the panko mixture
11. Bake for 30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown
12. Allow the crab cakes to set for 5 minutes before removing from the muffin pan 

Tips and Tricks:

• Each muffin well will be full with this mixture!  Some may even overflow a bit, that’s OK.
• You can make the crab mixture the day before and refrigerate until ready to make.
• I serve these with my homemade tartar sauce.  Follow my link to find out how I make it.

Crabmeat Cheesecake

My sister-in-law, Donna made this for our family on Christmas Eve and we devoured it.  It makes a beautiful presentation and can be served as an appetizer with crackers or as an entree in slices.

Ingredients:

• 1 C. Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 C. bread crumbs
• 1 stick of butter, melted
• 1 T. olive oil
• 1 C. onions, finely chopped
• ½ C. green pepper, finely chopped
• ½ C. red pepper, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 T. Crystal hot sauce
• ½ T. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T. Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning
• 2 T. lemon juice, or the juice of 1 lemon
• 1 lb. of lump crabmeat
• 3 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 4 large eggs
• ½ C. heavy cream
• 1 C. of smoked Gouda shredded (4 oz.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine the Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and butter until blended
3. Spray a 9 in. springform pan with cooking spray
4. Press the bread crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan
5. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the onions and peppers for 5 minutes
6. Add the garlic, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Creole seasoning, lemon juice, and crabmeat to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes
7. Remove the skillet from the heat and reserve
8. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and eggs with an electric mixer until frothy about 5 minutes
9. Add the cream, Gouda, and finally the crabmeat mixture
10. Mix until incorporated well, about 2 minutes
11. Pour into the springform pan and bake for 1 hour
12. Allow cheesecake to cool, then release the cheesecake from the springform pan and serve at room temperature

Tips and Tricks:

• Put a cookie sheet under the springform pan while baking.  You don’t want to deal with the mess I had in my oven after baking this cheesecake!
• I use a 1 lb. container of Creole seasoning from the produce section to speed up this recipe.  Creole seasoning generally has onions, green peppers, celery, garlic, and parsley.  The celery and parsley added does really change the taste of this recipe.
• This recipe makes a big cheesecake.  I bought 2 (6 in.) springform pans and make two smaller cheesecakes with this same recipe.

Baked Crab Rangoon

This is a favorite at Chinese restaurants.  (Well, FRIED crab rangoon, not baked)  It is a easy to make recipe and it makes a great presentation.  I got the recipe from a blog I follow called "Tracey's Culinary Adventures".  She posts a new recipe everyday.  I can't do that and work a full-time job, but I get inspiration where I can.

Ingredients:

• 2 T. sour cream
• 1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¼ t. ground ginger
• ½ T. soy sauce
• ½ t. sugar
• ½ C. crab meat, drained
• Wonton wrappers

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 415 degrees
2. In a medium bowl, combine each ingredient in order, folding in the crab meat last
3. Using a mini muffin pan, place a wonton wrapper in each and scoop a ½ inch scoop of crab meat mixture into each
4. Wet your fingertips with some water and gently pinch the tops of each wonton wrapper closed
5. Spray the tops of the wonton wrappers with some nonstick cooking spray
6. Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and crisp

Tips and Tricks:

• I serve these with a Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce.  Follow my link to get the recipe.
• This makes about 24 crab rangoon.
• I use light sour cream and reduced fat cream cheese.
• I use a kitchen shears to cut the green onions instead of knife.  It’s easier to get them the size you want!

Corn and Crab Soup

This is a "cheating" recipe.  You are cheating because of the canned soup, but it is a quick and easy soup and it tastes great.  I have my sister-in-law Donna to thank for this one.  It is a holiday favorite.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of lump crabmeat
• 1 can of cream of onion soup
• 1 can of cream of celery soup
• 1 can of cream corn
• 1 can of white corn
• 3 C. whole milk
• 1 pint of half and half
• ½ stick of butter
• ½ C. of green onions, chopped fine
• ½ T. concentrated liquid crab boil

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven, sauté green onions in butter, until limp
2. Add each of the ingredients and cook on medium heat, DO NOT BOIL
3. When the soup looks like it is to a boiling heat, reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 more minutes

Tips and Tricks:

• You can use heavy cream in the place of the half and half if you want a thicker soup.
• This is a great soup for the crock pot, low setting for a few hours.
• The cream of “whatever” soup is your choice.  I have made this with lots of different varieties.  Cream of potato is nice, and then it acts more like chowder. 

Crab Dip

Everyone LOVES this dip.  It is so easy to make! My friend Melissa shared this recipe with me. She makes it for a Christmas party she and Paula have each year.  Now you can make it for your Christmas party or any other occasion, too.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of lump crabmeat
• 1 large white onion, finely chopped
• 1 bunch of green onions, chopped
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 t. Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• 2 (8 oz.) cream cheese
• 2 T. Crystal hot sauce

Directions:

1. In a skillet, on medium heat, sauté the onions and green onions in butter, until limp
2. Add the Tony’s, then add the cream cheese and stir until fully melted
3. Add the crabmeat, then the hot sauce and mix will
4. Serve in a chafing dish or shallow crock pot

Tips and Tricks:

• This can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it. 
• I use 1/3 less fat cream cheese, when I make this dip.
• I serve this with crackers.  Flaky buttery crackers like Club or Ritz are good.

Crabmeat Au Gratin

This is another recipe from the cookbook that my sister-in-law, Darlene made me.  It is rich and creamy and we like to eat it with crackers.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of lump crabmeat
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• ½ bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• ¼ C. flour
• 1 pint of half and half
• ½ stick of butter
• 1 t. kosher salt
• ¼ t. black pepper
• ½ t. cayenne pepper
• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 C. grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. In a skillet, sauté the onions, celery, bell pepper in butter, until limp
3. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute
4. Add the flour, then pour in the half and half gradually and stir constantly
5. Add the egg yolks, salt and peppers
6. Add the crabmeat and mix will
7. Spray a casserole dish with a cooking spray and transfer the mixture to the baking dish
8. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the mixture and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned

Tips and Tricks:

• This can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it.  Don’t put the cheese on top until you are ready to bake it and serve it.
• I serve this with crackers.  Flaky buttery crackers like Club or Ritz are good.

Seafood Gumbo

This is my Mom and Dad's Seafood Gumbo recipe with minor tweaks on my part (lump crabmeat).  WARNING: you won't be satisfied with seafood gumbo from most restaurants after you eat this Gumbo.  It is labor intensive, so block out several hours, but it is worth it.

Ingredients:

• 2 C. of chopped onions
• 1 C. of chopped bell pepper
• 1 C. of chopped celery
• 6 cloves of mined garlic
• 1 bunch of green onions finely chopped
• ½ C. of fresh parsley finely chopped
• 5 lbs. of peeled shrimp
• 1 lb of lump crabmeat
• 1 lb of smoked sausage cut into semi circles
• 1 pack of Gumbo crabs
• 1 (32oz.) bag of frozen okra
• 2 cans of Rotel
• 4 C. of  chicken stock
• 12 C. of water or shrimp stock
• 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T. of salt
• ½ T. of black pepper
• 1 T. of Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• ½ t. cayenne pepper
• 1 C flour
• 1 C vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Make roux with oil and flour in cast iron pot over medium high heat, until the color of dark peanut butter
2. Add onions, bell peppers, and celery and cook until limp
3. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute
4. Add okra and cook for 30 minutes, stir frequently
5. Add Rotel then transfer to a gumbo pot
6. Add chicken stock, water or shrimp stock, sausage, gumbo crabs, salt, pepper, Creole Seasoning, and cayenne
7. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 hours
8. Add Worcestershire, shrimp, crabmeat, green onions, and parsley.  Cook for 10 minutes
9. Serve with rice

Tips and Tricks:

• You can make shrimp stock to use instead of the water.  It is easy!  Follow my link to find out how I make mine.
• If you don’t have a cast iron pot you can make a roux in a heavy bottomed pot instead.  The trick is to stir constantly.  You can NOT multi-task during this step.  This is where the base of flavor for your gumbo comes.  Be diligent, it takes about 20 minutes to make a roux the color you need for gumbo.
• I use Bryan Cajun Smoke Sausage in my gumbos.  It has a soft casing that absorbs some of the gumbo.  Yum!
• This gumbo always tastes better the next day, so make some room in your refrigerator.  The flavors get to “marry” (as 9^th ward Gloria says) as they sit over night.