Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce

Crab Cakes with  Remoulade Sauce served over a bed of Arugula.

When I asked my Mom what she wanted for Mother's Day she said my crab cake recipe. No Joke! I feel bad that I've been hesitant to share this recipe with her. There are two reasons I've been so reluctant. First of all, I hardly ever follow a recipe and although I have a general idea of how to make them, I don't have exact measurements. Secondly, it is kinda nice to finally have something I can make for her. A recipe that she actually has to ask me for. This post is for you Mom. Now you have my secret crab cake recipe. To the best of my knowledge...

Crab Cakes:

2 containers of 16 oz. lump fresh crab

1 small carrot, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1/2 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning

1 teaspoon dried dill

1/4 teaspoon Tabasco

2 egg whites

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

 clarified butter for frying

Directions:

Add all the ingredients together in a large bowl, mixing with your hands or a large spoon. Gently  scoop up the mixture and form into patties. I usually roll mine into a ball and then press them down into patties. If the mixture is not sticking together, add more mayo. If the mixture is too wet, add more panko breadcrumbs until the patties hold together. Coat the patties with Panko before frying.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, add clarified butter. When the butter is hot, add patties, spacing them evenly in the pan. When the patties have turned golden brown on one side, flip them and continue to cook them. This should only take a couple of minutes, depending on how hot your skillet is. 

Place patties on a large plate lined with paper towels. 

Remoulade Sauce:

1 cup mayonnaise

4 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon grainy mustard

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce 

2 tablespoons chives, chopped
1 tablespoon capers 

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a together in a bowl. 

Enjoy!

Happy Cinco de Mayo & Cookbook Winner

{via yospeakespanol}

Hope everybody is having a great May 5th. The winner of the Texas on the Plate cookbook giveaway is John @ luvs2eat.com. Yay! **Throws confetti** Congratulations! A big thank you to everybody that entered.

Blueberry Lemon Brownies

 

Just like fellow Texas food blogger Mary at Food Joy, I have a tendency to want to add lemon to everything this time of year. When I came across this recipe at Cooking Classy, it was calling my name and saying things like, "Bake me. You know you want to. I promise you won't regret it." By now I'm sure you are well aware of my baking phobia. Well, this dessert definitely helped me overcome it. This brownie was unlike any I've ever had. It was moist, with a more cake like texture than a crumbly cupcake or a dense brownie. All I can say is it was delicious! I'm definitely planning on making it again, but next time I'm doubling the recipe. 

 

*Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy

 Blueberry Lemon Brownies:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg

2 large egg yolks

3/4 cup granulated sugar

6 Tbsp. butter, softened

1/4 cup sour cream

1 Tsp lemon juice (the juice of about 1/2 lemon)

3 tsp. lemon zest (the zest of about 1 1/2 lemons)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup frozen or fresh blueberries

1 recipe white chocolate glaze, recipe follows

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat egg and egg yolks on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add in sugar, butter, sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla, mix until well blended. Add in dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Fold in blueberries. Pour mixture into a buttered 8 x 8 baking dish and spread into an even layer. Bake 30-34 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. (I used frozen blueberries, and cooked mine for 33 minutes). Allow Brownies to cool completely, then pour the white chocolate glaze over top and spread over evenly. You can freeze bars for 10-15 minutes after baking for quicker glazing.

White Chocolate Glaze:

1 cup white chocolate chips, or 6 oz. chopped white chocolate

3 Tbsp. half and half

 

Directions:

Melt chocolate by tempering it on the stove. Add in half and half and stir together until completely incorporated. 

**Recipe yields approx. 6 brownies**

**Note: I doubled the glaze recipe from the original recipe.**

Enjoy!

Viva Fiesta and Cookbook Giveaway!

Fiesta is in full swing here in San Antonio, TX. There are lots of great events, food and partying. I must be in the Fiesta spirit because I seem to be eating a lot of Mexican food lately. One of my favorite dishes to make is Shredded Chicken Tacos with Pasilla de Oaxaca Chili Sauce. I'm so enamored with this dish that I made it three times in one week. The dish is so easy to make thanks to the Texas on the Plate Pasilla de Oaxaca Chili sauce. All I do is boil and shred the chicken, add the sauce and look like a rock star.

Terry Thompson-Anderson is the visionary behind the Texas on the Plate cookbook. She has an impressive culinary resume and a love affair with the diversity of Texas cooking. She has written several cookbooks, is a member of Les Dames D' Escoffer International and is a popular culinary instructor. Looking at her cookbook you get the sense of what makes Texas food great. It is the blending of different cultures along with local ingredients. The Lone Star state has it all.

To enter the Texas on the Plate cookbook giveaway, visit the Texas on the Plate   website, and in the comment section, please let me know what products interest you. Secondly, become a follower of The Chickpea Chickadee blog. Entries will be accepted until Sunday, April 29th at 11:59 pm. The winner will be announced Saturday, May 5th. Good Luck!

Tortilla Soup

 

I love a fabulous bowl of tortilla soup and there are plenty of places to get one in my hometown of San Antonio, TX. Many places serve variations of this soup which includes with tomatoes or without. I have to admit, I like mine with diced tomatoes. Making tortilla soup without tomatoes doesn't seem right to me. I'm all about the garnishes when it comes to this soup. Large slices of avocado, crumbled or shredded cheese and fried tortilla strips takes this soup over the top. This is my version of this classic soup.

Tortilla Soup:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 small onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1 4 oz can diced green chilies

1 teaspoon of cumin, mexican oregano and ancho chili powder 

(You can substitute oregano for mexican oregano and chili powder for ancho chili powder)

4 cups chicken broth

1 14.5 oz can of fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon cilantro, diced

4 small baked chicken breast, diced

Garnish:

fried corn tortilla strips or a handful of tortilla chips

1 avocado, sliced

Queso Panela (you can substitute Monterey jack cheese)

Directions:

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil. Add garlic and onion, cooking until translucent. Add in bell pepper and green chilies. Cook 4 minutes. Add in spices and mix well.  Add in tomatoes and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add in diced chicken and cilantro and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Garnish with tortilla strips, cilantro and cheese.

Enjoy!

Sushi Night

My husband and I learned how to make sushi at home a couple of years ago. We debated about if we should take a class, but after finding out the price we decided to just wing it. We pretty much figured it out after watching a couple of tutorials on Youtube. I think you can learn how to do anything on Youtube and I mean ANYTHING!

You need some basic utensils and ingredients to get started. 

This includes:

A bamboo mat or sushi rolling mat

Plastic wrap (to wrap your mat in so the rice doesn't stick)

Nori (dried sheets of seaweed)

Sushi rice

Rice wine vinegar

A sharp knife 

 Non metal bowl or pan (we line a baking dish with a silpat mat)

Pickled ginger (You can make your own or pick up a jar at the grocery store)

Wasabi

Sriracha (not a common sushi ingredient, but we use it to make sauces)

Whatever ingredients you are using for your roll

We have a couple of favorite rolls. Mine is smoked salmon, wasabi mayo, carrot, cucumber and avocado. I know, it is the "Americanized" form of sushi, it is delicious though. My husband likes raw tuna, sriracha mayo, avocado, carrot, cucumber and cream cheese in his roll. 

Have you ever tried making sushi at home? 

Lavender Lemon Cookies

I adore ALL things Lavender. Lavender bath salts, lotion, chocolate, tea, etc.. After planting several Lavender plants in our flower bed this Spring, I felt compelled to incorporate this fabulous herb into a cookie. These cookies have a subtle lavender taste with a stronger lemon flavor. I did feel as though I was making a wonderful sugar scrub at one point when I was combining the lemon zest, lavender and sugar. I thought if the cookies don't come out, I could always use it in the bath. The house was filled with a wonderful fragrance while the cookies were baking. The smell is heavenly when you take them out of the oven. These are just perfect with a cup of hot tea.

Recipe Adapted from: Batter & Beat

Lavender Lemon Cookies:

3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest + 2 tablespoons juice
1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender
1-3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoons salt
12 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a food processor, combine the sugar, lemon zest and lavender until the sugar looks damp and the zest and lavender are fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt, then add to the sugar mixture; pulse to combine, about (10) 1 second pulses. Scatter the butter pieces over and pulse until the mixture resembles fine cornmeal, about (15) 1-second pulses. In a measuring cup, beat together the lemon juice, egg yolk and vanilla. With the machine running, add the mixture in a slow stream (should take about 10 seconds) and continue processing until the dough forms into a ball. 
Turn the dough out onto a clean surface, working it into a ball. Roll the dough into a cylinder, approximately 10" long. Wrap with tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove dough from plastic wrap and place on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut into 1/4 inches thick rounds. Space cookies 1-1/2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. After cookies have finished baking, working quickly, immediately start cutting them into shapes with a cookie cutter (or you can omit this step completely). 

Note: This recipe yields approximately 30 cookies. I would probably double the recipe next time and maybe make my cookies a little larger.

Enjoy!