Summer Time is Spy Pie Time

I actually just pulled this recipe back out now that even Hell is trying to stay cool from the searing heat.  It's a family classic, my Pepa loves it, and damnit, it's just great in summer.  Since I grew up with it, it's one of those things I can't imagine summer without it!

Spy Pie

Ingredients

1 package of partially thawed berries (any flavor or mix), about 16oz

****KEEP THEM PARTIALLY THAWED****

1 cup sugar

2 egg whites

2 tbsp lemon juice 

1/2 - 3/4 of large tub of Cool Whip (do not get the Extra Creamy kind!)

2 graham cracker pie crusts (if you can find the extra serving ones, those work great!)

Directions

Mix the first four ingredients together in a LARGE bowl on high speed with a hand mixer (I haven't tried my Kitchen Aid with this yet, but I can attest that it gets messy and you need a large bowl) for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes.

Then mix in Cool Whip until light and fluffy.  Pour in to pie crusts.  Mound it up!  Left overs are great for custard cups

Freeze for at least 3 hours, until very firm.  Top with more Cool Whip, shaved chocolate, berries, etc.   

Old Bay Crab Cakes

I've always liked seafood.  But after living on the East Coast I now LOVE seafood.  

After moving back to Texas, that first summer Mike and I wanted crab, the usual summer food.  We went to Albertson's and were at the meat counter, trying to find something acceptable.  We got handed... imitation crab meat.  Not ok.  I have since found good crab meat, and the ingredients?  Jumbo lump crab meat. Whoo!  A winner for sure!


It's been warming, so my craving for a good crab cake has been increasing.  So I pulled the original recipe from the Old Bay web site while shopping, picked up my crab, and went to town.  :D 

I didn't have any dried bread, but I did that myself - preheat oven to 175-200, bake for 20-30 minutes or until crispy and dry.  Cool.

Since the patties were breaking apart as I was forming them, I went ahead an allowed for the 30 minutes to chill in the fridge as suggested.  


Here it is - the original Old Bay recipe (I can't claim to be this awesome.  Go check out their recipe section!)
Serves 4 (I got 5 very large cakes out of it!)

Ingredients

2 slices dried bread, crusts removed

milk

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon McCormick® Parsley Flakes

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon OLD BAY® Seasoning

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

1 pound lump crabmeat

Directions

In a large bowl, break bread into small pieces. Moisten with milk.

Add mayo, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, baking powder, OLD BAY, salt, egg and crabmeat. Mix lightly and shape into patties. If time permits, refrigerate patties 30 minutes to help keep them together when cooking.

Broil or fry until golden-brown on both sides. 

*The baking powder makes the crab cakes light and fluffy.   

*I broiled mine.  I recommend the Reynolds Nonstick aluminum foil to line the cookie sheet, 10 minutes on each side.  

*Also, as good as they were, I think I would prefer more Old Bay - maybe 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp more than what is called for in this recipe.  But I love Old Bay.  

 Crab cakes before chilling...

Finished product!  Mmmmm!

Mediterrranean Chicken Wraps

I know it has been a long time.  I haven't had the time, and frankly, the gumption to make anything new.

But this year at Scarborough Faire there is the most amazing garlic booth.   If you like garlic, you have to check them out.

We tasted and tested at their booth and finally ended up with (today's) purchase.  Starving on the way home, we popped in to Albertson's to coe up with a tasty concoction with our new purchase.  :D

I had some hummus from Whole Foods I've been snacking on, and decided between that and the Spicy Herb Pickled Garlic, I could come up with something tasty.   And I did.

1 package of Sundried Tomato Basil Mission Tortilla Wraps

Crumbled Feta Cheese

Light Olive Oil

Chicken breasts, sliced in strips

Sun Dried Tomatoes, diced

Calamata Olives, diced

Spicy Herb Pickled Garlic, diced in medium sized pieces

Hummus

Cook your chicken slices in light olive oil, the garlic, sun dried tomatoes, and  olives.  Warm the tortilla wraps.  Spread the hummus on to the tortillas, place in the chicken mixture, top with feta and roll.  Enjoy!!

Blueberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

So I had a crazy ass dream one night, and thought I was being original - Blueberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies. I thought about what to put in, citrus, spice. Did a quick Google search... and I was not original. But I found a recipe with EXACTLY what I had dreamed about putting in it.

So here it is. Amazing, complex, rich. YOU MUST MAKE THESE!

Blueberry White Chocolate Cookies*

* ½ cup unsalted butter

* ½ cup shortening

* ¾ cup sugar

* ¾ cup brown sugar, packed

* 2 eggs

* 1 teaspoon vanilla

* 2 tablespoons grated lemon peel

* 2¼ cups all-purpose flour

* ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* ½ teaspoon salt

* 1 1/8 cup dried blueberries

* 1 1/4 cups white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with

parchment or silpat.

2. Cream together butter, shortening, and both sugars.

Add eggs, vanilla, and lemon peel; beat until well

blended.

3. Mix dry ingredients together; stir into creamed

mixture. Blend well; add dried blueberries and white

chocolate chips.

4. Drop by generous, rounded teaspoonfuls onto

parchment baking sheets. Keep cookies about 2″

apart. Bake 8–10 minutes, removing from oven when

just barely done.

5. Cool on pans 5 minutes; remove to cool

4-5 dozen depending on size and how much dough you eat

*Edited out the blueberry/white chocolate chip ratio for one that I found worked better!

Garlic Ranch Chicken Hoagies/Sandwiches

I love this.  Nice and quick, and comes out tasty!  Great for a rainy day lunch.

Being a lover of garlic and cheese, I double the garlic, onion and olive oil mix, and I top the chicken with provolone - throw it back in the oven so it melts a bit.  I actually used kaiser rolls last night, and that was great also.

Garlic Ranch Chicken Hoagies

Makes 4

Ingredients:

4 frozen breaded chicken breast fillets

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1 tbsp onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2/3 ranch style dressing

1 large roma tomato, seeded and finely chopped

4 hoagie rolls, toasted if desired

Lettuce, tomato and sliced onion, and cheese if desired to top sandwiches.

Directions:

Prepare chicken to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat oil, onion, and garlic in small saucepan until translucent.  Remove from heat.  Let stand 10 min.  Stir in dressing and tomato.

Spread bottom half of rolls with half of dressing.  Add chicken and additional toppings.  Top with remaining dressing mixture and tops of rolls.

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez

Tuesday is Mardi Gras. Being born during the carnival season is excellent. And I totally get to ignore Valentine's Day for a much better holiday!

We have made a tradition of King Cake for my birthday cake. And we always use Haydel's Bakery in New Orleans. Haydel's uses a cream cheese swirl in the cake and it is DIVINE. Strawberry is the go to flavor. I love king cake in the morning, warmed and with tea, coffee, or milk. :D

This year there was a special 50th anniversary Ltd. Edition King Cake available. Worth it for sure. Special beads, commemorative cup, mini poster, and a Mardi Gras Jazz CD joined the usual suspects of Chicory and Coffee, the porcelain figure (special to Haydel's!), and Arthur Hardy's Mardi Gras Guide. 

February wouldn't be the same without King Cake and Mardi Gras.

A Different Kind of Snow Day Lunch

It's snowing!  Abnormal for Texas, especially this many times in one winter.  I braved the wet snow (still got some down my back - thanks roof) and went and got goods to make a sandwich for lunch.  This is pretty easy, and I highly recommend giving it a try.

The recipe calls for a sun dried tomato pesto.  I could not find it - so I made it.  Blended sun dried tomatoes with traditional basil pesto.  Voila!  And tasty.  I had forgotten the tomatoes, but still delish.  One other change?  I put the roasted red peppers on the chicken and then back in the oven, not after.  I also sliced my ciabiata bread in to sandwich sizes first, made things more manageable.  And I recommend making double the amount of pesto.  

Mediterranean Chicken Sandwiches

1/4 cup (about 2 ounces) sun-dried tomato pesto

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 (8-ounce) loaf ciabatta

12 large basil leaves (or enough to cover the sandwich)

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup sliced bottled roasted red bell peppers

1 large tomato, thinly sliced

Combine pesto and mayonnaise in a small bowl, stirring to blend.

Sprinkle chicken with pepper and salt. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken to cutting board, and cool slightly. Cut chicken lengthwise into thin slices.

Preheat broiler.

Cut ciabatta in half horizontally. Place bread, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Broil 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove bread from pan. Spread pesto mayo evenly over cut sides of bread. Arrange the chicken slices evenly over bottom half. Top chicken evenly with basil leaves, and sprinkle cheese over top. Place bottom half on baking sheet, and broil 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Arrange roasted peppers and fresh tomatoes over cheese, and cover with top half of bread. Cut into 4 equal pieces.