Crusty Crab Poppers

Crusty Crab Poppers

Ingredients:

1 lb lump crab meat

1 box of Jiffy cornmuffin mix

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened at room temperature

8 oz shredded chedar cheese

1 large egg

1 stick of unsalted butter, melted

½ cup milk

½ red bell pepper, finely chopped

2 green onions, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of salt

oil, for frying


Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

Roll the mixture into balls, just slightly smaller than the size of golf balls. Set on parchment paper or a baking sheet.

In a large, high walled pot or a wok, heat oil over medium-high. You want to make sure there is enough oil to cover ⅔ of the crab balls.

Test the oil to see if it's ready by dipping the end (handle-side) of a wooden spoon in the oil. If the oil begins to bubble, it's ready. If not, let it sit a bit longer.

Once the oil is ready, drop in 4-5 crab balls. Reduce the heat slightly and let them cook until a deep orangey-brown, turning occasionally. Remove the poppers from the oil and let them drain on a paper towel. Once they're cool enough to handle, cut a ball in half to check. If the inside is cooked well, then continue to cook the poppers in the same manner. If the inside seems to have cooked less than the outside, then reduce the heat of the oil and try again, leaving the poppers in for slightly longer until they reach the proper color

Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad

Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad

 

Ingredients:

For the pesto:

2½ cups packed fresh basil leaves

3 cloves garlic

⅓ cup pine nuts

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ cup olive oil

For the pasta salad

8 oz dried pasta

1¼ cups pesto, plus ¼ cup for tossing the pasta

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

¾ cup milk

1 15 oz can cannelloni beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups baby arugula

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

15 sun-dried tomatoes

15 kalamata olives

15 mozzarella pearls

1 roasted red pepper, sliced into thin strips

2 oz Parmesan cheese, shaved


Directions:

First, make the pesto. In a food processor, combine the basil, garlic, pine nuts, and Parmesan. Pulse until well combined. Then, slowly stream the olive oil through the top of the food processor as it runs, until the pesto comes together. Add salt and pepper and pulse again.

Then, boil the pasta according to package directions. As you wait for it to boil, combine the 1¼ cups pesto, ½ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup sour cream, and ¾ cup milk in a medium sized bowl. Mix well, until the pesto dressing is creamy but smooth. Add more milk if necessary to thin it out to dressing consistency. Refrigerate until ready to use.

When the pasta has boiled to al dente, drain it and let cool. Then, toss with the remaining ¼ cup pesto, cannelloni beans, arugula, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, mozzarella pearls, roasted red pepper, and Parmesan. Once well mixed, pour over the creamy pesto dressing and toss again.