Monday, March 28, 2005

Good Eats

Back from my little vacation with my mom. We ate out a lot. Every meal was good. Too good, perhaps. I think my waistline is suffering. Doesn't help that I neglected my exercise regimine. Here are links to some of the places (and menu items) we enjoyed for lunch and dinner this past week:

Bubba Gump Shrimp Company (Mall of America)- Mama Blue's Southern Charmed Fried Shrimp
The Experience (Siren, WI) - Trout appetizer and prime rib
Miyagi's - Sushi
La Tosca - Tapas lunch special
Harry's Tap Room (Mom's favorite!) - Harry's Lunch Break
Chart House - Oysters, shrimp, snapper, and yummy lava cake!

For Easter we ate at home and had roasted lamb, dressing, roasted red potatoes, Caesar salad, green beans, and homemade cheesecake with fresh berries.

Friday, March 11, 2005

Mini Maryland Crab Cakes

Ingredients:

1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
2/3 cup dry plain breadcrumbs
2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/3 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely sliced scallion, cut on diagonal
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
fresh ground black pepper
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 egg plus 1 egg white
peanut oil or canola oil for frying
tartar sauce (optional)
lemon wedges

Directions:

In a large bowl, break out crabmeat into slightly small pieces, picking through mixture to make sure no shell pieces remain. In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs, seasoning, red pepper, scallion, parsley, and black pepper. Add to crab, toss in mayonnaise, egg and egg white. Blend gently just until combined (do not over mix!) and form into 12-15 small patties. Flatten patties, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (they can be prepared as early as the night before). Heat 1/2” oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, turning gently, until golden brown. Serve with tartar sauce, if desired, and lemon wedges. Makes 12-15.

- I made these for Christmas Eve appetizers and again last night. They were a hit both times. Last night I halved the recipe and omitted the egg white.

Thursday, March 03, 2005

Lemonade Party Cake

Ingredients:

1 package lemon cake mix
Water, vegetable oil, and eggs as called for on cake mix directions
1/2 can (12 ounce size) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed (3/4 cup)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tub fluffy white or lemon ready-to-spread frosting
lemon and strawberry slices (optional)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350F. Make and bake cake as directed on package for 13" x 9" pan. Cool 15 minutes. Stir together lemonade concentrate and powdered sugar. Poke top of warm cake every 1/2 inch with long-tined fork, wiping fork occasionally to reduce sticking. Drizzle lemonade mixture evenly over top of cake. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled. Spread frosting over top of cake. Garnish with fruit slices. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

-From Betty Crocker cake package. I made it for book club last year.

Cupcakes!


I made cupcakes for book club last night. The cake is just a devil's food mix, and the vanilla frosting is made from 3 cups of powdered sugar, 1/3 cup butter, 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of milk. I decorated them with jelly beans, gummi fruit slices, nonpareils, and sparkling sugar. Cute as well as delicious!

Wednesday, March 02, 2005

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 stalks fresh lemongrass, peeled
2 cups water
2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 red chile pepper, finely chopped (I used red pepper flakes and a dash of Tabasco)

Directions:

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet (I used my wok) over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger, and lemongrass; saute 3 minutes. Add water and broth; bring to a boil. Add chicken and pasta; cook 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove from heat; stir in remaining ingredients. Let stand 5 minutes. Discard lemongrass.

From Cooking Light, August 2004.

Green Cloud Punch

Ingredients:

1 container of lime sherbert
1 can of pineapple juice, chilled
2 liters of ginger ale, chilled

Directions:

Scoop sherbert into punch bowl. Add pineapple juice. Right before serving, add ginger ale.

Three Fruit Punch

Ingredients:

1 quart pineapple juice, chilled
1 quart orange juice, chilled
1.5 quarts cranberry juice cocktail, chilled
2 liters ginger ale, chilled

Directions:

Combine juices in a punch bowl, add ginger ale when ready to serve. For a special touch, add an ice ring made of the fruit juices and citrus fruit slices.

Tuesday, March 01, 2005