California Roll Salad

I guess technically this could be considered a rice bowl or a salad. I just know it is delicious. I first saw this type of salad on the Weight Watchers recipe review board. I have seen many more recipes since then, everyone uniquely different. I have been making it my way, just for one a few years now. I have made it with both brown and white rice, both are great. I think my favorite part is the pickled ginger and cucumber. I just love that flavor combination. Just think of all the sushi combinations you could create into other salads. Switch the crab sticks for spicy tuna or salmon and you have another fresh exciting salad. This is a very fresh, cool meal for summer. I should know I have made two in the past two days. YUM! Time to make more rice.

California Roll Salad

Serves 1

Ingredients

1/2 cup pre-cooked or leftover rice

1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1/2 tsp. sugar

1-1/2 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 tsp wasabi powder

1-1/2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped

1 small carrot, cut into matchsticks

2-1/2" piece of English cucumber, cut into matchsticks

2 imitation crab sticks, sliced on the diagonal

1/2 medium avocado, sliced

1 Tbsp. pickled sliced ginger

2”x3” piece of toasted nori seaweed, julienned with scissors

1 tsp sesame seeds

Directions

Warm rice in the microwave for 1 minute. Mix vinegar and sugar together. Pour half of the vinegar and sugar mixture over rice. Stir to combine and fluff with a fork. Stir in soy sauce and wasabi powder to remaining vinegar mixture to make a dressing. Fill a salad bowl with lettuce, rice, carrots, cucumber, crab, avocado and ginger. Pour dressing over the top and garnish with nori and sesame seeds.

Linking to:
Jam Hands: Recipe Sharing Monday
The Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd You Do This Weekend?
Stone Cottage Adventures: Tuesdays with a Twist
Lori's Culinary Creations: Tickle My Tastebuds Tuesday
Dizzy Busy & Hungry: Wine'd Down Wednesday
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
Family Home and Life: Wow Us Wednesday
Carole's Chatter: Food on Fridays - Cucumber
Love Bakes Good Cakes: Freedom Fridays with All My Bloggy Friends
My Pinterventures: Summer Salads Party

Crab and Corn Soup

Confession time! I was planning to make a dip recipe when I bought crab meat at the store. But the Zapps potato chips did not make it. "Blushing" They were gone one day after I brought them home. I had help, so don't judge. Why make the dip now, right? How about Crab and Corn Soup instead? Dear sister and I would sometimes share Crab and Corn Soup for Two at the Chinese restaurant we went to as a family growing up.  It was a little like egg drop soup but made special with the addition of corn and crab. I haven't had it in years. I am not really sure what brought it to mind today? But it was perfect! Today there was still a chill in the air and this recipe was warm and quick to prepare. I love the delicate sweet flavor of the crab and corn. I think it is better warm not piping hot. When is was still bubbling the flavor was masked by the heat. My favorite garnishes were the green onions and hot chili oil. So good! I am sure more soy sauce, sesame oil or even Sriracha would be great too. I look forward to making this soup again in the future.

Crab and Corn Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 cups chicken stock

1 can (14.75 oz.) cream-style corn

1 Tbsp. dry sherry

2 tsp. low sodium soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 cup cornstarch, dissolved in

1/4 cup water

2 eggs, beaten

6 oz. lump crab, save some for a garnish

Kosher salt and white pepper, to taste

Green onions, sliced for a garnish

Hot chili oil (optional)

Directions

In a stock pot, bring chicken stock to a boil. Add the cream-style corn, sherry, soy sauce and sesame oil. Mix well and let simmer for 8 minutes. Add dissolved cornstarch stirring to combine; continue to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the soup is thick. Add the eggs stirring in with a fork to make ribbons. Add the crab and season with salt, pepper and more soy sauce to taste. Continue to cook for a minute until the eggs have set. Serve garnished with crab, green onions and chili oil (optional).

Note: This soup is better slightly cooled. The delicate flavors are more apparent than when it is piping hot. It was also delicious re-heated.

Linking to:
Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky

Jam Hands: Recipe Sharing Monday

Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo

My Pinterventures: The Yuck Stops Here!

Yesterfood: Treasure Box Tuesday

It's Your Life: Tuesday with a Twist

Anyonita Nibbles: Tasty Tuesdays

Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday

Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday

Turnips 2 Tangerines: Four Seasons Blog Hop

Carole's Chatter: Food on Fridays - Crayfish, Lobster & Crab

Crab and Avocado Sandwich

Once upon a time there was a restaurant in the Heart of Bossier shopping center called Louisiana Bar and Grill. It was one of the few places the family would drive "all the way" to Bossier for a meal. Mom, sister and I would always order the Crab and Avocado Sandwich. Funny, that is really one of the only things I remember about the place. It was a little loud, combination bar and restaurant with this great sandwich. Now it is a billiards slash bar kind of place. It closed when I was in college. Since then we have been making the sandwich at home. It couldn't be easier and it is so delicious. I love the creamy filling of avocado, crab and thousand island. They really complement each other. The pepper jack cheese adds a little spice and the sourdough a tangy crunch. Try it next time you want a grown up grill cheese.

Crab and Avocado Sandwich

Serves: 2

Ingredients

4 slices Sourdough Bread

Light Butter

4 slices Pepper Jack Cheese

1/2 cup Lump Crabmeat

1/8 cup Thousand Island Dressing (recipe follows)

1 medium/large avocado, sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Spread butter on one side of each piece of bread. Place two slices of bread butter side down in a skillet. Layer with pepper jack, crab meat, dressing and avocado, season with salt and pepper. Top with another piece of pepper jack and remaining slices of bread butter side up. Turn skillet on to medium high heat. Grill sandwich until golden brown. Carefully flip sandwich and continue to grill until second side is golden brown. Remove from pan and cut in half on the diagonal.

I use to buy bottled Thousand Island Dressing for this sandwich. You are welcome to do so, but I found I was always throwing away the rest of the bottle. It would just go unused and sit in the refrigerator until it expired. So this time I decided to make my own. It turned out great. This is more than a salad dressing. It just might become my special sauce recipe for burgers too. It is creamy, tangy and a little crunchy from the pickle and onion. Best of all, it makes less than a cup. 

Thousand Island Dressing

Makes: approx. 3/4 cup

Ingredients

1/2 cup light Mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. ketchup

1 Tbsp. white vinegar

2 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. sweet pickle relish

2 tsp. onion, finely minced

1/8 tsp salt

1 dash black pepper

1 smidgen cayenne pepper

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until well combined.

Place dressing in a container with tight fitting lid. Refrigerate for several hours. Stir occasionally, so that the sugar dissolves and the flavors blend.



Linking to:
Life on Lakeshore Drive: A Bouquet of Talent Linky Party
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Jam Hands: Recipe Sharing Mondays
Anyonita Nibbles: Tasty Tuesdays
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin Wednesday
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
Six Sister's Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Saturday Link Party
The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen: Show Me Your Plaid Mondays
Carole's Chatter: Food on Fridays - Sandwiches

Seafood Gumbo with Whole Crabs

This is the second Seafood Gumbo the family has shared this year. The sister requested it for her birthday dinner. So Mom and Dad prepared one. We also had one this year on Christmas Eve. Yes, I have been sitting on this post and pictures since then. Shame on me! But better late than never, right?

Now let me be honest with you. I have never liked messing with whole crabs in my Gumbo. They are so messy! But... they do add a whole lot of flavor. So I just lift them out of the bowl and put them aside on a plate. Then I enjoy my Gumbo and pick the crabs later. When I was young my Mom would use lump crab and peeled crab claws. That is really more my style. Less of a mess. But I do admit the gumbo has more seafood flavor when you use the whole crabs. So you can decide what is right for you. But I assure you, if you like seafood this is the gumbo for you. With this recipe you get the most seafood flavor possible; using whole crabs and making the shrimp stock. I do plan to make the next pot the short cut way. I will use store bought peeled and deveined shrimp, lump crab meat, peeled crab claws and just plain water no stock. I know my Mom has done it this way in the past. I remember it being good too. I will be sure to share that pot with you too.

Seafood Gumbo with Whole Crabs
Serves 14 plus

Ingredients

1 cup oil         

1 cup flour

1 small can tomato paste

2 large onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

6 stalks celery, chopped

5 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined(shells reserved)
12 to 15 whole crabs, cleaned

2 pints oysters

1 bunch green onion, sliced

1/2 bunch parsley, chopped

Salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and Cajun seasoning to taste

Directions

Peel and devein the shrimp, placing shrimp in one bowl and shells in a 3 quart pot. Chop the onion, celery, and bell peppers and set aside. Add just enough water to cover the shrimp shells. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer and cover.

Heat flour and oil on medium-low heat until milk chocolate or dark caramel color. Add tomato paste and stir until well mixed. Add bell pepper, celery, and onion cook until softened. Add crabs cook until liquid forms. Season the shrimp with a little salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and Cajun seasoning; add to gumbo and cook until they start to turn pink. 

Turn shrimp shells off and strain the liquid into the pot. Stir well. Add additional water until the constancy of a full bodied soup broth not a stew. Bring to a boil and check seasoning; season with additional salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and Cajun seasoning to taste.

30 minutes before serving strain oysters, reserving liquid.  Add liquid to Gumbo and oysters one by one to make sure oysters are free of pieces of shell.  Add green onions, and parsley. Check seasoning again and adjust to taste. Serve in a large bowl over rice. Be sure to put a plate under the bowl for those crabs!

Linking to:
Love Bakes Good Cakes: All My Bloggy Friends
Memories by the Mile: Tuesday Trivia - LOUISIANA and Link Party
Rediscovering Lost Arts from Our Mothers: Tried and True Recipes
Carole's Chatter: Food on Fridays - Crayfish, Lobster & Crab