Tag Archives: appetizers

Crab Cakes “ Zephyrs End

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Our favorite crab cakes are served at O’Leary’s Seafood Restaurant in Annapolis, MD, second choice are served at Zephyrs End, our house. Recipe was found in the Washington Post, a contest to determine the best crab cakes in the area, Kimberley’s recipe came in third behind two restaurant’s take out cakes. I’ve changed the recipe to suit our tastes; will include the original following my version.

16 oz crabmeat, we buy the tins at Costco
3-4 slices white bread with crust
1 egg
¼ c. mayo
dash Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp or so lemon juice
½ to 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Old Bay Seasoning

Carefully sort through the crabmeat for pieces of shell, being careful not to smoosh the meat. In a food processor, process the bread into breadcrumbs. In a large bowl whisk the egg than add miracle whip, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper to taste, and a good sprinkle of Old Bay.

Place about three quarters of the breadcrumbs atop the crabmeat. Carefully pour the wet mixture on top of the crabmeat. Gently incorporate the mixture. Add more breadcrumbs as necessary you want everything to hold together just right. You can use remaining breadcrumbs, if there are any as a coating.

Form the mixture into 6-8 balls, patting them slightly with your hands. If desired use the remaining bread crumbs to coat the outside of the cakes. Set the cakes on a tray and allow to rest for about an hour in the frig.

Heat a large skillet with butter. When hot carefully place the cakes in the pan, trying to keep them separated. Gently shake the pan so the cakes don’t stick to it. Quickly saute them till golden on each side. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6-8 crab cakes

Crab Cakes Kimberley Taylor

8 ounces lump blue crab
8 ounces back fin blue crabmeat
5-8 slices firm white bread, crust removed
2 eggs
dash Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste
handful of fresh parsley, minced
bunch of chives, snipped
4 tbsp clarified butter

Carefully sort through the crabmeat for pieces of shell, being careful not to smoosh the meat. In a food processor, process the bread into breadcrumbs. In a large bowl whisk the eggs and whisk in the mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, lemon zest and salt and pepper to taste. Place about ½ of the breadcrumb mixture atop the crabmeat. Carefully pour about ½ of the egg mixture atop that. Gently incorporate the mixture. If you like your crab cakes wet, add more of the egg mixture. If you like them dry, add more breadcrumbs. The goal is to get everything holding together nicely, without being too wet or dry. Save the remaining crumbs for the coating.

Now add the parsley and chives, blending lightly.

Form the mixture into 6-8 balls, patting them slightly with your hands (used about ½ to ¾ c of the crab mix for each cake). Use the remaining crumbs to liberally coat the outside of the cakes, and then set them on a tray to rest. Refrigerate for at least an hour, but overnight is great.

Heat a large skillet with butter. When hot carefully place the cakes in the pan, trying to keep them separated. Gently shake the pan so the cakes don’t stick to it. Quickly saute them till golden on each side. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6-8 crab cakes

Brie – suggestions from food & wine list

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Idea one: take a wheel of Brie and cut it into wedges but keep it in wheel shape. Cut a Granny Smith or other tart apple into thin wedges and place snugly between the brie wedges. Cover with walnuts and 1/2 cup or so of Brown sugar, bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes until the whole mess gets nice and melty.

Serve with crackers and/or further wedges of tart apple.

Idea two: Fruited Brie en Croute. Wheel of brie, topped generously with a mixture of your choice of dried cranberries, nuts (walnuts especially), raisins, and the like, chopped together and mixed with some sherry or other appropriate liquid, enclose the whole in puff pastry, bake (about 425 F. until golden), and serve it forth. Sizes, portions, and proportions depend on how much you have available, really — this is an algorithm more than a recipe. Divine while still warm, not bad either when cooled. Serve with crackers or slices of crusty bread.)

Idea three: Fix the above but eliminate the puff pastry, bake as directed perhaps under a tent of foil.

Idea four: Brie, Granny Smith, and walnuts as a salad with arugula and a raspberry vinaigrette.

Idea five: Brie, sprinkle with toasted almond slices and honey, pop into oven
until it starts to get runny. Food of the gods.

Idea six: Barbeque Marinated Brie

Barbeque Marinated Brie – Maggie Johnson

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1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp veggie oil
1/2 c. finely chopped red pepper (or 1/4c green and 1/4 c red)
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp black pepper
8-ounce wheel Brie or Camebert
crackers or french bread

Combine all ingredients except cheese and bread or crackers, mix well.

Place cheese wheel in a shallow glass bowl and poke full of holes with a fork. Pour marinade over cheese. Cover and let sit in frig for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Heat grill to medium (about 350 degrees). Place a piece of foil on the grill and poke holes in the foil with a skewer. Place cheese on th efoil.

Heat until cheese starts to buldge around the edges and centre is soft, about 15 minutes. Serve warm with crackers or french bread.

Serves 8.

Smoked Oyster Pate – Helen Krafsur

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3 oz. pkg. softened cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. lemon juice add a bit of grated peel too
1/8 tsp. dill weed
3-3/4 oz. tin smoked oysters
1 tbs. chopped parsley

1 hard-cooked egg yolk for garnish

Blend cheese, sour cream, lemon juice and dill until smooth. Remove oysters from tin and mash with a fork. Fold into cheese mixture, add parsley. Chill. garnish with egg yolk and parsley and serve with bagel chips or crackers.

Note: I did not add egg yolk.

Veggie Pizza Three Versions

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Spread 2 pkgs. crescent rolls flat on slightly greased cookie sheet.
Bake @ 375 10- 12 min.

Mix together & spread over baked dough:
16 oz. cream cheese – use less, can substitute sour cream using much less that 2 c.
3/4 c. mayonnaise – use less
1/2 to 1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
3/4 c. shredded cheese – your choice -cheddar & mozzarella work well
3/4 c. variety of chopped veggies such as broccoli, carrots, red, green or yellow peppers, cauliflower, sliced ripe olives

Mix cream cheese, mayo and dressing mix. Spread over crescent rolls, spread veggies and cheese over the top and refrigerate. Cut into squares and serve.

DMV Salmon Variation

Fix veggie squares in the normal way using the above recipe – Chey’s version. Prepare the spread with reduced amounts of cream cheese and /or sour cream and mayo. Spread mixture on baked crescent rolls crust, sprinkle with dried or fresh dill, placed thinly sliced smoked samon over and sprinkle with capers.

June McIlwain’s Recipe

Spread 2 pkgs. crescent rolls flat on slightly greased cookie sheet.
Bake @ 375 11 min.

Mix together and spread over baked dough:
12 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. Miracle Whip (or other)
½ Tbsp. lemon pepper Mix together
½ tsp. seasoned salt
4 green onions, chopped

Top with chopped cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, sliced ripe olives, cheddar & mozzarella cheeses.
Chill before serving.

Tuna Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

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Tuna Rolls
16 8-1/2″ (21 cm) round rice paper wrappers
8 leaves leaf lettuce, halved or mesculan leaves
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
2 cups grated carrot or finely julienned
1-1/2 cups bean sprouts (about 1/4 lb./125 g) or rice noodles
6.5 oz. Flaked Light Tuna, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped green onion

Peanut Dipping Sauce
3 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. chili paste
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup unsweetened orange juice
2 Tbsp. lime juice

Peanut Dipping Sauce: In bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sesame oil and chili paste until blended. Whisk in soy sauce, orange and lime juices; setaside.

Tuna Rolls: Briefly dip rice paper wrappers, one at a time, into water to soften. Place in a single layer on damp tea towel; fold wrappers in half.

Place lettuce leaf halves on wrapper, with top of lettuce extending slightly over folded edge of wrapper. Spread about 1 tsp. hoisin sauce over lettuce.

Divide carrot, bean sprouts, tuna, coriander and green onion among the wrappers. Drizzle 1 tsp. of Peanut Dipping Sauce over top of each. Fold up rounded edge of wrapper, then roll wrapper around filling to make a neat cylinder-shaped package. Repeat with remaining wrappers. (Rolls can be covered with damp paper towel and refrigerated for up to 6 hours.)

Serve with Peanut Dipping Sauce.

MAKES: 16 rolls

Italian chickpea spread

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1 15 ounce can chickpeas drained
2-4 tbsp water
1 tbsp roasted garlic olive oil or 1 tbsp. olive oil plus 1 clove of garlic minced
1 tsp Italian Herb Mixture *
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
1-3 tsp balsamic vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice

Combine the chickpeas, 2 tbsp water, the oil, garlic, herb blend in food processor and process until smooth scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add a bit more liquid if necessary to create a thick but spread able consistency and salt to taste (or make slightly thinner for a dip). Taste and add a little balsamic vinegar or lemon juice if you want to intensity the flavors.

Makes about 1 ½ cups.

Chickpea salad dressing: Thin the spread with tomato juice and balsamic vinegar to taste. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Italian Herb Mixture

1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp basil
2 tsp thyme
2 tsp rosemary
1 ½ tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp crushed pepper flakes (optional)

Combine all of the herbs in a small wide-mouthed jar. Shake well. Store in a dark, cool place for up to 3 months.

*I made a small amount guessing at proportions and put in the coffee mill to grind the pepper flakes and fennel seeds.

Hot Spinach Balls – MAZ

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Even though this recipe makes a large batch, don’t worry about leftovers. These tidbits are so tasty there won’t be any.

2 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
2 cups herb-seasoned stuffing mix
1 cup chopped onion
4 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1 clove garlic, minced

In a large bowl, combine spinach, herb-seasoned stuffing mix, onion, eggs, Parmesan cheese, butter, thyme, and garlic. Shape into 1-inch balls; place on shallow baking pans. Cover and chill in the refrigerator about 2 hours or until firm.

Bake in a 300°F oven about 30 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Let stand on the baking pans for 1 minute. Serve warm.

Prep: 30 min.
Chilling: 2 hr.
Baking: 30 min.
Standing: 1 min.

Makes about 5 dozen.

Crab Pie- Ellen Mullen

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Prebake a 9 inch deep crust pie shell until it starts to brown at 350 degrees.

1/2 C. mayonaise
1/2 C. milk
2 tablespoons flour
1/3 C. green onions chopped
1/3 C. bell pepper chopped
6 ounces swiss cheese grated
1 & 1/2 C. crab meat
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Mix ingredients, pour into pie shell and bake until browned on top for about 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees.

I have used fake crab for this with good results.

Crab Cheese Ball – Ellen Mullen

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1 8 ounce package of cream cheese (softened)
6-8 ounces of crab meat
Gently mix well a day ahead and refrigerate

Sauce
1/2 catsup
4 tablespoons horse radish
1 tablespoons lemon juice

Mix and refrigerate a day ahead…

When ready pour sauce over crab ball and serve.

For convenience use premade cocktail sauce which I usually do.
You can use imitation crab for this reicpe.