Once in a while, no matter how much you both love to cook, there comes a time when one partner needs to treat the other.  This was one of those times.  This Valentine’s Day would be about comfort and warmth.  If you are on a diet, cover your eyes.  This menu throws waistline watching out the window in favour of a calorific combinations of red meat, cheese, cream, butter.

All of the recipes are slightly modified from an unlikely favourite cookbook, “Dinners for Two by Sharon O’Connor”. This book was given to me as a gift, presumably because of my love of travel and music (I didn’t cook much in those days).  It came with a CD and is a collection of menus from romantic country inns across Canada and the U.S. Although the book has no pictures (usually a complete turnoff), creates very large portions (remembering each portion is supposed to be for just 2 people) and throws unexpected twists into recipes that can significantly increase expected preparation time, I have never made anything from this book that was anything short of decadent.  I save it for special occasions because the recipes are fussy, sometimes very fussy.

King Scallops with Goat Cheese Mousseline and Eggplant Confit

This recipe did not call for scallops but I was looking for something from the sea to add to this menu and as soon as the tangy aroma of the confit began to fill the air, I knew that 2 big beautiful bivalves would be just the ticket.

So what the heck is a quenelle?  The word “quenelle” originally referred to a football shaped meat dumpling but evolved to refer to that olive-shape that semi-soft foods can be molded into to create a pleasing presentation.  And why did I think I wouldn’t be able to make one aesthetically perfect enough for the hyper-critical editor’s approval?  This time I blame the internet for my self-doubt.  (Low self-esteem is somehow easier to deal with when you can splash some blame around, lol.) There is a lot of advice out there on proper “flick of the wrist” and the importance of practice, blah, blah, blah.  Never mind all that, at least for cream cheese… Admittedly, it might be trickier for ice cream.  This video helped me create 4 near-perfect ones, first time round.

http://www.ask.com/videos/watch-video/how-to-make-a-quenelle/cLcvVDQrgFrbimj17Wt1Yg?o=14676&l=dis&ver=11&domain=ask.com

Remember what I said about portions in this cookbook?  Add another scallop and this is a filling dinner on its own.  Oh, and remember what I said about unexpected twists in recipes?  Start this one 2 days before you want to eat it.  The planning is worth it though!

The appetiser was paired with a sentimental wine from Joie Farm in British Columbia.  A Noble Blend 2008 is 43% Gewurtztraminer, 38% Riesling, 14% Pinot Auxerrois and 5% Pinot Gris.  This aromatic white exhibits a clean nose of pink grapefruit, white flowers and clove and carries through to a long mouthwatering finish. Thanks to Catherine for sending all the way from Vancouver Island for Christmas!

Veal Fillets on a Cranberry and Rhubarb Compote with Rosemary Sauce

This dish is a medley of seriously concentrated flavours. The base of sour fruits complement the veal beautifully but it’s the rich, buttery, heavily herbed rosemary sauce that elevated it from “Sunday dinner” to “Valentine’s Day Delight”.  Take the time to reduce a whole litre of good quality stock down to 2 cups to get the intensity.

It was served with Rodney Strong, Russian Valley Pinot Noir 2009 from Sonoma County.  This red is described as soft and silky, with intriguing floral and crushed pomegranate aromas. This medium bodied red was aged for 11 months in small French oak barrels, which added a hint of toasty vanilla and spice complexity.

Poached Pears with Caramel Sauce and Toasted Hazelnuts

This was a risky choice since my sweetheart despises that grainy texture that pears can have.  I love their subdued flavour, especially topped with a sweet caramel sauce so became determined that we could share this pleasure.  I’m not sure if it was the choice of Bosc pairs (not Bartlett or Anjou) or whether it was keeping the poach below a simmer that did the trick but it was a mission accomplished and I have a convert! Since toasted hazelnuts are sprinkled on top, it was only natural to add a few tablespoons of Frangelico hazelnut liqueur into the sauce. Delicious!

Although this menu was fairly labour intensive, it was a labour of love.  Hopefully it brought some temporary solace on a cold winter’s night during a very difficult month.  Ok, off to the gym!

Recipes

King Scallops with Goat Cheese Mousseline and Eggplant Confit

4 King Scallops

1 tbsp butter

Eggplant Confit (recipe below)

4 oz goat cheese

1 tbsp. heavy cream

1 tbsp each fresh parsley, chives, thyme

Thyme sprigs for garnish

Eggplant Confit

½ onion sliced

½ tomato seeded and sliced

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 bay leaf

¼ tsp pepper

½ tsp salt

1 tsp honey

¼ cup olive oil

1 clove minced garlic

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 small eggplant

Make the eggplant confit at least a day before your meal.  To make the eggplant confit, combine all ingredients except the eggplant in a large saucepan and simmer gently over low heat for 10 minutes.

Slice eggplant into rounds 1/8  inch thick and add to pan.  Shake pan until slices are submerged. Simmer for 10 more minutes.  Remove from heat, cover and cool for at least 1 day.

On the day of your meal, blend goat cheese in a small bowl with the cream, minced herbs and a twist of ground pepper. Mold the goat cheese mixture into quenelles using 2 tablespoons dipped in hot water.  You should have enough cheese mixture for 4 quenelles. Warm up the eggplant confit.

Score scallops on each side and fry in butter for 2 minutes on each side.

To serve, divide eggplant confit on each plate, Top with 2 goat cheese quenelles and 2 scallops. Garnish with thyme sprigs.

Veal Fillets on a Cranberry and Rhubarb Compote with Rosemary Sauce

Cranberry and Rhubarb Compote

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

2 tbsp rhubarb jam

¼ cup water

2 tbsps honey

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine cranberries, jam and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  When cranberries have softened, add honey, salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Rosemary Sauce

2 tbsp Fresh chopped rosemary

4 tbsp butter

¼ cup minced shallots

1 litre chicken stock reduced down to 2 cups

Salt and pepper to taste

Crush fresh rosemary using a mortar and pestle.  Melt butter in a saucepan and sauté the rosemary and shallots until shallots are translucent.  Add chicken stock and reduce to half original volume.  Add remaining butter, salt and pepper.  Transfer to food processor and puree.

Veal Fillets

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp olive oil

½ lb veal fillet slices (about ¼ inch thick)

1 small tomato, peeled seeded and diced

Heat oil and butter over high heat in sauté pan.  When butter foams, add the fillet slices.  Saute for 1 – 3 minutes on each side depending on preference.

To serve, place ring of compote on each plate, lay veal fillets on top.  Surround with roasted mini potatoes.  Spoon rosemary sauce on top and garnish with diced tomato.

Poached Pears with Caramel Sauce and Toasted Hazelnuts

¾ cup of sugar

2 cups water

2 Bosc pears, peeled, halved and cored

¾  cup Caramel sauce

4 tbsp Frangelico liqueur

4 tsp toasted hazelnuts, chopped

Mint sprigs

Vanilla bean ice cream

In medium saucepan, bring sugar and water to a simmer over medium hat, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Place pear halves in saucepan right after peeling them to prevent browning.  Poach for approximately 10 minutes over low heat and keep below a simmer.  Remove pear halves with slotted spoon.

Warm caramel sauce in small saucepan and blend in Frangelico.

To serve, place a pear on each plate.  Put small scoop of ice cream  in the hollow of each pear. Spoon over caramel sauce.  Top with hazelnuts and mint sprigs.

WILLIAM LEE CLAGGETT

It is with great sadness that we note the sudden death of Bill Claggett on February 3, 2012, loving husband of Heather Ann Claggett. This link (or the one on the left side of this page) will take you to his page.

http://threemealsaday.com/index.php/wclaggett2012/

Her Appetiser from Italy: Swordfish Involtini with Couscous

His Soup from Boston: Shrimp and Corn Chowder

Her Main from Mexico: Mole Marinated Chicken Stuffed Chillies on Red and Yellow Pepper Sauces

His Dessert from Northern Ontario: Maple Sugar Pie with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream & Fresh Berries

Swordfish Involtini with Couscous

So you’re thinking “she picks Italy and ignores all the wonderful pastas and anti-pastas and cooks something with an Arab or Israeli tradition”?  Well, not entirely true. Trapani is the capital of swordfish in the Mediterranean and Sicily incorporated couscous into its cooking long ago. And unlike my dining companion, I love fish (remember what I said about compromise). This dish was light and flavourful and whetted our appetites for 3 more courses. Maybe, just maybe, pasta was avoided to leave room for those 3 courses. It is best served with a full bodied white wine, rich in citrus, tartar and dry fruits or even better, Champagne or rose.  We chose Lanson Rose Champagne. Yum!

Shrimp and Corn Chowder

Boston is renowned for its clam chowder.  The only problem with clam chowder is, well…clams. Btw, don’t google “disgusting clams” you’ll be really disgusted! Anyway, this blog is not meant to make you lose your appetite – quite the opposite. I knew the male portion of this menu would be full of rich, buttery, creamy goodness and I wasn’t disappointed. It had plenty of meaty, lean seafood, including a giant prawn on each serving and the broth was a hearty mix of potato and bacon and corn and comfort and love. (Shuttup, it was for an anniversary, remember).

After this course, we switched to a red wine that was brought back to Canada from the Tuscan winery it was made inhttp://www.panzanello.it/en/agriturismo/.  Il Manuzio Panzanello 2004 is a blend of red grapes called “Super Tuscan” meaning that they are of a certain quality and come from at least 85% regional grapes. We know where the “super” really comes from.

Mole Marinated Chicken Stuffed Chillies on Red and Yellow Pepper Sauces

Do not let this picture deceive you.  This was the star of the show! The stuffed pepper is not drowning.  It is basking, doing a back float; delighted that it is suspended in a sea of deliciousness. The chicken that you cannot see is not hiding.  It is being protected by a loving coat of cheese, cornbread crumbs and pecans, sheathed in a drapery of cilantro after being fortified by mole. What the heck is mole, you ask? Pronounced mo-lay (rhymes with Arriba! Arriba! Andale!) in this context it not a small cylindrical mammal adapted to a subterranean lifestyle nor a unit of measurement used in chemistry.  There is a lot of history surrounding this Mexican sauce and much controversy about its origin.  The modern day consensus is that it has at least 20 ingredients, always including chillies and usually chocolate (Buy yours from a Mexican specialty grocery if you have a life). Yup, chilli and chocolate.  You can’t really go wrong. This dish truly confused the palate with a blend of savoury, sweet, nutty, spicy and creamy along with the earthiness of the coriander. You gotta try this one!

Maple Sugar Pie with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Fresh Berries

At this point I am feeling bad that there has been no red meat and the BF is a carnivore.  I thought for sure we were getting elk cake.  But no! This pie is sure to rot the teeth off anyone who likes pecan pie as much as I do.  What could be more Ontarian than maple syrup, condensed to melt-in-your mouth hyperglycemia on a spoon.  This pie was gorgeous in every way.  Garnished with blackberry and raspberry and the slightest bit of ice cream, it was served with its perfect opposite – Woodford Reserve Bourbon. (Maybe we’ll go to Kentucky next year?)

Recipes

Swordfish Involtini with Couscous (from the Valentino Cookbook by Piero Selvaggio)

¼ cup couscous

1 teaspoon butter

1.5 tbsp. olive oil

4 large prawns

1/8 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped

1/8 cup yellow bell pepper, finely chopped

1/8 cup zucchini, finely chopped

1/8 cup celery, finely chopped

1/8 cup carrots, finely chopped

¼ cup dry white wine

Salt and pepper to taste

4 thin slices swordfish

Marino greens

4 – ¼ inch thick slices Mozzarella

2 thick slices tomato

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

In a small saucepan, bring ¾ cup of salted water to a boil.  Add the couscous and remove from heat.  Let sit for 5-7 minutes until all the water has been absorbed.  In a skillet over medium heat, sauté half the garlic in half the butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil.  When the garlic is golden in colour, add the prawns and vegetables.  Add the wine and reduce.  Stir in couscous and season with salt and pepper.

Lay the swordfish slices on a clean surface, divide stuffing evenly on top of them and roll them up.  Place rolls in a shallow roasting pan, add ½ tablespoon of olive oil and the remaining garlic and butter and season with salt and pepper.  Put in the oven for 7-10 minutes until swordfish is lightly coloured.  On each plate, place 2 rolls on a bed of greens with a piece of tomato and 2 pieces of mozzarella between them.

Boston Shrimp and Corn Chowder

4 slices of bacon, stacked and diced

1 tablespoon butter

3 medium carrots, coarsely chopped

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 stalk(s) celery, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can whole-kernel corn

3 medium red-skinned potatoes cut in ½ inch chunks

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth

1 cup white wine

1/2 teaspoon(s) salt

1 tablespoon fresh each thyme, rosemary and sage, chopped

1/8 teaspoon(s) cayenne) pepper

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 pound medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (including 2 giant prawns)

2 cup(s) half-and-half cream

Chopped fresh thyme leaves for garnish

Heat a 5-quart Dutch oven or saucepot over medium heat; add bacon; cook until crisp; remove bacon with a slotted spoon, drain well on paper towels and reserve.  Remove bacon fat and reserve.

Melt butter with 1 tbsp of bacon fat over medium heat until hot. Add carrots, onion, and celery, and cook until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes, stirring often.

Add garlic, corn, and potatoes to Dutch oven; stir in chicken broth and wine, salt, thyme, rosemary, sage, bay leaf, cayenne and black pepper, and 1 cup water. Heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; uncovered and simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, shell and devein shrimp; set aside.

After 40 mins, stir in cream and then add sliced shrimp and cook 5 minutes longer or until shrimp turn opaque throughout.

To serve, spoon chowder into bowls; Sprinkle with fresh thyme.

Mole Marinated Chicken Stuffed Chillies (Based on recipe from the Ultimate Low-Fat Mexican Cookbook by Anne Lindsay Greer)

¼ cup mole

1 large chicken breast, roasted

1 shallot

1 garlic clove, minced

2-3 tbsp. chicken broth

2 oz goat cheese

2 oz cream cheese

2 large cubano chillies (also called cubanelle) Can use Poblano but need to remove skins.

½ cup cornbread crumbs

2 tbsp. chopped pecans

1 tbsp. minced cilantro

1/8 cup chicken broth

1 tbsp butter

Fresh cilantro

Baked tortilla strips

Shred the roasted chicken and mix in the mole.  Let sit for at least 1 hour.

Coat a medium skillet with vegetable spray and sauté garlic and shallots over medium heat until softened.  Add chicken broth, goat cheese and cream cheese and remove from heat.  Stir to combine the cheeses.  Season with salt and pepper.  Fold cheese mix into the chicken.

Using scissors make a slit on the side of each chilli. Remove seeds and veins carefully.  Stuff each chilli with the chicken and cheese mixture.  Spray a pie pan with vegetable spray and place chillies in the dish.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine cornbread crumbs with pecans and minced cilantro. Melt the butter in the chicken broth.

Top each chilli with equal amounts of cornbread crumbs.  Moisten the crumbs with the butter and chicken broth.  Cover the chillies with foil and bake at least 12-15 minutes or until heated through and crumbs are browned.

To serve, pool each plate with yellow pepper sauce on one half and red pepper sauce on the other. Serve one chilli per person. Garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs and baked tortilla strips.

Yellow Bell Pepper Sauce

1 large yellow bell pepper, roasted and peeled

1 shallot

1 clove garlic, minced

1/8 cup white wine

1 tbsp. lemon juice

¼ cup chicken broth

1 tsp. cornstarch

1 oz low fat cream cheese

Salt and pepper

Cut peppers into small pieces and blend in a blender jar.  Heat garlic and shallot until softened.  Add white wine and lemon juice.  Add to the blender jar and blend until smooth.  Add chicken broth, cornstarch and cream cheese and blend on high.  Pour the blended mixture back into the saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened.  Season with salt and pepper.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

1 large red bell pepper, roasted and peeled

1 shallot

1 clove garlic, minced

1/8 cup white wine

1 tbsp. lemon juice

¼ cup chicken broth

1 tsp. cornstarch

1 oz low fat cream cheese

1 tbsp tomato paste

Salt and pepper

The instructions for these sauces are the same: Cut peppers into small pieces and blend in a blender jar.  Heat garlic and shallot until softened.  Add white wine and lemon juice.  Add to the blender jar and blend until smooth.  Add chicken broth, cornstarch and cream cheese, tomato paste (red pepper sauce only) and blend on high.  Pour the blended mixture back into the saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened.  Season with salt and pepper.  These sauces can be made in advance.

Maple Sugar Pie

Store-bought pie dough, fitted into a standard pie or tart pan and baked for 15 minutes at 375F

1 cup maple or light brown sugar

1/4 all-purpose flour

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

3/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350F. Gently whisk together 1 sugar and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour until the mixture is smooth.  The sugar-flour mixture is ready for the wet ingredients when it is smooth, with only a few, small sugar lumps. Once the flour sugar mixture is smooth, add the maple syrup and the heavy cream. Whisk the mixture together until it is completely smooth. The filling will be a watery consistency. Garnish with blackberries and raspberries, vanilla bean Haaen Dazs ice cream and a few dark chocolate shavings.

For the Bruschetta, mix together 4 large ripe tomatoes, diced small, 1/2 large red onion, diced small, 1/3 cup EVOO, 2 limes freshly squeezed with zest, 1 lemon freshly squeezed with zest, 1/3 cup fresh parsley chopped, 1/2 bunch green onions, thinly sliced, minced garlic to taste and then adjust juice and oil as desired.  Set aside.

With mushrooms of your choosing (like a chanterelle or oyster) sautee in EVOO until mushrooms soften and set aside.  With thinly sliced prosciutto ham (1/4″ by 1″) sautee until crisp.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400F.  On a flat bread of your choosing, brush lightly with EVOO and then sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the bread.  Bake in oven for 5 minutes.  Remove and add bruschetta evenly over bread.  Then building like a pizza add: crumbled goat cheese, chopped mushrooms, ham, a mixture of red/orange/yellow peppers and black olives diced very small.  Place  bread back in oven and cook a further 5-10 minutes until goat cheese starts to melt.

Remove from oven.  Cut into small squares or bite size chunks and then drizzle with a balsamic glaze vinegar (which can be bought at most stores).

Serve and enjoy!

If you are a chocolate lover look no further than these cookies. They will make your knees buckle. The texture is dense with rich cocoa flavors. The nutella does a wonderful job of blending all the taste in each bite. This recipe is from the Washington Post with the original source of recipe being Huntsberger and Willis, of Whisked! in Washington D.C.

I usually don’t bake real things unless it comes in a tube of already made dough. If prep time takes more than 5 min I won’t be making it. I have realized that baking requires precision and patience, both are definitely not my speciality. But this recipe actually wasn’t hard at all and surprisingly came out amazing. The reason I know it was actually amazing is because our family’s biggest critic (my step-mom Elaine) said she loved it… and meant it. She’s not a very good liar so I know it was actually good. We will definitely be keeping this recipe and most likely be making another batch or two before Christmas. Yum!

We are giving this cookie trial 5 snowflakes. Excellent!

Makes 30 to 35 cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups (10 ounces) flour
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (3.2 ounces) natural unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
2 teaspoons kosher salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at a very soft room temperature (see headnote)
1 1/3 cups (9.3 ounces) sugar, plus 1 cup for finishing the cookies
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone liner.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and salt in a small bowl.

Combine the butter and 1 1/3 cups of sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer. Beat for about 2 minutes on low speed, until fluffy, then add the egg yolks, cream and vanilla extract; beat on low speed until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.

Place the remaining cup of sugar in a shallow bowl.

Scoop 30 to 35 heaping tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheets. Shape each mound of dough into a ball, then roll it in the remaining sugar to coat evenly. Space the balls 2 inches apart on the baking sheets, then use your thumb to make an indentation in the top of each cookie, gently flattening the cookies a bit as you work.

Bake one sheet at a time for 10 minutes or until the edges are just set; the tops of the cookies will be soft. (If the indentations have lost definition, press the centers again immediately after you remove the cookies from the oven.) Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool. Pipe or spoon the Nutella into the center of each cookie while the cookies are still slightly warm.

Serve or store once the Nutella centers have slightly set; if in layers use wax paper. These do not freeze well.

MAKE AHEAD: Unbaked, scooped cookies stored in an airtight container will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer. Baked and filled cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

To follow on from Stuart’s idea from last year, Megan and I will be helping out (well really Megan as she bakes and I eat!) with the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies.  We found this recipe that we thought we would share … taste just like ginger snaps (with a triple serving of ginger) but are chewy in the middle.

Preheat the oven to 350 with racks in lower and upper third of the oven. Line 2 sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk 2 1/4 cups of flour with 2 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1 1/2 tsp of baking soda, 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp of fresh ground nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp of fresh ground black pepper.

In an electric mixer, beat on med-high  3/4 cup of packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, and 1/2 cup ( one stick) of butter in a large bowl, scraping down the sides of the bowl half way through the beating, until light and fluffy (about 3 mins).  Reduce the speed to low and add 1 large egg, 1/2 cup blackstrap molasses, 2tsp grated ginger, 1 tsp vanilla and beat until blended.  Add1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger .

In a large bowl add 1 cup sugar in the raw.  Using a teaspoon measure, scoop out dough and then using another teaspoon scoop out the measure into the bowl gently rolling the dough into a ball and well coated.  Transfer to cookie sheet on parchment paper spacing balls 1 1/2″ apart.

Bake in oven rotating sheets halfway through from top to bottom (or reverse) until edges are firm and centers appear cracked; 10-12 mins.  Transfer to cooling rack.

Baked beans is a side dish we often find at our summer gatherings. For whatever reason they seem to go well with that hamburger or hotdog although some of us do not like how the sauce creeps over towards our bun or the coleslaw. We have our canned favorite or the long slowly cooked boston bean variety tested and tweaked over the years. Some like it sweet and others savory. For our recent summer get together we decided beans should be on the menu but I was looking for something different. I have recently tried some curry beans that Hienz sells(primarly in the UK) and while I like the flavor I did not think eveyone else in the crowd would. Scouring though some recent summer food magazines I came a across a three bean bake in Cooking Light. The photo looked good and nothing in the recipe looked too scary for our guests so we gave it a try.

The recipe is topped with bacon which is always a plus for baked beans and lots of it. Is there anything that bacon does not go good with. I saw a maple glazed donut with bacon on top at a shop this weekend so that for me confirms everything tastes better with bacon. What attracted me to this recipe was the bean varieties because they are all beans that most people who will eat beans will try as opposed to say a kidney bean. Now there are a lot of ingredients, but nothing that you would not typically have on hand and preparation is easy. You can mix this all together, put it in the casserole dish and wait until it is time to pop it in the oven. Simple, but not as simple as pouring out a can of Bush beans and adding some seasoning of your own.

The results were very good. The flavors and the beans all blended well together. It reheats well for leftovers. The mixture is light on the sauce so it will not be prone to seep over to your bun and make it soggy. We would make this again as a change from the ordinary. It would be a great side to a salad for a full dinner meal as well.

RECIPE
8 Servings
Prep and Cooking Time: 90 minutes

4 hickory-smoked bacon slices, chopped
2 cups finely chopped sweet onion
1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup tomato sauce
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (15-ounce) can organic black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can organic chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can organic Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
Cooking spray

Preparation
1. Preheat your oven to 325° (if not preparing in advance)
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon to pan, and sauté for 5 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon, reserving 1 1/2 tablespoons drippings in pan. Set bacon aside. Add 2 cups onion, bell pepper, and minced garlic to drippings in pan, and sauté for 6 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and cool slightly.
3. Combine the tomato sauce and the next 8 ingredients (through red pepper) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in onion mixture and beans. Spoon bean mixture into an 11 x 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray, and sprinkle with reserved bacon. Cover and bake at 325° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake an additional 30 minutes.

Source: Cooking Light with minor modifications.

Hush puppies are something I have always enjoyed when dining at a seafood restaurant. It is a small pleasure for me since I am not overly crazy about seafood. The sweet deeply fried corn and flour mixture appear very simple. So why have I not attempted to making these at home? Crab cakes were on the menu so I decide it was time to go ahead and give it a try. I already had the self-rising flour and cornmeal on hand.

I first searched Joy of Cooking and found a basic recipe. Additional research found minor variations but the main ingredients stayed the same. I like mine sweet perhaps adding some honey once cooked so instead of a yellow onion I decided on sweet onion.

The first time I made these was with oil in a cast iron pan. It worked but keeping the temperature correct was challenging. It also is a huge waste of oil unless you will filter it and save it. The second time around I decided to try it with the deep fryer and this worked perfectly. They all had a uniform texture. The one downside was making sure to shake them around enough to make sure all sides were browned evenly. Enjoy these with your next crab cake sandwich or fish fry. I will be eating them with anything I want; maybe roast beef

Recipe

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup white sugar
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup self-rising cornmeal

1 quart oil for frying or deep fryer

Directions

In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs and then mix together with the sugar and onion. Blend in flour and cornmeal.

Heat 2 inches of oil in a cast iron pan or a deep fryer to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C). Drop batter by rounded teaspoonfuls in hot oil, and fry until golden brown. I used a small cookie scoop. Cook in small batches to maintain oil temperature. Drain briefly on paper towels. Serve hot.

In search of the prefect crab cake can be a whole life pursuit when you live near the Chesapeake Bay/Eastern Shore. One has a favorite served at a restaurant and usually a recipe at home. Talk of crab cake recipes are passed on from generation to generation. It was Labor Day weekend and it was time to bring out our favorite recipe for another special gathering.

So why do I say special. Unfortunately, there is just not enough crab to go around so a large source of it now comes from Asia regardless of where it comes from it is expensive. Supporting the local fisherman we only bought from Eastern Shore sourced crab but that jumbo lump crab came at a premium of over $25 a pound.

The recipe that is our favorite is one that we have adapted from a Fine Cooking recipe we found a few years ago. It replaced the favorite at that time in a trial between the two. We have tried some with saltines, regular breadcrumbs but found fresh bread crumb in this recipe really makes a difference. These crab cakes are rich in crab texture with just enough binder so as not to be heavy on filler. The Old Bay seasoning brings out a classic eastern shore flavor to top it all off. Serve these hot right off the pan or griddle.

Recipe
Note: This requires some advance preparation

1 lb. jumbo lump or backfin lump crabmeat
1 large egg (lightly beaten)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1-1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 to 1-1/2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt
1-1/4 cups fresh breadcrumbs (from soft white sandwich bread, such as Pepperidge Farm)
1 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
Lemon wedges for serving

Drain the crabmeat, and remove any shell material as necessary. Put the crab in a medium mixing bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, Old Bay seasoning, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Scrape the mixture over the crab and mix gently until well combined. Gently break up the lumps with your fingers but be careful to not reduce the lump structure.

Add the breadcrumbs and the parsley to the bowl and mix them in thoroughly but gently; try not to turn the mixture into a mash—it should still be somewhat loose. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours.

For full size cakes shape the crab mixture into 8 cakes about 1 inch thick. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. When the butter is frothy, add the cakes to the pan (8 should fit comfortably). Cook until dark golden brown on the underside, about 4 minutes. Flip the cakes, reduce the heat to medium low, and continue cooking until the other side is well browned, 4 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over the cakes.