Crab Mac & Cheese with Spinach

After a long absence, I'm going to try and start posting again.

This week, we went to Red Lobster (Crab Fest is on!) and each got an order of Snow Crab legs. My roommate had a hard time cracking and eating them, but I went through one set of legs and still had one left. We took them home, along with some of the great cheese biscuits Red Lobster serves. I had to find a way to use this delicious and expensive food!

There were 3 "knots" of legs that we brought home. I stored them overnight in the fridge, then removed the meat from the legs and shredded it.  I thought about things I could do: Crab salad, crab Alfredo, crab cakes, etc. Finally I came up with this recipe.

Crab Mac & Cheese with Spinach

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni
• 4-6 oz shredded cheddar cheese (I used mild)
• 2 T butter
• 2 T minced onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 T flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 4-8 oz shredded crab meat
• 1/3 cup frozen chopped spinach

Procedure

Start a pan of salted water on high heat until it reaches boiling. You'll add the macaroni, reduce the heat to medium-high and let it cook per the package directions, usually 8-10 minutes. 

While the pasta boils, sauté the onion in the butter using a sauce pan at medium-high heat. We'll be making a roux as a base for the casserole, so once the onion is translucent and just beginning to brown, reduce the heat to medium low and add the minced garlic (don't let it burn, it makes it bitter) and the flour, along with salt and pepper to taste. Use the flour to soak up the butter, then add the milk and turn the heat back up to medium high. Use a whisk as the roux begins to thicken so that you don't get lumps of flour. Once it thickens it should be about the consistency of cream gravy. Whisk in the shredded cheese, reserving a small amount for the topping.

Put the frozen spinach in a small bowl with a teaspoon of water and microwave on medium for about 2 minutes. Not enough to really cook the spinach, just enough to get it thawed and easy to work with. When the pasta is done, drain and put in a 2 qt casserole dish. Add the spinach and try to distribute it evenly through the pasta. 

Add the crab meat to the cheese sauce and mix it in well. Add the cheese sauce & crab meat to the macaroni and fold it in until it looks like all the pasta has been coated with the sauce and it looks well-mixed. Top with the reserved cheese. Bake in 350° oven for 25-30 minutes. Edges of the casserole should be bubbling when you take it out. 

Optional - I had some of Red Lobster's great cheese biscuits, so I crumbled them up on top of the cheese to make a crunchy topping. It was a good way to use the biscuits and adds a nice contrast to the pasta and sauce.

Shrimp Creole

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. Peeled and Deveined Shrimp, save shells to make Shrimp Stock
  
• 2 Tbsp Butter
  
• 1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
  
• 1 Large Onion, finely chopped
  
• 2 Ribs Celery, finely chopped
  
• 1 small Green Pepper, finely Chopped
  
• 2 Tbsp Creole Seasoning (BAM)
  
• 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
  
• 2-1/2 Cups Very Ripe Fresh Tomatoes, Diced
  
• 1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
  
• 2 Cups Shrimp Stock (recipe here)
  
• 2 Tbsp Garlic, minced
  
• 2 Bay leaves
  
• Cayenne to taste
  
• Kosher Salt to taste
  
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
  
• 1 tsp White Pepper
  
• 1 bunch Fresh Thyme
  
• 2 Tbsp Tabasco
  
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  
• 1/2 Cup Green Onions, green tops thinly sliced, white part sliced into 1/4″ thickness
  
• 1/8 Cup Flat Leaf Parsley, minced
  
• 1 Recipe Creole Boiled Rice*
  

Prep:
Melt the butter in a large sauce pan with the vegetable oil over medium high heat. When the butter begins to froth add 1/2 cup of the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown. Add the remaining onions, celery, and bell pepper, reduce the heat to medium and season with 1 Tbsp Creole Seasoning and a healthy pinch of salt. Sweat the vegetables until the soft.

Add the tomato paste mixing well, and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste begins to brown, then add the fresh tomatoes and another healthy pinch of Kosher salt, this will help the tomatoes break down. Stir well.

When the tomatoes start to break down into liquid add the white wine, and turn the heat to high until most of the alcohol burns off. Add the Shrimp Stock, remaining Creole seasoning, garlic, bay leaves, black pepper, white pepper, cayenne (to taste), and Thyme. Bring to a boil then reduce to a low simmer. Simmer for 30-45 minutes.

(If necessary at this point thicken the sauce with 1 Tbsp Cornstarch/ 2Tbsp water. Bring to a boil to maximize the thickening power of the cornstarch.)

Add the hot sauce, Worcestershire, and season to taste with Kosher salt. Last chance to re-season your sauce, remember that good cooking is all about proper seasoning. Make your Boiled Rice, and season your shrimp with 1 Tbsp Kosher salt and a pinch of Cayenne.

Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to low and add the shrimp. The key is to not overcook your shrimp. Let them slowly simmer in the sauce until just cooked through.

Serve with boiled rice and garnish with the remaining green onions and parsley.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

*Creole Rice - Boil 1 cup rice with 1/2 tsp Emeril's Bayou Blast and a bay leaf.  Add 1 tbl butter after rice is done.

Pete's Seafood Newburg

Ingredients:

Poaching Liquid

•  2 cups water
  
•  1 Tbls Black Peppercorns
  
•  2 Bay leaves
  
•  A pinch of salt
  
•  1/2 peeled shrimp
  
•  1 cup Sea Scallops
  
•  2 large Lobster tails
  

Roux

•  1/2 cup of flour
  
•  1 tsps Paprika
  
•  1 tsps Curry powder
  
•  1/2 tsps ground Nutmeg
  
•  1 tsps Cayenne pepper
  

Gremalada Topping (Chop all well)

•  2 cloves garlic
  
•  1 Tbls Lemon zest
  
•  1/4 cup each of FRESH Rosemary and Parsley
  

Bring water and spices to a boil for 2 minutes then turn down to med. low. After water temp comes down from boil add the shrimp and the scallops. Poach for 3 minutes ONLY. Remove and set aside. Place in the lobster tails and poach by themselves for 4 minutes ONLY. Remove them and allow to cool. After cooled, crack the shells, remove the meat and cut into large chunks. Set aside.

In a sauce pan add 1 1/2 milk and 1/2 small can of tomato paste. Whisk until thoroughly combined then put on low to keep warm.

In fry pan add 3 Tbls butter and melt without browning. Add in the roux ingredients. Make a roux then add 2/3 cup white wine and wisk until smooth. Then add the milk mixture and continue wisking until the Newberg sauce is fairly thick.

Then gently fold in the seafood and gently simmer for 5 minutes

Serve the Seafood Newberg over white rice then top with the gremalada.

Sauteéd Fish With Mustard

Ingredients:

•  1 lb. fish filets
  
•  1 lg. clove garlic, crushed
  
•  1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
  
•  1 Tbs. spicy mustard (brown or chinese)
  
•  1 bay leaf, crushed (about 1/4 tsp.)
  
•  1/8 tsp. salt
  
•  juice of 1 lime
  
•  1 Tbs. chopped dill (optional)
  
•  1/4 cup cooking oil
  

Prep:
Combine the lime juice, garlic, mustard, bay leaf, cayenne, and salt in a bowl. Coat fish with the marinade and allow to stand for at least 30 minutes. Sautee gently in the oil until done, turning once. Sprinkle with dill.

Homemade Seafood Boil

Ingredients:

•  4 Tbs. yellow mustard seeds
  
•  3 Tbs. coriander seeds
  
•  2 Tbs. allspice (whole)
  
•  2 Tbs. dill seeds
  
•  1 tsp. whole cloves
  
•  1 Tbs. crushed red pepper
  
•  8 bay leaves
  
•  salt and cayenne or liquid hot sauce to taste.
  

Prep:
Combine all dry ingredients. Place in a square of muslin or cheesecloth and tie securely with string, like a large sachet. Add salt and cayenne or hot sauce to the water to taste, then bring to a boil.

When water for seafood is boiling, add the bag and boil for several minutes, until the boiling liquid is tinted and seasoned, then add vegetables and/or seafood and cook until done, depending on what you're cooking (4 minutes for shrimp, or until they are pink).

Makes enough to boil 5 lbs. of seafood.

Pete's Easy Seafood Pasta

(In searching for this, I realized the page existed but there was no content! Here is Pete’s original post. Not sure why it vanished.)

Start with any kind of pasta (preferably flat noodles) and whichever kind of sauce you like. For this I prefer an Alfredo sauce or a Four cheese sauce. Then buy some seafood. Popcorn shrimp, crab meat or what I prefer is small Bay Scallops.

Take the scallops and wash them very well. Then chop some garlic, about 4-5 cloves, finely and combine with a half of a stick of REAL butter.

Put the garlic and butter on low heat for about 5 minutes then strain into a saucepan or Teflon skillet. Add the scallops to the butter and cook on medium heat for no more than 10 minutes, really about 5 minutes after they begin to simmer.

Then make the DiGiorno meal as directed. Remove the scallops from the heat and drain. Put the cooked noodles on a plate and then add the scallops, then add the sauce.

This will make enough for two hearty appetites and is best served with a salad and a light blush wine.

Make this for your hubby and I guarantee you that you'll have a happy hubby. Enjoy!

Honey Dijon Fish

Ingredients:
Marinade

•  1/2 cup Honey Dijon salad dressing (or Honey Dijon Mustard)
  
•  1 tsp liquid smoke
  
•  1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  

Other ingredients

•  1 tsp dried dillweed or 1tsp fresh dill
  
•  2 tsp lemon pepper
  
•  1/2 tsp salt
  

Prep:
Place thawed fish (cod or other white fish) in a dish or sealable bag and add the marinade. Close and let marinate for 30 minutes..

In a baking pan melt 2 tbls butter and add the remaining ingredients. Place fish on the melted butter and spices and bake @ 400 degrees for 15 minutes then broil for 4 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Neil's Clam Chowder

Ingredients:

•  2 cups chopped potato
  
•  2 cups chopped onion (brown, white, green is also great)
  
•  1/2 pound fried bacon (don't over cook and keep drippings)
  
•  2 or 3 cans of clam KEEP THE JUICE
  
•  2 Tbs flour
  
•  2 cups water
  
•  1 pint cream (heavy)
  
•  1 1/2 cups milk
  
•  4 splashes Worchestershire sauce
  
•  pepper
  

Prep:
Add water, bacon with drippings, clam juice, potato and onion, bring to boil, cover and cook over medium heat 20 min. Add cream and 1 cup of the milk, and the clams, splash in the worchestershire and bring to a boil. In a bowl add the flour with remaining 1/2 cup milk (I use blender), mix well and add to soup. Add pepper to taste.