Hot Vocado - Crab Stuffed Avocado

Oh avocado, thou art unctuously delicious and nutritious.

Surprisingly good for you, regardless of the 30 grams of fat contained within the bumpy dark skin, the avocado is a wonder fruit.  This is due to the fact that they are so high in Oleic acid which not only increases your HDL cholesterol, but lowers your less than savory LDL levels as well.  This mono-unsaturated fat can also help to regulate triglycerides (that's free fat in the blood) and can assist in controlling diabetes. 

All this and over 25% more potassium than that yellowest of tropical herbs, the banana.  And, as if that wasn't enough, the blessed avocado is high in fiber and multiple B vitamins like Folate and Pyridoxine.  If you are normally a "meat and potatoes" kind of person, then Pyridoxine is your friend for it is used by your body to break down proteins, not to mention boosting your immune system and fostering proper nerve function.

But enough about the nutritional wonder that is the avocado.  It all boils down the the fact that you should eat them because they are tasty.  Not just as the main ingredient to guacamole or "California Cuisine".  Try it on your morning bagel instead of butter or cream cheese schmear.   Trust me, Lox with Avocado is a revelation.

You can even bake them... I know it sounds little strange at first, as most avocado applications are of the raw variety, but it's shockingly scrumptious.  Of course anything that contains Béchamel, Chipotle and Crab, can't possibly be ALL bad... Right?

Hot Vocado

Printable Recipe
1 TB (16g) Unsalted Butter
2 TB (16g) AP Flour
Pinch of Cayenne
3/4 cup (200ml) Whole Milk
1 tsp Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
1 tsp Tomato Paste
1/2 tsp Chipotle Tobasco
7 oz (198 g) Canned or Frozen Crab Meat
2 large Haas Avocados

Melt Butter in a small sauce pan and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Mix Flour with a pinch of Cayenne pepper.

When Butter is melted and foaming subsides, add the Flour/Cayenne mixture and whisk until bubbly, making a roux.

Whisk warm Milk into the roux and continue cooking until the mixture (now a Béchamel) becomes thick.

Remove the Béchamel from the flame and add Parmigiano-Reggiano, Tomato Paste, and Chipotle Tobasco; whisking to combine.

Fold in the Crab meat.

Slice the Avocados in half and remove the pit.

Scoop out a little bit of the flesh to make the depression a little bigger. (A little sustenance for the cook, cause this is hard work)  ;)

Spoon the crab mixture into the avocado.

Place in an oven proof bowl.

Bake until the top begins to brown slightly, about 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and enjoy!

Mangia!!
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Cranky Cucumber - Crab Napoleon

So originally, this evening, I had planned on Coconut Pecan Baked Chicken. Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans of Mice & Chickens. In the end I made Squash Soup again. This was partly due to the light snow fall that occurred this morning, soup was definitely the ticket. But being, in essence, a vegetable soup, it just wasn't going to be enough "Man Chow".

So, I rummaged through the refrigerator to take stock of what was contained therein. Then I pattered off to the pantry and poked my peepers in, to peruse the non-perishables. Luckily, I had some canned crab. I will tell you right now that this recipe is MUCH better with fresh Dungeness or King Crab, but the canned stuff will work in a pinch.

Though the ingredient list is simple as well as the prep work, the presentation is quite impressive. Thankfully, as impressive as it looks, even the assembly is fairly simple. Much to my chagrin, I was out of white pepper. It's only an aesthetic thing and I think you will see why as we go through the steps. It's a case of wanting pepper flavor, but not wanting to see it.

I am not gonna lie to ya, this really isn't "Man Chow" in any way, shape, or form. This is better served for afternoon tea or as a luncheon item. But it went REALLY well with the soup and it was very tasty, I just ate 2 of them... LOL

Crab Napoleons

2 Hot House Cucumbers
3 TB White Wine Vinegar
Salt and White Pepper
20 oz of Crab Meat
3 TB Crème Fraîche
1 tsp Ginger, Ground
Salt and White Pepper
a small bunch of Cilantro, chopped
3 TB Champagne or Muscat Vinegar
3 TB Extra Virgin Olive oil
Salt and White Pepper

Cut the cucumbers into 9 cm chunks (this is about 3 3/4 inches)

Carefully slice the cucumber into 1 mm slabs. (hopefully, this should yield 24 slabs)

Place White Wine Vinegar in a bowl and season it with Salt and White Pepper (Cause black pepper shows up)

Add the cucumber slabs and marinate for 30 minutes; Turning them over occasionally.

In a bowl, combine Crab meat, Crème Fraîche, Ginger and Salt and White pepper.

When homogeneous, add the chopped cilantro and mix together.

Refrigerate until the Cucumbers are done marinating.
Once the cucumbers are done, assemble a bunch of plates and begin by placing 1 slab down on each plate.

Spoon the crab mixture over the slab and smooth it out, keeping it in a rough rectangle shape to match the cucumber, then lay down another cucumber slab over the top and press lightly.

Continue until you have 3 layers of Cucumber and 3 layers of Crab; then place the final slab on top.

Garnish with a little cucumber skin curl and chill while you make the dressing.
Place Champagne vinegar, Salt, Extra Virgin Olive oil, and White pepper in a small bowl.

Whisk until partially emulsified.

Drizzle it over the Napoleons....

And serve, with Squash Soup, even though there are unsightly bits of black pepper all over everything... LOL

Mangia!!
~~

Those Spicy Crustaceans - Peperoncini Poppers

I love quick, simple and delicious appetizers. OK, the cutting and cleaning of the peperoncini takes awhile, but the filling is quick and simple. LOL And that leaves me free to concentrate on the meal without worrying that everyone is starving to death.

I wanted to make these with fresh Dungeness crab this year, there just wasn't time with everything else going on, so sacrifices had to be made. As a result, I simply used Bumble Bee fancy white Crab meat from a can. (Don't laugh... Steaming and shelling a crab before Thanksgiving just wasn't feesable) LOL

I think this was originally a Hearty Boys recipe, but I have been making these for so long now, I can't say for sure.

Peperoncini Poppers

30 small Peperoncini or 18-20 Large Peperoncini
8 oz Crab Claw meat (Shredded) or 2 cans of Fancy White meat Crab
8 oz Cream Cheese
8 oz Mascarpone
1 1/2 TB Italian Seasoning
1 inch of Red Pepper Paste
1 or 2 dashes of Tabasco
Chopped Flat Leaf (Italian) Parsley or Cilantro

Cut the stems form the Peperoncini and

carefully scrape out the seeds.

Beat Cream Cheese and Mascarpone in a bowl.

Add Crab meat and continue to mix.

Add Italian Seasoning, Red pepper paste, and Tabasco and mix until well blended.

Fill a pastry bag with large star tip or use a zip lock bag with one of the bottom corners cut off.

Fill the interior cavity of the Peperoncini with mixture, over filling slightly.

Dip the filled end of the Peperoncini in the chopped Parsley or Cilantro right before serving and place on serving tray.

Creamy, Spicy and "Crabby".... Delish!!!

Mangia!!
~~