Crab Pasta Salad

So I have this son, he's pretty awesome.

He's a fitness freak and strong as an ox.

He eats Elk and veggies.

Disclaimer: I did not take this picture, that would be weird and creepy.  Nor does Scoot know I stole it.

But when he wants carbs, this is his most requested summer salad. 

Being an overloaded BYU student, he couldn't join up with the rest of the family for the 4th of July, so I made this in his honor.  And because I go the extra mile, I mailed him a tub of it.  

Should've sent it overnight though.

You're welcome, Scoot.

Normally,  I would use a more fun shape of pasta, rotini or some kind of tini.   Could these be any more bahhhring?  But whatcha gonna do when you're far from civilization and these are the only ones on the store shelves?

Crab Salad

1 lb. box of pasta
2 lbs. crab meat - well it was actually "Krab"
3 cups mayo
3 cups buttermilk
1 T Old Bay Seasoning
2 T. Ranch dressing mix
pepper
1/2 bunch celery, finely diced
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

Cook the pasta in salted water (note: this is your only chance to get salt INTO the pasta, and flavor comes in layers!), al dente.  Drain and rinse in cool water until cool. Then it will all be cool.

Mix together the mayo, buttermilk, and seasonings.  Break up the crab into smaller chunks and combine together the pasta, crab, celery, and green onions. 

Even better the next day. 

Note:  I use fake crab for this. It's what you do when you make a salad big enough to feed a small country, as I have a tendency to do (yes the recipe posted here is half of what I actually made. It took two grown men to hoist it onto the counter).  Crab cakes?  Use the real thing. 


Posted by: Rona

Salsa

For super easy, delish salsa...

 

     5 green onions (chopped, does not have to be finely chopped)

     1/3 of bushel cilantro (cut stems off)

     1- 14 oz can tomatoes

     1- 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies (I use Original. If you want more heat do mild, medium, etc.)

     1 teaspoon garlic salt

 

Throw all ingredients into blender, no need to drain tomatoes.  Pulse for a few seconds.  Done!

 

Sara

Avocado Cream

 I LOVE avocados, and in any form.  we had a bunch at home last week, so I came up with a little concoction that will now be a regular.  Here's what I did.

1 cup mayo
1 cup buttermilk
ranch dressing packet
4 avocados
3 tomatillos

Blend in the blender until smooth and creamy.  So, so good.   We like this on burritos, taco salads, and even use it as a dip for chips.  I wonder how it would be to sub the mayo for plain Greek yogurt, for added healthiness.  I'll try that next time.  I also like to add a good amount of black pepper.

Posted by Tiffany :)

Blackened Salmon

Let's face it, blackened shoe would be good.  
I opted for salmon. 

Blackened Salmon

One thing we didn't think about when we started this blog is how to write down a recipe when you don't usually use one.  Except for baking, it's so much easier to throw stuff together and hope it works - and usually it does. 

Well slap my a** and call me Sally.  This one was sooooo good.  

Here's a general rundown of what I did...
The good thing is you can't really go wrong with blackened seasonings.  They always come together... right now... over me..


In a bowl I mixed:

Paprika - a lot (essential ingredient for blackening)
Old Bay Seasoning - a lot (this should always be in your cupboard.  It's amazing with seafood, in crab salad, etc. Also, no extra salt needed, this has a ton)
Garlic Powder - a little
Onion Powder - a little
Chili Powder - a little bit more than a little but not a lot
Thyme - a little

Mix together and pat all around salmon - both sides.  Heat a heavy duty skillet HOT - swirl in some olive oil.  Place salmon (prettiest side down first) in skillet and let it sear for 3-4 minutes.  Don't budge it for the prettiest sear.  Flip over and do the same.  

How easy was that? The flavor was amazing.  

Come on in Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Work it.

 

Posted by: Rona

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

These are one of my favorite types of cookies, so awhile back I started experimenting and came up with this recipe.  It works every time.  One tip, buy GOOD white chocolate chips.  I like the Guittard brand.  It will make all the difference.  One challenge though, try not to eat all the dough before you get around to baking the cookies.

1 cup room-temp butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
        Cream together these 3 ingredients on high speed for a good 2-3 minutes, then add:

2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
       Turn mixer back to high for another minute, making sure everything gets nicely incorporated.  Once it's looking good and fluffy, switch to the paddle attachment and add:

3 (ish) cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
       Mix just for a bit to combine, don't over-mix this part.  Next add 1 bag of white chocolate chips and 1 5 oz. bag of macadamia nuts.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.  I like to bake these on a stone, and if I do that, it seems to need a minute or so longer than if I bake them on a regular cookie sheet.  Also, I never really measure the flour exact, so add it gradually and do a tester cookie to see if you need more flour.  If the cookie comes out flat, add a little more flour until it comes out right!

Posted by: Tiffany

Rocky Road Brownies

Here it is - my guilty pleasure (well one of them at least). 

They are heavenly wicked.

They are my BFF and my worst enemy.

I have happy thoughts and naughty dreams about these. 

I first got this recipe from a friend back in high school who thought she'd sold her birthright by sharing the family secret as she slipped me the 3 x 5 card incognito in the back halls of WX High.  Bless her heart, as it turns out I've seen this recipe everywhere since.

I love this recipe because I always have cocoa on hand, but not always other forms of chocolate like other recipes call for. This is a double recipe ( I haven't made a single batch of anything for years), but they freeze really well and rumor has it there's nothing better than a semi-frozen brownie removed from the freezer at 2:00 in the morning  - not that I have done that, of course.

Rocky Road Brownies

4 squares butter (2 cups), melted (I just do this on low in a saucepan rather than the microwave - it dirties the same amount of dishes and I don't have an atomic butter explosion - which is a given)
4 cups sugar
8 eggs - (room temp is best if you have enough time)

Mix together and add:

3 cups flour
1 cups cocoa
1 T vanilla
1/2 t. salt
nuts if you want them

Spray a large baking pan (twice as big as a 9 x 13) with cooking spray.  Spread in batter in evenly and baked in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.  Right now, my perfect bake time is 34 minutes.  Adjust accordingly if you lick half the batter.

Let cool and frost.  I dumped the original frosting recipe and made my own. It's super rich, and you could easily scale back but why? You can have salad tomorrow.

Over the years, we done many things on top.  Everything from a delicate sifting of powdered sugar to a mint buttercream with a high gloss ganache top coat.  It's all good and you can't go wrong.

Rona's Fudgy Frosting

3 squares melted butter
3/4 - 1 cup cocoa
2 lbs. powdered sugar (that'd be a big bag)
half and half (I probably used around a cup)
2 T vanilla
1/2 bag mini marshmallows

Add cocoa to the melted butter and whisk until blended.  Mix with remaining ingredients except mallows, using enough half and half to make a smooth but not-too-thick texture.  Beat until smooth and creamy.   Add about 1/2 bag mini marshmallows to the frosting gently and spread on cooled brownies.  If you haven't stuck your finger in this at least once by now, there's something wrong with you and you need help.

For easier cutting, chill in the fridge for a few hours. 

Note:  If you are using a cookie sheet with sides, you may want to decrease to 7 eggs and 3 3/4 cup sugar to prevent a nasty boil over that will leave you swearing like a sailor. 

Also, not all cocoa is created equal.  Western Family looks like nice beachy sand and won't be as rich and decadent as Hershey's.

Furthermore, if you sub the butter for margarine, we can no longer be friends.  It will taste like  chocolate baked motor oil.

Go ahead and squeal like a school girl.

What.?.?  

Posted by: Rona

Deviled Eggs

Everyone in our family loves deviled eggs!

  

They are so yummy, they scream SUMMER,  plus they're cheap and easy (like what's-'er-name down the street).  Back when we had 40 chickens and were getting 3 dozen eggs a day, I was always looking for more ways to use them.  Hence, if we weren't making German Pancakes or huge omelets, we were making these - always a staple at our summer BBQ's.

 

 

Deviled Eggs - straight from the 50's

First you hard boil some eggs. 

You want to do this right so you don't get that dark greenish-gray circle around the yolk.  That just screams rotten chicken fetus even though it's harmless.  I know there are some other ways to prevent this from happening, but I've always done it this way and it works every time. 

So place your eggs in a pan and cover with water (about an inch over the eggs).  Add some salt (helps with cracking). 

 Oh and here's some egg 101: If you're wondering how to tell if your egg is fresh or good, here's how:  When it's in the water if it lays flat, it's too fresh, won't peel and you'll have a disaster on your hands and will have to now make egg salad sandwiches instead.  If it floats to the top, it's bad, it's foul (no pun intended) there's to much air in it.  Gettarid.  But, if it tilts up slightly, it's perfect for hard boiling.

So, back to these highly difficult instructions, bring to a boil, turn down to a low boil and boil for 13 minutes.  If you live in a lower altitude (I'm about 7000 ft), you could dock of a couple minutes. Remove from heat, drain off boiling water and immediately fill with ice water and ice until cool.  That's the secret, and icy shock and you'll have perfect hard boiled eggs.  

Well that was hard.

It gets even harder.

When cool,  peel under cool running water, let dry on a clean dish towel and slice in half lengthwise.  Scoop out centers with a spoon into a bowl. Add mayo (Hellman's is always the best if you can find it), a couple squirts of mustard, not a ton, just enough to give it a little tang, and salt and pepper. 

Blend until smooth.  I usually put the filling in a large Ziploc bag with the corner cut off, sometimes a pastry bag with a big star tip and pipe into the shells.  I'd rather be generous and loose a couple whites than make them skimpy.  Sprinkle with paprika or Salad Supreme (my favorite) and garnish with a baby dill pickle slice. 

When we do these, we usually make about 2 dozen and there's never any leftovers.  So simple but so good!



Posted by: Rona

Creamy Alfredo with Sauteed Veggies

There's just something about a big mouth full of pasta that makes my heart happy.  This is one of my favorite dinners when you want something that everyone in your family will inhale.  Comfort food at its best.  Kids and adults alike adore this creamy goodness, and the best part is that you can mix and combine any toppings that your family prefers.  I used what I had on hand tonight.  First I started out preheating a skillet (medium heat) with a TB or so of olive oil.  Then I added sliced mushrooms and yummy asparagus.  I like to keep the veggies simple, as the sauce really is the star of the show, so I seasoned with s&p and chopped garlic.  While the veggies did their thing, I moved on to the sauce.

For the sauce, get a medium sized sauce pan and combine:
-2 cups half and half (heavy cream is what the recipe actually called for, but I had half and half on hand, so that is what I used and it came out beautifully-
-1 stick of butter
-1/2 block of cream cheese
Melt slowly stirring regularly, once it is all melted add:
- 3/4 cup of fresh Parmesan cheese (not the canned stuff)
-1/2 tsp garlic powder. 

Combine with a wisk.  At this point it is very important to NOT let it boil.  It will get clumpy and lose its smooth texture.  That's it!  Super simple, yet completely divine!  Add to 1 pound of pasta noodles and add desired toppings.  We love the classic with grilled chicken or shrimp, or another favorite is fresh garden tomatoes with crumbled bacon.  Tonight we went meatless, and nobody complained.  Be creative!  My favorite is to add a couple big shakes of red pepper flakes to my plate.  Heck, skip the noodles all together and use it as a dipping sauce for breadsticks!

 

Posted by Tiffany :)

Grilled Zucchini Roll-Ups

Zucchini by itself tastes kind of like....well...nothing.  It's totally boring without some love.

But it's so low cal and abundant this time of year,  I'm always trying to find something better in a healthier version to do with it. 

These little doodads were pretty tasty.  The basil absolutely makes it, and the tiny bit of goat cheese isn't enough to add a bunch of calories but makes a great creamy addition with all veggies.  Goat cheese is the bomb. 

I want it every day.  It makes everything better.  Just sayin'...


Grilled Zucchini Roll-ups

3-4 zucchini, sliced lengthwise about 1/4 inch thick
olive oil - garlic EVOO would be great!
2 oz goat cheese - I had plain on hand but herbed would be even better!
1 T minced fresh parsley
1 t. lemon juice
baby spinach leaves
about 1/3 cup basil leaves

Brush the zucchini slices with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place on a preheated gill or grill pan until tender (about 4 minutes on each side).  I used a grill pan but an outside grill, especially a charcoal grill would be out of this world yummy!

In a small bowl, combine the goat cheese, parsley, and lemon juice.  Put 1/2 t. on each zucchini slice, about 1/2 inch form the end.  Top with a few spinach leaves and a small basil leaf (or 1/2 of a large one).  Roll up and place on a platter, seam side down. 

I think these are best at room temperature. They would go great with any grilled meat or summer BBQ.

You know you want one.

Posted by: Rona

Peach Crepes

Insanely delicious, insanely easy

peach crepes

 

 

 

 

These crepes seriously couldn't be yummier. They're fresh, sweet and beautiful.

 

Crepes:

4 eggs, beaten well

1 1/2 cup milk

1 cup flour

2 T sugar

3 T melted butter

lil' bit of salt

lil' bit of vanilla

 

*Beat together and cook 'em up.  These store well if you want to make them the day before. Place waxed paper between them and store in fridge.

 

Filling:

Peel and slice about 8 ripe peaches. Do NOT used canned.

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Juice of 1 lemon

 

*Mix together in a bowl and let sit for about 20 minutes.  Fill crepes with peach mixture, top with whipped cream. If you use cool whip or "whipped topping", I will punch you in the boob (Save that garbage for the ward party). Whip that cream! Spoon some of the juice from mixture over the top.

 

 

Posted by Cambria