Crab & Swiss Melt

This is a fantastic crab recipe. I love making this recipe on weekends and using it for lunches at work durring the week. It's an easy way to make sure you have a healthy, tasty and economical solution for lunch on the go!

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  
• 1 cup cooked King Crab meat
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  
• hot pepper sauce to taste
  
• 4 thick slices Italian bread, cut in half
  
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
  
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Recipe Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl until fluffy. Mix in crab, garlic, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Spread onto bread slices and top with Swiss cheese. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cheese has melted and browned slightly. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
Source:Crab and Swiss Melt Recipe

Pork Chops with Sweet and Sour Glaze

I love this easy pork chop recipe. The apple cider glaze for this recipe is really great for an assortment of pork products. Last spring I made a ham and used this glaze for it, and it turned out better than I ever could have imagined, and next time I know to double the glaze to cover the huge ham!

Ingredients

• 2 (1-inch-thick) pork chops (1 lb total)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• 1 cup apple cider
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
  
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

Recipe Directions:
Pat pork chops dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then saut退 chops until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Stir together cider and brown sugar and add to skillet. Simmer, uncovered, turning chops once, until meat is almost cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer chops to a plate. Add vinegar and mustard seeds to sauce and boil, stirring to scrape up any brown bits, until reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 5 minutes. Return chops with any juices on plate to skillet and simmer until meat is just cooked through and sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
Source:Pork Chops with Sweet & Sour Glaze

Butternut Squash & Pear Bisque with Curried Crab

I have not had a chance to try this recipe out yet, but as soon as I do I'll let you know how it turns out! I have made plenty of crab bisque in the past (my favorite being crab & asparagus bisque) so I can't imagine this recipe turning out to be anything less than stellar. If someone out there has a chance to whip this up before I do, let me know how it goes!

Ingredients
For Soup:

• 3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, halved lengthwise, seeded
  
• 2 pears (about 14 ounces), halved, cored
  
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
  
• 3 large leeks (about 22 ounces), chopped (about 4 1/4 cups white and pale green parts)
  
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
  
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  
• 2 teaspoons sugar
  
• 1/4 cup plus 3 cups canned chicken broth
  
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

For Crab:

• 1 lb Jonah crabmeat
• 2 generous tablespoons minced red jalapeno with seeds
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
  
• 1/2-3/4 teaspoon curry powder
  
• Fresh chive sprigs (for garnish)

Recipe Directions:
FOR SOUP: Preheat oven to 350°F. Place squash on baking sheet and bake 30 minutes. Add pears cut side down to baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 30 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet. Scrape flesh (about 5 generous cups) from squash into Dutch oven. Pull skins off pears and cut each half into quarters. Add to Dutch oven. Meanwhile, melt butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks, curry and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and saute 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup broth. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are very soft, about 25 minutes. Uncover and simmer over medium heat until liquid reduces and leeks caramelize, about 5 minutes. Reserve 1/3 (packed) cup leek confit for crab. Add all remaining leek confit and reserved 3 cups broth to squash and pear mixture. Cover and simmer over low heat until pears and squash are very soft, about 25 minutes. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to Dutch oven.
DO-AHEAD TIP: Soup can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Add cream to soup and rewarm over medium-low heat. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Add cream to soup and rewarm over medium-low heat. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle 1 cup soup into each of ten large, shallow bowls. Mound crab mixture into each center. Garnish crab with chive sprigs and serve.
Source:Butternut-pear Bisque with Curried Crab

New York Strip Steaks with Lobster Sauce

I can never resist a great Surf & Turf recipe. This culinary masterpiece combines my favorite cut of steak, and my favorite sea faring creature...the Lobster. Since this is a long and involved recipe, I usually reserve it for nights I am entertaining a group of friends. It never fails to get the "Wow" out of the crowd!

Ingredients

• 1 2 1/3-pound live lobster
  
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided
  
• 1 shallot, sliced
  
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  
• 1 dried red Chile, such as Jalapeños or
  
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  
• 1/4 cup Sherry wine vinegar
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped shallot
  
• 1 tablespoon capers, chopped
  
• 2 large egg yolks
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  
• 1 tablespoon water
  
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
  
• 6 10-ounce boneless New York strip steaks
  
• Coarse kosher salt

Directions
Cook lobster in large pot of boiling salted water 13 minutes. Using tongs, transfer lobster to rimmed baking sheet. Cool slightly. Twist off claws; reserve for another use. Twist off tail. Scrape out any green tomalley. Using kitchen shears, cut body and legs into 2-inch pieces and place in medium bowl. Cut tail meat from shell; add shell to bowl with body and legs. Cut meat lengthwise into 4 strips, then crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces. Place meat in small bowl, cover, and chill. Melt 1/2 cup butter in heavy large pot over medium-low heat. Add sliced shallot, garlic, and Chile; cook until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add lobster shell pieces and stir 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium. Add remaining 1/2 cup butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until melted between additions. Add paprika; stir to blend. Strain butter into medium bowl, pressing on solids in strainer to release all butter. Discard solids in strainer. Let lobster butter cool to room temperature. (Lobster meat and butter can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover butter and chill. Return lobster butter to room temperature before continuing.) Combine vinegar, chopped shallot, and capers in medium saucepan. Boil over high heat until almost all liquid evaporates, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Whisk yolks, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon water in medium bowl. Place bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water. Whisk constantly until mixture is thick, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat. Whisk in lobster butter in 6 additions. Whisk in shallot mixture and tarragon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in reserved lobster meat. Season with salt and pepper. Keep lobster bèarnaise sauce over warm water.
Preheat broiler. Rub steaks with coarse kosher salt and pepper. Broil until cooked to desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for medium-rare (5 minutes per side if boneless). Serve with lobster bèarnaise sauce.
Source:Strip with Lob Sauce

Grilled Pork Chops with Tomato Peach Relish

This is a wonderful pork chop recipe that's great for tailgating, or fall outdoor grilling! It may seem that the peach & tomato might not go well together, but believe me they do!


Ingredients

• 2 large garlic cloves
  
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice, divided
  
• 4 (3/4- to 1-inch-thick) bone-in pork chops (2 1/4 pound)
  
• 1 large peach or nectarine
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar
  
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes (10 ounces), quartered
  
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
  
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh jalapeno Chile
  
• 1/4 cup chopped basil
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
  
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
  
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
  
• Accompaniment: lime wedges

Recipe Directions:
Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Transfer to a bowl and stir in oil and 3 tablespoons lime juice. Pour marinade over chops in a glass or ceramic shallow baking dish, then turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature, turning over once, 20 minutes to 1 hour. Chop peach, then toss with sugar and remaining teaspoon lime juice in a medium bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, scallions, Chile, herbs, and vinegar. Let stand while grilling pork. Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium heat for gas). Meanwhile, remove chops from marinade and pat dry, leaving any bits of garlic. Sprinkle chops on both sides with chili powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper (total). Oil grill rack, then grill chops, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over once and moving to area with no coals underneath if flare-ups occur, until just cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve chops with relish.
Source:Grilled Pork Chops with Tomato Peach Relish

Beer Brined Pork Chops

This is a wonderful pork chop recipe that's great for tailgating, or fall outdoor grilling!

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
  
• 2 cups dark lager beer
  
• 1/4 cup coarse salt
  
• 3 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
  
• 3 tablespoons mild-flavored (light) molasses
  
• 1 cup ice cubes
  
• 6 1- to 1 1/4-inch-thick center-cut bone-in pork chops
• 7 large garlic cloves, minced
  
• 3 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
  
• 2 teaspoons salt
  
• 2 teaspoons dried sage leaves

Recipe Directions:
Combine 2 cups water, beer, 1/4 cup coarse salt, sugar, and molasses in large bowl. Stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Stir in ice. Place pork chops in large resealable plastic bag. Pour beer brine over pork chops; seal bag. Refrigerate 4 hours, turning bag occasionally. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Remove pork chops from beer brine; pat dry. Mix garlic, pepper, 2 teaspoons salt, and sage in small bowl. Rub garlic mixture over both sides of pork chops. Grill pork chops until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of chops registers 145°F to 150°F, about 10 minutes per side, occasionally moving chops to cooler part of rack if burning. Transfer chops to platter; cover with foil, and let stand 5 minutes. Serve.
Source:Beer Brined Pork Chops

Scallops with Mango Vinaigrette

This is one of my favorite scallops recipes. It's so easy to make, it can be dinner any night of the week!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds Maine Sea Scallops
  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
  
• Salt
  
• Freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach
  
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
  
• 1 cup rinsed and drained black beans
  
• Mango Vinaigrette

Directions
Toss scallops with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Grill over medium-high heat 2 minutes on each side or until opaque. Arrange spinach, bell pepper, black beans, and scallops on a serving plate. Drizzle with Mango Vinaigrette. Thaw frozen scallops for several hours in the refrigerator or wrapped in plastic wrap under gently running cool water. Drain well before use. Many people prefer to remove the opaque "foot" that sometimes comes on the side of the sea scallop. Although edible, this oblong piece is slightly tough. Preheat the grill (or skillet) thoroughly, or the scallops will stick and tear when turned. The scallops may initially stick on hot grill grates while browning, but will release when it's time to turn them over.
Source:Mango