Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

 Adapted from a recipe found on Food.com.

Let's say you're invited to a pot luck dinner party, you're asked to bring an appetizer, and you're just not in the mood to make my Cannellini Dip again... Well, rest assured these tasty morsels will be the hit of the party. 

For us this year these beauties made the line-up for Christmas Eve's Seven Fishes Feast... Enjoy! 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil or 1/4 cup melted butter
• 24 lge white mushrooms
• 12 oz flaked crabmeat
• 4 tbsp finely chopped onions
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 2 tsp parsley, chopped
• 1/4 tsp crushed Aleppo pepper
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp garlic
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise

 

Preparation:

Spray a 9x12-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Use an additional baking dish if needed.

Drizzle olive oil or butter in the bottom of the baking dish.

Clean mushrooms using your preferred method. For me that’s washing under cold running water.

Remove stems, set aside caps and chop stems to add to filling.

In a medium bowl, mix crabmeat, chopped mushroom stems, onion, mustard, 1 cup parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, Aleppo and black pepper, garlic and salt. Mix well and then stir in egg and mayonnaise.

Use a teaspoon to mound filling onto each mushroom cap. Mound a generous portion of the shredded parmesan cheese on top of each filled mushroom. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 425°F and serve hot. Can be prepared ahead, refrigerated and then baked just before serving (add 7-10 minutes additional baking time).

Blessed be… and happy cooking!

Cannellini Dip

Cannellini beans are such a wonderful protein and have a wide variety of applications. Credit for this flavorful appetizer goes to Chef Jacques Pepin and was found in his book:

Heart & Soul in the Kitchen

Please note that the corn tortilla chips are not the best for us diabetics with a mid-range GI of 63, so maybe just let your guests enjoy them and get some celery or carrot sticks for yourself to scoop up this diabetic friendly dip. 

Chef always encourages us to make his dishes our own... I found myself getting quite frustrated using the blender he recommends for this rather thick dip so I decided to try using a stick blender instead. WIN!!!!!!

Just put all dip ingredients in a pot and have at it! :-) I'm leaving the original process up for those who don't own a stick blender, but I highly recommend adding one to your tool collection.

Ingredients:

The Dip

2        15oz can cannellini beans - drained

2        cloves garlic - crushed & minced

1/2     cup diced bread

1/3     cup olive oil to start

2        tbsp water

3/4     tsp ground cumin

3/4     tsp KOSHER salt (or 1/2 tsp regular)

1/2     tsp sriracha sauce

Garnishes

1/3        cup reserved beans - pick perfect ones

1+         tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4+      tsp sweet paprika

1/2+      tsp poppy seeds

1+         tsp fresh parsley, chopped fine

Corn tortilla chips (GI 63) or veggie sticks

Preparation:

The Dip

Reserve 1/3 cup of the beans for garnish. Put the remaining beans and dip ingredients into blender and process until creamy smooth. Start with roughly 1/4 of the beans and add the rest a little at a time. The mix will be rather thick and needs to be worked. I use a rubber spatula, placing my grip so that it's not long enough to reach the blades. :-) Go down the sides and then angle the spatula to press the mix down and across, stopping when your hand hits the rim of the blender. Add more oil if needed, but keep the dip stiff enough to hold a shape. Transfer to center of serving platter and make a well. Be sure to have highs and lows in the well so the garnish has character. :-)

The Garnish

Bring out the artist in you as you place the reserved beans in and around the edge of the well. Carefully pour the evoo into the well and sprinkle with paprika, poppy seeds and parsley. Arrange the chips around the outside of the dip and serve. Enjoy!

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Spicy Tuna Cucumber Bites

 Inspired by Ramon Negron's dish on his fun blog titled Wellness Sleuth.

Looking for an appetizer or snack that packs a punch and doesn't take a lot of time to prepare? Well... let me introduce to to some spicy little tuna treats today. 

The quantity here will fill a party platter. The recipe can absolutely be cut in half for a smaller group. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2  8 oz can solid white tuna - drained
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp sriracha sauce**
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 4 scallion stalks - green parts only - sliced
• 2-3 tbsp white sesame seeds - toasted works well, also
• 4+ tbsp roasted red peppers - diced
• sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 long/large English cucumber - ~1/4" slices on the mandolin

**For more heat, adjust the amount of sriracha sauce as desired.

Preparation:

Wash the cucumber and slice on mandolin, or cut by hand to uniform thickness. 

Add drained tuna, mayo, sriracha, and garlic powder to a medium bowl. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, and stir to combine. 

Divide the tuna mixture between the cucumber slices and arrange on a serving platter. 

Garnish each appetizer with some of the sliced green onion, red pepper and sesame seeds right before serving. Enjoy!

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Bruschetta-Stuffed Mushrooms

 Credit for this appetizer goes to the ADA's Diabetes Food Hub

Bruschetta is a colorful and delicious appetizer for any gathering. For a lower carb option, try this simple bruschetta stuffed in mushrooms instead of serving it on the traditional baguette.

Ingredients:

• 1 pint grape tomatoes - quartered

• 2 tsp olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic - minced

• 2 tsp dried basil

• 1/3 cup 2% mozzarella cheese

• 2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese

• 14 oz (about 14 mushrooms) large "stuffer" mushrooms

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

In a skillet, heat olive oil and add garlic. Saute garlic for about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and continue to saute for about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil and both cheeses.

Remove stems from mushrooms and fill with tomato mixture. Bake in oven for 15 minutes.

Let cool slightly, then drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Serve warm.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Chef Michael's Baba Ghanoush

The Arabic term for the dish means “pampered daddy,” the person in question being, legend has it, a sultan spoiled with a concoction invented by a member of his harem. The origins of baba ghanoush are unknown, although medieval Arabic manuscripts indicate that the passion for eggplants dates back to at least the 13th century. It appears in many guises throughout the Middle East, sometimes under its alternative name... moutabel. 

Having read up on the many recipes available and marveling at the vast number of plays on this very simple yet flavorful dish, I decided to just go for it and make my own. I did follow the directive of a Lebanese family member and stuck with her chunky eggplant texture. This choice was very simple because... well... I'm pretty sure there were no food processors available back in the days of the dishes origins. 

As always... feel free to tweak my recipe as needed to make it your own. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 - 3 pounds eggplant - preferably small ones
• ¼ cup lemon juice - fresh squeezed preferred 
• ¼ cup sesame tahini well shaken or stirred
• 1 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
• 1 - 2 garlic cloves - finely minced - this adds a sharpness to the dish so go light and taste
• 1 tsp table salt
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• green parts from two scallions – cut to rings
• chopped or minced Italian parsley for garnish
• smoked paprika - this will bring out the fire flavor without fire. Find your own smoke level by adding and tasting.

Preparation:

Gather your eggplants, trim the stems close for foil wrapping and make a few slits through the skin so they don't explode while baking. :-)

Wrap the eggplants in foil and place in oven safe baking dish.

Bake at 450 F for about an hour. Make sure they're nice and soft...
If not, leave in for a little longer.

Peel the eggplant using tongs and a fork.

Break up eggplant with a potato masher until you achieve a chunky consistency to your liking.

Blend in tahini, lemon juice, yogurt, oil, garlic and salt.

Finally blend in the cut scallion tops.

Garnish with parsley
Serve chilled or at room temperature with a flatbread of your choice.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Ceci Chorizo

Back around 2015 I was introduced to a restaurant version of this appetizer that just blew me away. We actually ordered a second portion to dissect and did our best to identify all the components as the chef refused to share the recipe. Yes... some chefs are like that. LOL Anyway.... after several trial runs I finally nailed it and I'm happy to share the results with you. Enjoy!!!

Chickpeas, with their glycemic index in the mid 30s, are a good choice for any diabetic meal. Here I have combined them with chorizo and fresh tomatoes to create a tasty appetizer or simple lunch. 

Ingredients:

• 1 - chorizo sausage
• 1 - 15oz can chickpeas (ceci)
• 2 plum tomatoes (diced)
• fresh parsley (chopped)
• Marsala (a splash)
• salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Preparation:

Remove sausage meat from casing and crumble into fry pan on medium heat. 

When meat is cooked, add chickpeas, wine and

parsley and saute for about five minutes.

Fold in tomatoes and simmer for 5 more minutes,

stirring occasionally. Add S&P to taste with the tomatoes.

Garnish with fresh parsley for that OMG-this-is-real-purrrrrdy effect ;-)

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

San Diego Rattlesnake Eggs

We stumbled upon this very tasty appetizer at a restaurant in San Diego years ago. The name is what really intrigued me and I chuckled at the menu description. Our server did not know why the appetizer had the name, but it really didn't matter because these "rattlesnake eggs" were just insanely good! I've done my best here to recreate the dish... hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 6-8 small/medium jalapeno peppers
• 6-8 med/lge peeled & cleaned shrimp - cooked & chopped
• 1 strip lower sodium bacon per jalapeno
• 4-6 oz regular cream cheese
• green parts from two scallions - minced
• olive oil
• garlic powder to taste
• extra heat like paprika, crushed Aleppo pepper, sriracha optional

Preparation:

Wash and dry the jalapenos. Slice open one side and carefully remove seeds. Do your best to keep the stem in place as it will serve as a "handle" for eating.

Soften the cream cheese using a fork and a touch of olive oil to mash. Combine with shrimp, scallion, garlic powder and any other heat you choose. I personally find the heat of the jalapeno to be plenty, but feel free to make these babies sing your own tune. :-)

Carefully stuff each jalapeno until full... then wrap each one in a slice of raw bacon. Place the assembled eggs in a lightly sprayed baking dish with the end of the bacon strip at the bottom of its jalapeno so it doesn't unravel during baking.

Bake at 375 F for 40-50 minutes or until the bacon is golden brown. Serve with a ranch style dipping sauce or create something on your own. I like to lean toward citrus & yogurt for this one. 

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Asparagus Ribbon Salad

I found this little gem on the Net a few years ago, and it was such a foreign, yet intriguing

idea to me that I simply had to try it. I'm really glad I did, because it is so good that

it has pretty much become a staple in my arsenal of go-to dishes.

Ingredients:

· 1 bunch fresh asparagus
· 1/4 cup lemon juice
· 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
· Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
· 2-3 oz shaved parmesan cheese
· 1/4 cup sliced almonds - toasted

Preparation:

Lay one asparagus stalk on cutting board, hold by the base and using a vegetable peeler make thin ribbons by "peeling" from base to tip. When half-way through, turn stalk over and do the other half. Discard the base end and center if too thick . 

Shave parmesan using an ordinary cheese grater.

Place the almonds in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Toss them frequently and do not leave unattended as you want the almonds toasted, not charred

Blend lemon juice and olive oil; pour over asparagus in bowl. Add salt & pepper, toss and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Arrange salad on plate. Add shaved parmesan and then top off with toasted almonds.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!

Squash... 'n' Stuff

Today's dish is brought to you courtesy of The Splendid Table. Interesting flavors for those who enjoy citrus and acidic, but next time I make this I think I'll opt for using it as a party salad. Next day leftovers were really good cold :-)

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash (3 pounds), halved lengthwise and seeds removed 

• 6 slices turkey bacon 

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves 

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt 

• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted 

Preparation:
Looking like a large, pale yellow football with rounded ends, spaghetti squash has a unique texture. When cooked, the pulp comes out in strands as thick and long as spaghetti noodles. Cut in half, the squash can be oven-baked in less than an hour or microwaved in a rapid 15-20 minutes. The long threads of vegetable goodness can then be forked out, topped, garnished, herbed, buttered, or tossed with cheese, nuts, or other vegetables in simple, exorbitant, conservative, or outrageous splendor. Here bacon, pine nuts, and a touch of lemon juice and vinegar produce an ambrosial warm salad.

If oven-baking, preheat the oven to 375°F.

Place the squash, cut sides down, on a baking sheet or microwave-safe dish. Cover and cook until collapsing and soft all the way through, about an hour in the oven, 15-20 minutes in the microwave. Place the bacon alongside the squash on the baking sheet for the last 20 to 25 minutes, or place the slices between 2 paper towels and microwave until crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. (Or just fry up the bacon while toasting the pine nuts) Remove and let cool enough to handle.

Scoop the squash out of its shell and place the strands on a platter. In a small bowl, stir together the vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, salt, and pepper. Pour over the squash. Sprinkle the pine nuts and crumble the bacon over the top and toss gently to mix. 

Serve right away or at room temperature. If using the dish as an app, toss everything gently and serve 1/2 - 3/4 cup per person.

Blessed be... and happy cooking!