Oyster Po'Boy

Ingredients:
16 oz raw, shucked oysters
1-2 cups matzo meal
1 cup superfine flour (like Wondra)
1-2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
hot sauce*
2 eggs, beaten

hot sauce romulade
2 pickle spears, diced
1 shallot, minced
1/4 cup mayo
1/2 teaspoon worchesetershire sauce
1/2-1 teaspoon hot sauce*
salt
pepper

4 hoagie rolls
1 tomato, sliced
1 leaves Romaine lettuce

canola oil (for frying)

*I used my favorite classic style red hot sauce

Directions:

Whisk together the sauce ingredients. Set aside. Heat about 1/2 to 1 inch of oil in a large, shallow skillet, enough to cover the oysters. Meanwhile pour the egg, flour and matzo meal into separate shallow bowls. Stir the hot sauce into the eggs. Stir the the spices to the matzo meal. Stir a few drops of hot sauce into the egg. Dredge each oyster in the flour, then in the egg then the matzo meal. Drop the oysters into the hot oil, taking care that they do not overlap or they will stick together. Cook until golden on all sides, about 1-2 minutes. They should float to the top when ready and may not need to be flipped. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Place on a split hoagie roll that has been lined with lettuce and tomato and spread with sauce.

My thoughts:

Is there a better sandwich than the oyster po'boy? I am not sure. I like them with a bit of a pickle-y sauce. This time I added hot sauce to the sauce vs. drizzling it on top and I really liked it because the oysters seemed to stay crisper.

Matzo meal is slightly untradtional but makes for super crispy oysters and is easily found at grocery stores, especially as we move closer to Passover. Cornmeal is pretty good too but depending on the brand, it can taste too corn-y and overwhelm the oysters. Regular bread crumbs would work too.

Apple Butter Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:
12 ounces apple butter
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup rye
1/3 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon hot mustard (I used L�wensenf extra)
1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon mesquite liquid smoke
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
salt

Directions:
Pulse all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into a small saucepan and simmer on the lowest setting until heated through and it reduces slightly, about 15 minutes or so. Allow to cool. Keeps in the fridge about a week.

Yield: about 2 cups

My thoughts:

Recently I came across a article that poked fun at people who make their own barbecue sauces when there were so many available at the supermarket. Of course, I found this sort of silly. Barbecue sauce couldn't be easier to make at home and you can customize it to your taste. I think most store bought bottles are way too sweet and one note. This sauce uses apple butter instead of the more traditional tomato based. Apple butter has a similar consistency to tomato paste so it is an easy substitution. The resulting sauce has the same thick, rich quality that a tomato based sauce would.

I also like using apple butter in BBQ sauces because it adds a natural, fruity sweetness without having to use a lot of sugar or honey. Now, I did add a tiny bit of sugar to the sauce because my homemade apple butter isn't terribly sweet so you might want to eliminate the the sugar if your apple butter is more on the sweet side. The spices and other flavorings making this sauce simultaneously sweet, tart and savory. I thought this sauce was perfect on pork but I think it would work in pretty much any recipe or occasion that called for barbecue sauce.

Peach Glazed Meatballs

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb mini meatballs*
8 oz peach jam
2 shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup bourbon
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon ground galangal
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon mace
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
The easiest way: Dump all of the ingredients in a 4 quart slow cooker. Stir. Then cook on low for 4-6 hrs or high for 2-3. Stir again.

The slightly less easy way: Saute the shallots and garlic in a bit of oil. Add the meatballs and warm through. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour over the meatballs and heat through.


*Make your own or cheat and use some from Ikea's frozen section. Both work just fine.

My thoughts:

Who doesn't like a meatball? No one I'd care to know. Especially tiny sized ones, the huge meatballs I occasionally encounter can be a bit off putting with their heft. But mini meatballs are a delight and can easily work at dinner time (along side some vegetables and rice) or as an appetizer. For this recipe I used a whole jar of my yummy homemade peach-ginger jam but I think a good quality store bought brand would work just as well. I don't like sweet-sweet foods so the remaining ingredients were savory for the most part.

Shrimp Stuffed Tomatoes

1 lb small, round tomatoes (I used campari)
8 oz cooked salad shrimp*
1 dill pickle spear, minced
1/4 cup finely minced celery
3 tablespoons-1/4 cup finely minced onions
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
1 tablespoon Old Bay
juice + zest of one lemon

Directions:
Cut the top of the tomato off and core it. Mix together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Spoon the salad into the tomatoes. Serve.

*Really, really tiny shrimp. I find it in the freezer section.

My thoughts:

I enjoyed these more than I thought I would. Not that any part of the recipe was unappealing but I wasn't sure if there would be texture issues with the tomato/shrimp combo. Luckily there was not. Growing up I used to eat a tuna salad stuffed tomato (from our garden, not a small one like these) which I honestly think I got the idea for from a Strawberry Shortcake cookbook I bought in a Scholastic order in about 1984. But stuffed tomatoes were good then and they are good now. Who doesn't like a dish that is both easy to make and delicious? They worked equally well as appetizers and lunch.

Jammy Oatmeal Streusel Muffins

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup white peach & fresh ginger jam
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg

streusel:
1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon roasted ginger powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Line or grease and flour one 12 well muffin tin. Use a fork to mix together the streusel topping in a small bowl. In a large bowl, mix together the oatmeal, egg, oil, buttermilk, and sugar. After it is thoroughly mixed, add in the flour, salt and baking soda. Stir to combine. Fill each well in the muffin tin 1/2 of the way. Add a tablespoon of peach jam to the middle of each muffin. Top with remaining batter. Sprinkle with streusel. Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the center muffin comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack, serve.

My thoughts:

The best part about canning is knowing that you will have a the chance to have a taste of summer during the long, cold winter. Let me tell you, a bite of peach was exactly what I needed when I came back from our two week Caribbean foray and was faced with Baltimore winter. These muffins are a bit more tedious to make than most (the streusel) but it is well worth it. The streusel is crisp and crumbly and makes the muffins a lot more festive than they'd be without it. The jam adds a fruity punch but take care to center it in the batter or it will run and possibly scorch or cause the muffin to break in half when you try and eat it.

Pear & Yogurt Bundt Cake

Ingredients:
6 eggs, at room temperature
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 quart canned pears, drained and diced
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup pear cider
16 oz full fat Greek or Mediterranean style yogurt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon vanilla/rye/bourbon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour one bundt pan. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the wet ingredients, stir to combine. In separate bowl, Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl until well combined. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until a uniform batter forms. Fold in pear. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 55 minutes or until a thin knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes on a wire rack, then remove from the pan. Cool completely.

My thoughts:

I've been on a quest to give you guys some recipes that use all of the stuff I've been canning. Of course, I benefit too! My canning cabinet is seriously full and while I am the kind of person who likes to hoard good ingredients, I know I have to use it up. If only to make room for the next stuff. Anyway, I canned these pears back in the beginning of their season and while pears are still pretty available, they are not as good as they were back then. When I was invited to a Southern themed party, I knew I had to use my sweet tea syrupy pears (although I am sure if would be just fine with any old good quality canned pear). I based the recipe off of an old fashioned sour cream cake my Aunt A used to make when I was little. It is a bit rich but a great way to use up eggs! The yogurt gives it some tang and the pear cider really drives home the pear flavor, which I find can be tricky to maintain in baked goods. It also makes for a very moist cake. It was a huge hit at the party, pretty much every slice was gone in just a few minutes!

Turkey Ruebens

Ingredients:
sliced leftover roasted turkey
4 slices Swiss Cheese
8 slices rye bread
1 cup sauerkraut
butter

Russian dressing:
2 slices dill pickle, minced
1 shallot, minced
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 tablespoon prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
white pepper


Directions:
Stir together the dressing ingredients. Spread on 4 slices of bread. Top each with a layer of turkey then sauerkraut then Swiss. Top with the remaining slices of bread. Melt the butter in a skillet and cook each side until golden brown, covering briefly if needed to warm the sandwich through. Slice and serve.

My thoughts:

When I had faux Thanksgiving last month, we ended up with a lot turkey leftover. I like the traditional cranberry sauce + turkey sandwich but I wanted to try something different. Since I live in Baltimore, I had plenty of sauerkraut leftover so reubens sprung to mind. I normally don't like them at restaurants because they are invariably made with Thousand Island dressing (both incorrect and yucky) and/or too big and greasy. Making them at home was awesome. The Russian dressing was quick to put together and only involved ingredients I always have on hand. It added a zippy flavor that sort of tied into sauerkraut much better than the cloying, bland bottled dressing you often get in delis.

Quick tip: let the turkey and sauerkraut sit out a few minutes before making the sandwiches. It helps them cook through more quickly.

Fig Glazed Turkey

Ingredients:
1 14-16 lb turkey
sea salt
coarsely ground pepper
4 dried figs
1 small onion, quartered
1 small bunch thyme

glaze:
1/4 cup fig jam
1/4 cup olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon minced thyme
1 teaspoon grated ginger



Directions:
Preheat oven to 325. Place the turkey on the rack and position in the roasting pan. Whisk together the glaze ingredients or pulse them in the blender. Brush over the bird. Sprinkle the turkey thoroughly with salt and pepper. Stick the figs, onion and sprig of thyme in the cavity of the turkey. Roast for about 3 hours or until the juices run clear and the leg is easily wiggled. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes before carving.

My thoughts:

We had my brother and his girlfriend over for our annual Faux Thanksgiving so I could develop these recipes to share. I was a little nervous about my theme* this year, figs, because I've found they are not something people always enjoy or are familiar with outside of the Newton. I shouldn't have worried because they really liked it! The glaze helps sell in the juices of the turkey and eliminated the need for basting, which I appreciate. The skin was slightly sticky but not in a bad way. I'd rather have a glazed skin than a dried out bird! Stuffing the cavity with fruit and vegetables instead of stuffing makes for a moister turkey as well. There is still air circulation (yay for no food poisoning!) but it generates some steam that seems to help.

*I do a theme each year because 1. it is fun 2. it helps with planning/shopping when you can use the same ingredient in more than one dish. Look for another figgy recipe next week!

Fried Pickle Chips with Zippy Feta Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
16 oz sliced pickles, drained
2/3 cup Instant Blending Flour*
2/3 cup cornmeal
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
salt
pepper


for the dipping sauce
8 oz sour cream (reduced fat is okay)
4 oz crumbled feta
1/4 cup minced chives
3 tablespoons mayonnaise or buttermilk (if needed to thin out the sauce)
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
pepper



canola oil for frying

Directions:

Mix together all dipping sauce ingredients. Set aside. Heat about 1/2 to 1 inch of oil in a large, shallow skillet, enough to cover the pickles. Meanwhile pour the egg, flour and cornmeal into separate shallow bowls. Stir the the spices to the cornmeal. Stir the Worcestershire sauce into the egg. Dredge each pickle in the flour, then in the egg then the cornmeal. Drop the pickle slices into the hot oil, taking care that they do not overlap or bump into each other. Cook until golden on all sides, about 1 minute. They should float to the top when ready and not need to be flipped. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Serve hot with the dipping sauce.



*aka Wondra flour. It is very fine and dissolves easily in water (or in this case, doesn't make the pickles too thick with flour). Use all purpose if you have to.

My thoughts:

Fried pickles are a bit of a Southern thing but they can be found on menus else where. I've had several different varieties including ones breaded with panko, bread crumbs and even crackers but I think the best flavored ones have a cornmeal crust. The slightly sweet flavor complements the salty pickle. I've heard complaints about the difficulty of getting the cornmeal to stick to the pickle but this is a fool-proof recipe. The trick is thoroughly dredging in super fine powder before the egg dip and resisting the urge to soak the pickle in anything other than pickle juice. Ranch dressing is a bit more traditional but I had it with a cheesy dip before and I liked the combination a lot so I developed a robust a zesty feta sauce to go with them. It was the perfect partner.

Lovely Summer Salad with Crabcakes

Ingredients:
for the salad
2 cold or hot crabcakes
4 slices pickled beets, cut into sticks
1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
2 oz plain crumbled  feta
1/2 cucumber, sliced
15 cherry tomatoes, halved

for the dressing:
juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Toss the salad ingredients together (except for the crabcake) divide among two plates. Place the dressing in a jar or salad dressing container and shake. Pour over salads.

My thoughts:

This is a great way to use up leftover crabcakes. I know it is hard to even think about having something as delicious as a crabcake leftover but living in a two person household, we often end up with extra. Luckily they are pretty good cold or at room temperature the next day. For this salad I want some serious flavor so I used feta and pickled beets (my new favorite combination!) and a tart dressing. It was really good! If I was making this again, I think I might be tempted to make miniature crabcakes and have more than one per salad just for fun. Sort of like a crab crouton.