Crab au Gratin Pizza

 

Michelle at the blog Ms enPlace has quite a unique imagination when it comes to pizza!

I've thought about coming up with a crab pizza, but my imaginary crab pizza has a base of my crab enchilada sauce (crab pasta sauce) topped with crab and cheese.  One of these days we will make it and share it here.

Michelle uses sharp cheddar cheese, but I'm wondering what it would taste like using a mild white cheese like provolone.  I think that is what I will do!  I'll do an update when we make the pizza :)






Crab au Gratin Pizza
makes 1 12-14" pizza

For the pizza dough
3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 package Rapid Rise Yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup very warm water (120 to 130 F)
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
Cornmeal

Preheat oven to 450 F.


In large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, undissolved yeast, and salt. Stir very warm water and olive oil into dry ingredients. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 to 6 minutes. Cover; let rest on floured surface for 10 minutes. Shape dough into smooth ball. Roll and press dough into a 12-14" circle.  Dust a pizza peel with cornmeal.  Place the circle of dough on the peel and shake to make sure the dough will slide off into the oven.  Slide the dough directly onto your oven rack.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  Remove with the pizza peel.

For the sauce
1 1/2 TBSP butter
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP finely chopped onion
1 1/2 TBSP flour
3/4 cup milk, warmed
salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, to taste

Melt the butter over medium low in a saucepan.  Saute the garlic and onion in the butter for 5-7 minutes.  Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring.  Slowly whisk in warm milk and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes.  Season the sauce with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste.

To make the pizza
prebaked pizza crust (above)
white sauce (above)
8-10 oz cooked crabmeat
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 TBSP chopped green onion


Spoon the sauce onto the prebaked crust, leaving an inch border.  Scatter the crab on top.  Top evenly with the cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.  Bake at 350 F for about 12 minutes.  Place under the broiler for a few minutes to lightly brown the cheese.  Scatter the green onion over the top, slice, and serve.


Recipe and Photo Source

Shrimp Creole

 

Photo source: Deep South Dish

It has been a long time since I had Shrimp Creole, but I would love to make Mary's recipe.  Since I am now cooking for one, I will be thrilled to have plenty to freeze and enjoy this treat for a long time.  It truly is a special meal and everyone should make it.  Love those southern recipes!

Click here to go to the source recipe page.

While you are there, check out all of Mary's awesome southern recipes at Deep South Dish.

Mexican Sweet Corn Cake

 

Mexican sweet corn cake is a copycat of a side that used to be served at Chi-Chi's Mexican Restaurant.  I never tried them, but they sound delicious and I'd love to try them.  Make these to go with one of your favorite texmex meals.

This recipe was posted by Tara at unsophisticook.com.  Click here to go to the very informative recipe page.  Check out her awesome website with lots of recipes while you are there.  I'm a subscriber and love it!

Picadillo

 

Picadillo originated in Spain to use up leftover meat and later brought to the New World by explorers.  The Cuban people made it a part of their culinary tradition (as well as other latin countries).  In Tampa, back in the day, the Spanish, Cuban and Italian people were an integrated community and learned to cook the meals of the others.  I guess you could call it Ybor City food.  I was so lucky to grow up with all that awesome food!

Picadillo is one of those meals I grew up on and reminds me so much of my nana.  I was always fascinated watching her cook, would stand next to her so close that she would almost step on me.  The smell of Picadillo takes me back to that kitchen with her.

It must be eaten on white rice!

This recipe was written for a large family.  I have to figure out how to adapt it to a meal for one.

Ingredients

4 lbs. of ground sirloin or round
1 large chopped onion 

1 large chopped green bell pepper
8 large cloves of garlic crushed
2 1/2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
extra virgin olive oil (little to brown meat)
1-1/2 tsp oregano
3-4 tbsp large capers with some of the juice 
28 sliced stuffed olives 
1 small individual box of raisins (I don't always use this)
3 large bay leaves

Instructions

Brown the meat in just a small amount of olive oil.

Remove some of the fat. 

Add the remaining ingredients when meat is browned. 

Cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Let it sit about 15 minutes to marinate the flavors before serving. 

Serve over white rice.