Quick Crab & Pasta Salad

I always have some canned lump meat crab in the pantry, and who doesn't have pasta? This is a quick and tasty salad... only 4 basic ingredients.

12 oz lump crab meat (2 cans)
1/2 lb small shell pasta (any pasta will do, even spaghetti)
12 medium sized black olives sliced
4-6 heaping tbsp mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste

Pimento for garnish

Boil your pasta according to directions, strain and let cool. Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate. Serve. That it!

Rerun: Croquetas de Jamon - Ham Croquettes

I prepared another batch of croquetas today. 

Here they are ready to be fried.

I'm reposting the recipe from April, 2010. 

Ingredients:

• 3 cups ham (ground or finely chopped in a food processor)
• 1 small onion (finely chopped in a food processor)
• 2 cloves garlic (pressed or chopped in a food processor)
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 cup flour
• 2 cups milk, scalded
• salt and pepper to taste

For the breading:

• flour
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• very fine bread crumbs or cracker meal

vegetable oil for frying

In a large skillet melt the butter and whisk in the flour, gradually add the milk whisking until the mixture becomes a smooth paste. Add the remaining ingredients and continue cooking over low heat for a few minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat. Place the mixture into a bowl and let it cool throughly. Refrigerate. It's best to work with this mixture when it's completely cold. Okay, now to form the croquetas. First, you will need to sprinkle a light layer of all purpose flour onto a work surface. Line up to 2 shallow bowls. In the first one beat an egg (you can add a little water to it), and in the second, pour the fine bread crumbs. Scoop up 1 tablespoon of the ham mixture and roll it on the floured surface to form a cylinder about 2 inches long and 3/4 inches in diameter. Dip it in the beaten egg and then in the bread crumbs. Repeat this process over and over renewing the flour/egg/crumbs when necessary. At this point you can freeze those that you will not consume right away.

In a large heavy-bottomed skillet bring 1 to 2 inches or oil to medium high heat. Fry 5 or 6 croquettes at a time until golden on all sides, turning with a slotted spoon. Transfer them to a paper-towel lined platter. Keep in a warm oven until you have fried all that you desire.

Yields 30.

Another Empanada Dough

Here is another recipe for empanada dough.  I used leftover filling that I had frozen from my last batch. You can click here.

For this dough
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup flour tortilla mix or Masa Harina
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (melted)
3/4 cups water

Mix your dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in your melted vegetable shortening and your water. Mix well. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour. Cut into a dozen wedges, form small balls. Dust a working surface with flour. Roll out your empanada dough. Put a tablespoon or so of your filling in the center, fold over and seal the edges. This dough can be either fried or baked. If baking add an egg wash and bake in the oven at 350 for 25 minutes. If frying, heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet, drop in the empanadas turning them until golden. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

This dough was tasty and turned out more "puffy" than other recipes I have used.

Mussels in Garlic Wine Sauce

Funny how the mind works. I was thinking of Jack LaLanne; my thought process led me to muscles and then as logic would have you (lol) to mussels! I've made this recipe before, but since I made it again this afternoon, I thought I'd post today's picture with the link for the recipe. Here it is.