Sometimes you just need to bite the bullet and pay full price. That’s what I walked away with after Lisa made this version of Pad Thai from Almost Meatless, a great cookbook to give those in your life who are trying to eat less meat but can’t quite, or don’t want to, go vegetarian. When we went shopping to pick up the ingredients for this one (a few months ago, now), the lump crab meat at our local Whole Foods was something like $32/lb, and they didn’t have any whole crabs on hand. We already had the rest of the ingredients for this recipe at home, so we decided to go with the pre-pack cans of crab meat. The pieces fell apart rapidly and overly-infused the dish with too much crabbiness. One the other hand, we’d never made Pad Thai at home, and it’s good knowing that it’s actually pretty easy to do. Next time we’ll either wait for a sale, or go with tofu.

Whoa, way too crabby.

Chris says:

…but the noodles themselves are good.

Lisa says:

Yeah I like the noodles and the sauce, but the crab is still overpowering.

Chris says:

Although… hunger vs. tastebuds…

Lisa says:

Well obviously hunger wins. But next time I’m just making this vegetarian.

Chris says:

And I like the picture, so there’s that.

Lisa says:

Yes, there’s that — is that why you waited so long to post this one, though? Because it wasn’t exactly our favorite?

Chris says:

Hmm… laziness vs. pride…

Crab Pad Thai
8 oz rice noodles
1 cup tamarind water/concentrate
1/2 cup fish sauce
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
8 tsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
8 oz lump crabmeat
2 cups bean sprouts
6 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped
2 limes, cut into wedges, for serving

Prepare the noodles as directed on the package by soaking in hot water for 10-15 minutes until just softened, then rinsing under cold water. Set aside.
Whisk together the tamarind concentrate, fish sauce, sugar, and soy sauce in a bowl and set aside.
Make each serving one at a time: Heat two teaspoons of the oil in a wok over high heat. When the wok and oil are hot, drop around 2 cups of the noodles (about 1/4th) and toss continuously for 30 seconds. Add 1/4th of the sauce mixture and 1/2 tsp of minced garlic, tossing to coat the noodles. Push to the side and add in 1/4 of the beaten eggs. Let it start to set, then scramble into the noodles. Add 1/4th of the crab meat, bean sprouts, and scallions, toss to heat through, then plate. Top with peanuts and add lime wedges. Repeat for the remaining three servings.

4 Servings

Carrie came over this week for dinner and we enjoyed this crab soup with a spinach salad and plenty of wine. The cilantro relish was a big hit, and though crab is expensive, it was totally worth it in this dish. We all loved it! The recipe comes from The Ultimate Soup Bible.

Carrie says:

Yum, I love crab!

Lisa says:

This soup is awesome…

Chris says:

I think there’s probably a bit too many noodles, but other than that I’m in love with this soup!

Lisa says:

Too many noodles in the recipe?

Chris says:

Nah, the recipe itself is probably a good amount, but my estimating skills are lacking. Determining five ounces out of a package of 16 when some unknown portion of them have already been used apparently is a challenge for me.

Lisa says:

The cilantro topping is awesome.

Carrie says:

Can I have more?

Chris says:

Yes! Let’s finish the batch!

Lisa says:

Leave room for dessert…

Dungeness Crab Soup with Cilantro Relish
SOUP:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, finely chipped
2 red chilies, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb fresh Dungeness crab meat
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
juice of 2 lemons
1 lemongrass stalk
4 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
5 oz angel hair pasta, broken into 2-3 inch lengths
salt and fresh ground pepper

RELISH:
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 green chili, seeded and chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground roasted cumin seeds

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven and add the onion, chilies, and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until the onion is very soft. Transfer the cooked onion mixture to a bowl and stir in the crab meat, parsley, cilantro, and lemon juice, and set aside.
Bruise the lemongrass on a chopping board. Pour the stock and fish sauce into the dutch oven. Add the lemongrass and bring to a boil, then add teh pasta. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 3-4 minutes until the pasta is just tender.
While the soup is simmering, prepare the relish by using a mortar and pestle to make a coarse paste of the cilantro, chili, oil, lemon juice, and cumin.
Remove and discard the lemongrass from the soup. Add the crab mixture into the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then set on low and simmer for two minutes.
Ladle the soup into four bowls and put a spoonful of the cilantro relish in the center of each.

4 Servings

Last weekend Lisa and I were on the way to one of our usual dinner spots, when we decided mid-drive to try something new.  We ended up at Cafe Gaudi, a little Spanish restaurant featuring tapas and a few different varieties of paella.  One of the specials that night was a crab salad with apples, hearts of palm, and a light miso vinaigrette dressing.  We were really enamoured of the dish, and attempted to recreate a version at home.

Lisa says:

Yum, it’s good!

Chris says:

I really like the apples in it.

Lisa says:

How close do you think it is?

Chris says:

Hmm… if anything, I think we have a lot more crab than how it was served at the restaurant.

Lisa says:

That’s the first thing I thought when I saw it — not that I’m complaining; I love crab!

Chris says:

We’ll have to refine this further, but you’re right: nothing to complain about here!

Crab, Apple, and Hearts of Palm Salad
1/2 lb lump crab meat, finely chopped
1 gala apple, peeled, cored, and diced
hearts of palm, diced (equivalent amount to the apple — we used about 1/3 can)
1 tbsp parsley, minced
8 paper-thin slices of red bell pepper
1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp miso vinaigrette (I just whisked together some miso paste and rice wine vinegar)

Combine all ingredients, enjoy!

2 Servings

Lisa made this chowder found in the Weight Watchers Great Cooking Everyday book. This thick soup has a mushroom and chicken broth base, and is topped with lump crab meat.

Chris says:

This smelled great when you were cooking it!

Lisa says:

Sometimes I hate those WW recipes; that bowl pictured is two servings.

Chris says:

Maybe it’s meant to be a side dish or starter. It’s good though.

Lisa says:

It is, but I don’t think I like the arrowroot; it makes it jiggle. Like jelly.

Chris says:

Like my belly?

Lisa says:

Sigh…

Chris says:

I’m feeling fat… and sassy.

Crab and Wild Mushroom Chowder
——————————
1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms
1 tbsp + 2 tsp arrowroot
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp butter
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3 tbsp finely chopped celery
1 garlic clove, minced
1 potato, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup evaporated fat-free milk
1 1/2 tsp dry sherry
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/3 cup water
1/4 lb cooked lump crab meat, picked over

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop. Thinly slice the mushroom caps. Reserve in separate piles. Combine the arrowroot and 2tbsp of the broth in a small bowl.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the onion, celery, and garlic. Sauté until tender. Add the remaining broth to the vegetables; bring to a simmer. Add the potato and simmer, covered, until tender, 15-20 minutes. Whisk the arrowroot mixture and stir into the broth. Simmer until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the milk, sherry, salt, and pepper.
Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the reserved mushroom stems; reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain the liquid into a medium skillet, discarding the stems. Bring to a simmer and add the reserved sliced mushrooms, cooking until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir the mushrooms and their broth into the soup. Serve, topped with the crabmeat.

Serves 4 as a starter

Lisa was at the helm tonight and whipped up these delicious crab cakes using a recipe found in Cooking Light. They turned out perfectly: crispy on the outside, hot and steamy on the inside — I loved all the minced green onions in there. We served the crab cakes along with some heirloom tomatoes, pictured, and a mushroom couscous.

Maryland Crab Cakes
——————-
1 pound lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
1 1/3 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1/3 cup minced green onions
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon 2% low-fat milk
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 egg whites
1 1/3 cups fresh breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
Lemon wedges (optional)

Combine first 10 ingredients in a bowl; stir well. Divide crabmeat mixture into 8 equal portions. Place 1 1/3 cups breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Dredge crabmeat portions in breadcrumbs, shaping into patties about 3 1/2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick.
Heat 1 tablespooon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 patties, and cook 3 minutes. Carefully turn patties over, and cook 3 minutes or until golden. Repeat procedure with the remaining oil and patties. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

8 Servings