Crab Stuffed Avocado with Toasted Corn and Blistered Peppers

Crab Stuffed Avocado with Toasted Corn and Blistered Peppers

Well, I have to say…I’m pretty freakin’ proud of this one guys. It is one of those dishes that are summer on a plate. Though I believe I was always meant to live in California, I love my Maryland roots. And to us Marylanders, nothing says summer like CRAB.  The best is when you line some picnic tables with newspaper, lay out several bushels of steamed blue crab (from the Chesapeake of course) coated thoroughly in Old Bay, and go to town with some mallets. Other than that, MD crab cakes are of course a favorite.  Sticking to my routes but putting a little Cali twist on it, I came up with this recipe. It is super easy, yet one of the most delicious things I’ve ever made. Give it a shot, I don’t think you will be disappointed!

Servings: 4 ½ Avocados

Ingredients:
16 oz. can        Crab Claw Meat (see below)
2                      Avocados; chilled, sliced in half & pit removed,
2                      Baby Bell Peppers (sold at Trader Joes)
2                      Large Jalapeños
1 can                Yellow Corn, drained
Old Bay

(Yup that’s it)

First, make sure you have a can opener… I realized I had thrown my old one away assuming I would get a new one soon, but nope. Found myself without a can opener. Went to 2 grocery stores by my house and surprisingly, BOTH of them were out of can openers. So I bought a set of cheap knives (don’t use your good knives, they will be ruined) and went to town on the can. I’d seen it done on the show Chopped before and figured I’d give this trick a whirl. So, now you know… if you are in a pinch, use a cheap knife to open your cans.

Now to the important stuff…

Let the corn drain in the sink while you prep the peppers.
Slice the peppers (both the bell and jalapeños) around the core into a few large pieces.
Place the large pieces of pepper over your gas burners or grill flame to get a nice char.
Once charred, dice the peppers and place in a bowl.

Spray some olive oil in a non-stick pan and heat over medium high heat.
Add the corn and sauté until the corn starts to brown then remove and add to diced peppers.

Add about a tsp of olive oil to the pan and add the crab.
Add as much Old Bay as you like, I like a lot.
Sauté until crab is warm then add to the pepper and corn mixture.

Peel the chilled avocado halves and place a quarter of the crab mixture in the pit indentation.

That’s it! Told you it was simple!

** I used crab claw meat here because it is cheaper than lump crab meat and since this does not need to hold a shape, claw meat works well. If you are planning on making crab cakes, use lump crab meat. Trust me, I’m from Maryland**

Smokin’ Chicken Over Warm Summer Veggie Salad

Smokin’ Chicken over Warm Summer Veggie Salad

I love grilling in the summer but at my new apartment complex…… we aren’t allowed to have grills L. I went to a free cooking demo at my local Williams-Sonoma and discovered a nifty item of theirs that is definitely worth buying, SMOKING BAGS! They are aluminum foil bags lined with smoking chips that allow you to smoke protein on a grill or (for us apartment dwellers) in your oven! I highly recommend them, they are amazing. Here is a recipe I developed for the summer that was definitely enhanced by the use of these smoking bags. Hope you guys give it a try and enjoy.

Servings: 4 salads

Ingredients:
1 lb                   boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2                      zucchini, sliced into matchsticks
1                       yellow summer squash, sliced into matchsticks
1                       red bell pepper, sliced into matchsticks
2 ears              corn on the cobb, sliced off of the cob while raw
1                       avocado, sliced
2 bags             mixed greens salad
¼ cup             Hummus (variety of your choosing)
Juice of 2 lemons
Paprika
Oregano
Salt
Pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 350
While oven is pre-heating, prep veggies (except salad and corn) and salt the zucchini and squash
Let salt sit on squash for 5 minutes then brush off into the sink
(salting the squash draws out some of the moisture so when they are cooked they stay firm and don’t become mushy like usual—little tip I picked up in cooking class. But make sure you brush the salt off or else they will be way to salty)

Put cut veggies in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper
Place on a baking sheet and put in pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes (checking on them frequently)

Cut corn off of the cob, place in a bowl and coat with olive oil, salt and pepper

In a small bowl, mix a TBS of paprika, tsp oregano, salt and pepper
Trim chicken of any excess fat
Coat each piece individually with the spice rub
Place in smoking bags following the instructions

Once veggies are roasted, turn up the oven to 475 (or whatever temperature is on the smoking bag)
Once oven is up to the proper temperature, place chicken in the oven

While the chicken is cooking, heat a pan on the stove and add the corn
Pan roast the corn until just turning brown

Remove all items from heat and allow to cool slightly before preparing the salad (or else the leaves will wilt)

While food is cooling, prep salad dressing by adding the juice of 2 lemons to your ¼ cup of hummus and whisking thoroughly
Pour over all of the salad greens and toss

Serve dressed salad greens in large bowls
Top with warm veggies and corn
Top those with the chicken
Then finish with a few slices avocado!

Hope you all enjoy!!!