Puff Pastry Buffalo Chicken Appetizer

I love to make my own puff pastry.  It is time consuming, but the flavor is amazing.  When you take that first bite and the layers just snap apart in your mouth as your teeth cuts through each flaky tier, you can't help but smile with pride.  

I always wait anxiously the 24 hours it takes to make the puff pastry wondering several things:

1.  Did I just waste $8.00 dollars worth of butter?

2.  Will it rise in the oven?

3.  How am I going to use this much puff pastry?

The recipe I use makes a lot and so, it should be noted, that having a few recipes on hand is a good 

idea.

I always use the left over dough to make bread twist or cinnamon sugar treats for the kids.

I brushed these pieces with butter and sprinkle Old Bay Seasoning on them before baking.  "Super good"..direct quote from one of the teachers at school.

I get a little bit excited about my puff pastry or I should say Emeril's because it's his original recipe that I use.  You can find my step by step pictorial HERE if you would like to make your own.

Fear not, because store bought works too!

I have readers that range in "new" to experienced", so I like to give lots of options.

I knew that a buffalo style appetizer was in the works when I made my first batch of puff pastry.  I felt that the buttery layers combined with a cheesy sauce and spice chicken would shine.

I will be honest...THEY DO!..LOL

The key to making this appetizer be a success and not a mess is having the circles of puff pastry large.  I used a 3.5 round cookie cutter.  The cheesy sauce should be kept to a small spoonful.  If you add too much they will spill over.  By adding the chicken after they bake, you insure that the layers all rise.  You won't have the doughy bottom.

You are now prepared to make an appetizer that is sure to impress your friends.  These can easily be made at home, covered and transported to your game day party.  If they need to be warmed up, just pop them into the oven ( heated to 325) and warm for 10 minutes. 

Recipe:  Puff Pastry Buffalo Chicken Appetizer

Makes 24, depending on size of circle cutter used 

1 box of puff pastry, thawed

2 cups of cooked, diced chicken breast

1/2 cup Franks Hot Sauce

1/2 (4 oz) package of cream cheese, soft

1/4 cup of mayonnaise

1/4 cup of diced celery + 1/4 cup for garnish

1/4 cup of gorgonzola cheese

1 cup of jack cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 425.

Dice and cook chicken, drain off any juice and add hot sauce. Keep pan warm on stove. You will add the chicken right before serving.

Flour your surface and roll out pastry thin. Less than 1/4 inch. Using a 3.5 inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles place them 1 inch apart on cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.

Combine in a medium size bowl cream cheese, mayonnaise, 1/4 cup of celery, gorgonzola cheese and jack cheese. Blend until well combined.

On each pastry circle add a small spoonful of cheese mixture. Spread with the back of the spoon until the center is covered. Leave the edges of each circle clean from filling. If you add too much it will spill over onto the pan when baked.

Bake for 20 minutes or until puff pastry is golden brown on the middle shelf.

Remove from oven and gently place a scoop of buffalo chicken in the middle. The middle will sink a bit. Garnish with diced celery.

Cheddar Cheese Crackers #glutenfree

UPDATE:  2-5-2015  Hi, I had a comment that a reader made the crackers and they spread on the cookie sheet and did not hold their shape.  I have remade them again, using the instructions below, and I didn't have the same issue. I will note that I use a high end sharp cheddar cheese.  I use Cabot to be exact.  My oven temperature holds at 400 degrees so it is very hot.  I will include a few pictures below to show you the batch I just made.  These are white because I used white sharp cheddar cheese and not the orange this time.  I also tried putting the dough in the freezer but it made it very brittle and hard to work with.  I recommend if you do this, letting it warm up a bit before trying to roll it.  My cracker dough is similar to pie crust--its thick.  If your dough, after adding the milk, is not coming together in a ball, then add a drop or two more milk until it forms a ball.   I hope this helps and please leave a comment if you have any questions or comments. The thinner the dough is rolled, the crispier the cracker gets.

  I just ate 10 crackers--LOL  I forgot how good they are!

Before they went into the oven.

After baking for 10 minutes.

My cutting set up and how thin I roll the dough.

I enjoyed these tasty cheddar cheese crackers with tuna fish and an extra slice of cheese for lunch the other day with my husband.  My taste buds were pleasantly surprised at the flavor of sharp cheddar.

The crispy cracker was a welcome to my longing for something crunchy.

I was delighted that I made these from scratch.

The cheddar Cheese Crackers are gluten free but you don't have to eat that way to enjoy a delicious alternative to a store bought product.

Some times labels can scare us away from trying something new, especially if you feel that flavor and texture will be sacrificed.  I was satisfied with the results and wanted to share this with my readers.

All of the products can be purchased at a health food store, Whole Foods or most major grocery chains in the baking aisle.

This recipe calls for Potato Starch, not to be confused with Potato Flour.  You will NOT get the same results, please check the packaging carefully.

I used a sharp cheddar but you could easily use a milder cheese or a different variety, like parmesan.

The shape of my cracker was achieved by using a special round cookie cutter that I received as a gift from my kids.  It has a scallop edge and makes the crackers into a cute "RITZ" shape.

Honestly, I was too lazy to make a fish and make Fishy Crackers with this recipe but you could definitely do that if you have the cutter and the time.

Enjoy these simple crackers with your favorite topping or eat them straight from the cooling rack (they may not last any longer than that).

Recipe:  Cheddar Cheese Cracker
Makes roughly, using a 1.5 inch cookie cutter,   35-40 crackers

1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4 tablespoons of butter, soft
3/4 cup of potato starch (Not potato flour)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon flax meal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons of milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

I used my table mixer with the paddle blade.  You can use a bowl and hand mixer too.

Combine all of the ingredients.

Mix until a smooth dough is formed.

Add a piece of parchment paper to a cookie sheet.

With a separate piece of parchment paper on your work surface, add the dough.  Add another piece of parchment paper to the top of the dough and push down.

Using a rolling pin, roll the dough between the two parchment paper pieces until you reach your desired thickness. I think 1/4 inch is too thick, I like mine a bit thinner than this.  They do puff when baked and to achieve the crispy texture, they cannot be too thick or they will be soft.

Using a cookie cutter of your choice, I used a 1.5 inch scallop cutter, start cutting out your shapes and moving them to the cookie sheet.

I used a knife and my hand, lifting the bottom piece of parchment paper, to help get under the dough.  Most of the shapes came right up but there were a few that needed help.

Place shapes every inch.

Bake crackers for 10 minutes.  I turned my tray, because of how my oven cooks, every 5 minutes.

If you like your crackers to have a nuttier flavor then add 2 extra minutes to the bake time.   The edges of the crackers will be darker.

Store the crackers in a baggie or sealed container.

Steak Spring Roll with Red Wine Reduction

Thinking outside of the box is something I seem to do pretty well in my everyday life and now it seems to be trickling over into my kitchen.

I have made the traditional spring rolls with shrimp and have found that my family is not a fan of the shrimp but they love the concept of using the round rice disk as a way of holding delicious veggies.

Recently I found some beef that had been cut into thin wide strips at Whole Foods.  I figured this could be used for any number of dishes so I included it in my shopping cart.  I will often buy unique things in the store without having any idea of what dish I may include it in.

The next day I noticed I had a few vegetables that needed to be used up that day.  This idea came to my mind.  A steak spring roll.  Would it taste okay?  Sure, steak is kind of like bacon in our family, added to most things, it will taste fantastic.

Reaching for a baggie, I started adding a bit of this and a little of that to season and marinate the beef.  I had a feeling this would be amazing and so I wrote everything down as I went.  I don't always do this when I first try a recipe because it usually requires some tweaking over the next few months.

When you use certain ingredients a lot you learn their qualities and attributes to a recipe and when marrying the ingredients together you are able to create an explosion of flavor.  This happened. 

I wanted the meat to be somewhat strong in flavor, I was okay if it tasted a bit saltier than normal.  With the pairing of the fresh veggies and rice wrapper, this combination would allow the meat to shine in every bite.

IT DID!

Rye, my oldest daughter, is usually my taste tester when she is not in college and I knew this was a hit for the mere fact that she was pacing the halls back and forth from her room to the stove, asking me on more than one occasion, "are they done yet?" and telling me, "that smells so good".

The longest part of this dish?  Julienne vegetables.  I love the look and I wanted those thin matchstick pieces to shine in the pictures of the spring roll.  My hand and mind needed to work together to create these narrow sticks of beauty.

As I started to line up the veggies next to each and could see the rainbow of flavor that would be featured in each spring roll,  I was motivated to continue on to the next ingredient.  I do have a OXO mandolin that has a julienne blade but I wanted the challenge of doing it by hand.  

I love my kitchen gadgets that help me to save time but on this day I wanted the experience of doing this simple, yet taxing task, the old fashion way…me and steel.

Working with the rice wrappers is a new experience for some.  You have this hard disk and you are expected to create a spring roll of deliciousness how?  LOL

I have given you step by step instructions below to help you work with and use this ingredient.  

I love these steak spring rolls and cannot wait to make them again for myself, my family or friends. 

Recipe:  Steak Spring Rolls with a Red Wine Reduction 

makes 8, 16 halves

6 slices of thin strips of beef, cut 1/4 in thick

1/4 teaspoon of onion powder

2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon Worceshershire Sauce

dash of pepper

oil, for searing meat

3/4 cup of red wine

salt to taste

toasted sesame seeds

assortment of veggies for filling: cucumbers, carrots, lettuce, onion,  bell pepper, etc…

8 rice spring roll wrapper disc

Marinate meat in a baggie along with onion powder, soy sauce, worceshershire sauce and pepper for one hour.

In a large skillet, heat oil and add meat.  Dispose of left over marinade.  

Cook meat for about 2 minutes on each side.  The thin strips will cook quickly and you don't need them well done and chewy.  Sprinkle each side with toasted sesame seeds. 

The meat marinade and juices, when combined with the oil in the pan, will create a small amount of liquid.  Remove your meat to a plate.  Set the pan aside with the juice for creating the sauce later.  Any juice that is left on the plate from the meat sitting should be added to the pan too. 

After the meat has cooled a bit, cut each piece into thin strips to match those of the veggies.  Try to cut across the grain so the meat will be easier to bite into.  

Prepare you veggies.  To help stack the veggies and meat, they will work better if everything is cut into thin strips.  The lettuce can be shredded.

The picture below will show you what a single rice disk will look like.  They are sold in packages at most grocery stores in the Asian sections.

I use a shallow pie dish filled half way with warm water to soften my rice disk in.  This process is quick.  You will place the disk in the warm water and wait about 30 seconds.  The disk will slowly go from hard to super soft in about 3 minutes.

Remove the disk to your work surface and start stacking your veggies and meat.

Try to work quickly.  Take the left side and the right side and fold into the middle.   Starting at the bottom, flip that over the filling, tighten a bit to secure all of the ingredients and proceed to roll into a spring roll form.

Your spring roll is complete.  I lay my rolls on a plate in a single roll.  The skin of the roll becomes tacky to the touch and if you lay them on top of each other they could tear apart.

Serving the spring rolls is easy.  I have an assortment of dipping sauces available and cut them in half.

Recipe: Red Wine Reduction

Drippings from pan and plate (around 1/4 cup)
3/4 cup of red wine

Heat pan and let the juices and wine simmer (gently rolling) until it reduces to 1/3 of a cup.  Stir occasionally. Taste the reduction to see if salt is needed.  The time for this step will depend on how thick you want the sauce.  It took me about 10 minutes.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

2020 UPDATE:  This recipe has been visited over 4 million times!  Thank you for the love!!!

Read the comments--lots of people love it as is, but some have made changes, like preparing it in a crockpot. Great idea!

Game day!  That's right, it has become a huge deal in our home to sit and watch football. It only took my husband 44 years to finally decide that he likes football.  I should rephrase that, that he likes to sit and watch football.  He is no longer content to read the sports page and sip his coffee.  He wants to see every play first hand.

I thought I was one of the few wives left on earth that was lucky enough to not have my Sundays and Mondays ruled by a football schedule.

It is a schedule because the NFL has the gall to play more than two teams on any given day…LOL

I am saying this all in tongue and cheek because I love football.  I grew up watching it with my grandfather.  That was back in the day when the Chicago Bears had the Refrigerator (a player).

I have enjoyed having the time to spend with my hubby and with our kids.  We make yummy food, choose teams and wear our favorite colors.  This season we hope to be wearing a lot of PURPLE…go RAVENS!

This dip is popular throughout the web and can be found on numerous blogs, Pinterest accounts, and feeds.  It's not that hard to throw together but it is still so dang good.

The dip can be made up the night before and the topping can be ready to go in a baggie.  It's a great traveler to take to friends and family that are having game day parties.  You can alter the temperature of the dip based on the jalapeno's used and whether you decide to have seeds or no seeds.

Recipe:  Jalapeno Popper Dip

6-8 slices of bacon, diced and cooked crispy

2 8-oz packages of cream cheese, soft

1 cup of mayonnaise

4-6 jalapeno's, chopped and deseeded.  The seeds will make it fiery hot.

1 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup diced green onion

Topping:

1 cup of crushed crackers ( I used Ritz)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 stick of butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine all of the ingredients into a medium bowl.  Stir well.

Transfer to an oven proof dish. The size of the dish depends on how thick the dip is.  The thicker the dip the longer it may need to warm up.  I used this stoneware dish that is round and measures 12 inches across.  My dip is usually about an inch thick.

Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle all over the top of the dip.

Bake the dip for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.

2020 Update: 

I'm still writing on my blog. I don't share many new recipes but I am working on updating the recipes I have here on my blog.

I went to school and got my degree. I had another baby. We moved.  Lots of new things in my life.

Add your email to keep up to date (enter on the home page on the top right).

Visit my HOME page to see my latest post!

Enjoy your day.

Sherron

    

Sweet Potato Chips with Blue Cheese

Last week my hubby and I went out for dinner and we ended up trying a new restaurant.  One of the things on the menu was an appetizer made of homemade chips, drizzled with a cream sauce, topped with chunks of blue cheese and green onion.  The grand finale was a reduction of balsamic vinegar drizzled across the top.

Now you would think it would have been heavenly.  For me, it was just okay.

I felt that the sauce was bland and they served way more chips than the sauce, so towards the end, you ended up eating just that…chips.  I was a bit disappointed because I felt that they could have taken this dish from a 5 to a 10 with just a few adjustments to the recipe.

Today, I saw my two lonely sweet potatoes and thought I will take their dish from a 5 to a 10.  LOL  and I did.  It was really good and I could have done way more damage, but I was trying to eat a small portion and eat more of the grilled veggies.

Honestly, it was hard…really hard.

Along with these tasty chips, I served grilled veggies and an oven-baked side of cipollini onions drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Veggies tossed with olive oil and added to the grill for 10 minutes on medium heat. If you cook with the lid down, they cook a bit faster and the steam from the veggies helps the cooking process.

I peeled the Cipollini onions and placed them into a glass dish.  Set my oven to 350.  Sprinkled salt and pepper on top of the onions.  I then added olive oil and balsamic vinegar and baked for 30 minutes.  These onions are sweet and bite-size.

I am pretty sure this sauce and the goodies would work great on a big dish of sweet potato fries.  These could be baked or fried depending on how you like to make them for your family.


Recipe:  Sweet Potato Chips (or fries)

1 large sweet potato ( I usually get enough chips for my family of 5)
Canola or Peanut Oil

I use a mandolin to cut my slices very thin.  A little less than a 1/8th of an inch.  If they are too thin, like you can see through them, then they will burn.  If they get too thick it may be hard to get them crispy.

I heat my oil to 350 degrees.  You can use a thermometer to make sure your temp is right.  Just keep in mind that the pot needs to be large enough to handle the chips boiling and bubbling up.

I don't do a lot at the same time.  Maybe 10 slices.  I use a pair of tongs to constantly push the chips into the oil.  If they sit on top then you only cook one side.

I have some paper towels set out on a cookie tray.  Let the chips cool slightly and sprinkle with salt.

NOTE: Sweet potato chips are harder to make than a regular potato chip, or maybe it is just me.  Your sweet potato chips will be soft in the middle and crispy on the edges. There is a fine line between too down and under done.  Just be patient and try a few single chips so that you can see how you like yours cooked.

Recipe:  Blue Cheese Sauce

2 T. butter
2.5 tsp. of flour
1 cup of cream
1/4 cup of milk
1/3 cup of crumbled blue cheese
salt to taste
dash of pepper
1/4 tsp. of garlic powder ( use more if you want a stronger flavor)

In a small pan, melt butter and add flour.   Cook for 1 minute.  Add cream and milk.  Continue cooking on medium, stirring often, until the sauce is creamy and bubbly.

Season sauce with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Add blue cheese and stir.  Turn heat off and let sit for 10 minutes.  This gives the blue cheese a chance to melt slightly into the sauce.

Drizzle on top of chips.  Serve chips with green onions and balsamic vinegar.

OPTION:  Add crisp bacon!

Purple Potato Chips

I love discovering new things to play within the kitchen.  Discovering these purple potato's was so much fun!

I am encouraging you to try and find purple potatoes and surprise your friends or family with purple potato chips.  

ENJOY!

Recipe:  Purple Potato Chips

This is David Leite's recipe from Leite's Culinaria.  His site and the original recipe can be found here. My notes are in red.

Peanut or canola oil for frying I used canola.

2 large baking potatoes, peeled if desired I used purple potatoes


1. Pour enough oil to reach a depth of 2 3/4 inches in a deep fryer or a large, deep pot. Do not overfill the fryer or pot as the oil will bubble up when the potatoes are added. Heat the oil to 325°F (163°C). Line a baking sheet with a paper bag cut open or with a wire cooling rack and place it next to the stove.

Reaching this temperature takes longer than you think, this was my error in the past.  Using a thermometer made a huge difference for my chips.

2. Meanwhile, set up a turning vegetable slicer with the straight blade. Cut off both ends of a large baking potato and attach one end of the potato to the grip at the end of the handle; the other end of the potato should sit flush against the blade. Turn the handle, pushing toward the potato with gentle pressure. The potato will rotate through the blade, forming extremely long ribbons of potato.

I used my mandolin set on the smallest width and sliced them into a bowl of water.  With 5 small potatoes, I got about 3 cups of chips.

3. Place the potatoes on paper towels and pat dry; they should be very, incontrovertibly dry before they go into the hot oil, as any residual moisture will cause the oil to bubble up and spatter even more.
4. Carefully add some of the potato ribbons to the hot oil, working in batches. Add only enough potatoes to make a layer that is no more than 2 inches thick. Fry the potatoes until they are golden brown on the bottom. Using long tongs, gently turn the potatoes over. Continue to fry until the potatoes are evenly browned and crisp, about 6 minutes total, depending on the thickness of your ribbons.

I found with the purple potatoes, I knew they were done when they started to turn a slight brown color on the edges and middle…but not too much or you will burn them.
5. When the potatoes ruffles are done, use tongs to carefully lift them onto the paper bag or rack to drain. Serve the ruffles on a platter with a generous sprinkling of fleur de sel.

I found that the oriental round wire scoop that I bought to remove tempura veggies worked great to remove the chips.
 

Rueben Eggrolls

Sometimes our Rueben sandwiches are messy.  They drip juice and our fingers and hands are sticky. With these little logs of heaven, our hands stayed dry.  Happy dance!

Now don't get me wrong, these will never replace my beloved Rueben sandwich but they are a close second, awesome treat, easy to serve, great appetizer and so tasty good!

ENJOY!

Recipe:  Reuben Eggrolls

4-8 slices of Pastrami or Corned beef from the deli
8 slices of Swiss or Provolone Cheese
1 can Sauerkraut
12 eggroll wrappers, large
mayonnaise
ketchup
oil

In a large pot start heating your oil.  I put about 2 inches.  Bring to a temperature that you can deep fry the eggrolls.  I usually test the oil first with the tip of the eggroll, if it starts to bubble then it is ready.

Mix equal parts of mayonnaise and ketchup for the sauce.  Depending on how many eggrolls you are serving will decide how much to make.

While the oil is heating, prepare your mixture.

I used 4 pieces of pastrami, diced. If you want more meat, by all means, add more. I used 8 slices of provolone, diced.  I used 1/2 cup of sauerkraut.  Mix together in a bowl.

Spread out your eggroll wrapper and put about 3 T. of the mixture inside.  Fold over one corner, then the sides and roll towards the last corner.  Use water to seal the ends to the eggroll.

Fry the eggroll until golden brown.  Mine took about 5-6 minutes.  You may need to turn them halfway through so that both sides get browned.

Let cool on a wire rack.  Cut diagonally and serve with the mayonnaise/ketchup sauce.

Jalapeno Poppers with Pineapple

I watched a show last week that made Jalapeno Poppers on the grill.  I have been dreaming about them ever since.  My family loves jalapenos!  We go through a very large jar several times a year. We eat them on everything...eggs, salads, pizza, sandwiches, etc...You name it and it only gets better once you add a jalapeno.  LOL

I bought all of the stuff and was ready to make the traditional style of a popper.  You know the one, cheese in the middle and bacon wrapped around the outside, then grilled to perfection.

All plans sometimes must be rethought and some take on a world of their own.  This is what happened with my popper recipe.  When you can't do plan A you must switch to plan B.  There was no way that these were not going to be in my tummy last night..NO WAY!

I wanted to grill them on the BBQ but we were out of gas.  OK then, I will have to bake.  I was worried about baking.  WHY?  Because I am the pickiest person about how my bacon must be cooked.  I don't like burnt bacon, can stand ultra-crispy bacon and I won't eat the bacon if it's wilted or raw looking (as a whole piece).  I know, I am picky and spicy and some days it's hard to live with myself...LOL

How in the world was I going to achieve this perfect bacon experience in the oven?  I decided to precook the bacon, cut the jalapeno's in half and embellish the cheese with MORE cheese variety...this was starting to shape up to be an amazing POPPER experience.

FYI:  I like my bacon medium crispy with the ends cooked slightly...the edges crispy and the middle soft.  YES, it's true...I never eat bacon outside of my home!  Picky, Picky, Picky!

My family was so excited for dinner last night.  They absolutely loved the poppers and I think I will be making these again at the end of the week.  I love taking something that is "expected" and turning it into something that is "WOW".  I used the leftover cheese filling as a dip and served it with apples and bell pepper.  I thought that some of my kids would not like the hot jalapeno...I was wrong, so I did the only thing I could do and ATE the whole ramekin of dip!  LOL  If I could get it through a straw I would have used one to eat it faster...it was that tasty!  ENJOY

Jalapeno Poppers

9-10 jalapeno peppers, 2-3 inches in size
1/2 cup of grilled pineapple, minced
1/2 cup of green onion, sliced
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup of bacon, cooked to your liking
1 cup of pepper jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup of asiago cheese, shredded
dash of salt and pepper

Preheat your baking stone and oven to 425 degrees.

Cut your bacon into little pieces and cook.  Grill your pineapple or saute it in a pan and mince.  Grate your cheese (s) and prepare your jalapenos.

To prepare jalapenos please be very careful.  These are hot and the oil will go into your hands and while cleaning out the seeds it is possible to flick some of that into your eye..trust me, it is possible.

Cut the jalapenos in half and clean out the seeds. Wash and pat dry.  Set aside.

Prepare the filling by combining all of the ingredients and mix well.  The great thing about this filling is that you can add anything you want to make it your own.  Get crazy, live on the wild side.

I lined up my poppers on my counter.  I filled a large gallon bag with the filling and snipped a corner.  This is the easiest way to fill these puppies or poppers. LOL

Because I did not have the grill to cook them on (this time) I used my baking stone.  I preheated the stone so that it was piping hot and gently laid my poppers close to each other.  I could hear the sizzle and smell their hotness immediately.  OH SO GOOD!

Bake the poppers for 15-20 minutes.  You want the jalapeno to be soft (not mushy) and the topping to be browned.

We served ours with rice.   It is a nice compliment to the jalapeno, especially if you get a really hot one!

Written by Sherron Watson

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Cheddar Cheese Fondue

I have a few recipes that my kids ask for over and over, this is one of them!  We love cheese fondue.  Not just any fondue, this fondue.  It's made with cheddar and kids like this flavor much better than the traditional swiss.  I serve both when I host parties and oft times the adults like this one better as well.  I think the mild flavor served with fresh bread is always a hit with any age group.

I thought that this would be something that I would not be able to enjoy once I went on a gluten-free diet.  Thankfully it works great with a GF flour blend and I make my flatbread.  All of my guests love the bread and can't believe it is gluten-free.

Cheddar Cheese Fondue

2 C. milk...I use whole milk.

1 T. Worcestershire Sauce

2 tsp.  dry mustard

1 clove of minced garlic

3 T. flour (I use GF flour)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 T. water

6 Cups shredded cheddar cheese

**I use 3 cups of medium cheddar and 3 cups of sharp cheddar.  I have also substituted some of the cheddar for Swiss cheese.  Taste the fondue and make sure that you can "taste" the cheese, if not , add a little bit more cheese.  Cheese has different flavors and some are stronger than others.

1.  Combine the first four ingredients until just starting to boil; add the flour. 

2.  Mix baking soda with 1 T. water and add to flour/milk mixture. Cook and stir until thickened.

3.  Add all of the cheese at once.  Turn heat down and stir until well combined.  

 To reheat, either use the microwave or a saucepan on the stove.  Be careful not to burn it on the stove. 

 4.  Serve with apples and/or bread.

NOTE:  The baking soda blends the fondue so that it is smooth.  If you leave it out, it may look grainy and separate.

The recipe can be found here.

Written by Sherron Watson

Maryland Blue Crab Cakes

I love crab.  With this said, it makes sense that I would come up with a crab cake recipe having just moved to Maryland.  The Blue Crabs are amazing.  They don't taste like any other crab I have tasted.  The crab comes in a whole slew of sizes.  They range from small to extra large.  The price for a dozen small can be about $40  and this is a lot of money to pay for long hours of cracking and digging...I tried it and, personally, I was fine buying the crab already "picked" fresh the morning of.

Everyone here has their "way" of getting the meat and will happily teach you the "right" way to do it.  At the restaurant we visited, I had two different people instruct me on how to remove the meat.  There was no thought to each of them about touching my food...I laughed about that for days.  They just grabbed a crab, cracked it open, dug the meat out and handed it to me to eat...OKAY then.  I love it here, and the blue crabs and people help make this place wonderful.

I visited a local seafood supplier and we started chatting about a gluten-free recipe for crab cakes. He mentioned they did not have much luck with the cakes staying together when cooking them.  I had a challenge...create a crab cake that stayed together when baked and tasted great.

I chose three different methods: crackers, bread, and almond flour.  I have to say that they each tasted really good, but I did have my favorite: crackers.  I loved the texture and flavor of the almond flour, but they did not look like a crab cake.  So, I used them to make the crab cake sandwich.  The crab cakes made with the bread were very delicate.  They were good, but I wanted something I did not have to worry about and baby sit.  I will share with you all three and then you can choose which one you would like to try.  I used one pound of fresh Maryland Blue Crab and this made about 60 small crab cakes.  I made my small so that they would not fall apart.  I can tell you that the cracker recipe will not fall apart no matter what size you make them.  LOL

You can see the size of the bread cubes I used and the size of the cracker pieces I added to my mixes.

This is how I tested this recipe. I made them all at the same size.  Little did I know that I created enough sauce for  a lot more crab cakes than I made..LOL  We learn as we go sometimes.

All of the crab cakes I tested by baking and frying them both.  I tried them flattened and in balls.  This is a huge debate in Maryland...flat or balls.  I liked them both, other than the fried, flat crab cakes were crispy on the outer edges and soft in the middle.  I like this texture combination.

I used the same sauce for all three recipes.  I will give that once and then you can add the filler of your choice.  ENJOY

Sauce:

This will make enough to be used with 1 pound of crab (3 cups).  If you don't have that much crab, then change measurements accordingly. I would also add the sauce a little bit at a time until all of the crab and filling are covered and able to form into a ball.  I know some people like theirs a little bit drier than others.

1 tsp. lemon
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce   (Lea & Perrins, in the US, its gluten-free)
1 T. prepared mustard.   I used Grey Poupon
1 cup of mayo
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp Bay seasoning. I used this sparingly, it's quite salty and I think develop a taste for this in time.
1 egg
1/4 tsp. onion salt
salt to taste
pepper to taste


Mix all of the above ingredients in a small bowl.  Add this to your selected bread/cracker/almond mix.

Cracker Mix ( My favorite and the easiest to handle)

1 sandwich-size baggie full of crackers.  I used gluten-free crackers from two brands: Glutino and Schar
1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup green onion, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
1 cup of crab pieces, I used large lumps because I wanted them to show up in the pictures, you can use smaller lumps too..they are a bit cheaper.  Do not use artificial crab (this is not gluten-free), plus the flavor is not the same.

Break crackers up inside of baggie.  I did not smash my crackers, I wanted pieces.  Chop all of your vegetables.  I did not saute my veggies, I used them raw.  But if you would like to do this it should not make a difference in flavor but it will in texture.  I like a little bit of crunch in my crab cake.

Combine crackers, veggies and 1 cup of sauce (remember sauce above makes enough for 3X the recipe listed above). Using a piece of parchment paper inside a cookie sheet, shape your crab cakes into balls.

This is the bread mix, shaped into balls.

Bake:  preheat oven to 350.  Place cookie sheet in oven.  Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.  The larger the crab cake the longer you will need to bake them.  The middle should be warm.

The crab cakes in the back are the almond meal mix and the ones in the front are the cracker mix.

Fry:  using a frying pan with 2 T. of olive oil, fry the balls on one side as a ball, then flip the crab cake and gently flatten the cake.  No need to go crazy and make a pancake, you still want some depth to the cake.  Each side should be golden brown.

Cooking the bread mix.  I fry the bottom first, flip, then flatten lightly.

Bread Mix ( Equally good, but a bit more sensitive to fry)

1.5 cups of cubed bread.  I used my gluten-free bread recipe here.
1/4 cup green onion, diced
1/4 cup of celery, diced
1/4 cup carrots, diced.  You can also shred your carrots, this makes the crab cake easier to handle.
1 cup of crab pieces, I used large lumps because I wanted them to show up in the pictures, you can use smaller lumps too..they are a bit cheaper.  Do not use artificial crab (this is not gluten-free), plus the flavor is not the same.

Combine all the above ingredients, add 1 cup of sauce.  When I formed my balls using the bread mix, I had to get my hands dirty.  I squeezed the mix together quite hard to form the ball, the sauce dripped on to the cutting board.  The balls formed nicely.

I would not bake these.

Fry: using a frying pan with 2 T. of olive oil, fry the balls on one side as a ball, then flip the crab cake and gently flatten the cake.  No need to go crazy and make a pancake, you still want some depth to the cake.  Each side should be golden brown.

Almond Meal Mix ( These taste awesome, but does not look like a traditional crab cake.  This is gluten-free.)

1 cup of almond meal
1/4 cup of green onion, diced
1/4 cup of celery, diced
1 cup of crab pieces, I used large lumps because I wanted them to show up in the pictures, you can use smaller lumps too..they are a bit cheaper.  Do not use artificial crab (this is not gluten-free), plus the flavor is not the same.

Combine all of the ingredients and add 1 cup of sauce.  This will look like a bread or cake batter.  I used a cookie scoop and baked them in the oven on a cookie sheet. Baked at 350 for 15 minutes or until done all the way through.  Watch your oven, they can easily be overcooked.  I also fried a few but they still needed to be baked on the inside...I only wanted one step to cook these.  If you want to fry them and then bake, go ahead.

Written by Sherron Watson