Homemade Pimento Cheese

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Have you ever had homemade pimento cheese? If not, you haven’t lived. It’s so delicious, but simple and easy. I always have the ingredients for this quick appetizer on hand – it’s a great recipe that can be thrown together quickly for unexpected guests. Which, when you have a kegerator full of homebrew and a pool, happens fairly often in the summertime.

It’s also great in grilled cheese sandwiches, baked as a hot dip, or stuffed inside of a burger before grilling. Be careful though, there is a condition that I’ve come to call “Pimento Cheese-itis” that comes from eating close to a whole batch by yourself. Check yourself before you wreck yourself, ya’ll – and don’t let it happen to you! Keeps in the fridge for a few days, if it makes it that long.

Pimento Cheese

8 oz. extra sharp cheddar, shredded
4 oz. diced pimientos
3 Tbsp Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 tsp hot sauce or Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp paprika
salt and black pepper

Drain pimentos well.

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference.

Before serving, refrigerate at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Source: adapted from Pink Parsley

Creamy Crab Dip

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My all time favorite appetizer, hands down. When crab dip is good, it can be soooo good. But, when it’s bad …yowza. I’m fortunate enough to live in a place where a bushel of the bay’s best crabs are just a 30 minute drive on the backroads – to Crisfield, Maryland. You buy them directly off of the boat, for insanely cheap price (well, most of the year anyways. They mark them up Memorial Day and July 4th). Jon has converted a beer keg into a cooking vessel – so we can cook a whole bushel at a time. Combine that with a kegerator in the garage and it makes for one awesome crab feast!

If there are any leftover soldiers, I’ll usually pick them to make a batch of crab dip up the following night. It’s so rich and creamy, it really makes a meal. This recipe was given to me by a very dear friend of the family, who shall go unnamed to maintain her anonymity.  But, I love her forever for sharing it with me. It’s just the right balance of everything, really allowing the crab to shine.

One word of caution though, do not to skimp on crab meat. The plastic tubs are usually okay, but that canned stuff is just whack. No one wants crab meat all the way from Vietnam. Enjoy this one if you can, it’s definitely one of my favorites!

Creamy Crab Dip

1/2 pound fresh crab meat
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
pinch garlic salt
paprika, for garnish

Remove cartilage from crab meat. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, may, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and garlic salt until smooth. Add enough milk to make mixture creamy. Stir in half of grated cheese.  Gently fold crab meat into mixture.

Pour mixture into a 1 quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350° until mixture is bubbly and browned on top, about 25 minutes. Serve with crackers and crusty French bread.

Source: originally from Maryland Department of Agriculture

Strawberry Chipotle Jam

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It’s been a trying week in my kitchen, and it’s only Wednesday. To start out the weekend, I discovered the door to our stand up freezer in the basement was left ajar for a couple of days. It needed a good cleaning out anyways, but still, talk about a waste. Then, to make matters worse, when cooking dinner on Friday evening – the propane tank that fuels the cook top ran out. We only have to have it filled once a year, and I guess it just slipped my mind. That meant going until Monday without a propane delivery. Thankfully, we have a beast of a grill with a handy side burner. It’s saved our butts more times than I can count when we’ve been without electricity for an extended period of time.

However, one thing that I couldn’t do on my trusty grill was preserve the 15 lbs of strawberries we picked on Saturday afternoon. So, we went over to my Mom’s house yesterday to can, and it was a great afternoon. Mom always enjoys spending time with the boys, and it was nice not to have them pulling on my apron strings when I was in the process of canning. Hot jars + boiling water + toddlers just makes me nervous!

I couldn’t be happier with how this jam turned out. At first taste, it’s pure delicious strawberry.  But, comin’ up from behind is a lovely smokey, slow burn from the chipotles. I intended to do one batch of this, and one batch of a traditional strawberry jam. But, I loved this so much that I went ahead and did a double batch. I can’t wait to try it mixed into BBQ sauce, brushed onto grilled pork, or making a fun dipping sauce for coconut shrimp. Definitely plan on entering this one into my local fair come August!

Strawberry Chipotle Jam

6 cups strawberries, washed and halved
1 (7 oz) can chipotle chiles in adobo (I used about 3/4 of a can)
6 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 package powdered pectin

In a food processor or blender, process the chilis and berries in a food processor (pulse), being careful not to over process, you want some pieces of berry. Pour berry mixture, lemon juice, and pectin into a large pot.

Cook, over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until mixture comes to a boil. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Return to a rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary.

Immediately pour the hot jam into hot jars and put the lids on. Process in a water bath for 10 minutes.

Source: adapted from SB Canning and The Ball Blue Book Guide To Preserving

Crispy Cajun Potato Rounds

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I’m so glad that I made these to share with you guys, because I had forgotten how much I loved them. I first had them back in my order-out almost every night days of my youth. I would always get a veggie wrap from a local waterfront restaurant on Chincoteague, and if I was lucky, these crispy potato rounds came alongside. That “luck” pretty much coincided with the fact that they had leftover baked potatoes from the night before.They eventually took the veggie wrap off the menu, and I started making my own spicy potato rounds.

Now, I don’t usually have extra baked potatoes hanging out, but it’s worth it to bake a few in advance to make these. I’ve also successfully done a quick cook on the potatoes by microwaving them for a few minutes, then letting cool for about 20 minutes before slicing and frying. They’re absolutely delicious, a cross between a potato chip and a french fry. And, I love the spicy kick that the Cajun seasoning adds! Make sure you add it as soon as it comes out of the oil, adheres to the potato much better while they are still hot. These make a simple sandwich for dinner a little more special. Enjoy!

Crispy Cajun Potato Rounds

2.5 lbs russet potatoes (about 6 medium), cooked and cooled
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp kosher salt, optional
1 quart vegetable oil, for frying

Line a large plate or platter with several layers of paper towels. Place vegetable oil into 5 qt dutch oven and bring to 375 degrees.

Meanwhile, slice potatoes in 1/4-inch thick slices. Fry potatoes in batches, being careful to not overcrowd the pan, for about 2 minutes. Remove potatoes to paper towel lined platter to drain. Season with seasoning and additional salt (if desired) immediately. Repeat with remaining potatoes.

Note: the fried potatoes can be kept warm (and remain crispy)  in 200 degree oven for up to 30 minutes.