The One, The Only...True Blue Maryland Crab, Artichoke And Jalapeno Dip Pizza

A couple of weeks ago, a Facebook picture of a pizza grabbed me by the heart and made me miss my Maryland days big time! Pizza? Maryland? What's the connection? It was CRAB DIP pizza! Be still my pitter-pattering little mourning-being-near-the-best-crabs-in-the-country, Maryland-missing heart.

I'm not sure exactly who or what page I follow posted the pizza of my dreams, but I'm going to blame Steve Vilnit, Director of Fisheries Marketing - Maryland Department of Natural Resources - for the temptation. Yep, Steve gets the blame...er...credit...if for no other reason than we are as one when it comes to supporting the Maryland crab industry. 

You all know I've forever been an ardent supporter of authentic, honest-to-God, sweet, succulent, Maryland blue crabmeat and I wouldn't use anything else. Not exactly easy when you live this far inland from the beautiful Chesapeake Bay and the Eastern Shore of Maryland now, is it?

Except. That I had one last beautiful pound of REAL Maryland jumbo lump crabmeat stashed away in the freezer just waiting to become something spectacular. THIS was just what it was waiting for, THIS glorious Maryland recipe. I was going to duplicate sweet, creamy, decadent crab-dip-on-a-crust just like in the picture AND I could make it gluten-free to boot.

The big bonus of topping a store bought pizza crust with crab dip - even after piling the mixture of Maryland crab, 3 cheeses, marinated artichokes, jalapeno and just a touch of garlic up nice and high - is that there is a whole lot left over to scoop into a casserole dish for dipping with big, crunchy hunks of bread the next day (or later in the evening if you can't wait that long). What's better than a night of crab? TWO nights of crab! Oh sure, you could make half a recipe, but why would you? More Maryland crab is always better.

When you get to Maryland next time (notice I said when, not if), do like I do and make a local fresh seafood market the very last stop of your own trip. Be sure to take a cooler with you just for the purpose of bringing back pounds of heavenly, real Maryland crabmeat to tuck away in your own freezer. I can guarantee your fishmonger (crabmonger?) will be happy to fill your cooler with enough ice to keep your precious cargo cold. After all, one should always be prepared anytime a crab emergency strikes.

True Blue Maryland Crab, Artichoke

 And Jalapeno Dip Pizza

• 1 pound MARYLAND jumbo lump crabmeat, picked through carefully for any shell or cartiledge - please don't break up those gorgeous big lumps, thank you.
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened well
• 1/2 C shredded sharp cheddar, plus extra for top
• 1/2 C shredded mozzarella
• juice of one lemon
• 2 - 4 oz. jars of marinated artichokes, drained, reserve liquid - you'll use 2-4 T reserved liquid 
• 1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced
• 1/4 C mayonnaise - yes, Hellman's
• 1 large clove garlic, pressed through your garlic press
• 1 store-bought pizza crust - I used an Udi's Gluten-Free Pizza Crust to make this GF. The Udi's crust is approx. 8" in diameter. Use whatever crust you like - Boboli, whatever floats your boat!

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat the mayo and cream cheese together with lemon juice. Add the shredded cheeses and fold those into the cream cheese mixture. Add artichokes, minced jalapeno, garlic and mix well, but gently. Last, gently and lovingly fold the crab into the mixture being careful to keep the lumps as whole as possible.

Place your pizza crust onto a baking sheet. Place scoops of crab dip on top - I used a large (approx. 1/2 C) ice cream scoop - and for the 8" crust used 4-5 scoops that I spread out evenly (don't break up the lumps!) all the way out to the edge of the crust. Sprinkle the extra shredded cheddar over all.

Any crab dip that might be left (you'll use more if you use a larger diameter crust), scoop into a buttered casserole dish. Either bake it immediately with the pizza or cover and refrigerate it for the next night.

Bake about 20 minutes, turn up the oven to 450 degrees and bake until the cheese starts to bubble and slightly brown. Remove from oven and let cool 5-10 minutes before cutting into wedges. Enjoy!

NOTE: Enjoying the surf and sand of Ocean City? Bring back Maryland crab. Sailing the waters of Annapolis or St. Michaels? Bring back Maryland crab. Hitting the hot spots of Baltimore's Fells Point? You get the idea.

And while you're in Maryland, be sure to frequent restaurants and fresh seafood stores that carry and serve only Maryland crab. Here's a link to the True Blue Maryland program and a list of awesome places to get your Maryland crab fix!  http://seafood.maryland.gov/true-blue-maryland-crab-meat/

Look for this logo to know you're buying the best!

Bacon Crusted Upside Down Pimiento Mac N Cheese

Yeah, yeah...I know...it's grilling season when we all go super healthy and eat nothing but lean meats and fish and rainbow colored veggies and kale salads and we all absolutely GLOW with all the vitamins surging through our bodies in preparation for bathing suit season. Nobody craves those bad-for-you, but oh-so-good, carb-loaded dishes from the blustery days of winter. Nobody but me, apparently.

Mac n cheese was my downfall over the weekend. Obviously I somehow didn't manage to get my minimum daily requirement (MDR) of golden cheddar and toothsome, perfectly cooked pasta over the last few weather-appropriate-for-pasta months. So I fixed that oversight! 

Of course, it wasn't ALL that bad...there was a healthy dose of pimientos mixed in to cover the veggie portion of this show. Vitamin C loaded pimientos - the essential ingredient of the down south favorite, pimiento cheese - counts as a good-for-you vegetable, right? Whew. In that case, pay no attention to the crisp and golden bacon bottom crust. LIKE YOU COULD!

How did I get that crunchy, golden, upside down bacon crust? My trusty old cast iron skillet. I lined it with thin strips of bacon, popped it into a HOT oven, cooked the bacon almost all the way through and then poured the macaroni and cheese mixture into the hot skillet. 

Hot skillet + Bacon + Oven = Crisp, crunchy, golden crust. A few minutes of rest, once the skillet came out of the oven, and Bacon Crusted Upside Down Pimiento Mac n Cheese became reality.  

Speaking of reality, remember that bathing suit season I mentioned earlier? No worries. There's LOTS of time to compensate for the mac n cheese transgression. There are almost three whole weeks to work this all off. Ooof.

Ready to cut into wedges and serve!

Bacon Crusted Upside Down Pimiento Mac n Cheese

• 1/2 lb elbow macaroni - you know I used a good gluten-free type to make this GF - cooked al dente
• 2 T butter
• 1 T cornstarch - check to be sure it's gluten-free to make this GF
• 1/2 t salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup milk - I use skim milk, but use what you like...there's so much cheese, what difference does it make?
• 10 oz. extra sharp cheddar, shredded
• 1/2  of an 8 oz container of Philadelphia Chipotle Cream Cheese spread - yes, you read that right...my secret ingredient for creaminess. If you don't like the heat, feel free to use 4 oz of regular cream cheese!
• 1  jar sliced pimientos, drained (you know, the bright red, squat jar Dromedary kind?) 
• 8-10 slices of THIN-sliced bacon

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Take a 9-10" cast iron skillet and line the bottom with with the strips of bacon. I did mine in a circular pattern and made sure the sides of the bacon strips touched. When the oven comes up to temp, pop the skillet into the oven and cook the bacon to almost done. Remove the skillet from the oven, CAREFULLY drain the dripping from the skillet.

While the bacon is cooking, in a saucepan, melt the butter and gradually add the cornstarch while whisking. When smooth, add salt & pepper. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens. Add the cream cheese and whisk until smooth, then add the cheddar and melt completely into the mixture; stir in the drained pimientos.

Add the sauce to the cooked, drained macaroni and set aside while keeping warm.

After cooking the bacon and draining the drippings, CAREFULLY pour the mac n cheese mixture into the HOT skillet right on top of the bacon in the skillet. Lower the oven to 400 degrees and bake for about 45 minutes. 

Remove the skillet from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes or so, then run a knife around the perimeter of the skillet to loosen the contents. 

Then take a large platter - larger than the cast iron skillet - and place the platter upside down over the skillet. CAREFULLY, using oven mitts, flip the skillet and platter over and let the contents sit for a moment before lifting the skillet. You should have a beautiful bacon-crusted vision of mac and cheese on the plate. Cut into wedges and enjoy!

Texas Eggs In Poblanos

If you really use your imagination...and kind of squint your eyes a bit...do you see the resemblance of a poblano half to the state of (yeeeeehawwwww) Texas? Me too! Do real Texans make eggs this way? I really have no clue, but why not?! It makes a great name for a brunch dish that comes in a Texas-shaped edible container anyway.

Spicy chorizo, smooth and creamy avocado, sharp cheddar, sultry cilantro and some other TexMex regular customers all gathered 'round the kitchen this morning for quite the satisfying brunch. It didn't take a lot of Sunday morning effort, either. In fact, you could cut the peppers, grate the cheese and fry up the chorizo the night before. From there, it's a snap. 

While the eggs are baking, it even gives you lots of time to make a nice pitcher of Bloody Maria's or even a Michelada. I'm sure that's what they'd serve up with Texas eggs in Texas anyway. Saddle up for brunch, pardner!

Texas Eggs in Poblanos

Serves 1

• 1 poblano pepper, (choose a nice big round one instead of a flat one - holds the egg) cut in half lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
• 2 eggs
• 1 link Mexican chorizo, fried and crumbled
• 1/2 C or so of grated sharp cheddar
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 avocado, sliced and dipped in lime juice
• 2 small tomatoes, chopped
• 1 T chopped fresh cilantro plus additional for garnish
• 2 T sweet onion, finely chopped
• salt to taste
• green Tabasco

Set the oven to 400 degrees.

Place the pepper halves into a shallow casserole dish and break an egg into each half. Bake approximately 20 minutes or until the egg is set the way you like it.

While the eggs are baking, make the fresh salsa. Combine tomatoes, onion, cilantro and salt to taste. Add a dash (or MORE) of Green Tabasco (I LOVE this stuff!) and spoon onto a serving plate. 

When the eggs are done, nestle them into the salsa, surround them with shredded cheese, sliced avocado, the cooked chorizo and garnish with more cilantro and lots of green Tabasco or even a little salsa verde.

This presentation is lovely...but right after the pic, I mixed everything up and piled it on top of the peppers. Maybe not as pretty, but easier eating! And that's what counts.

NOTE: Of course you can double, triple, quadruple the recipe to serve as many as you need!

Chorizo Jalapeno Shrimp 'n Grits

Ask anyone. Any menu anywhere I go, if shrimp and grits are on the menu, it IS my order. Every time. Every. Time.

This love affair started relatively late in my life on my very first trip to Charleston, South Carolina. I'd avoided grits all of my life having heard (from northerners, mind you) that they were tasteless, wallpaper paste glopped on a breakfast plate next to eggs and ham. 

On the other hand, I'd also heard from southern friends of the glories of grits...especially shrimp 'n grits. Could those northerners who never stepped foot south of the Mason-Dixon Line be wrong about a southern staple? I intended to do some serious investigation. 

And so in the midst of a South Carolina visit with friends, we took a jaunt to Charleston and the restaurant that first opened my eyes...and titillated my tastebuds. The site of my grits revelation was the restaurant 82 Queen on, where else(?) Queen Street. (Bet you can guess the street number of the restaurant, too.) 

Four of us arrived at the famed restaurant and were seated in the most beautiful walled and wrought iron fenced cobblestone courtyard at the rear of the restaurant. Palm trees and magnolias soared above the gathering of glass-topped, white-painted wrought iron tables and butterfly-backed chairs, while twinkles of floral color peeked from every green oasis around us. We settled in to order brunch. 

Three of us ordered BBQ Shrimp and Grits, I have no clue what the 4th (my husband, a non-fish/seafood eater) ordered. It simply didn't matter when I was on a grits quest, I was focused on the quarry.  

When the object of my eventual affection was placed before me - along with a beautiful Bloody Mary (it WAS brunch, of course) - I began to suspect those Northern opinions on grits were misguided. 

Upon my first taste it was obvious those lying sons-of-the-north were jealous the South had produced such a wondrous Southern delight. Sweet, local, wild-caught shrimp and smooth, creamy, cheesy, buttery grits...simple perfection on a plate. I was hooked. From then on, whenever and wherever Shrimp and Grits are on the menu, THAT is what I order. 

There are many other Northerners who have seen the light, of course. Steve Kish, one of the owners and the original chef at 82 Queen, is from Pittsburgh! Guess there are a few Northerners who appreciate - and MAKE - some of the best grits ever! 

Here's my little twist on classic shrimp and grits:

Chorizo Jalapeno Shrimp n' Grits

2 generous servings

• 1 1/2 C chicken broth - I use a good boxed variety
• 1 1/2 C whole milk
• 2 T butter
• 1 t salt
• 3/4 C Stone Ground Yellow Grits (I order REAL grits from down South - good stone ground grits make all the difference! Where to I order them? Amazon. See my current favorite brand below. Of course you can get acceptable stone ground grits around Pittsburgh, but they ARE hard to find.)
• 1 C cheddar cheese - use a good sharp one - and yes, I shred good cheddar by hand. Don't bastardize a great from-scratch dish with pre-shredded cheese...it just won't be the same.

• 1 link Mexican chorizo - the uncooked, raw chorizo, not the smoked, dried Spanish kind
• 1 large jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 9 cherry tomatoes, sliced in thirds
• 12 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on

• lime wedges
• fresh cilantro, chopped

First, start the grits: In a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the chicken broth and milk to a boil. Sloooooowly pour the grits into the boiling liquids while stirring constantly to prevent any lumps. When the grits are all stirred in, add butter and salt and lower the heat to a simmer. Stir frequently to prevent sticking, burning and/or lumps. (Caution...grits bubble and spit so be on the lookout and don't get burned!)

When the grits are silky, creamy and thick, remove from heat and stir in the cheese thoroughly. Cover the pan and set aside.

Shrimp: In a skillet over medium heat, saute the chorizo, breaking it up into small crumbles as it cooks. When it's browned completely, add the jalapeno and onion. Continue cooking until softened and then add the tomatoes. Stir until the tomatoes start to give off their juices. THEN add the shrimp, cooking until just opaque - please don't overcook your shrimp into rubber. Thank you.

Assembly: Take 2 nice flat bowls and pile those gorgeous grits into the center of each. Spoon the shrimp mixture over the top of the grits, dividing evenly. Garnish with a sprinkle of cilantro and a nice squeeze of lime. Enjoy, y'all!

Gluten-Free Cheddar Jalapeno Waffles with Spicy Fried Chicken & Bourbon Maple Syrup

Meat & Potatoes in downtown Pittsburgh has the most AMAZING Fried Chicken and Cheddar Jalapeno Waffles with Bourbon Maple Syrup! Or so I’ve heard. 

Although the hubby orders them almost every time we hit up M&P for Saturday or Sunday brunch, I’ve never even tasted them. Not that I haven’t wanted to, mind you…the old gluten enemy prevents me from tasting even a tempting smidgen. Damn gluten.

This morning I got my sweet (okay, more savory than sweet) revenge! I made all of it from scratch and gluten-free. Take THAT gluten!  You will not defeat me…(cue the evil laugh here)! I’d go into all the glorious detail of small sighs and moans that escaped my lips whilst in the throes of fried chicken and waffle ecstasy, but I’ve probably said more than enough already. Suffice it to say, the hubster declared my version even better than M&P…smart man.

(That old Gluten Devil not an issue for you? Just substitute regular all purpose flour for the gluten-free flour and proceed. Easy!)

Gluten-Free Cheddar Jalapeno Waffles with 

Spicy Fried Chicken & Bourbon Maple Syrup

Serves 4

• 2 chicken breasts, cut lengthwise into 3 "fingers" each - more if the breasts are really big
• 1/2 cup panko, gluten-free to make this GF, regular if gluten isn't an issue
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/4 cup canola oil, divided

• 1 cup maple syrup, the REAL stuff! If you're going to do it, do it RIGHT! Otherwise you're wasting good bourbon.
• 1 1/2 tablespoons bourbon - more to your liking

• 1 1/4 cups flour, Jule's gluten free all purpose flour or another GOOD gf blend - regular if gluten isn't an issue
• 1/2 cup corn flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 jalapeno chile pepper, seeds and ribs removed, minced very finely
• 2 eggs, separated (You know this means the yolks from the whites in different cups, don't you? Otherwise, do not go further in the recipe. ; - )
• 2 cups milk
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
 

Chicken: In a plastic bag, mix panko, cornmeal, spices and salt well. Add the chicken fingers and shake, coating each finger well.
 

On a baking sheet with a raised edge all around, drizzle 1/2 the oil and spread it evenly over the sheet. Put it into the oven for a minute to heat up...do NOT let it smoke. Place each chicken finger on the hot oil in the sheet, leaving room between each, drizzle the rest of the oil evenly over the chicken fingers. Bake for 15 minutes, turn each one over and bake another 10 minutes or so until crispy. Remove to plate and keep warm while you make the waffles.
 

Syrup: Mix syrup and bourbon. Done.
 

Waffles: In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients, flour through sugar.  Put the egg whites into your small mixer bowl and beat until the whites are stiff, but not dry. Set aside.
 

In another bowl, beat by hand the egg yolks and milk and then quickly beat in the melted butter. Add these to the dry ingredients and mix well by hand with a fork. When everything is well incorporated, add the beaten egg whites and fold them into the mixture with a rubber spatula until they are thoroughly mixed in. Add the cheese and jalapeno and mix just until  distributed throughout the batter.
 

Now you're ready to make the waffles! Only you know your waffle iron. Only you know how much batter to use. My waffle iron holds 2 cups exactly. Yours may hold more or less. Only add what YOUR waffle iron holds so it doesn't ooze out the sides and make a mess. My waffle iron doesn't need oil either. If your waffle iron needs it, use it. I LOVE my waffle iron!!!!!
 

Bake the waffles according to your waffle iron directions, keeping each batch warm as you finish up the batter.
 

Assembly: Put a waffle on the plate, pile on a couple of chicken fingers, drizzle with syrup. Enjoy!

NOTE: No, this dish is not for the novice cook.  Even if you aren't new to cooking, enlist help. This is a lot of morning work that is WORTH it, but it's always more fun to have fun with a friend while you're cooking. A brunch time Bloody Mary helps, too.

Smoky Poblano & Habenero 3-Cheese Macaroni

Who doesn't love mac n cheese for dinner?!  Most of us crave it...guiltily for most of us.  Not gonna lie, it isn't the best thing for your hips, yet our taste buds have fallen in love with the creamy, cheesey goodness that makes this traditional comfort food everyone's hands-down favorite.

Just for the record, "blue box" macaroni and cheese is NOT the old-time-y traditional version!  Too many kids have grown up without knowing the joys of REAL, from-scratch mac n cheese!  It isn't difficult, either. Boil the pasta, make a white sauce, add some cheese, mix them together, bake and voila!  Dinner is served. 

This version of the basic recipe uses roasted poblanos, smoked gouda, Cabot hot habenero cheddar and just a touch of fresh tomatoes combined into one of Mark's new faves.  If you like heat, you'll love this!  Smoked gouda added a bacon-y flavor, yet it's still a meatless dish that would be perfect to serve on Meatless Mondays or to some very lucky vegetarian friends.  


When it comes to the kiddies, though, this might not be the homemade version to start with....it has a KICK!  Cabot Hot Habanero Cheddar Cheese may be over the top for little ones...and some big ones, too.  If you like your heat toned down just a little, simply use a milder hot pepper cheese...pepper jack would work just fine.  Or use all sharp cheddar & smoked gouda.  I won't mind at all.

Usually, I only make macaroni and cheese once a year.  My hips requested the sensible restriction, but my tastebuds (and Mark!) demanded otherwise. So I caved in and made macaroni and cheese TWICE this year!  Oops.  (The last mac & cheese post was Smoky Bacon & Beer, Gouda & Cheddar Mac and Cheese.)   

Have your tastebuds apologize to your hips and make this...your hips may forgive you eventually.  Here's the newest guilty favorite mac & cheese....enjoy!

 Smoky Poblano & Habenero 3-Cheese Macaroni

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch - check to be sure it's gluten-free to make this GF
• 1 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups milk, I use skim, use what you like...there's so much cheese, it doesn't make a difference

• 4 cups smoked gouda cheese, shredded
• 2 cups Cabot Hot Habanero Cheddar or a milder pepperjack, if you prefer
• 1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked al dente, gluten-free to make this GF (the best is BiAglut)
• 3 large poblano peppers, blackened, peeled, seeds removed, sliced
• 1 tomato, seeds squeezed out & diced
• 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic

• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
 
In a saucepan, melt the butter and gradually add the cornstarch while whisking.  When smooth, add salt & pepper.  Gradually add milk, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens.  Add the cheeses slowly, whisking constantly.  

When the sauce is almost smooth (completely smooth isn't necessary), remove from heat and add to the cooked pasta.  Stir until thoroughly combined.  Set aside.
 
Butter the inside of a large casserole dish.  Layer half of the macaroni mixture in the bottom.  Set aside a few strips of pepper and a few pieces of tomato for garnish.  Dice the remaining poblano and scatter that and the tomatoes on top of the layer of mac & cheese.  Sprinkle with granulated garlic.  

Poblanos & tomatoes top the 1st layer of mac & cheese.

Top the veggies with the remaining mac & cheese, cover with shredded cheddar and arrange the remaining poblano strips and diced tomatoes on top.
 
Bake for 30-45 minutes and serve.