California Crab BLTs

As some of you may know, the Mister and I love us some crab. Whenever there's an excuse to have some celebratory cuisine (holidays, birthdays, days that end in "y", etc.) crab is one of our go-to ingredients (as evidenced here). The occasion that had us feeling crabby this time? Super Bowl Sunday (aka Super Snack Sunday, which is definitely my favorite football event).

After some preliminary hors d'oeuvres (here and here), we sunk our teeth into these amazing Cali Crab BLTs. I mean, check it out!

We wanted an upscale take on the classic sandy, so we substituted a few ingredients from the basic recipe. The first step was removing all the meat from the crab legs and claws (which was a much easier task with the use of some kitchen shears).

We started with a fresh loaf of sourdough bread (left whole, so we could cut Texas Toast-sized slices ourselves). Once the bread was lightly toasted, we spread a lemon aioli (lemon zest, lemon juice, mayo, S&P) on both pieces. Then we layered some arugula, big chunks of crab, avocado (there's the California part), lots of bacon, tomato, and another little sprinkle of S&P.

The flavors were simple enough that you could taste each one individually, but worked so harmoniously well together. The lemon in the aioli gave the crab the perfect zing. The salty bacon, juicy tomatoes, and peppery arugula...all smooshed together between tangy sourdough toast...Sandwich Heaven!

Happy Searching,

Our New Favorite Dip

In planning our Super Bowl Menu, the hubs and I agreed we needed to include a dip. We weighed our options: Spinach Artichoke Dip, this yummy cheese dip from a while back, tried-and-true queso (Rotel + Velveeta, for all you non-Texans out there). But we really wanted to try something different. Thankfully, a few days before the big game, I stumbled upon this delicious recipe for Buffalo Chicken Dip on the Mad Hungry blog. It combined our hankering for hot wings and dip into one tasty snack!

Truthfully, the picture doesn't do this dip justice. The color of the dip was not very photographically flattering, but trust me--this dip is awesome (would I lie to you?).

The recipe calls for the chicken breasts to be poached, but our favorite method for maximizing flavor is to roast them (more here). With the chicken in the oven, I mixed up the cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, hot sauce, blue cheese, and lemon juice. Once the breasts cooled, I shredded the meat and tossed it with the other ingredients. Baked for 20 minutes, topped with chives and a few blue cheese crumblies and this dip was delectable.

We spread it on some toasted baguette slices (the recipe called for Fritos, but they're not my fave). And the spicy, creamy, verdict? Yep, it's our new favorite.

What dip do you love?

Happy Searching,

Potato, Potahto

Although the ancestry on my dad's side has been somewhat unclear (I've been told we're a bit Welsh, a bit English, maybe a bit German), I'm fairly certain there's some Irish in there. Why? Well, I do love the color green. But the most convincing reason is my love for potatoes. They are in total alignment with my love for other starches and complete my Holy Carbohydrate Trinity (bread, pasta, and potatoes). Amen.

I like potatoes all ways...I'm a non-discriminatory potato supporter. If it wasn't for me trying to fit into my pants, I'd probably squeeze them into every meal. I love them for breakfast in the form of homefries, hashbrowns, and tater tots (in that order). French fries hold a special place in my heart (and although I've tried them all over the world, Mickey D's is still my numero uno...Andi, I know you agree). I love 'em baked, mashed, scalloped, or roasted.

Now granted potatoes do have some nutritional value in the way of Vitamin C and Potassium, those benefits are slightly offset when they are topped with bacon, cheese, and sour cream.

But these Twice Baked Potatoes are worth it. My mom used to make them all the time when I was growing up and we decided to include them in our Super Bowl Snack Fest. They were super easy to make, too!

We baked the potatoes until they were slightly undercooked, scooped out the insides, and mixed them with butter, grated cheese, sour cream, and S&P. Then, we put them back into their skins (which we rubbed with a little oil and S&P so they would crisp up). We topped them with more grated cheese, crumbled bacon, and baked them @ 350 for about 20 minutes, until everything had melted and heated through.

A little sour cream dollop and some snipped chives finished off these starchy superstars. Potato? Potahto? Now matter how you say it, these were deelish!

So, how do you like your potatoes? :)

Happy Searching!

Chili Weather

It has been more than a little bit chilly lately...it's been downright cold. Although we haven't had the blizzards and below-zero temperatures like other parts of the country, it's been cold enough here in Austin. Cold enough to bring a bit of snow, cancel school for a day, and work up a hankering for some belly-warming food.

A bowl (or maybe two) of this chili was just the kind of cozy meal I needed. It was one tasty (and mostly nutritious) chili, courtesy of the hubs.

He started by browning the turkey and turkey sausage (about a pound and a half of turkey and a pound of sausage). Then he drained it and used the same pan to sautee 2 chopped onions, 3 cloves of chopped garlic, 3 poblanos (roughly chopped), and 3 jalepenos (with seeds and ribs if you like it hotter; without if not). He tossed in a good amount of cumin along with some chili powder, oregano, smoked paprika, and cayenne, salt and pepper.

Then, he added 2 cans of drained white beans (canellini or Great Nothern), a small jar of drained roasted red peppers and the drained meat. He squeezed in the juice of 2 limes, a handful of chopped cilantro, and a quart of chicken stock. He covered it, brought it to a boil and then dropped it down to a simmer for about an hour. After everything had softened and the flavors had melded together, Ryan made a little roux to thicken the chili and simmered it for another 30 minutes.

The soup had the perfect warmth, both temperature and spice wise. A dollop of sour cream, chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, and grated cheese were the perfect complements to the smoky cumin and the spice of the jalepenos.

With this bowl of balanced deliciousness, suddenly it doesn't seem so cold. What keeps you toasty on these cold winter days?

Happy Searching,

Shrimp? Sure!

So, the holiday heyday and subsequent aftermath is finally coming to a close. Time to get back on track. Time to burn more calories, consume less, and try not to sacrifice all sense of culinary joy in the process.

The good news? It's definitely possible. Healthy eating doesn't necessarily equate to bland, boring eating. For me, it's all about lean but flavorful ingredients and smaller portions. Shrimpy portions, actually!

Shrimp has always been one of our favorite quick and easy protein choices. It's incredibly versatile, low in fat, and most importantly...delicious! We use shrimp in all sorts of dishes, from these mini-tostadas to Greek-inspired pita wraps with tzatziki sauce.

Today, we got a good deal on a pound of jumbo shrimp (I know, what an oxymoron...jumbo shrimp) so we kept the flavors simple since the big ones are so succulent. Ryan marinated them in olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, and S&P. After he roasted them at 400 (with the shells on--our favorite method for cooking them because it keeps them juicy and flavorful), he finished them with a bit of lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh dill.

Served atop a bed of whole wheat couscous with some sauteed asparagus on the side, shrimpy portions never tasted so good!

What dish do you turn to when you need some tasty, lighter fare?

Happy Searching,


p.s. I had to immediately put the extras in the fridge for fear that my portion size would jump from shrimpy to jumbo. We all have our battles, right?

Five Stars for Five Spice Pork

One of the most recognizable flavors in Asian cooking is probably Chinese five spice. If you don't recognize the name, you would probably recognize the taste--the flavor is not shy and is used in several Asian dishes.

Five spice is comprised of (cleverly enough) five spices: star anise, cloves, cinnamon, szechuan pepper, and ground fennel. Sometimes, it can be a bit overpowering. But these five spiced-pork chops we had the other night? Stood right up to the bold flavors and made my taste buds hum with delight.

The full menu included five spice-pork chops with a cilantro-jalepeno cream sauce, hash browns, and spicy sesame green beans.

The pork chops were lightly rubbed with five spice, S&P, then seared over medium-high heat in some olive oil to get a crispy crust. After being finished in the oven (because they were seriously thick), they got topped with a luxurious cilantro cream sauce (cilantro, jalepeno, garlic, green onion, white wine, cream).

Let me just say that I wish I had a plate of this in front of me right now. Five stars!

What are some of your favorite, go-to spices? Do tell!

Happy Searching!


p.s. Interested in more specific recipe details? Leave a request in the comments section and we'll get 'em to ya!

I Heart Carne Asada

In case you don't know how much I love (and miss) SoCal Mexican food, this post will bring you up to speed. Or I'll just tell you now. Mucho. I miss it mucho.

The best carne asada burrito I've ever had is from El Portal in San Diego. So, thankfully, Ryan and I were able to snag some nostalgia in the form of two giant carne asada burritos during our visit to San Diego over Christmas. Unfortunately, the picture doesn't come close to doing them justice. (I was much more concerned with eating my burrito than photographing it at the time...the trouble with being a hungry girl).

The burritos at El Portal are fabulously balanced with just the right amount of fresh guacamole, pico de gallo and lean meat, all wrapped tightly in a homemade tortilla. El Portal's meat is what really steals the show, though. It's chargrilled, full of flavor, and incredibly tender. Holy smokes, I could eat some right this second.

And did I mention that these burritos are big? HUGE. I mean, as big as your head. Really! Here's some perspective:

This photo went up with much dispute (I'm sorry, Senor Blake) but it's really the only way to show just how gigantic these burritos are. Normally, a burrito this size would have a little bit of meat, a lot of rice, and some salsa and fixings. At El Portal? Almost all meat. Carne asada, you are my numero uno.

Happy Searching,