Crab Bisque Mac ‘n Cheese

By Paul Briand

Pinterest is a recipe magnet.

This relatively new social media site is a go-to location for foodies - the people who love to make good food and the people who love to eat it.

I saw this "pin" on Pinterest recently. That led me to a Fox News station, which acknowledged the recipe as originally coming from the Milk Marketing Board.

I made this as a side dish for a Father’s Day cookout. My only qualm was because of my own boo-boo. I made this a day ahead of time, and overcooked it somewhat. I then reheated it the day of the party, and overall it emerged too dry for my tastes.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth, canned or homemade
1 cup diced canned tomatoes, drained
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup sharp Wisconsin cheddar, shredded, divided
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded, divided
8 ounces cooked crabmeat; fresh, thawed or canned and drained
1 tablespoon dry sherry
8 ounces penne pasta, cooked al dente according to package directions, drained

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees;
2. In large, deep saucepan, melt 1/2 tablespoon butter until sizzling. Add onion; sauté over medium heat about 3 minutes or until tender;
3. Add remaining butter. When sizzling add the flour and cook, stirring, until the flour is golden;
4. Over medium heat, gradually whisk milk and chicken broth into flour butter mixture. Cook, stirring constantly 8 to 10 minutes, until the mixture is thick and smooth;
5. Stir in tomatoes, rosemary, salt and pepper. Bring just to boiling point and remove from heat;
6. Add 2/3 cup each of the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Stir until the cheese is melted;
7. Stir in crabmeat and sherry. Stir in the pasta, mixing well;
8. Transfer mixture to an 8-by-10 lightly buttered casserole (or slightly larger.) Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the casserole and bake until bubbly, about 20 minutes.

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Crab-Stuffed Portabellas

By Paul Briand

My wife was overcome by mass marketing, influenced by her love for crab.

She kept seeing a television ad for a crab-stuffed mushroom appetizer at one of those chain steakhouses. Then a coupon arrived with the Sunday paper for $3 off that appetizer.

“We have to go,” she said.

But I did her -- and the steakhouse -- one better. I created my own crab-stuffed mushrooms, but used the mother of all mushrooms -- the Portabella -- to make it. And this wasn’t any appetizer, it was dinner, served on a salad drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Ingredients
4 Portabella mushroom caps, stems removed
4 ounces Shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1 pound lump crab meat
4 slices Canadian bacon, diced
½ cup Italian bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
3 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Old Bay seasoning
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat;
2. Saute the bacon and Shiitake mushrooms in skillet until the bacon appears crisp, about three minutes;
3. In a large bowl, combine the crab, bacon/Shiitake mixture, egg, and mustard and gently fold together;
4. Add bread crumbs and seasoning to taste and mix. You’ll want a mixture that’s firm enough to pack as you would a crab cake;
5. Place Portabella caps top side down on a lightly greased large baking sheet;
6. Divide mixture and evenly distribute onto the mushroom caps;
7. Bake in oven for 15 minutes;
8. Remove from oven and add Parmesan to the top of each mushroom/mixture as needed to cover;
9. Return to oven for another 5 minutes or until cheese melts and starts to brown then serve.

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Ricotta Cheese Crab Tortillas

By Paul Briand

My wife Jane alerted me to this recipe. As news editor for the Eagle-Tribune in North Andover, Mass., she had edited the copy for a story on healthy recipes that included this one for Ricotta Cheese Crab Tortillas.

We love crab, and I was intrigued by the combination of the crabmeat with the ricotta. It isn’t a hot dish, since a cool to room temperature filling is used in a pan toasted tortilla. I mentioned to Jane that you could almost cut up the tortillas into appetizer sized portions and serve this as an hors d’oeuver.

Since I bought a pound of lump crab and since this recipe called for half a pound, that left a half a pound of crab for me to make crab cakes the next night for dinner -- definitely, a win-win in my book.

Ingredients
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon of each; salt and pepper
1/2 pound fresh crabmeat, drained and flaked
4 (8-inch) whole-wheat flour tortillas
Vegetable cooking spray
Salsa on the side

Directions
1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl and mix well;
2. Fold in crabmeat, set aside;
3. Place 1 tortilla in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat coated with cooking spray;
4. Spread some of the crab mixture over half of tortilla in skillet, leaving a 1/4-inch margin on sides;
5. Cook about 3 minutes or until underside of tortilla is golden brown.
6. Fold in half. Transfer to a serving platter, serve with salsa.
7. Repeat with remaining ingredients;
8. Serves four.

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Cajun Shrimp and Crab Scampi

By Paul Briand

Last week I bought horseradish as part of a Bloody Mary Burgers recipe. Which begged the question: Now what do I do with the horseradish?

I could drink Bloody Mary cocktails on a regular basis. I could make more Bloody Mary Burgers.

But in an effort to expand my culinary use of horseradish I went to the horseradish experts at Horseradish.org.

I'm impressed by how much is on the web site for appetizers, side dishes, main dishes and evens kids' dishes that use horseradish. I settled on this recipe for Cajun Shrimp and Crab Scampi.

Ingredients
1¼ pounds shrimp
½ pound crabmeat, flakes (imitation works fine)
4 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
½ cup white wine
1½ teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon minced garlic and thyme
½ teaspoon black, white and red pepper
4 cups cooked rice
1 cup diced green onions

Directions
1. In large saucepan over medium heat, combine and simmer margarine, horseradish, wine and remaining spices
2. Add shrimp and crabmeat and cook until shrimp is bright pink;
3. Remove from heat, add green onions and mix well. Serve over rice.