Jeremy and I were lucky enough to spend Easter with family this year - my parents flew out from California to celebrate Easter and to see the sights that our fine city has to offer! My dad had never been to DC, so we forced him to march around the monuments, read the Constitution and accompanying documents, watch Jeremy's argument at the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and last, but definitely not least, gaze in amazement at Julia Child's kitchen on display at the Museum of American History. Simply perfect. Anyfood, on Easter we had a little app to whet the appetite: Crab Meat Pattie (pictured above; an old family fave that we have recently been re-introduced to and, I kid you not, it was stupendous) and the main event was traditional ham (which I was none too pleased with as I am not a fan of ham, Sam I Am). As I am not a fan of the ham, I was very excited about the Roasted Pears with Blue Cheese my mom suggested out of Ina's Back to Basics. It was SO GOOD.
Crab Meat Pattie
INGREDIENTS
12 oz cream cheese; softened (please let me know if you ever find a 12 oz package of cream cheese - I just used an 8 oz package and cut back a wee bit on the other ingredients)
1 can crab (6 oz - however, I used whatever was necessary to cover the top)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons mayo (I didn't add this at all - didn't need it)
1 small green onion; minced fine
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons worchestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup chili sauce (the kind you find next to the catsup, not the kind you find on the Asian food aisle at the super market)
Fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Wheat Thins on the side
INSTRUCTIONS
In a mixer (or just in a bowl and substitute your elbow grease for your mixer), combine cream cheese, lemon juice, green onion, worchestershire sauce, salt, and garlic, until well blended. If your mixture is too soggy, add the mayo. Form cream cheese mixture into a "pattie" about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick. I prefer to make it thinner as then you have more surface space to cover with yummy crab!! Build a slight lip to hold the chili sauce. Spread the chili sauce around the top of the pattie (I just put as much as I needed so that it covered the surface and you couldn't "see" through to the cream cheese.) Sprinkle crab meat on top; garnish with parsley. Serve with Wheat Thins. Um, yum. We had it two out of the 8 nights my parents were here - so good!
Roasted Pears with Blue Cheese
Serves 6, Back to Basics
INGREDIENTS
3 ripe but firm Anjou pears (or whatever you can get your hands on - just make sure they are firm)
Freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons - I cheat and use "Real Lemon Juice" in the bottle...)
3 oz coarsely crumbled sharp blue cheese such as Stilton
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup walnut halves, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup apple cider (or apple juice)
3 tablespoons port
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/4 cup good olive oil
6 oz baby arugula (we used baby mixed greens)
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Preheat the oven to 375*.
2) Peel the pears and slice them lengthwise into halves. With a small, sharp paring knife and a melon baller, remove the core and seeds from each pear, leaving a round well for the filling. Trim a small slice away from the rounded sides of each pear half so that they will sit in the baking dish without wobbling. Toss the pears with lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. Arrange them, core side up, in a baking dish large enough to hold the pears snugly.
3. Gently toss the crumbled blue cheese, dried cranberries, and walnuts together in a small bowl. Divide the mixture among the pears, mounding it on top of the indentations.
4) In the same small bowl, combine the apple cider, port, and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the mixture over and around the pears. Back the pears, basting occasionally with the cider mixture, for 30 minutes, or until tender. Set aside until warm or at room temperature.
How do you like my action shot? Look at the gorgeous blue cheese just staring up at you! Doesn't it look amazing with the walnuts and cranberries?? My mouth is watering.
5) Just before serving, whisk together the olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of the basting liquid in a large bowl. Add the arugula and toss well. Divide the arugula amount 6 plates and top each with a pear half. Drizzle each pear with some of the basting liquid, sprinkle with salt and serve.
The finished product on my fabulous Pottery Barn salad plates I got last spring. Love. The plate the crab meat pattie is on above is also part of the set. I heart them almost as much as I heart this salad.
This is the extent of my Easter ham. My mom begged and pleaded with me to have a bite. So I did. I still don't like ham unless it is hiding under some swiss cheese, nestled in between two pieces of rye bread. I don't know what it is, but that is the only way you are going to get me to eat ham. Sam. Although, if you hide it in some Mac and Cheese like the fine folks at Jackson's in Reston do, I might eat it then too and not complain...
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup walnut halves, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup apple cider (or apple juice)
3 tablespoons port
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/4 cup good olive oil
6 oz baby arugula (we used baby mixed greens)
INSTRUCTIONS
1) Preheat the oven to 375*.
2) Peel the pears and slice them lengthwise into halves. With a small, sharp paring knife and a melon baller, remove the core and seeds from each pear, leaving a round well for the filling. Trim a small slice away from the rounded sides of each pear half so that they will sit in the baking dish without wobbling. Toss the pears with lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. Arrange them, core side up, in a baking dish large enough to hold the pears snugly.
3. Gently toss the crumbled blue cheese, dried cranberries, and walnuts together in a small bowl. Divide the mixture among the pears, mounding it on top of the indentations.
4) In the same small bowl, combine the apple cider, port, and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the mixture over and around the pears. Back the pears, basting occasionally with the cider mixture, for 30 minutes, or until tender. Set aside until warm or at room temperature.
How do you like my action shot? Look at the gorgeous blue cheese just staring up at you! Doesn't it look amazing with the walnuts and cranberries?? My mouth is watering.5) Just before serving, whisk together the olive oil, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of the basting liquid in a large bowl. Add the arugula and toss well. Divide the arugula amount 6 plates and top each with a pear half. Drizzle each pear with some of the basting liquid, sprinkle with salt and serve.
The finished product on my fabulous Pottery Barn salad plates I got last spring. Love. The plate the crab meat pattie is on above is also part of the set. I heart them almost as much as I heart this salad.This is the extent of my Easter ham. My mom begged and pleaded with me to have a bite. So I did. I still don't like ham unless it is hiding under some swiss cheese, nestled in between two pieces of rye bread. I don't know what it is, but that is the only way you are going to get me to eat ham. Sam. Although, if you hide it in some Mac and Cheese like the fine folks at Jackson's in Reston do, I might eat it then too and not complain...
