Maria's Crab Soup

One time I went to a seafood restaurant by the beach on Folly Beah. Order the crab soup to taste it. It was ok. I could feel how that soup called my name asking me to reproduce it, perfect it amd season it with spices of patience, love, and understanding. Translation: more greens, some spice, and a hint of real crab! 

First time, amazing! Then I continued to perfect it. Adding more ingredients like celery, cilantro, and even tomatoe soup! 

Yes! It was perfection at its best!

It settles nicely and you are filled! You could never feel the other ingredients because they are cooked in a way that they blend perfectly with all other ingredients and the taste of real crab! 

Enjoy!!!

My very own crab soup, basic ingredients:

- cilantro

-celery

-green, red, yellow peppers

- Onions

-garlic

-black pepper

- old bay seasoning

- dill weed

1 can tomaroe soup

1 can chicken broth

2 quarts half and half

1 pint of heavy whip cream

1 can of crab meat or claw meat depends on budjet

1 cup sherry cooking wine

- 1 teaspoon of worchestershire sauce or soy sauce

Below stir fry everything in butter

 

Allow veggies to cook for a good bit at very slow temperature. 

Sprinkle pepper, dill weed, some old bay seasoning, add the crab meat, check for bones first.

Add a little texas pete, not much just to taste.

Barsa - Paella

On Friday the 13th of March it was my younger brother's birthday. As a way to celebrate we went to eat downtown Charleston. 

We visited Barsa. I had been there three other times and had had their paellas: the chicken only and seafood with chorizo. 

Both were good.  However, they either changed chefs or the chef actually took note on special requests, cutting some of the veggies smaller which allowed them to properly cook slowly with the rice and absorbe the safran a little better.

So, we ordered the CHICKEN AND SEAFOOD paella. AMAZING!

Here are two pictures before we dug into it:

Decilously awesome!!

This was their medium size paella.

It was theee of us, two boys and myself.

We dug into it! 

What was very amazing was that the chef did not burn the rice to thw bottom! The last few times you left just about all that was "stuck" which was a lot to the pot. 

Here is what we left this time:

NOTHING! They guys enjoyed it so much! They were seconds from licking the pan! Well not that dramatic! It was amazing! I ate my fair share and left the place contempt.  No need for desert pr anything else. Did not feel like I wouls explode nor did I feel like I over ate. It was perfect! 

The environment was nice, loud but it is a place for young adults or people my age to socialize in. The mojito, not as good. It was like drinking plain zelzer water with some rum. No minty taste and not the sweet kind.

I would recommend this place for future visitors. One thing that threw me off was our waitress was always "guarded" by a fellow worker. Maybe he was learning? Or she was learning? Either way, he could have smiled some! He just made everything a bit uncomfortable.   That was ok. We enjoyed our food either way:)

Chicken Bistro Twist

This was inspired by Kate Robertson, who taught me during my single moments the art of stuffing breads :-D

No, really, If I recall correctly, we were going to use this on a get together for the "fancy chef," the Pampered chef series...cannot remember the name, but I think I it was it.

As I slowly learned, this became one of my most favorited snack foods for parties.  I continue to make it and add more or less of anything.

Here are the basic ingredients:
1 cup cooked chicken - cut in small squares
1/2 cup of diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup of snipped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup of mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 packets of refrigerated French Bread dough
1 egg white lightly beaten
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning mix
oregano to taste

1. Cook chicken well, then dice in small squares
2. cup veggies in small diced pieces
3. In a large bowl mix all the ingredients, chicken, cheeses, and fresh ingredients, include the mayo

4. in a small bowl, keep the egg white

Open the Dough and cut across the middle as if slowly opening it.  Then using a roller roll it out some.  Not too much so it is not too thin.

Stuff the mixing, using luke warm water to seal the edges pressed together.

Once you have stuffed one, stuff the other one. Then try to "braid or twist both together" it is a bit of a challenge, you don't have to of course.

Meanwhile oven should be warming at 350degrees.  You will cook for about 20 mins.

Before putting into the oven, using a small brush, brush some of the egg white and use some oregano to crumble over it.

Good luck! I normally add more pepper, some onions, and extra oregano.  It is very tasty and depending on what you like, you can increase or decrease on the flavor.

Attempt to Make Enchiladas

When it comes to Mexican food, even while some seem easy to make, it can be as equally challenging to make!

For one, making the salsa roja (red sauce) its hard! Well you can follow a recipi, but if you are like me, you want to try to reproduce based on taste: deciphering the condiments used etc...

So here is what I decided to do.

It was getting close to dinner time and I was being a bit lazy, not wanting to go to the grocery store I dug out what we had in the fridge.

1. Mexican crumbling cheese

2. Radish

3. Cabbage

4. Salsa verde

5. Cilantro

6. Tortillas

7. Black beans

8. Chicken

Ok. So since the only thing i had to do was cut up the cabbage and slightly fry the tortillas, then fill them and roll them up, I decided to make some yellow rice.

Great idea because the salsa verde was spicy! It said medium but it was spicy for my taste. 

Anyways, slapped it all together and called it dinner. No major experimentation here! 😁

So this is my Mexican dish:) 

Nothing major! 

Enjoy!