Please pardon the self-awarded kudos, but I have to tell you about my morning.
First of all, I dragged myself out of bed (i.e., couch) to do some cardio at Mistress Leah's Moan & Tone Chamber. After some elliptical ecstasy and 30 minutes in the sauna sweating like a hooker at tent revival, I stepped on the scales -- another 7 pounds lost, bringing the grand total to (drum roll, por favor) 44 pounds. Woohoo! Now, where's that cheese wheel I've been fantasizing about ...
Hope y'all saw Saturday's Scene story Kim Brown and I did on Oscar-themed recipes. We recommended some tasty ones for your own DVD watch parties leading up to next Sunday's big red-carpet extravaganza.
One didn't make it in, though, and I wanted to share it with you now. Inspired by "Surf's Up," a nominee for Best Animated Film, it's a slap-ya-best-friend-good baked crab dip, courtesy of The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.
Baked Crab Dip
Ingredients:
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 teaspoons Worcestershire
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon Tabasco
1 pound fresh or pasteurized crabmeat, squeezed dry and picked over
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (optional)
Directions:
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position, and heat the oven to 475.
2. Microwave the cream cheese in a large bowl on high power until very soft, 20-30 seconds. Whisk in the milk, lemon juice, onion, Worcestershire, mustard, Old Bay and Tabasco. Gently fold in the crabmeat using a rubber spatula.
3. Transfer to a greased 1-quart baking dish. Bake until browned and bubbling, 20-25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before sprinkling with the parsley (if using) and serve.
To make ahead:
Make dip through steps 1 and 2, and refrigerate, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 24 hours. Before continuing with step 3, heat the dip in the microwave on high power until it begins to bubble around the edges, 2-5 minutes. Stir to combine, then bake as directed.
Note:
When testing this recipe, America’s Test Kitchen determined that it’s important to use a folding technique to mix in the delicate crabmeat. If mixed in too aggressively, the crabmeat has a tendency to shred.
-- recipe courtesy of The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
P.S.: Goes great with pita chips, Triscuits or just a big ol' spoon.
Peace, love and aggressive mixing ... xoxo
