Crab Manicotti

I used to hate making manicotti.  I found it impossible to cook and stuff the dried tube things without tearing them.  It would often take three or four boxes of shells, just to get a dozen manicotti..  Then I learned a wonderful fact: real manicotti aren't extruded tubes, but crepes.  A simple four ingredient blender batter and a small frying pan is all it takes for a quick dozen non-tearing manicotti shells which can be made ahead of time and even frozen.  Wifey loves it when I make these for Valentine's Day.

Ingredients

• Shells
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups flour (188g)
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Butter
• Filling
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella
• 2 cups ricotta
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1 large egg
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons died basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 8 ounces lump or jumbo lump crabmeat
• Final Dish
• 1 quart pasta sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan

Tools

• Shells
• Blender
• Small non-stick frying pan
• Parchment or wax paper
• Stovetop
• Filling
• Large mixing bowl
• Mixing Spoon
• Final Dish
• 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish
• Oven

Instructions

Shells

Heat a small frying pan over medium heat.  Put the eggs, water, four and salt in the carafe of a blender and mix on low speed until smooth.  Melt about a quarter teaspoon of butter in the pan and wipe it out. You just need a thin coating to prevent sticking and it will last for two to three shells.  Pour two to three tablespoons of batter into the pan and tilt the pan to spread the batter evenly over the pan.  Cook for about one to two minutes.  Lift one edge of the shell with a rubber spatula and flip.  Cook for a minute.  Stack the finished shells between layers of parchment or wax paper.  

Filling

Mix the cheeses, garlic, egg and seasoning together in a large mixing bowl.  Fold in the crabmeat gently, trying not to break it up too much.

Final Dish

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.  Spread about a quarter cup of sauce over the bottom of the pan.  Take each manicotti shell and place a thick line of filling across the center of the shell.  Roll the manicotti and place in the baking pan.  When all the shells are cover with a layer of sauce, then spread the mozzarella and parmesan over the top.  Bake for 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Stephie's Macaroni Salad

My number one, sure fire, guaranteed method of finding great recipes to cook is to ask my mom for her recipe. I know the recipe is extra special when she tells me she doesn't have it written down.

Mom's macaroni salad is legendary in the family. She brings it to almost every BBQ/get together we have all summer long and never there's never leftover to be found. Often, she makes a double or triple batch so Dad can have some for lunch.  Making the salad is fairly simple, but there are a couple tricks to making the salad truly excel. The first and most important tip is the salad needs to be made at least the day before you need it.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Creamette Elbow Macaroni
• 3 ribs of celery - diced
• 5 - 6 scallions - diced
• 1/2 pound cooked baby shrimp
• 2 cans crabmeat
• 1/2 can solid white tuna
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp parsley
• 1 tsp celery salt
• 1/4 tsp celery seed
• Hellmann's Mayonnaise

Tools

• Pot for cooking pasta
• Colander
• Mixing Bowl
• Mixing Spoon

Cook the pasta until just done and rinse. Al dente pasta doesn't add here. Add the celery, scallions, shrimp, crabmeat, tuna and seasonings to the bowl. The second trick for the recipe is to add about a half can of crab juice.  Mix the ingredients in the bowl.

The last ingredient is the most important: mayonnaise.  Throw the Miracle Whip away and get the real stuff: Hellmanns.  Add in a couple large spoonfulls of mayo and mix.  You want to add just enough mayo so all the pasta is coated.  Put the salad in the refrigerator and come back tomorrow.

As the salad sits overnight, the pasta soaks up the mayo leaving the salad rather dry. Add more mayo and mix again until you have a nice sticky but not overly wet consistency.