Jalapeno Popper Dip Redux.

Rehashed this recipe using fresh jalapenos (via friend) instead of canned and pickled. The heat is better and more uniform. Generally, it just has a fresher taste.

Crab Jalapeno Popper Dip.

Yanked from the Closet. Simple and straightforward. Pretty good because, generally, dips are pretty good.

Roasted Red Pepper, Cauliflower and Crab Chowder.

A conglomeration of recipes, I used shallots instead of onions because I had them. Roasted red pepper, boiled cauliflower, simmer, puree, milk, meh. I like the combination of red pepper and crab generally, but it didn't mesh as well for me here.

It was a little grainier than I would have liked and lacked the chowder-y consistency. I had skipped the heavy creme, since I didn't have any and it wasn't universal across recipes, but I think it would have helped.

Crab Stuffed Tilapia.

So here's something interesting to start off the season. I caught a glimpse of something similar at the market so I thought I'd give it a spin. The stuffing is:

• creme cheese
• crab
• a little bit of garlic (I used powder this time.)
• some lemon juice

Give it a taste every now and then to decide how much lemon and garlic you really want. Blended, it should end up quite homogeneous. I did look at what other people seem to like to do for filling and they just use bread crumbs instead of creme cheese. I think that would end up a bit dry/not as cohesive.

I have these awesome individually packaged tilapia filets so I used a couple of them. By stuffed, I really mean "rolled up", so don't overdo the filling. I put my seasoning in the flour (paprika, salt, pepper) instead of seasoning directly and then egged (I had two yolks in one egg. Weird.) and breaded. Bake at 400 for about 20-25 minutes or "until fish flakes easily with a fork" as everyone likes to say. I greased my baking dish with olive olil and topped each filet with a bit of butter to get the breading toasted nicely. Clearly, it didn't spread as evenly as I would have like so brushing with melted butter may work better.

Also, the little balls on the side are extra filling I had. They got the same treatment as the filets.

Like I said, the butter didn't spread as evenly as I would have like so crust was a little bland in some places. And I think I might have liked to add some herbs to the breading itself. I will also say that I find tilapia a rather bland fish. That being said, I thought this was pretty good. Of course, the filling is what carries most of the flavor, but you can still taste each component if you look for it. I also think the lemon juice helped temper the sweetness that heated creme cheese+crab mixtures tend to have. In then end, I think I would have to say it turned out rather well. It could have used a little more seasoning (more salt and paprika, someone added cayenne) but I really liked how light the fish was in comparison. I'll have to try other things with fish in the future.

I've also decided I like taking pictures by the window because I can get some real light, but in this case, the color blew out a little bit in some places, and I haven't learned/gotten around to doing any photo editing. Also, I've resigned myself to the fact that my food will get cold while I take and re-take pictures. As long as I can get it to look ok, right?

Crab Fried Rice.

I've had a hankering for crab for quite awhile now. I think I've just wanted some good california rolls even though I won't ever order them at a restaurant (they're ok for eating at home). I bought some sushi vinegar today, so I had sneaked a little bit of sushi rice and crab while I was cooking this up. The crab, despite being imitation, didn't hold its flavor very well. It was store-brand so maybe that explains it. Even the rice was weird today. It came out a bit on the dry side, maybe because I was trying to hold back some of the soy sauce after last time. Overall, meh. The crab could've gone to better use.

Yes, I know I need to clean.