When I think of crab claws I think of myself as Bubba Gump. I like fried crab claws, sauteed crab claws, crab claws in gumbo... well, you get the idea. Sauteed crab claws are delicious. You can tell by the photo I didn't use the regular small crab claws like you get in most restaurants. No, sir! These are King Crab Claws. I have been able to find them at Publix at times. However, the way that I usually get them is by buying the frozen bags of King Crab Legs at Sam's when they have them. There are usually 3-5 per bag. I separate the claws from legs and freeze them separately just so I can saute them for a tasty appetizer.

There are two ways that I saute them, depending on my mood. One way is the basic saute shown here. The other is a recipe from a local restaurant that has now closed down. That recipe calls for roasted garlic and sun dried tomatoes and is delicious. But, for now I'm covering the basic saute.

Ingredients:
4-6 King Crab Claws or 12-15 reg. crab claws
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp Old Bay or Creole Seasoning
1/2 cup white wine
1 shallot, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
Parmesan Cheese, shredded

Directions:
Heat a small saute pan to medium heat. Add olive oil and 2 tbsp butter moving butter constantly to incorporate with olive oil. Add shallots and saute for about 3 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and stir for about another minute.Next add white wine,deglaze pan and reduce wine to about half. Once wine has reduced add lemon juice, remaining butter Old Bay and crab claws. Stir claws gently or tossing in pan. Reduce heat slightly and cook claws for approximately 5 minutes. Pour into augratin dish. Top with Parmesan cheese and enjoy.















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I ran across this recipe while "Stumbling" on the internet. It reminded me of some of the meals Sybil and I ate when we first got married. Neither of us was the greatest cook but did the best we could. This is similar to a Hamburger Helper recipe (something we ate plenty of back in the day.)

This is one of those comfort foods that you can enjoy during the winter months. It's easy to make and great to eat.

Ingredients:


1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
3 cups thinly sliced potatoes
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
2 heaping teaspoons sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

 Directions:

Sauteing Onions and Peppers

Add the 2  tablespoons of olive oil to a large pan. Add the onions and peppers and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Next, add ground beef and cook until browned. Once browned add cream of mushroom soup, milk, sour cream, mushrooms,salt and pepper. Stir until well mixed.

Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Add a layer of the potatoes, followed by the beef and soup mixture. Continue alternating layers using all ingredients. Cover casserole dish with aluminum foil. Preheat oven to 425 and cook for about an hour, or until potatoes are soft. Finally, remove aluminum foil, add cheddar cheese, and cook another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Add side salad and rolls and you have a full meal. I enjoy stuffing my rolls with the casserole and eating it that way.

Top with cheddar cheese and you are done!

 Note: When I cooked this recipe I was completely out of cheddar cheese. However, I had an Italina 5 cheese blend that I used to top. It was delicious. Moral of the story? Use whatever cheese you like. I also considered adding cheese to each layer, but I didn't have the cheese at the time.