Sunday, September 26, 2010

Apple Cake

Preheat oven to 350; grease and flour rectangular pan. If you want to use a square brownie pan, make just half the recipe.

Peel six medium apples and cut in small dice

Put apples in large mixing bowl and add:
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter
2 eggs

Mix together:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon

Add dry ingredients to apple mixture and mix well. Can add chopped walnuts if desired.

Bake 30 to 40 mins. at 350
Cut in squares when cool, and serve as you would brownies. Really moist, good snack cake.

Tomato-Basil Crab Bisque

2 Tbsps. (1/4 stick) butter
10 oz. fresh crabmeat
1 large tomato or several plum tomatoes chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 garlic cloves, minced (or 2 tsp. fresh minced garlic from jar)
1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 cups clam-tomato juice (Use bottled Clamato)
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup catsup
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce or tabasco
3/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. lemon juice (RealLemon)

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add 3/4 of crabmeat, 1/3 cup of basil, and garlic. Saute 2 minutes. Whisk in flour; stir 2 minutes. Whisk in clam-tomato juice and next five ingredients. Reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Cool soup slightly.

Puree soup in batches in blender until smooth. (Be careful not to put too much hot soup into blender at a time. Put about two ladles of soup into blender at a time, then put pureed soup into bowl until all is pureed and then return to pan. Or skip blender and use immersion blender, pureeing all while in the pan -- carefully).

Return soup to pot, stir in water and lemon juice, return to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Makes six servings. Garnish each bowl with basil and reserved crabmeat.