Crab and Avocado Salad #SundayFunday

Ribbons of Romaine Lettuce, topped with a delicious Crab Salad, surrounded with fresh, creamy Avocados.  

The Sunday Funday Bloggers are celebrating #National Avocado Month......

Chilean Crab Dip and a Modern Style Chardonnay #WorldWineTravel

 Join us as we celebrate the Foods and Wines of Chile.  Welcome to a new year of World Wine Travel.  This year we are exploring the wines of South America.  I am happy to start 2023 off with an exploration of Chilean Foods and Wines.

I chose this topic as the foods and wine of Chile are easy for me to source in Michigan.  This is not the case with all countries as our liquor laws in Michigan are quite stringent and often it is hard for me to source the wines needed for our events.

Bone Canyon Sushi Roll~~A Book Review

Lump crab meat mixed with cream cheese and mayo, layered with crunchy cucumber and creamy avocado wrapped up in nori and brown rice.  Perfect as an addition to a sushi appetizer tray for those who don't care for raw fish or as a main course meal for one.

This recipe was inspired by the novel, Bone Canyon, the second in the Eve Ronin series.......

Cranberry Topped Crab Puffs #CranberryWeek

This easy and delicious appetizer is a great start to your Holiday gathering.  Creamy crab dip in filo cups topped with cranberry sauce are pretty to look at and scrumptious to devour.

We are celebrating Cranberries all week long.......

ABC Dip (Artichoke, Brie, Crab) for the 1st Day of Christmas #SundayFunday

Happy 1st Day of Christmas.  No I don't have a Partridge recipe to share with you today but I do have a wonderful, creamy and cheesy seafood dip recipe that is perfect for your next gathering during this 12 Days of Christmas.

The Sunday Funday Bloggers are sharing NYE ideas today.......

Crab Napoleon inspired by Simply Irresistible #FoodnFlix

Tender, sweet crab meat over a mixture of avocado, tomatoes and cucumbers.  Served with crackers or bagel chips this is a wonderful starter or snack.

I was inspired to make this dish after watching the fun flick.....Simply Irriesistible.

Asian Appetizers paired with Tozai Sake #WinePW

This was such a fun Wine Pairing Weekend Event.  I had only tried Sake once before many, many years ago and hated it but when Cam of Culinary Adventures with Camilla asked us to share a Sake or Wine Pairing with Chinese food I decided to give it another go.

I decided to pair my sake with an assortment of Asian Appetizers......

Crab Puffs #BakingBloggers

Creamy, spicy crab dip surrounded by golden brown puffed pastry for an elegant and tasty appetizer for your next socially distanced gathering.

It's time for Baking Bloggers.........

Seafood Biryani #FishFridayFoodies

This amazing seafood dish is like a stew combined wth risotto.  It is easy to make, impressive to serve and totally scrumptious.

We are serving up Biryani today with the folks at Fish Friday Foodies.........

Seafood Stuffed Cabbage Rolls #FishFridayFoodies

Imagine the delight on the faces of your family and friends when they bite into one of these cabbage rolls and discover a filling of succulent and tasty seafood.

Step on in and join the Fish Friday Foodies today........

Chayote Squash Stuffed with Seafood and paired with Donnachiara Wine #FishFridayFoodies #FreakyFruitsFriday

Delicious chayote squash is used as both the vessel for serving and as part of the seafood filling in this fun, tasty dish.

This is what happens with Fish Friday Foodies collides with Freaky Fruits Friday.........

Seafood Mini Quiches ala Sid #FishFridayFoodies

These delectable little quiches are the perfect bite to take on your next picnic.  Chock full of crab and shrimp in a cheesy custard  and baked to a golden brown, they are sure to impress.

Join us today as the Fish Friday Foodies share Picnic Fare........

Crab Cake Po' Boys #FishFridayFoodies

Our theme this month for Fish Friday Foodies was chosen by Sue of Palatable Pastime.  Sue asked us to share a sandwich with any kind of fish or seafood.

I started Fish Friday Foodies as a way to get ideas to add more fish and seafood into our diets.  I never expected it to turn into such an amazing group of talented cooks who show up each and every month to share a recipe based on a theme chosen by whomever is hosting that month.

It is such great fun and has added tons of variety to our menus.  We love having new bloggers join us.  Should you be interested, please leave a comment on this post with your blog url so that I can send you an invitation.

I did a quick check of my recipe files to see what other fish sandwiches I have shared with you in the past.  I was surprised that I really haven't shared that many and those that I have are in the form of tacos.  

In fact, just last month I shared these Chimichurri Fish Tacos.  I have also shared Fish Tacos with a Mango Salsa and these Shrimp Tacos are from my very first Fish Fridays post when we first started in January of 2016.

I have also shared a Lobster Roll, Salmon Burgers and a Shrimp Louis Croissant.  I was surprised that I haven't shared a Tuna Melt yet.  I love Tuna Melts and I will be sharing one soon, I promise.  But not this month.  This month I am sharing this Crab Cake Po' Boy and Oh' Boy is it SCRUMPTIOUS!!

Tender, sweet crab claw meat is tossed with seasonings, veggies, and cheese, then fried to a crispy golden brown.

Hoagie Rolls are placed under the broiler to toast and then slathered with a homemade tarter sauce that has just a hint of horseradish.

A layer of shredded lettuce, a generous serving of the crab cakes and another helping of the tarter sauce makes for one delectable sandwich.

I can't wait to see what the others are sharing today.  You will find links to all of the great fish and seafood sandwiches at the bottom of this post.

#fishfridayfoodies, #crab, #crabcakes, #sandwiches, #tartarsauce,

seafood, sandwiches

Seafood

Yield: 2 sandwiches
Author: Wendy Klik
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Crab Cake Po' Boy

prep time: 40 MINScook time: 10 MINStotal time: 50 mins

Tender delicious crab claw meat, tossed with seasonings and veggies before being lightly breaded and fried golden brown, are served up on toasted buns with a homemade tarter sauce that contains just a hint of horseradish.

ingredients:

1/4 c. Miracle Whip

1/2 t. Old Bay seasoning 

1 egg

small pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 t. lemon juice

4 oz. crab claw meat, shelled and picked through

1/4 c. mozzarella cheese, grated

1/3 c. red pepper,  diced small

1 scallion, minced
1 slice whole wheat bread, pulsed to crumbs in a food processor

1 T. olive oil

1 T. butter

2 Hoagie Buns

Shredded Romaine Lettuce

1/2 c. Miracle Whip

2 T. sweet relish

Juice of 1/4 lemon

1 t. prepared horseradish

instructions:

Whisk together the 1/4 cup Miracle Whip with the Old Bay seasoning, egg, crushed red pepper and lemon juice.  Gently stir in the crab meat, mozzarella cheese, red pepper and scallion.

Place half of the bread crumbs onto a baking sheet.  Form the crab mixture into balls of  6 equal portions.  Place the balls on top of the bread crumbs and cover with the remaining bread crumbs.  Press down to flatten into cakes.  Place in the refrigerator for at least a half an hour and up to 8 hrs.

Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Cook the patties until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.  Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Place the Hoagie buns under a broiler for a minute or two to toast.  

Combine the 1/2 c. Miracle Whip, relish, lemon and horseradish.  Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Spread some of the horseradish tarter sauce onto the bottom of the bun.  Cover with shredded lettuce.  Top with 3 of the crab cakes and more of the tarter sauce, to taste.

notes

This recipe adapted from one found in Cuisine at Home.

https://adayinthelifeonthefarm.blogspot.com/2018/05/crab-cake-po-boys-fishfridayfoodies.html

Property of A Day in the Life on the Farm

Created using The Recipes Generator

An InLinkz Link-up

Crab Salad with Lemon/Dill Vinaigrette #DerbyDay

Hello and Welcome to Derby Day.  Are you a fan of the Kentucky Derby?  Do you watch it on television?

I'm really kind of oblivious to it but when Ellen of Family Around the Table invited us to her party I jumped right in.  I'm always up for a party!!

Some people treat the Derby like the Superbowl. They have huge gatherings while they watch the race.  There are special drinks and foods that are always included.  I feel the same way about this as I do football.....Did someone say food?  Count me in!

I have watched movies about the Derby and have enjoyed them.  I have a niece who is a jockey and I hope one day to go to Kentucky and watch her compete in the Derby.  But until then I will just be in it for the food and company.

Last year for Derby Day I served up some Pickled Shrimp.  It was delicious.  I know that there are a ton of foods associated with Derby Day like Mint Juleps, Sweet Tea, Hot Browns, anything with Bourbon and Pimiento Cheese.

I wanted to make something that was a little different.  I found a whole party menu at Southern Living dedicated to the Kentucky Derby.  One of the recipes they shared was called Spring on a Plate Salad.

My recipe was inspired by that.  It contains Crab, Peas and Fennel, as the original. It does not have soy, red onion, red pepper or microgreens only because I didn't have any of those on hand.  My peas were frozen and not fresh and my greens were a baby spring mix. I also added some cucumber since I had it in the refrigerator.

I whipped together a lemon dill vinaigrette.  I never linked to the recipe provided because making vinaigrette is second nature to me.  I marinated my fennel and peas in the vinaigrette and then ladled these over my greens because I don't like a lot of dressing on my salad.  I prefer to dress it lightly and pass the dressing for those who like more.

Use the best crab that you can find and afford.  This claw crabmeat is a little more expensive but, after all, the crab is the star of this salad.

I made a platter of salad and passed it at the table instead of making individual salads.  I filled the platter with greens and sprinkled on the cucumber and carrots.  I used a spoon to ladle the marinated peas and fennel over the top.  The remaining vinaigrette went into a cruet for the table.

The crowning glory is the crab that is scattered along the top.  This was served as the first course for a family dinner.  It was a huge hit.  I'm sure your family and friends will love this addition to your Derby Day Feast.

You will find links to more wonderful Derby Day dishes following the recipe for this bright and flavorful Springtime Salad.

Yield: Serves 4-6 as a first course
Author: Wendy Klik
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Crab Salad with Lemon Dill Vinaigrette

This bright and lovely Springtime salad topped with succulent crab claw meat is the perfect starter for your next dinner party.

ingredients:

5 c. mixed baby Spring greens

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

1 carrot, washed, scraped and thinly sliced

1 c. frozen peas, thawed

1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced

8 oz. crab claw meat, picked through for any shells

Juice of 1 lemon

1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1 T. fresh dill fronds, chopped

instructions

Whisk together the lemon, olive oil and dill.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add the peas and fennel, tossing to coat.  Set aside.

Rinse and dry the greens and place them onto a platter.   Sprinkle with the carrots and cucumber.  Spoon the marinated peas and fennel down the center of the salad.  Strain the remaining vinaigrette into a serving container.

Top the salad with the crabmeat and serve, passing the vinaigrette.

notes

This recipe adapted from Southern Living.

https://adayinthelifeonthefarm.blogspot.com/2018/05/crab-salad-with-lemondill-vinaigrette.html

Property of A Day in the Life on the Farm

Created using The Recipes Generator

More Derby Day Dishes

• Hot Pepper Jelly by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Chocolate Bourbon Balls by Simple and Savory
• Crab Salad with Lemon Dill Vinaigrette by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwiches by Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Kentucky Hot Brown Pizza by Cookaholic Wife
• Maple Bourbon Sour by Family Around the Table

Pasta with Crab #FishFridayFoodies

I want to start off this post by saying "you're welcome".  Does anyone else sing the Moana song in their head every time they say you're welcome or is it just me?

I'm saying you're welcome because you, my friends, are going to be so grateful for this easy, peasy delicious recipe to get you through these last couple weeks of Lent.

Today is Fish Friday Foodies and our host, Paula of The Saucy Southerner, invited us to "Get Crabby".

I had a ton of ideas for this theme.  I LOVE crab and I had found some beautiful lump crab meat at my market that was all cooked, removed from the shell and picked over.  That right there saves a lot of time. 

My first instinct was crab cakes.  I love them and I have never made them myself.  Then, as with all the best laid plans, life got busy.  I was running late one evening and had not prepared the meal I had on my menu plan.  Nights like that are inevitably pasta nights because it is so quick and easy.  I pulled out the pasta and looked to see what I had in the refrigerator.  There, staring me in the face, was that lovely lump crab.  Perfect.  I would use it for my impromptu pasta dish and then buy some more for the crab cakes.

Yep, life got very busy.  No more crab was bought.  No crab cakes were made.  Thank Goodness I snapped some photos of this pasta so I had something to share with you today.

I sautéed up some onions, garlic in a generous amount of olive oil adding some crushed red pepper and salt while the pasta boiled.  

The pasta went right from the cooking water into the saute pan and the crab got gently folded in.  Hmmmm.....it looks rather bland.  Back to the refrigerator.

Thankfully, I usually have some sort of leafy green in my refrigerator.  In this case there was a couple of handfuls of baby spinach left.  That got added right to the pasta with a little bit of the cooking water to help it wilt.

That's it!! Five ingredients.  Twenty minutes.  Dinner is served and enjoyed by all.  This would make a great pasta course during a dinner party and I know I will be making it again.   But first, I'm going to make those crab cakes I've been craving. I hope one of our group shares a great recipe that I can try.  You will find links to all the Crabby Creations below.

This recipe served two adults with leftovers available for lunch the following day.

Pasta with Crab

3 T. olive oil

1/2 small sweet onion, diced

3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

salt and crushed red pepper to taste

1/2 lb pasta, cooked per package directions

8 oz. prepared lump crab meat, found in the refrigerated section of the seafood counter

2 or 3 handfuls of baby spinach leaves

1/4 c. pasta cooking water

Saute the onion and garlic in a large skillet over med high heat.  Season with salt and crushed red pepper.  Add the pasta to the vegetables and combine over low heat.  Fold in the crab and spinach leaves, adding pasta cooking water as needed, until heated through and the spinach is wilted.  Print Recipe

More Crabby Creations

An InLinkz Link-up

Crab and Crimini Bisque #FishFridayFoodies

This month's Fish Friday Foodies is being hosted by Cam of Culinary Adventures with Camilla.

Cam invited us to create and share any kind of shellfish recipe.  She told us to think soups, breaded and fried, sautéed, steamed or even raw.  

We were making assignments for 2018 posts way back in October so I knew that this great theme was first up for the year.

I made this elegant, silky, delicious bisque as our first course on Thanksgiving, knowing that I would save the post for this month's Fish Friday Foodies.

This recipe comes from Bon Appetit.  I modified it very slightly and it was the perfect amount for a first course for 6 adults and 1 toddler.

I used the best quality canned crab that I could find.  The mushrooms are applied in two different styles, using the chopped stems to flavor the broth and then the sliced caps in the finished dish.

I'm excited about this year's first edition of Fish Friday Foodies.  My group has some great themes lined up all year long.  Next month, Sue of Palatable Pastime, has us sharing en papillote.  If you would like to join us please leave your blog name and email address in the comment section of this post or pop me an email at wendyklik1517@gmail.com.

Crab and Crimini Bisque

slightly adapted from Bon Appetit

1 lb crimini mushrooms

6 T. butter

1/2 of a lg. Vidalia onion

1 garlic clove, minced

2 T. flour

1 (32 oz) box chicken stock

1/3 c. dry sherry

1/2 c. heavy cream

2 egg yolks

1 t. lemon juice

1/2 lb. lump crabmeat, picked over, large pieces set aside

Remove and finely chop the mushroom stems.  Slice the mushroom caps and set aside.  Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Add the mushroom stems, garlic and onion.  Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes, until mushrooms release their liquid and it evaporates.  Add the flour, cook and stir for 2 minutes, until fragrant.  Stir in the broth and sherry.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 25 minutes. Strain the liquids into a soup pot.  Discard solids.

Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet.  Add the sliced mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook over med high heat until golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Add to the broth and simmer for a few minutes.  

While soup simmers, whisk together the egg yolks, cream and lemon juice.  Stir in the crabmeat, retaining the large pieces to use as garnish.  Add the cream mixture to the soup, stirring and cooking over low heat until slightly thickened, being careful not to boil.

Divide into bowls, adding large chunks of crabmeat in the center of the bowl. Print Recipe

More Out of the Shell and Into the Pan Recipes

An InLinkz Link-up

Seafood Stuffed Lobster Tail #FishFridayFoodies

It's hard to believe that it is coming up on 2 years since I started this fabulous group called Fish Friday Foodies.  What makes it so fabulous?  The amazing, supportive and loving group of bloggers who join me each and every month.

We take turns each month choosing a theme.  This gives us all inspiration to get creative and have some fun.  This month, with Thanksgiving breathing down our necks, I had stuffing on my mind.  I love stuffing and thought it would make a perfect theme for this month's Fish Friday party.

I asked the members to join me in stuffing fish or seafood, or using seafood or fish in a stuffing.  Stuffing is not just for turkeys! I can't wait to see what the others have decided to share with us today.  You will find links to all of their recipes at the bottom of this post.

I am so excited about the recipe I am sharing.  Frank does not care for shellfish.  He will eat shrimp and he likes certain types of fish but stays away from clams, lobster, crab, oysters, etc., so I was taking quite the chance serving up this Seafood Stuffed Lobster Tail.

This decadent dish contains not only the lobster meat that you removed from the shell but shrimp an crab as well.  All this succulent, tender meat gets sauteed up in butter, stuffed back into the shells and then gets topped with butter soaked Ritz crackers.  This was the most wonderful seafood dish I have ever made!!

I picked up these frozen lobster tails when my local grocer had them on sale for $5 each.  They are great to have in the freezer, especially during the holidays.  I use them for Lobster Bisque or Dragon and Phoenix Soup, I steam them and serve them with drawn butter, I add them to Pot Pie.  If you are lucky enough to have leftovers when you are done stuffing the shell, you can turn them into a Seafood Roll and enjoy it for lunch.  That's what I did!

Removing the meat from the shell is easy peasy.  Just cut down both sides with some kitchen shears and then cut across the tail to remove all of the membrane on the underside of the shell.  Wriggle your fingers under the meat and it pops right out.  The shells are perfectly ready and waiting to be stuffed.

I served this up with pan seared Filet Mignon as the surf portion of Surf and Turf, just in case Frank hated it.  I need not have worried....he was very surprised how much he enjoyed this preparation of seafood.  How could he not?  If you are a seafood lover, you will be swooning over this dish and if you are on the other side of the fence, give it a shot, you may just be as surprised as Frank.

Seafood Stuffed Lobster Tails

adapted from Cuisine at Home

4 (4 oz) lobster tails, removed from shell and cut into chunks, shells reserved

3 oz. shrimp, peeled and deveined, cut into chunks

8 oz. crab meat

1 stick butter, divided

Juice and zest of  half a lemon

dash of cayenne pepper

2 T. chives, minced

24 buttery crackers (like Ritz)

Melt 4 T. of butter in a large skillet over med high heat.  Add the lobster and shrimp, cook and stir until pink.  Add the lemon juice, zest and cayenne.  Remove from heat and stir in the crab meat, 16 of the crackers that have been crushed and chives.  Let cool and then spoon mixture into the reserved lobster tail shells.

Place the remaining 4 T. of butter into a small microwave safe bowl and cook until melted.  Stir in the remaining 8 crackers, crushed, and sprinkle over the top of the lobster tails.  

 Tails can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 24 hrs before baking.  When ready to serve, bake in a preheated 400* oven for 15-20 minutes, until topping is crisp and stuffing is heated through.  Print Recipe

Scrumptious Stuffed Seafoods

An InLinkz Link-up

3 Ingredient Spaghetti with Crab Sauce #FishFridayFoodies

Wow, busy day today in the blog world.  I am posting three separate recipes today for three separate events.  I normally try to combine events but it wasn't happening today.

You will find my recipe for Adult Hot Chocolate in my final post for this year's Choctoberfest.  It was a fun week but I was ready for a cocktail.  This is a perfect drink for you to enjoy when you prepare to unwind for the weekend.

Hot chocolate not your thing?  Well then head on over to my #MerlotMe post and find out how a glass of Decoy Merlot can be enjoyed with our Crazy Ingredient Challenge.  A delicious, rustic, skillet dinner and a glass of wine is perfect for this Fall weather.

Now.....right now.....in this post.....We are celebrating Fish Friday with all of my Foodie friends.  Fish Friday Foodies was started by me to assist me in adding more fish/seafood protein to our diet.  I asked a few of my friends to join me and they all stepped up to the plate.  They created the graphic that you see above and they assist me each month by taking turns hosting and choosing a theme.

This month our host with the most is Claire of Sprinkles and Sprouts who chose the theme Fish/Seafood Pasta.  I am hosting next month with a theme of Stuffing....it is not just for Turkey.  Should you like to join our fun and friendly group just leave your blog name in the comment section below and I will send you an invitation or you can email me at wendyklik1517@gmail.com

I had served a lovely Crab Ravioli in Shallot Cream Sauce as the fish course at a dinner party several months ago, so when Claire chose this topic I smiled and was pleased as punch that I would be ahead of the game.

So imagine my surprise and disappointment when I went to write this post and was unable to locate any of the photos I had taken of that amazing dish.  I know that they are in this computer somewhere but I'll be darned if I can figure out where.  I spent a couple of days looking through all my old files (there are hundreds of photo files) before I started to panic.

Ok, I said to myself, just breathe....you have time to make another batch of the ravioli.  I decided I would, again, serve it as the fish course at a dinner party celebrating our eldest's birthday.  Then I promptly put it out of my mind and started concentrating on other events in which I was participating.

Last Sunday, I began preparing for the dinner.  I was very excited as all of our kids who live locally were going to be able to attend.  It is very rare for us all to be available on the same day....life is way too busy for that.

I plastered my beef tenderloin roast with herbs and olive oil and put it aside to marinade a bit.  I started baking the apple pie and whipping up the chocolate cream pie.  I put the potatoes on to boil for the loaded mashed potato casserole. I pulled the corn chowder out of the freezer to thaw and I washed the romaine, spun it dry and put it in the refrigerator so it would be all ready for the Caesar salad.

Then I sat and relaxed, very pleased with myself. An hour before guests arrived I put out an appetizer tray, put the soup on to warm and preheated the oven.  Suddenly it occurred to me that I had never made the ravioli. Aargh...not only did I not have a fish course for the dinner but I was running out of time for this event too.

I felt like I was on chopped.  I had 50 minutes left to create a pasta dish containing fish or seafood.  To the pantry, I ran.  I had canned crab that was to be used in the ravioli, I had some dried spaghetti and I had a jar of prepared creamy tomato sauce.

It doesn't get much easier than that.  I added a little extra heavy cream to the sauce to thin it out a bit and then incorporated the crabmeat but if you don't have cream on hand you can always use the cooking water from the spaghetti.  I put a large pot of  water on to heat so that it would quickly come to a boil when the time was right.  When I served the soup, I turned the water to high and brought it to a boil.  

While the soup bowls were being removed, I put the pasta on to boil.  We served the salad and when the pasta was finished it needed only be drained and tossed with the sauce  It was enjoyed by all and nobody was the wiser.

3 Ingredient Spaghetti with Crab Sauce

1 lb. dried spaghetti

2 (6 oz) cans white crab meat, drained and picked through for shells

1 qt. prepared creamy tomato pasta sauce

Boil the spaghetti according to package directions, drain, reserving 1/2 c. of the cooking liquid. 

Meanwhile heat the sauce in a large pot over med low heat, thin with the reserved cooking liquid (or cream or milk) and stir in the crab.

Add the cooked pasta to the pot and toss to coat. Print Recipe

More Pasta Recipes for Fish Friday Foodies

An InLinkz Link-up

Fennel Crab Bisque for #SoupSaturdaySwappers

Hello friends and welcome to Soup Saturday Swappers.  I love making soups and stews. In the winter, I make them for their warm comfort.  In the autumn, I look forward to using the fall harvest. In the spring, I can't wait to use all the fresh flavors popping up with the sunshine and warmer temps and in the summer you can use a slow cooker to keep from warming up the house or enjoy a refreshing, chilled soup.

I invited some of my friends to join me on the third Saturday of each month to share their favorite soup and/or stew recipes based on a theme chosen by one of the members.  So far, over 20 of my blogging friends have joined in the fun. Our friend, Colleen of Faith, Hope, Love & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice, created this image for us to use in our posts.   There is no requirement to post each month or to host if you don't want.  It is just a great place to get together and swap our favorite old and new recipes.  We would love to have you join us if you are a blogger that is interested in posting with us.  You can let me  know in the comments below or email me at wendyklik1517@gmail.com.

I chose to start this group's posts today because we celebrate National Soup Day on January 21st each year.  When January 21st was a Saturday, I decided that this would be the perfect day each month to get together.  The 3rd Saturday of the month is also when I join another group called The French Winophiles so occasionally I will be posting one post to cover both groups which is perfectly okay as well since this is a relaxed and accommodating atmosphere.

I chose the theme of Healthy Soup Options since I know many of us start off the year very conscious of our eating and physical activity.

I decided to share this lovely, elegant Fennel Bisque topped with Crab Meat and Fennel Fronds.  It is creamy, silky and luxurious yet it contains not one ounce of cream or butter and only 1 tablespoon of heart healthy olive oil divided between 8 servings.  I found this recipe at Food&Wine and knew it was perfect for today's challenge.

It is quick and easy to make, taking only as long as necessary for the vegetables to be tender.  A quick puree in a blender or with an immersion blender and it is ready to be plated.  Topped with tender, low fat but high protein crab meat and some fennel fronds, it makes a gorgeous presentation and a great start to your next dinner party.

Fennel Crab Bisque

adapted from  Food & Wine

1 T. olive oil

2 fennel bulbs, halved, cored and chopped with fronds reserved

1 med. sweet onion, coarsely chopped

1 (32 oz) box chicken broth

1 medium, Yukon Gold potato, scrubbed and cut into 1/2" dice

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 lb lump crabmeat, picked over

Heat oil in large sauce pan.  Add the onions and fennel bulb.  Cook and stir over moderate heat until crisp tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the chicken stock and potato.  Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until vegetables are very tender.

Using a heavy duty blender or immersion blender, puree the mixture until smooth and silky.  Taste for flavor and season with salt and pepper as needed.  Ladle into bowls and top with a mound of crab. Sprinkle with fennel fronds and serve.

Let's see more Healthy Soup Options

An InLinkz Link-up