I ♥ CRAB

Who knew a crab lived
inside of my eggplant?

For as far back as I can remember, one of my very favorite foods on the planet has been steamed crab legs with a little bit of drawn butter.  So simple, yet so delectable!  In fact, I love it so much that my date for my senior prom took me to a restaurant that served crab legs.  Picture me in my formal dress, hair and nails done, ripping apart crab legs.  I had crab meat all over my dress, in my hair, all over my date, the people sitting behind us, the server, etc.  I'm sure it was a sight! When Jon and I were dating we once met part of his family at Lake Lanier in Georgia.  The restaurant at the hotel required the guys to wear jackets and, of course, all of us ladies were dressed up.  Jon's sister, who is about my size (small), and I kept the entire family at the dinner table for hours as we devoured plate after heavenly plate of crab legs.  Jon and I even had crab legs at our wedding reception - it was the only food I specifically requested. I could go on and on, but I'll assume you get the idea...    

I ♥ CRAB!!!

At dinner with my parents and
Jon 11 years ago.  I think they
needed the goggles more than I did.

Unfortunately, living in Colorado, I rarely feast on this mouthwatering dish because 1) it's fairly expensive and 2) I live very much inland and I prefer the taste of fresh seafood on or near the coast.  That is not to say that cravings don't occasionally take over, so once in a while, I'll give in and buy an 8-ounce tub of crab meat from Whole Foods (jumbo, lump or claw depending on the intended use). One of my clients recently ordered an old-fashioned seafood bake which contained crab meat.  That was enough for me to decide that we needed some crab meat, too.  This time I bought claw meat since I didn't necessarily need large chunks of the meat - I was more interested in the taste - and claw meat was about half the price of jumbo or lump.  I think it was $7.99 for 8 ounces.  This price, at least in Colorado, isn't too bad and I got three full meals out of one 8-ounce tub!

For all three meals, I used crab meat, green onions and cheese.  You might think that using such similar ingredients for each of the dishes would be boring, but I guarantee that they all differ enough that you could easily eat them consecutively.  For two of the meals I used Gruyère cheese, a Swiss cow's milk cheese that has a distinct flavor that isn't overpowering.  It was perfect for letting the taste of the crab shine through.  It also melts beautifully, which made it a good choice for these meals.

So go ahead - indulge a little.  You'll be glad you did!

Super-Easy Crab Quesadillas

Serves 2

• 2 large whole wheat tortillas
• 1/2 to 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/3 cup crab claw meat, picked over for shell pieces
• 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Sour cream, guacamole and salsa for serving

Place each tortilla on a flat surface and top one-half of each with half of the cheddar cheese, crab meat and green onion.  Fold each tortilla over to enclose toppings.

Heat about 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Place one quesadilla in the skillet and heat until golden brown.  Carefully flip and cook second side until golden.  Remove from skillet and cover with foil to keep warm.  Repeat with other quesadilla.

Cut each quesadilla into halves or quarters, sprinkle with kosher salt and serve with sour cream, guacamole and salsa.

Crab and Gruyère French Bread Pizzas

Serves 2-3

• 1/2 baguette, sliced in half lengthwise and then cut into halves or thirds
• 2-3 teaspoons Dijon or coarse-grain mustard
• 1/3 cup crab claw meat, picked over for shell pieces
• 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
• 1/2 to 1 cup Gruyère cheese, shredded
• Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F and position a rack in the center.

Spread each baguette piece with mustard and top each with equal amounts of crab meat, green onions and Gruyère cheese.  Season with salt and pepper.

Place pizzas on a baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and bread is toasted. Brown a little under the broiler for a minute or two if desired.

Crab and Gruyère Omelettes

Serves 2

• 4 to 5 large farm-fresh eggs
• 2 to 3 tablespoons milk (I have a raw milk share through Larga Vista Dairy)
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup crab claw meat, picked over for shell pieces
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup Gruyère cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and salt and pepper, to taste.

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Once bubbles subside, pour in egg mixture and stir for a few seconds.  Once eggs start to cook, tilt skillet and lift edges of omelette with a rubber spatula so that raw egg pours under the cooked eggs.  Continue to do this until the omelette is almost completely cooked.  Top half with crab meat, Gruyère cheese and green onions.  Fold top half of omelette over to enclose ingredients.  Cook for another minute or until cheese melts.  Cut in half, slide onto plates and sprinkle with parsley.

Best served with mimosas!  =)

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Jon:  Looking at that old picture of Hethyr wearing her goggles really takes me back... to last week.  While I haven't seen her wear any protective armor during seafood meals in a long time, she still frequently sports a sweet pair of "onion goggles" that my sister, Amy, bought for her a couple years ago.  Every time she cuts an onion she sobs as if she is the one being sliced and diced.  The goggles are meant to protect her eyes and prevent the waterworks.  They are light green and white (much like an onion), and their thick, sleek, aerodynamic nature would make them the perfect accessory for leaping out of an airplane.


Like Hethyr, I also love to eat fresh crab, and it's not always easy (or inexpensive) when you are severely landlocked.  Even when we lived in Boston, where every business is either a seafood restaurant or a Dunkin Donuts, we couldn't find fresh crab legs.  Every menu offers crab cakes, but apparently crab legs are a Pacific coast luxury.  Who knew?  Maybe everyone did but us.  Regardless, the next time you are fortunate enough to devour a fresh claw, enjoy every moment.  And remember to wear your goggles.

A Galapagos Crab.  Photo taken by Tony,
the husband of my goggle-gift-giver sister, Amy.