“A real friend is someone who takes a winter vacation on a sun-drenched beach and does not send a card.”
–Farmer’s Almanac–
Easy grilled soft shell crabs and Rob’s “famous” Slaw made with the seemingly everlasting red and green cabbages, a favorite of mine, but I took out the last bowl of chili for Michael…this crazy non-beach wintry weather is perfect for long-lost comfort food dinners so I have to say, comfort to me the soft shells and to Mike, the chili. Everybody is happy.
I used a grill pan yesterday for 2 soft shells a quick “Halo” marinade and a brief sauté , layered over the slaw and served with halo segments and lemon.
Grilled Soft Shell Crabs
4 soft shell crabs, cleaned
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and diced
Pinches of Phillips Seafood seasoning
3 tablespoons Zesty Italian bottled dressing, (I know, but it was in the pantry)
Zest from about 1/2 of a lemon
Zest from 2 “Halo” and supreme segments from another or as many as you want to serve with the crabs, I ate 2 whole “Halos”
Juice from 1/2 of a lemon
3-4 tablespoons fresh Parsley, chopped for marinade
Pinch of Herbes de Provence or your favorite herb mix (optional)
Salt and pepper
Fresh chopped parsley for garnish
1. Rinse and pat dry cleaned crabs and place them in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients except lemon juice and mix well, making sure the crabs are well-coated. Reserve some parsley for garnish.
2. Heat a grill, grill pan, When the grill pan is hot add the crabs and cook 3-4 minutes per side, turning once and basting with the oil mixture that was left in the bowl.
3. Remove to a serving dish and top with more parsley and the lemon juice.
Strawberry Salad with Crispy Prosciutto
Busy grocery shopping for the week and not much time left to prepare much beyond a salad and pop a chicken pie in the oven for dinner. I was going to grab a store roasted chicken and forgot to and Michael had thought of chicken pie, I remembered that I had one in the freezer taking up a lot of space and it was perfect comfort food for another very cold day.
I discovered James Foods brand when I cruised by the frozen case and saw a favorite Shepherd’s pie that Michael would love so I picked one up as well as the chicken pie, both on sale and they can be a bit pricey. Perfect for his late night dinners at work when I really don’t have to cook. I’d much rather prepare my own, but hey once in a while think outside of the box
Prep: 10 minutes; Stand: 15 minutes; Cook: 4 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 1/3 cup sliced red onion
- Olive oil cooking spray
- 4 thin slices prosciutto (about 2 ounces)
- 6 cups ½ + ½ spinach and spring mix and Zen mixes or favorite mixed lettuces
- 2 ounces feta, crumbled
Preparation
1. Whisk together first 5 ingredients (through black pepper) in a large serving bowl. Add berries and red onion; let stand 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, lightly coat a seasoned cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan with cooking spray, and heat over moderately high heat. Add prosciutto in one layer, and cook, turning, about 5 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a plate to cool; crumble and reserve.
3. Place the baby arugula in a large serving bowl with the cheese; add the strawberries, red onion, and balsamic dressing, and toss gently until just coated. Divide the salad among 4 serving plates, and top evenly with the cooked prosciutto.
Cucina Magia 
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