Fancy Southwestern Marinated Cheese Dip with Whipped Feta, Colby Jack + Pepper Jack Cheese Cubes, + Marinated Herby Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette

Fancy Southwestern Marinated Cheese Dip with Whipped Feta, Colby Jack + Pepper Jack Cheese Cubes,
Marinated Herby Roasted Red Pepper Dip

There is something about this dip that everyone just adores... and I'm not sure I get it. Well, I didn't until I made a schmancified (adjective of shmancy) version of it. That's what I like to do, so deal with it. The original recipe comes from here and involves a task-worthy cutting & stacking of cream cheese and cheddar cheese. I hated it. You have to practically freeze the cream cheese in order for it to look correct after cutting or it gets all schmeary (adjective of schmear). Also, that means you had these clunky blocks of cheese and drippy dressing that you have to handle with your hands, which is NOT good for a party. Lemme tell y'all, that shit gets all over your dress. Nonetheless, it was still the hit of the party and my family couldn't stop raving about it. I decided to revamp it some to make it more party-friendly. It did the trick and is even more of a success than the first recipe. Instead of boring cream cheese, I made a whipped feta cheese and spread it onto a plate to form cloud-like piles of fluffy cheese. You could also just use whipped cream cheese or even some yummy Boursin Cheese (or my version of whipped goat cheese would do it all up just fine). In replacement of creating blocks or stacks of cheddar cheese, I cut up some Colby Jack + Pepper Jack Cheese into tiny cubes, which makes it impossibly easy for dipping!! YAY for easy dipping. Then here comes the best part... the Marinated Herby Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette. In a large mixing bowl, you just toss in some olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime, fresh parsley + cilantro, green onions, garlic, finely diced roasted red pepper, minced candied jalapeno, honey, and spices... and it's all done! I let the mixture marinate overnight at least, but it gets better with age. The other recipe suggests marinating the cheese in the vinaigrette mixture, but whenever I did that it made our cheese uber-rubbery and chewy. But, even then, it was still gobbled up at every chance. Thus, I decided to make the vinaigrette and marinate it, then the next day, I added the small cubes of cheese to it and let it soak for about an hour so that it absorbs some of that delicious flavoring. Then you just top your whipped feta schmear with the marinated vinaigrette + cheese cubes, making sure that you get as much of the peppers, herbs, and onions you can. It's really up to you if you want to add some of the "juice" to the dip. While it certainly adds a whole bunch of flavor, it also gives way too much moisture to the whipped feta and can get a little deflated. We serve our dip with some toasted pita chips or Triscuits because it seems to match the flavor profile. You can easily change that up though if ya want. So get on to the store, grab the ingredients, and make the dip... tonight. Or tomorrow if you can. Because it's perfect for any occasion honestly!! Enjoy :)

For the Southwestern Marinated Cheese:

1C Olive Oil

1C White Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, or Apple Cider Vinegar (whatever is your preference)

1 Lime, Zested & Juiced

4T Fresh Parsley, Minced

4T Fresh Cilantro, Minced

5 Green Onions, Minced

4 Cloves of Garlic, Smashed into a Paste (using a little sea salt will help this along)

2C Roasted Red Pepper, Drained & Diced

¼C-½C Candied Jalapenos, Finely Chopped

1-3T Sugar or Honey

½t Cumin & Dried Oregano 

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

1 8oz Block of Pepperjack Cheese, Cut into Small Cubes (about ½-inch pieces)

1 8oz Block of Colby Jack Cheese, Cut into Small Cubes (about ½-inch pieces)

For the Whipped Feta Cheese:

8oz Creamy Feta Cheese, Room Temperature (or very soft)

2oz Cream Cheese, Room Temperature (or very soft)

3T Cold Heavy Cream

Pinch of Salt & Pepper

For the Southwestern Marinated Cheese Dip:

Prepared Whipped Feta

Prepared Southwestern Marinated Cheese Cubes

Any Extra or Excess Marinade, For Spooning Over the Top of the Dip

Crackers or Chips, For Serving

Directions:

1. For the Southwestern Marinated Cheese: In a large mason jar, add in the olive oil, vinegar, limejuice & zest, parsley, cilantro, green onions, garlic paste, roasted red peppers, candied jalapenos, and sugar. Cover the jar tightly and shake vigorously until well mixed and incorporated. Taste to see if it needs some salt & pepper, to your liking. Place the small cubes of Pepper Jack & Colby Jack cheese into a Ziploc bag. Pour the prepared marinade over the cheese cubes and let them marinate in the refrigerator overnight or at least 6-8 hours.

2. For the Whipped Feta Cheese: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the softened cream cheese and salt until thoroughly mixed. Scrape down the sides and turn the mixer to medium-high speed and add in ¼C heavy cream. Continue whipping, while continuously adding a little bit of a crumbled feta cheese at a time, until the feta cheese is combined throughout. Add in the remaining ¼C heavy cream and beat on high until it is light & fluffy. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Spoon this mixture onto a serving plate.

3. For the Southwestern Marinated Cheese Dip: After the cubed cheese has marinated, beat together the two cream cheese blocks until whipped. Place the cream cheese into a serving platter or dish in a thick, even layer. Strain out the marinated cubes of cheese and arrange them over the cream cheese (pressing the cubes in slightly, so they adhere to the cream cheese). Using a spoon, spoon over as much or as little of the marinade as you like, just make sure to get all of the roasted red pepper, candied jalapeno, herbs, and green onion (that’s all the good stuff that adds a delicious flavor a beautiful pop over color). It is up to you how much of the liquid marinade that you want to pour over, some people don’t want all of it on there because it can make the dip a little runny or messy, but I like to spoon almost all of the marinade, just because it has too much flavor to waste! It’s all up to your preferences.

4. Serve the dip cold or at room temperature with some crackers for dipping!

Muss + Turner Inspired Burgers with Cilantro-Candied Jalapeno Mayo, Roasted Poblanos, Pepper Jack Cheese, & Red Onion on Toasted “Everything” Brioche Buns

Muss + Turner Inspired Burgers with Cilantro-Candied Jalapeno Mayo, Roasted Poblanos, 

Pepper Jack Cheese, & Red Onion on Toasted “Everything” Brioche Buns

Sorry for not posting the last couple days, I had school and then my friends and I went down to Jacksonville, Florida for the Jimmy Buffett concert. And lemme tell y'all, it was debauchery at its' finest. Here's some pictures from our drunken adventure...

Kisses for Mollie

My car was so packed, we had to sit with stuff on our laps...

My Mountain Man bought this hat off some random people for $50... totally worth it.

debauchery.

Wrong in so many ways (that's a beach ball as my pregnant belly, don't worry) 

Heading into the concert!!

Me + Mollie Tailgatin'

About to grill our burgers

He's not too good at grilling, trust me.

Our Whole Group

Bruschetta Dip. BBQ Pulled Pork Dip. Caramelized Onion Dip. 

Us with two pirates

He loved my hatttttttt :)

Wasted away again in Margaritavilleeeee

Kisses for my Cleetus

"Cheeseburger's in Paradise" that we made, um yum. 

As you can see, it was pretty crazy! We're all still recovering, but it was so worth it. Everyone should go to at least one Jimmy concert in their life, there's nothin' like it. Anywayyyyyy, back to today's recipe. For our tailgate, I made some homemade brioche buns, but to make them extra special... I topped them with a classic "everything" bagel seasoning mix. There were poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried garlic, onion flakes, salt, and pepper all gorgeously sprinkled on top of the perfectly browned buns. They were to die for. So much so, that when we had a few left over, I knew we had to make some burgers this weekend. Ultimately, I decided that I wanted to make a burger inspired by one of my favorite lunch spots in Atlanta, Muss + Turner. They have a bunch of great options, but their burger is always raved about. It's layered with roasted poblano peppers, aged cheddar, red onion, and a cilantro mayo. I mean, those are some great components y'all. It was mixed up a bit today because we used pepper jack cheese and a cilantro-candied jalapeno mayo. This burger is sweet, smoky, salty, creamy, & spicy. That sounds perfectly balanced in my book. Well, I'm happy to report it was fabulous and definitely ranks in the top five of any burger that I have made. All of the handmade components really take it over the top, especially that bun. I'm not including the bun in this recipe, but don't you worry, I'll post that recipe tomorrow afternoon. So, please check back!! Enjoy :)

Look at all those perfect layers, y'all :)

For the Cilantro-Candied Jalapeno Mayo:

½C Mayo

¼C Fresh Cilantro, Minced

2T Candied Jalapenos, Minced

1T Lime Juice

1 Small Clove of Garlic, Minced into a Paste (with a little salt)

Salt & Pepper, To Taste (a pinch of sugar, if needed)

For the Cumin Burger Seasoning:

2t Sea Salt

1t Fresh Cracked Pepper

½t Cumin

For the Muss + Turner Burger:

Homemade “Everything” Brioche Buns, Sliced & Toasted (or fried in butter)

Ground Chuck Beef Patties

Prepared Cumin Burger Seasoning

Prepared Cilantro-Candied Jalapeno Mayo

Pepper Jack Cheese Slices

Roasted Poblano Peppers (one per burger)

Thinly Sliced Red Onion

Directions:

1. For the Cilantro-Candied Jalapeno Mayo: Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until incorporated. Season the mayo with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

2. For the Cumin Burger Seasoning: Mix together the spices in a small bowl until thoroughly mixed. Sprinkle the seasoning mix on both sides of the burger patties.

3. Assembling the Burgers: Season the burger patties with the prepared cumin seasoning. Sear the burgers over high heat until you have reached your preferred doneness (we like ours medium to medium-rare). Toast your brioche bun in the oven or fry them in oil until golden brown & crispy. Spread a big spoonful of the Cilantro-Candied Jalapeno Mayo on both sides of the buns. Layer the burger by placing down some of roasted poblano, followed by the burger, more roasted poblano, and a slice of pepper jack cheese. Toast the cheese topped burger in the oven until it has just melted. Remove it from the oven and finish it off with some thinly sliced onion and the top piece of the bun.

4. Enjoy immediately while it’s still warm!

Spicy Fried Egg BLT’s with Tomato Confit, Sorghum Glazed Bacon, Butter Lettuce, Chipotle Mayo, Fried Egg, & Pepperjack Cheese on Bacon Fat Fried Bread

Spicy Fried Egg BLT’s with Tomato Confit, Sorghum Glazed Bacon, Butter Lettuce, Chipotle Mayo, 

Fried Egg, & Pepperjack Cheese on Bacon Fat Fried Bread

This is my hangover sandwich. Does it need any further explanation besides that it comforts me the day after I have drank too much. Okay, that might sound bad, but it is essential to life. Yesterday, the weather was just too gorgeous not to enjoy, so we decided to have some friends over and have a good ole Southern chicken fry. While the chicken was frying, we drank (heavily) and played beer pong in the garden. It was a great day and an even better night. Don't you just love those kind of weekends? I do... well, at least until Sunday. I woke up this morning with a gnarly headache, a grumbling stomach, and body aches. I mean, they don't call it the Margarita Flu for nothin'. Everyone has their own cure for a hangover... mine requires a lot of fluids, quality nap time, lifetime movies, and this sandwich. It has everything that you would want from a sandwich... a runny egg, crispy bacon, buttery bread, acidic tomatoes, spicy mayo, and creamy cheese. It doesn't get much better than that. Some people might recognize the idea behind this sandwich because it comes from the movie, Spanglish. If you haven't seen it, I urge you to watch it just so you can see him make and enjoy it. You'll want to run out immediately at the movie is done and get all the ingredients to make this BLT, I guarantee it. I put my little twist on it by glazing the bacon with sorghum molasses, making it spicy with some pepperjack cheese + chipotle mayo, and frying the bread in bacon fat. And hey, even if you aren't hungover, this sandwich still hits the spot!! Enjoy :)

For the Tomato Confit:

Barely Ripe Roma Tomatoes, Sliced ¼inch Thick

Olive Oil

Fresh Rosemary Sprigs

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Sorghum Glazed Bacon:

Slices of Thick Applewood Smoked Bacon

Sorghum Molasses, For Brushing (high quality maple syrup can be substituted as well)

For the Chipotle Mayo:

½C Mayo

1 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce + 1t Adobo Sauce

Pinch of Chili Powder

Lime Zest + Fresh Garlic Paste, To Taste (just add a little bit at a time)

Salt & Pepper, To Taste (I also like a pinch of sugar)

For the Spicy Fried Egg BLT’s:
Homemade Rustic Bread Slices or Sourdough Slices, Fried in Bacon Fat until Golden Brown

Tomato Confit Rounds

Sorghum Glazed Bacon (we liked 4 slices per sandwich)

Prepared Chipotle Mayo

Slices of Pepperjack Cheese (two pieces of cheese per sandwich)

Butter Lettuce Leaves

Fried Eggs, Cooked to Your Preference (sprinkled with a touch of salt & pepper)

Directions:

1. For the Tomato Confit: Preheat the oven to 225 degrees and lay the slices of tomato onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper with the fresh rosemary. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper. Bake for 4 hours until shriveled around the edge, but still maintaining their juice. If you have leftover tomatoes, simply cover the leftovers with olive oil and place into the refrigerator.

2. For the Sorghum Glazed Bacon:Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lay the bacon slices on top of a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or a Silpat. Bake the slices of bacon for 15-20 minutes or until crispy. Remove them from the oven and brush them heavily with the sorghum molasses (or maple syrup if you are substituting it), and then return them to the oven for another 5 minutes or so, or until the maple syrup is slightly sticky. Set aside until you are ready to layer them onto the sandwich.

3. For the Chipotle Mayo: Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and puree until a smooth mayo has formed. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and check for any other needed additions. Refrigerate until you are ready to use.

4. Assembling the Sandwiches: Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and fry the slices of bread in rendered bacon fat until they are lightly golden brown in color. Remove them from the oil and spread both slices of the bread with a generous amount of the chipotle mayo, and then lay on the two slices of pepperjack cheese on top of both pieces of bread. Toast the bread in an oven until the cheese has just melted. Remove them from the oven and begin layering. We did this by laying down the sorghum glazed bacon, tomato confit rounds, butter lettuce leaves, and then the fried egg. Top the assembled sandwich with the other slice of toasted bread. Cut the sandwich in half and enjoy the happiness of a runny yolk dripping down your sandwich. Eat immediately while it’s still warm.

Title Town's Famous BBQ Nachos with Pulled Pork, Pan Fried Red Onions, Candied Jalapenos, Pimento Cheese-Beer Nacho Cheese Sauce, & Green Onions

Title Town's Famous BBQ Nachos with Pulled Pork, Pan Fried Red Onions,
Candied Jalapenos, Pimento Cheese-Beer Nacho Cheese Sauce, & Green Onions

Have y'all missed me?? I know, I know... I've been gone for like two weeks. I'm like deathly ill and I've actually been in the hospital since Monday, but I have had a fever above 102 since October 14th. Crazy, right? So, forgive me, I have not been in the posting mood. But, I'm trying to get back into the swing of things and what's better than my favorite, tailgatin' recipes. And these hit home for me. Every game day in Tuscaloosa involved tailgating on the quad, partying with friends, and then ending the night with a night out on the Strip at the bars. Well, at one of our favorite hangouts, there was a small BBQ stand that made the best BBQ nachos. Can you think of anything else that would be better than nachos after a long day? Nope. So, I knew that I would eventually make my own version, kicked up just a bit. Big Bad Wolves' Nachos were pretty simple... chips, pulled pork, nacho cheese sauce, and jalapenos. Well, mine are loaded with pulled pork, BBQ sauce, pan fried red onions, candied jalapenos,  green onions, and a homemade Pimento Cheese-Beer Nacho Cheese Sauce. These are so good y'all and just perfect for game day. I mean, it's a rule that you gotta have these while visiting T-Town (or Title Town) as we call it. Now, let's hope that the good 'ole Crimson Tide will pull out a win for us tonight because I sure need one to make me feel better. I hope y'all are all doing great and I promise I won't disappear for that long again!! Enjoy :)

For the Pan Fried Red Onions:

2 Medium Red Onions, Sliced

4T Unsalted Butter

¼C Vegetable Oil

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

  

For the Pimento Cheese-Beer Nacho Cheese Sauce:

12oz Beer

1C Sharp Yellow Cheddar Cheese, Shredded

½C Pepperjack Cheese, Shredded

½C Colby Jack Cheese, Shredded

1T AP Flour

8oz Cream Cheese, Room Temperature

1 Clove of Garlic, Minced

4oz Pimentos, Drained & Diced

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the BBQ Nachos:

Tortilla Chips

Pulled Pork, Warmed & Tossed in BBQ Sauce

Your Favorite BBQ Sauce, For Drizzling

Shredded Pepperjack Cheese, For Topping

Prepared Pan Fried Red Onions

Prepared Pimento Cheese-Beer Nacho Cheese Sauce, Warm

Candied Jalapenos, For Garnishing

Minced Green Onions, For Garnishing

Sour Cream (optional)

Directions:

1. For the Pan Fried Red Onions: Cut the onions in half and then slice them into thin half-rounds. Heat the butter and oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions, salt, and pepper and sauté for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. Allow the onions to cool.

2. For the Pimento Cheese-Beer Nacho Cheese Sauce: Add the beer to a saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a boil. While you are waiting, toss the shredded cheese with the flour. Once the beer is simmering, whisk in the cheese and all of the remaining ingredients. Whisk until all the cheese has melted and you have a smooth, creamy sauce. Keep warm until ready to serve.

3. For the BBQ Nachos: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with Pam. Pour tortilla chips onto the prepared pan and top with the shredded cheese and BBQ pulled pork. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is just melted and the chips have started to crisp up. Remove the chips from the oven and immediately transfer them to a serving platter. Top the nachos with the pan fried red onions, spoonfuls of nacho cheese sauce, candied jalapenos, a little more pulled pork, a drizzle of BBQ sauce, and green onions.

4. Enjoy while still warm and with a dollop of sour cream.

Chorizo Jam & Charred Corn Empanadas with Cilantro Crèma

Chorizo Jam & Charred Corn Empanadas with Cilantro Crèma 

Bacon Jam is just so good. Lemme tell you. So why limit it to just bacon? No no no, that's no good at all. We gotta make more meaty jams. This includes Chorizo Jam, and eventually, Pancetta Jam. But today, we're gonna talk about chorizo. Oh, I do love chorizo so. It's super spicy sausage... what's not to love? Especially when it's shoved into Empanadas. I have never been particularly attached to empanadas. But, maybe it's because I had never had one that was yummy. And these my friend are yummy. I recently saw someone put chorizo and corn into an empanada, and it was an instant success, so I thought I would try my luck with it... but with Chorizo Jam of course. Well, it was perfectly sweet & spicy. I really liked the cornmeal pastry dough too. I thought they need some sort of sauce though, so I made a Cilantro Crèma, which you can chose to leave as is or make it creamy like I did. My Mountain Man preferred the herby sauce while I chose the other. Typical, right? Either way, these empanadas are sure not to disappoint and I know I'll be making them again. I think they would be perfect for a party, don't you think?? Well, enjoy :)

Look at that big plate of yummy empanadas :)

First, you gotta stuff some Chorizo Jam in the center...

Then, some corn and some cheese too (forgot the cheese picture though) 

Here are the two dipping sauces...

My Mountain Man's Batch of Empanadas

And mine...

For the Cornmeal Crust:

1 1/3C AP Flour

1/3C Yellow Cornmeal

1T Sugar

½t Sea Salt

1 Stick Unsalted Butter, Cut into Cubes & Chilled

¼C Ice Water (plus a little extra if the dough is too dry)

For the Chorizo Jam:

1lb Ground Chorizo

1 Large Red Onion, Sliced

3 Garlic Cloves, Minced

1t Dried Rosemary

½t-1t Red Pepper Flakes (depending on how spicy you like it)

¼C Dark Brown Sugar, Packed

¼C Freshly Brewed Strong Coffee

2T Coca Cola

¼C Balsamic Vinegar

¼C Maple Syrup

2T Bourbon

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

For the Cilantro Crèma:

1 Bunch of Cilantro

3T Pine Nuts

3T Garlic, Chopped

1T Lime Juice

1t Lime Zest, Grated

½ Jalapeno, Diced

¼C Parmesan, Grated

¼C Olive Oil

Mexican Crema or Sour Cream, For Mixing

For the Chorizo Jam-Charred Corn Empanadas:

Prepared Cornmeal Crust, Chilled

Prepared Chorizo Jam, Room Temperature

Charred Corn, Room Temperature

Pepperjack Cheese, Shredded (you will need about 1T of cheese per empanada)

Cilantro Crèma, For Dipping

1 Egg Yolk + ½t Cold Water (for an egg wash)

Directions:

1. For the Cornmeal Crust: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry cutter cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse oatmeal. Add ¼C ice water, stirring lightly with a fork until the flour is moistened, and then gently knead the dough 4-6 times in the bowl, until it comes together. You may have to add up to an additional 2T of ice water if the dough seems dry. Shape the dough into a disc and wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

2. For the Chorizo Jam: Bring a deep sauté pan or large pot to medium-high heat. Cook the ground chorizo while making sure to break the meat up into small pieces (I used two forks to break them apart). Do not overcook the sausage, just make sure that the sausage is cooked through and slightly browned. Drain the rendered chorizo fat by setting a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl and spooning the meat and rendered fat into the sieve. Let it sit in the sieve while you caramelize the onions. Add the slices onions to the pot, then add in 1T of the rendered fat and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent and starting to brown, about 10-15 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, coffee, Coke, balsamic vinegar, and maple syrup, stir, and bring a light boil. Add the drained chorizo and bring back to a light boil, then turn the heat down to medium-low. You want to keep a low, steady simmer to reduce the liquid and thicken it without burning the jam. The process of the reduction can take as long as 1 hour. If the jam becomes too dry, add 1-2T of water. Remove the chorizo jam from the heat; add in the bourbon, and let cool for 20-30 minutes. Depending on your preference, you can use it as is or process the jam in a food processor to a less chunky consistency (we like our jam chunky). Once it has cooled, you can put the jam in an airtight container and store it for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. Set the Chorizo Jam to the side while you begin to assemble.

3. To Make the Cilantro Crèma: Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor, except for the olive oil and sour cream. Blend until it is a coarse mixture. Next, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until it becomes smooth and creamy. To make the Cilantro Crèma, I mix two spoonfuls of Crèma with one spoonful of cilantro pesto until well incorporated. Serve on the side for dipping.

4. For the Chorizo Jam-Charred Corn Empanadas: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Remove the cornmeal crust from the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes. Lightly flour your work surface. Using a rolling pin to roll the dough out 1/8inch thick. Using a 4inch biscuit or cookie cutter, cut the dough into circles. We made roughly a dozen. Place 1T of Chorizo Jam, 1T of Charred Corn, and 1T Shredded Pepperjack Cheese in the center of each round (you will have leftover Chorizo Jam, which you can use to make more empanadas or use it for another recipe. If you do want to make more empanadas, just double the cornmeal crust recipe). Fold each dough round in half over the filling, making sure you don’t tear the dough or push the filling to the edges, and using your fingers, press the edges together, and then crimp them with a fork to seal them.

5. Place the empanadas onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the empanadas from the oven and brush them with the egg wash, and then bake another 10 minutes or until they are golden brown (I also like the broil them at the very end just for a little more color).

6. Serve the empanadas warm with the Cilantro Crèma for dipping.

Crab Cake & Pepperjack Grit Cake with Shrimp Etouffee Gravy & Green Onion Vinaigrette

My Mountain Man loves him some Shrimp & Grits, so of course, that's what he requested for his birthday dinner. I didn't want to make him something that I had already made before because well, it's his birthday. So, I came up with a new version of his favorite dish. It included a crazy grit cake, topped with a crab cake,  and then it's surrounded by a classic shrimp etouffee sauce and a green onion vinaigrette. It was everything he would ever want in a meal. And he absolutely loved every bite. You could easily leave out the crab cake, and just top the grits with the delicious shrimp etouffee (and it would be a lot simpler too). It's a great ole' Southern meal for my great ole' Southern boy!! Enjoy :)

Crab Cake & Grit Cake with Shrimp Etouffee Gravy & Green Onion Vinaigrette

For the Pepperjack Grit Cakes:

2 ½C Chicken Stock

1C Heavy Cream

1C Stone Ground Grits

2T Butter

1 ½C Pepperjack Cheese, Shredded

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

1C AP Flour

1 Egg + 2T Milk

1C Panko Breadcrumbs

Vegetable Oil, For Frying

For the Green Onion Vinaigrette:

1C Green Onions, Coarsely Chopped

¼C Red Wine Vinegar

2 Serrano Chiles

2T Mayo

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

½C Olive Oil

For the Crab Cakes:

1lb Crabmeat, Picked Free of Shells

½C Crushed Crackers

¼C Fresh Chives, Finely Sliced

½C Red Bell Pepper, Finely Chopped

¼C Mayo

1 Egg

1t Worcestershire Sauce & Dry Mustard

1T Lemon Juice

¼t Garlic Powder & Cayenne

Salt & Pepper

½C Flour

1 Egg + 2T Milk

1C Panko Breadcrumbs

Vegetable Oil, For Frying      

For the Shrimp Etouffee Gravy:

½lb Shrimp, Peeled & Deveined

1T Unsalted Butter

2 Garlic Cloves, Minced

½C Sweet Onion, Chopped

½C Red & Green Bell Pepper, Chopped

3T Tomato Paste

  

Directions:

1. For the Pepperjack Grit Cakes: Bring the chicken stock and heavy cream to a boil. Add in the stone ground grits in a thin stream, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes (adding salt & extra liquid if needed). When the grits are done, whisk in the butter and pepperjack cheese. Season with salt and pepper, and serve with the shrimp. Pour the grits into a buttered dish and chill in the refrigerator until solidified and compact. Using a biscuit cutter, cut the grits into rounds. Now, place the grit cakes into the flour mixture, then into the egg wash, and finally into the panko (making sure they are completely covered). Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a deep sauté pan. Fry the cakes until golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove the cooked cakes from the oil and place on a paper towel to drain. Keep them warm while you cook the other components.

2. For the Green Onion Vinaigrette: Blend the green onions, vinegar, chiles, mayo, salt, pepper, and oil in a blender until emulsified. Refrigerate the vinaigrette until ready to serve.

3. For the Crab Cakes: In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients, except for the flour, panko, and peanut oil. Shape into patties and dust with the flour. Put the crab crakes onto a baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator for an hour. Make a battering station, one container with the egg and milk and another with the panko breadcrumbs. Once chilled, coat the crab cakes in the egg wash and follow with a crust of panko. In a large skillet over, heat the oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully place the crab cakes, in batches, and fry until browned, about 4-5 minutes. Carefully flip the crab cakes and fry on the other side until golden brown, about another 4 minutes.

4. For the Shrimp Etouffee Gravy: Heat the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan, and then add in the garlic, onion, and pepper and cook until softened. Whisk in tomato paste and thyme and cook for 3 minutes. Add reserved 2 cups of shrimp stock; reduce heat to a simmer, cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until sauce has reduced to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm until ready to serve. When you are ready to serve, add the shrimp back into the gravy mixture and spoon it around the cakes (this is so the shrimp won’t overcook).

5. Assembling the Dish: Place a crispy grit cake in the center of a serving plate, and then stack a crab cake on top of the grit cake. Spoon some of the Shrimp Etouffee Gravy around the cakes. Drizzle the Green Onion Vinaigrette on top of the plate.