Monday Meals

Good Monday afternoon! It is time for another Monday Meal recipe. My blogfriend Bill Coupe tried the enchiladas from last week over the weekend. I'm interested to hear what he and his family thought about them.

Today, we are going a little Key West with easy stuffed mushrooms, coconut fried shrimp with dipping sauce and cool and refreshing Strawberries Romanov - a delightful, light desert from La Madeline. This is a great dish to celebrate the warm spring days as they head into the HOT summer nights!

First up is the stuffed mushrooms.

BAKED STUFFED MUSHROOMS WITH CRAB:

These crab-stuffed mushrooms are a longtime favorite at Phillips. Tip: Use a melon baller to scoop out the mushroom stems.

2 large eggs
1 heaping tablespoon plus 1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound crabmeat
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
24 large mushrooms (each about 2 inches across), stems removed
2 tablespoons half and half
1 teaspoon crab boil seasoning*
Shredded Mozarella and Parmesan cheeses

Butter 10x15-inch baking dish. Combine 1 egg, 1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend. In another medium bowl, combine crabmeat and breadcrumbs. Pour egg mixture over crab mixture and mix gently.

Stuff mushroom caps with crab mixture, mounding in center and pressing gently to adhere. Arrange stuffed mushrooms in prepared dish. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake until mushrooms begin to release juices, about 18 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk remaining egg, 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and half and half in small bowl. Remove mushrooms from oven and drizzle each with sauce, then sprinkle with crab boil seasoning and top with mozarella and parmesan cheeses. Bake until mushrooms are tender and sauce thickens slightly, about 8 minutes. Serve hot.

* Crab boil is a seafood seasoning mixture sold at specialty foods stores and in the seafood section of supermarkets.

Makes 6 servings.

Parrot Bay Coconut Shrimp

Ingredients:
1 lb Medium - Large Fresh Shrimp (cleaned,shelled, and butterflied)
2 Eggs
1/4 C. Captain Morgan's Parrot Bay
2/3 C. Corn Starch
7 oz. Package of Premium Flaked Coconut (small flake if possible)
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 C. Flour

Preparation:
Mix eggs and water. Set aside. Place 1/3 cup of corn starch in bowl for dusting of shrimp. Mix in separate bowl 1/3 cup (the remainder) of corn starch, coconut, sugar, salt, and flour, blend well. Heat oil for deep frying. Roll shrimp in corn starch, then in egg wash, then finally roll in coconut mixture. Place shrimp in hot oil and deep fry until done. Shrimp will float to the top when cooked. Take care not to overcook shrimp. Serve with Joe's Crab Shack Pineapple dipping sauce. Yumm Yumm.

We have found the results to be slightly better when you process the coconut in a blender for a few seconds. It will grate up the coconut just a bit more.

Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
1 (8 oz.) Can Crushed Pineapple Natural Juice (do not drain, add juice)
1/2 C. Sugar
1/4 C. Red Plum Preserves
1/2 C. Sweet and Sour Sauce ( the yellow type not the red sauce, we used Kraft Sweet and Sour Sauce)

Preparation:
Place all in a sauce pan and simmer on medium low to low heat for 20 - 25 minutes stirring frequently until mixture thickens slightly.
This sauce is also great with Chicken Nuggets.

Serving Size: 4

Strawberries Romanov
Ingredients:
1 lb. Strawberries or 2 pints
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp. Powdered Sugar
4 Tbsp. Brandy

Preparation:
Wash strawberries, and cut the tops off. Let strawberries drain. Mix together heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and the brandy. Beat with a mixer until this becomes thick. Place strawberries into glasses and spoon over the sauce. Makes 3 to 4 servings.

On a personal note, the brandy sauce for this is DIVINE, so you might want to double up on the sauce recipe.

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Bon Appetite, y'all! I hope you enjoy this delish dish. Please let me know if you try it and find it to be any good!