The Emporia Gazette

May 27, 2012

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Tailgatin’, Tailgatin’ — I just love it. And judging from the crowds at Welch stadium these past few weekends you do to! It’s like a day-long festival when you spend a few hours meeting, greeting and eating, followed by a great sports competition.

Stan and Antonia Felix are newcomers to Emporia: he’s a musician and she’s a writer! In fact Antonia is a New York Times Best Selling Author: learn more at www.antoniafelix.com — wow!

They had a housewarming party recently and amongst the sundry deliciousnesses they laid out were these great crab meat canapés. These would be fab at a tailgater: just toast them up, wrap in foil and go.

ANTONIA’S CRABBY BITES

12 English muffins, split

2 jars of Old English cheese spread

6 Tbsp. butter

3 Tbsp. Miracle Whip salad dressing

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. freshly chopped parsley

2 packages crab meat (those foil things)

Chopped chives for garnish

Heat the oven to 350°. Arrange split muffins, cut side up, on a cookie sheet lined with foil.

In a medium bowl, mash the cheese spread with butter, salad dressing, onion powder, garlic powder, and parsley.

Stir in the crab meat.

Spread evenly over the split muffins and bake for 10 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Using a pizza cutter, cut into six pieces (or quarters or halves) and serve warm, garnished with green onions.

Very tasty! Thanks for sharing such a great appetizer recipe.

Josh Courtney of Emporia (late of Michigan — BIG hockey fan) brought this dish to an outdoor party I attended recently. It was so good, and he served it up in a crock pot that kept things warm for a long time. You can eat them as a side or scoop them up with chips. Heck, I might even put this on a chili dog!

JOSH’S COWBOY BEANS

2 large cans of Bush’s Best bold and spicy beans

2 Tbsp yellow mustard

2 Tbsp. ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 cup yellow onion, chopped

Cayenne and red pepper to taste

Brown and drain the beef, and combine everything in a sauce pot or crock pot. Heat thoroughly and serve nice and hot. It’s really good!

I like packing things that can be reheated once you get to the grill. If you make crab cakes or salmon croquettes they can be wrapped in foil and reheated quickly on the side while the burgers and brats are cooking up.

Another thing to do is bake an onion on the grill: Peel a yellow onion, slice a bit off the top and use an apple corer to make a hole in the middle. Drop in a cube of chicken (or beef) bouillon and fill it up with butter. Wrap the whole thing in foil and leave it on the grill for about 30 minutes. It’ll be so sweet and juicy!

MURPHY’S BLACK BEAN CAKES WITH KEY LIME PEPPER MAYO

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed well

2 Tbsp. salsa, plus more for serving

2 Tbsp. diced green onions

3/4 cup diced red bell peppers

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

3 large cloves garlic

2 tsp. chipotle hot sauce

Tortilla Chip Breading:

1 1/2 cups finely crushed tortilla chips

1 tsp. ground cumin

Key Lime Pepper Mayo:

1 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 tsp. fresh key lime juice

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

Salt and pepper

Make the mayonnaise first so the ingredients can come together. Combine everything in a bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until needed.

Combine the beans, salsa, green onions, peppers, cilantro, bread crumbs, garlic, and chipotle sauce in a large bowl and mix well, mashing up the beans. Make 12 small patties (about 2 inches wide by 1 inch thick) and roll them in the tortilla breading.

Heat a couple of teaspoons of canola or olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the patties in batches until golden brown and heated through.

The process is to put your cake on a plate, smear on a dollop of salsa and then plop a dollop of pepper mayo on top of that.

Top with some freshly chopped cilantro and a twist of key lime. Very tasty! Just a little spicy! I love it!

Sports fans do not live by brats alone, so here’s a good packable dessert to snack on at half-time.

PEANUT BUTTER SWIRL BROWNIES

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar

3 eggs

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 cups granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup minus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl cream together 1/2 stick of the butter, peanut butter, cream cheese and the brown sugar. Beat in one of the eggs until the mixture is smooth.

In a small saucepan, melt one stick of the remaining butter with the chocolate over low heat, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Let this mixture cool (you could also do that part in the microwave). In another bowl cream together the remaining one stick of butter and the granulated sugar, beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, and beat in the remaining 2 eggs. Stir in the chocolate mixture, the vanilla, and the flour, sifted, and pour the batter into a buttered 13-by-9-inch baking pan.

Drop dollops of the peanut butter mixture into the batter, swirling the peanut butter around to marbleize the batter. Bake the brownies for 45 to 50 minutes, or until they pull away slightly from the sides. Let them cool before cutting them into squares. Ice cream is optional!

Have you picked up your Taste of Home Cooking School tickets yet? Seating is limited — once they’re gone, they’re gone! Come by the Gazette or give us a call at 342-4800. The school is Tuesday, Nov. 14 and the seats are $10.

Next week we’re going to scare up some great Halloween party treats. I’ve got some interesting dessert recipes that have been stacking up, so let’s look at desserts for your next challenge. Be it cakes, candies or cobblers, what is your favorite? Send that recipe to murphysmenu@yahoo.com or Murphy’s Menu, PO Drawer C, Emporia. Let’s get cooking!