Crab Pesto Cheesecake Food

CRAB PESTO CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan., In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom of prepared pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes. Cool on a wire rack., In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, Asiago cheese, pesto, lemon zest and salt until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Fold in crab and artichokes. Pour over crust. Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan., Bake at 325° until center is just set and top appears dull, 55-65 minutes. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight., Remove sides of pan. Drizzle with additional pesto; serve with crackers.

PALACE CAFE CRABMEAT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preparing the Pecan Crust:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Finely grind pecans in a food processor. Add flour and salt. Mix well. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and cut in butter, working butter into flour with 2 knives until dough is in crumbs the size of small peas. Add ice water and evenly incorporate into the mixture, which should remain fairly crumbly. Roll out dough to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Press dough into a lightly greased 9-inch tart pan, starting with the sides and then the bottom. Bake crust for 20 minutes, or until golden.
• Preparing the Filling:
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• In a skillet, saute onion in butter until translucent. Add crabmeat and cook just until heated through, then remove from heat. Blend cream cheese until smooth in a mixer fitted with a paddle, or by hand using a wooden spoon. Add Creole cream cheese and mix well. Mix in eggs 1 at a time. Gently fold in the crabmeat mixture. Stir in hot sauce and season, to taste, with salt and white pepper. Spoon filling into prepared crust. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until firm to the touch.
• Preparing the Meuniere Sauce and Garnish:
• Combine lemon, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce in a heavy saucepot. Reduce over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wire whisk until mixture becomes thick and syrupy. Whisk in heavy whipping cream. Reduce heat to low and slowly blend in butter, 1 cube at a time, adding additional butter only after each cube has been completely incorporated into the sauce. This process is called "mounting the butter." Remove from heat and continue to stir. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Strain through a fine strainer and keep warm.
• Saute mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter until tender and all moisture has cooked off. Excess water from the mushrooms may break your sauce if it isn't cooked off. Stir mushrooms into Meuniere sauce. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a saute pan and warm crab fingers over low heat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• To serve:
• Slice cheesecake and top each piece with warm Meuniere sauce and 3 crab claws.

PESTO PIZZA WITH CRABMEAT AND ARTICHOKE HEARTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. Place crust on baking sheet. Spread with pesto, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Top evenly with crabmeat, artichokes, olives, and crushed red pepper. Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and sauté until just tender, about 5 minutes; arrange pepper slices on pizza. Sprinkle cheese over. Bake pizza until crust is brown and crisp on bottom and topping is heated through, about 15 minutes. Transfer pizza to work surface; cut into wedges.

CRABMEAT CHEESECAKE WITH PECAN CRUST (CREOLE)

Steps:

• FOR THE PECAN CRUST: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grind the pecans, flour & salt in a food processor until fine, then transfer to a bowl.
• Add butter, working it into the flour until there are crumbs the size of small peas.
• Toss in the ice water, & using fingers, lift up the dough to incorporate evenly. [The dough will remain fairly crumbly].
• Starting with the sides, & then the bottom, press the dough into a 9" tart pan.
• Bake crust for about 20 minutes, then allow it to cool before filling. Meanwhile, reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
• FOR THE FILLING: Cook the onion in a little butter over medium heat until translucent.
• Add crabmeat & cook just until heated through, then remove from heat & set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, using a wooden spoon, blend the cream cheese until smooth, then add the yogurt & sour cream. After that add the eggs one at a time.
• Fold this cheese mixture into the crabmeat mixture, & season to taste with salt, pepper & hot sauce.
• Pour this mixture into the prepared & cooled crust, then bake for about 30 minutes until set & firm to the touch.
• FOR THE GARNISH: Saute shallots until translucent, then add mushrooms and 'SWEAT' until just cooked through.
• Add lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce & hot sauce, & cook until the mixture is reduced by 3/4.
• Add heavy cream & cook until reduced by half, then whisk in the butter.
• In a separate saute pan, add crab claw fingers. Salt & pepper to taste, then pour the reduced mixture over the crab claws & keep warm.
• Each slice of cheesecake gets 3 crab claws & 2 tablespoons of the reduced sauce.

CRAB AND WILD MUSHROOM CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix all ingredients in medium bowl until well blended. Press mixture onto bottom (not sides) of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Bake crust until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool crust while preparing filling. Maintain oven temperature.
• Make filling:
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and bell pepper and sauté 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté until liquid evaporates and mushrooms begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Cool.
• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, salt and pepper in large bowl until mixture is fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then whipping cream. Mix in vegetable mixture, crabmeat, smoked Gouda and chopped parsley.
• Pour filling over crust. Place cheesecake on baking sheet. Bake until cake puffs and browns on top but center moves slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Transfer pan to rack and cool. (Cheesecake can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cheesecake. Release pan sides. Transfer cheesecake to platter. Serve cold or at room temperature with baguette slices.

PESTO CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Butter spring form pan, coat with breadcrumbs--set aside.
• Beat cream cheese, ricotta and Romano cheese with electric mixer.
• Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
• Seperate batter in half--add pesto to one half and sundried tomatoes to the other half.
• Layer in spring pan.
• Sprinkle pignoli nuts on top Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.
• Cool in pan.
• Cover and wrap in plastic.
• Refrigerate 8 hours or overnite.
• Slide knife around edge of pan and remove to serve.

CREAMY CRAB CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom of the greased 9-in. springform pan. Place pan on baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Place pan on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 325°. , In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup sour cream until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low just until combined. Add onion, lemon juice, seafood seasoning, hot pepper sauce and pepper; beat just until blended. Fold in crab. Pour over crust. Return pan to baking sheet. , Bake for 35-40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Cool 1 hour longer. Spread remaining sour cream over top. Refrigerate overnight. , Remove sides of pan. Let cheesecake stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with seafood seasoning if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.