This month I am happy to introduce you to one of SeaPak’s own culinary talents, Chris Tillman. Chris (affectionately known around here as the “Mad Scientist”) works in our Research and Development department developing many of the yummy SeaPak products your family enjoys. When he is not creating new products for SeaPak he loves to teach people about food and cooking. So this month he is answering one of the basic kitchen questions many home cooks have – “What do I do with all those various knives in the knife set I bought?” – and sharing his delicious and simple recipe for Crab Enchiladas. I was lucky enough to get to taste-test the recipe yesterday and let me tell you, it is capital “T” Tasty! I will definitely be making Crab Enchiladas for my gang this weekend.

Hope everyone has a fabulous Memorial Day weekend!

-Jenna

When I tell folks what I do for a living, inevitably the subject of knives comes up. Many times they tell me they don’t know what to do with “all those knives” to which my response is “why so many?”

Almost every kitchen job can be completed with a set of three knives:

- A large 7-10 inch chef’s knife. As large as can be managed comfortably. This knife will handle the majority of all kitchen prep.
- A 3-5 inch utility knife. For peeling, paring and more delicate work.
- A 6-10 inch serrated bread knife. For slicing bread, roasts, delicate pastries, etc.

In many situations the cook will find that the chef’s knife ends up taking the place of the utility which reduces the list to two!

You can practice your knife skills on my easy recipe for Crab Enchiladas. These enchiladas use crab cakes as a base for the filling which cuts out most of your prep work. I like using SeaPak Crab Cakes in this recipe because they are mostly crabmeat with a small amount of breadcrumbs and seasonings added to make the cakes (I may be biased about SeaPak products, but you check the ingredient label for yourself).

My recipe also calls for jalapenos which may make some of you nervous. No need to be afraid of jalapenos! By scraping the seeds out and discarding them you substantially reduce the heat. (If you are feeling truly adventurous though, you can always leave the seeds in if you prefer!) If you really don’t want jalapenos, you can substitute finely diced green pepper for a little added crunch and color.

Give my Crab Enchiladas a try for your Memorial Day dinner and if you have any other kitchen questions please send them in.

Crab Enchiladas

2 packages SeaPak Maryland Style Crab Cakes (aioli sauce included), frozen
4 8-9 inch flour tortillas
8 ounces Mexican cheese, shredded (preferably Queso Quesadilla)
6 ounce can of whole kernel corn
2 8-ounce cans red or green enchilada sauce
2 large jalapenos, seeded and diced very small (optional)
8 ounce container sour cream

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F.

THAW the crab cakes in a microwave, approximately 1 1/2 minutes for four cakes. Thaw the aioli sauce (included in crab cake carton) in hot water.

SPRAY a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

EMPTY the sauce packets into a bowl and add 1/4 cup of hot water and mix well to thin out the sauce.

HEAT each tortilla in microwave for ten seconds if needed to soften. Lay the tortillas on a flat surface. Crumble a crab cake onto the center of each tortilla and spread from left to right. Add 1 tablespoon each of the aioli sauce, corn, and shredded cheese. Add 1 teaspoon diced jalapeno.

ROLL-UP up the enchilada and place in the greased baking dish (with ends tucked under so they don’t unroll). Repeat for the other three enchiladas.

POUR the enchilada sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

COVER and bake for 30-45 minutes. Remove cover, and continue baking 15 minutes. Remove baking dish from the oven.

PLATE the enchiladas and garnish with sour cream. Add other garnishes such as cilantro, tomatoes, lime juice, etc. to taste.

Enjoy !