3 Picnic Worthy Sandwiches

Independence Day is this weekend! I can hardly believe it. If you’re packing up for a picnic on the fourth or any summer day this weekend here are 3 of my favorite picnic worthy sandwich recipes:

1. Crab Salad & Mango Sandwich
2. Num Pang Tiger Shrimp Sandwich
3. Sweet & Crunchy Wasabi Tuna Salad Sandwich

What are you doing &/or making for the fourth? I'd love to know, so comment below! If you make any of these sandwiches be sure to snap a pic & then tag me in your photos on instagram (@mrshoh or #HeatherOMade)!

Seafood Gumbo

Chris loves Cajun food so for his birthday (which was this past Friday - Happy Belated Chris via the blogosphere) I tried my hand at seafood gumbo. I think it was pretty successful.  It does take some time so if you're making it pick a cool day, maybe one where there's rain pouring down outside so that it feels good to be in a warm kitchen.  The recipe I used & added to says that it serves 4-6 people for dinner, I think it would serve 10 people comfortably.  Chris & I ate it at home on Friday & then brought the rest to a family bbq, & we still had left overs just for a gauge of the size of gumbo this makes - A LOT!!!!!

Fettucine Marvini with Crab

If you're on a diet, skip this recipe & make this one instead. If you want something insanely delicious keep reading.

I used this buttery garlic linguine marvini recipe for the base of this recipe & I added some lemon zest & crab meat. I know you're not supposed to have seafood with cheese but it tastes good so I won't judge you if you don't judge me.

Super huge happy birthday wishes for my awesome sister-in-law, Marie! Happy birthday lady! Hope you have an amazing day & an incredible year! Love you.  xx

Gluten-Free Pasta with Crab, Citrus & Fresh Greens

We clearly eat some pasta at our house. Don't let the "O" and apostrophe in my last name fool you - this girl is Italian & her Irish husband is now too :) Well part Italian at least.

I'm always looking for new recipes to use with the staples I pick up at the grocery store. Yes, canned crab is one of those staples since there is only so much chicken & salmon we can eat.

I jazzed this recipe up with my gluten-free pasta & some fresh greens of course.

Click through for a citrusy take on crab & pasta. Yum.

Chris's Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

Has it been a week since my last post? Yikes! Apologies for being off the radar. I had less time than anticipated while running around visiting with family & working at Shobha.  I hope to be back in full force for the new year.

Each Christmas Eve we celebrate with the 7 fishes at my grandparents house. I always make the honey balls & Chris has added a new tradition: crab stuffed mushrooms.  (Yes, we count crab as a fish - I know it's shellfish but it still counts in my book.)

Luckily, Chris agreed when I asked if I could snap some photos & blog his recipe for some savory appetizers to the world. Be sure to click through for Chris's full recipe that he adapted from the stuffed mushrooms he likes to order at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.

Lastly, enjoy the last day of 2012, I hope it was a good year for you & your loved ones & wish that 2013 will be even better! Cheers & Happy New Year!

Crab Salad & Mango Sandwich

Summer maybe coming to a close & Labor Day looming,  I'm still craving summer seafood like this crab salad & mango sandwich.  I made these for dinner the other night when I came home late from work.  Luckily, they're super easy to mix together (ahem, no cooking ok a little if you count toasting bread) & even easier to eat so they're perfect for dinner in a pinch.

Happy Labor Day to you all & especially to those who made it possible. Ciao ciao summer.

What are you making for your Labor Day barbecue or picnic, maybe a crab salad & mango sandwich?  Just in case I jotted down the recipe for you below.

Crab Salad & Mango Sandwich Ingredients

• 2 cups crab meat (I used the stuff from a can!)
• 1 tablespoon mayo
• 1 shallot (finely chopped)
• 1 lemon (zest & juice)
• 2-4 whole wheat rolls (depending no the size & portion control you're after)
• salt & pepper
• 2 cups baby field greens
• 1/2 mango sliced (do yourself a favor & get the pre-sliced container at your deli it can cost more than a whole one but if you haven't mastered cutting a mango yet (like me) you'll save more money this way!)

Make it!

1. Combine crab, mayo, shallot, lemon zest & juice of half a lemon.  Season with salt & pepper.
2. Cut rolls in half & toast under the broiler (or skip this step all together).
3. In a separate bowl toss the baby field greens with the rest of the lemon juice & season with salt & pepper.
4. To create each sandwich cover the bottom half of the roll with slices of mango, top with a heap of crab salad.  Then pile the greens high & cover with the top of the roll, squish it down & cut it in half. Serve & enjoy.

San Francisco Food Inspiration

A few weeks ago Chris and I took an awesome trip to San Francisco. I think it's safe to say that we pretty much ate our way through this fabulous city. Here are some of the foods I found inspiring and maybe easy enough to recreate (or at least parts of them).

Berkeley Bagel home-made hummus, avocado, sprouts, sliced red onion & tomato at The Grove Cafe

Chris's favorite: Local Crab & Shrimp Sandwich on toasted sourdough bread at Pier 23

PIMM’S CUP made with 
pimm’s no 1, gingerbeer, cucumber. I love that they garnished this cocktail
with a shaved cucumber (kind of like this salad! totally trying this) at Pesce

The CRAB TOWER of Dungeness crab meat with avocado, cucumber,
tomato, basil and red wine vinaigrette at Pesce

Gilroy Garlic Fries at AT &T Park