Basil-Roasted Red Pepper Spread

1/4 cup drained roasted red peppers
5 pitted black olives, chopped
1 12-oz tub cream cheese spread
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh basil
1 clove garlic
2 Tbsp sliced almonds, toasted
Party crackers (Ritz, Wheat Thins, etc)




Cut star shape from one pepper, using star-shaped cookie cutter; set aside. Chop remaining peppers, combine with olives.
Blend cream cheese, basil and garlic in blender until smooth. Clean cream cheese tub; line with plastic wrap.
Spoon 1/2 cup cream cheese mixture into tub, top with olive mixture and remaining cream cheese mixture. Press into tub.
Refrigerate 1 hour. Unmold onto plate and discard plastic wrap. Top with almonds and pepper star, and serve with crackers.

Crawfish-Scallop Cakes

I have not tried this recipe, but I have had it at one of my favorite restaurants. They stopped making this as an appetizer because it was so expensive, so they gave me the recipe!!! I actually prefer this seafood cake to the traditional crabcake!! It is delicious!

Crawfish Cakes
2 lbs scallops
2 lbs crawfish tails, drained and chopped
2 eggs
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1-1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 habenero pepper, diced
8 cooked dinner rolls, or equivalent white bread

In food processor, grate rolls (or bread) and set aside. In food processor, chop all veggies, drain off juices, and set aside. Thaw and drain crawfish tails. Chop coarsely in food processor. Set aside. In processor, place scallops, cream, eggs, and lemon juice. Puree. In separate bowl, mix all ingredients, adding bread crumbs last.
(At this point, the recipe ends - so I assume you either bake the cakes at around 400 for 25-30 minutes (at least until center of each cake reaches a temp of 165), or fry them in vegetable oil until well browned (internal temp of 165)).

Crawfish Sauce (double batch)
1 qt mayonnaise
1 qt sour cream
2 cups ketchup
4 Tbsp raw horseradish
6 Tbsp Tabasco sauce
1/3 cup dry white wine or sherry
1 Tbsp ground white pepper
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper


Mix all ingredients well, and serve with crawfish cakes.


Keep in mind that this recipe comes from a restaurant, so the portions are large. Probably only a quarter recipe of the sauce, and half of the cake recipe would be enough to serve 8 to 10.