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Thursday, June 24, 2010

Maryland Crab Cakes


After a failed first attempt at making crab cakes, I found a winning crab cake recipe. Both were from Cooking Light, but for some reason this one worked MUCH better. I liked the texture of the crab and the flavors from all the spices and herbs mixed in.

One thing I didn't skimp on too much while making these is the oil. Now I didn't go overboard, but a nice slick in the bottom of the pan worked great. If you don't have enough oil, you won't get the crispy outer coating from the panko and you'll probably burn them (which is what happened last time, and it was a real bummer). Crab is fairly expensive so you don't want to mess it up!



The recipe called for lump crabmeat, but it turns out that lump meat is really, really pricey. I was ready to give up until a local Marylander who worked at the store told me that special crab would work just as well and was half the price. It consists of the leftover bits of crab meat once the big chunks are removed. See this website for an explanation of types of crab meat: http://www.phillipsfoods.com/recipes-cooking-tips/understanding-crabmeat.aspx. I also added some Old Bay seasoning to the crab cake mixture and sprinkled some on top while cooking. I thought it gave a more authentic Maryland taste.

RECIPE:
1 lb lump crabmeat, drained and shell pieces removed
2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 ½ tbsp mayonnaise
1 large egg
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
½ tsp grated lemon rind
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste
Old Bay seasoning to taste
Olive oil

Combine chives, parsley, mayo, egg, lemon rind, lemon juice, pepper, and Old Bay in a large bowl. Add panko and crab, tossing gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Form crab cakes by filling a 1/3 cup measuring cup with mixture, turn over onto work surface, and press gently into a patty of uniform thickness. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Cook cakes 4 minutes on each side, or until golden on outside.

The recipe also included a creamy Remoulade sauce as a topping, which I really liked so I’ll add it here.


¼ cup light mayo
1 tbsp shallots, chopped
1 ½ tbsp capers, drained and chopped
2 tsp spicy mustard
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and cayenne to taste

Combine all ingredients and stir with whisk. Serve crab cakes with a bit of sauce on top and a fresh veggie or salad on the side. Makes 4 servings of 2 crab cakes each.(per serving: 292cals, 22g fat, 5g carbs, 19g protein)

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna



This lasagna takes some extra time and many pans, but it is so delicious that it's worth it. I like the wide variety of veggies that get layered up between the noodles, it keeps every bite interesting! It is a great dish to make on a Sunday and eat all week for lunch.

RECIPE:
1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/4" rounds
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
3 small zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4" slices
2 red bell peppers, cut length wise into strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15oz container low fat ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg
1 26oz jar meatless spaghetti sauce (I like Newman's Own Tomato & Basil)
whole wheat lasagna noodles
3 tbsp fresh basil, minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Spray 3 baking sheets with cooking spray. Spread eggplant slices on one baking sheet. Sweat eggplant by sprinkling salt on both sides of each slice and letting sit for 20 minutes. While eggplant sweats, prep other vegetables. Eventually beads of liquid will form on the eggplant. Rinse salt off eggplant and place back on baking sheet. Heat oven to 400F. Place zucchini and red pepper on another baking sheet. Place mushrooms on the third baking sheet. Combine a small amount of olive oil with minced garlic and lightly brush onto vegetables. Vegetables will take 30-45 minutes to roast in the oven, so turn halfway through and check often to make sure they don't burn.

While vegetables are roasting, combine ricotta, Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl. Coat 13x9" baking dish with cooking spray. After taking veggies out, lower oven temperature to 350F.

Layer 1: Spread about 1/4 cup pasta sauce in the bottom baking dish.
Layer 2: Noodles
Layer 3: Ricotta cheese mixture.
Layer 4: Roasted vegetables - make sure there's a good variation in each layer.
Layer 5: Pasta sauce
Layer 6: Sprinkling of mozzarella cheese and fresh basil

Repeat layers 2-6 2x and top with noodles and pasta sauce. Cover and bake at 350F for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake for another 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.