Mini Ginger Scallion Crab Cakes
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| Ginger Scallion Crab Cakes, Pommes Anna and Eggplant Sauteed with Kale |
- 16 oz Crab Claw Meat (can use Lump, but it is more expensive). Real crab only, no imitation!
- 2’’ long and 1’’ diameter (approx) Ginger Root, Peeled and finely minced
- 4 Shallots (Green Onions), finely chopped
- 1 Lemon, Juice of (no seeds!)
- 1 Egg, whole
- ½ c Panko Bread Crumbs
- AN Canola/Vegetable Oil (Could use Olive Oil)
- TT Salt
- TT Ground Black Pepper
- Optional: TT Sambal Oelek Ground Fresh Chili Paste (for an extra kick)
- Rinse and drain Crab Meat and pick away any remaining shell bits and connective tissues
- Combine Crab Meat, Ginger Root, Shallots, Lemon Juice, Egg, Salt and Pepper in a medium sized bowl. Add Sambal Oelek Ground Fresh Chili Paste for an extra kick if desired
- Add Panko Bread Crumbs and allow to soak up moisture. Mix, but do not over handle. Add more Bread Crumbs until you can form into patties and they hold together.
- Form into patties 1 ½’’ in diameter and place on parchment lined sheet tray. Do not make too thick, otherwise, they will be too soft in the middle.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 45 min. Could make the night before and chill overnight.
- Remove from the refrigerator and heat a large skillet with oil over medium heat. Only add enough oil to evenly cover the bottom of the pan. Do not use high heat or the outsides will burn before the insides cook.
- Place Crab Cakes in the oil and cook until side 1 is golden brown. Flip to side 2 and cook to the same doneness.
- Remove from pan with a spatula and allow to rest on a plate covered in a napkin before service.
- Enjoy!
Great Sauce Pairing: Curry Garlic Aioli. Quick Method:
½ c Mayonnaise
1 T Minced Garlic
1 T Curry Powder
½ Lemon, Juice of (no seeds)
TT Salt
TT Pepper
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Be sure to not add too much Lemon Juice because it will make your finished product watery.
Serrano Salmon*
Salmon is my absolute favorite fish. I could eat its sweet, omega-3 richness every day and be perfectly content. However, sometimes you have to give an old favorite a kick in the watootsie to keep it exciting. Serrano Salmon uses the crisp spiciness of the Serrano pepper to add interest while also minimizing the need for the addition of potentially hip clinging fats. Pictured in this recipe with steamed potatoes, broccoli and a cauliflower puree, the whole guiltless yet satisfying meal is practically begging to be counted in your Weight Watchers points program.
Portion Size: 2
Ingredients:
- 2 4-8 oz Salmon Filets (I like skinless for this recipe)
- 1/2 Serrano Pepper cut into thin circles or minced (can use a full pepper if you want to really feel the burn)
- 1 Shallot, minced
- 1 cup White Wine
- 1 Juice of, Lemon (zest used for garnish)
- 3 Garlic Cloves, minced
- Salt to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375° F
- Prep an oven safe dish by lining with foil. Foil should cover the bottom of the dish and extend enough on the sides so that it can enclose the fish while baking
- Rinse and dry the salmon
- Lay the salmon in the lined dish
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl, except for the salt. Pour over salmon. Try to ensure that some of the shallots and peppers actually land on the salmon and not just in the dish.
- Sprinkle the salmon with salt to taste
- Bake for 20 - 30 minutes covered in the foil.
- Uncover and bake for another 5-7 minutes to add a bit of color
- Enjoy :-)
*This recipe is hip friendly (low fat)
Cumin Scented Honey Peach Salmon*
This recipe is a variation on the Serrano Salmon Recipe. It is cooked using the same method, but has slightly different ingredients. The flavor profile of this dish plays with the savory and exotic flavor of cumin, the tangy freshness of peaches and the sweet yet subtle glow of honey. Shown in the picture served with bacon sauteed green beans and rice.
Portion Size: 2
- 2 4-8 oz Salmon Filets (I like skinless for this recipe)
- 1 Peach, sliced
- 1 Juice of, Lemon (zest used for garnish)
- 1 cup White Wine
- 1 cup Honey
- 1 Tbsp Cumin
- Pepper to taste
- Salt to taste
Instructions:
- Heat the honey until it is a less viscous, pourable liquid
- Combine the White Wine, Melted Honey, Lemon Juice, Peaches and Cumin in a bowl. Place covered bowl in refrigerator for 1 hour - overnight to allow the flavors to meld. Can also include rinsed and dried salmon to the mixture and have it act as a marinade..
- Preheat oven to 375° F
- Prep an oven safe dish by lining with foil. Foil should cover the bottom of the dish and extend enough on the sides so that it can enclose the fish while baking
- Lay the salmon in the lined dish
- Pour the contents of the bowl over the salmon, ensuring the salmon has peach slices on top of it while cooking.
- Sprinkle the salmon with salt and pepper to taste
- Bake for 20 - 30 minutes covered in the foil.
- Uncover and bake for another 5-7 minutes to add a bit of color
- Enjoy :-)
*This recipe is hip friendly (low fat)
Mango Cucumber Salsa*
Portion Size: 2-3
Ingredients:
Combine all chopped and prepared ingredients in a bowl, mix and serve. It is that easy!
Vegetable Cheese Casserole
One day, I really wanted cheesy veggies. Like a little kid, I wanted my vegetables to taste, well, not like vegetables. I wanted to have flavor and there is nothing more flavorful, nor comforting, than fat. Cheese and butter fat to be exact. While this is not the healthiest veggie dish you will ever make, it may just be the yummiest. I would say that it is a great way for you moms to get your kids to eat their veggies, but I am not sure if the pros of the essential nutrients outweigh the cons of the fat, so I will leave that one up to your own parental sensibilities. I don't have kids, so I can pig out (in moderation of course).
Portion Size: 6
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Shrimp Pastry Puffs
Ingredients:
- 1 Mango, Cubed
- 1/2 Cucumber, finely chopped
- 1/2 Jalepeno or Serrano Pepper, finely minced
- 1 Bunch Cilantro Leaves, finely minced
- 1/2 Lemon, juice of
- Salt to taste
Combine all chopped and prepared ingredients in a bowl, mix and serve. It is that easy!
Vegetable Cheese Casserole
Portion Size: 6
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Butter
- 8 oz Shredded Cheese. A great blend is mozzarella, parmesan and jack
- Vegetables cut into Macedoine. You can use any mixture of vegetables the float your fancy. I chose to use broccoli (1 head), carrots (2), celery (2), white mushrooms (6), leek (1, white only), potato (1, finely cut), zucchini (1), medium onion (1)
- 1 Tbsp Oregano
- 1 Tbsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 Garlic Cloves, finely minced
- Salt to taste
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| Shown as a side dish with steak & corn on the cob |
- Preheat oven to 375° F
- Chop up all veggies into Macedoine. Great time to practice your knife skills :-) Combine all veggies in a large bowl and mix until evenly incorporated.
- In a small sauce pot (or microwave for ya lazies), melt the Butter and combine with the Oregano, Red Pepper Flakes, Minced Garlic and Salt
- Brush a small amount of the butter mixture on the bottom and sides of a casserole dish
- Begin to layer in veggies, cheese and butter mixture. Start with an even spread of veggies on the bottom, then spoon in an even dripping layer of the butter mixture. Top the layer with cheese. Repeat until the dish is full. Cover over the top with a generous amount of cheese
- Bake covered for 20 minutes
- Enjoy :-)
Shrimp Pastry Puffs
I love pastry, pasta, donuts and all things bread-y. This probably doesn’t jive with you folks on low-carb diets, but even you can splurge every now and then (I know you already do anyway). The Shrimp Pastry Puffs were born out of my desire to combine my love of seafood with my infatuation with pastry. The aromatic, steamy, slightly spicy puffs will leave your guests smiling with their mouths full.
The Dough:
To make the dough, I used the Sabler Method.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups Flour (or 3 cups Flour, 1 cup corn meal)
- 1 ¼ cup Butter (save ¼ cup for final puffs)
- 2 Eggs
- ½ cup Water
- Salt to taste
Instructions:
- Clean off your counter top or other large workspace.
- Use flour to create a circle without a center, or a well. I used 75% all purpose flour and 25% corn meal to give the puffs a bit of crunch and flavor. Feel free to use flour only.
- Add butter that has been chopped into small pieces into the center of the well
- Begin by cutting the butter into the flour and incorporating the flower into the butter with your fingertips
- Rub the mixture in between your hands until you get an even texture that resembles colored sand
- Create another well
- Add eggs, a pinch of salt and a bit of water to the center of the well. For spicier puffs, red pepper or jalapenos would be a nice touch.
- Mix together with your fingertips and gradually incorporate the dry ingredients until a paste forms
- If the dough appears dry, add a bit of water
- Fraisage is the final step and is done to ensure that the butter is fully incorporated. Using the heel of your hand, smear the dough away from you.
- Scrape up the dough until it forms a rough ball. Wrap in plastic and allow to rest at least 30 minutes to overnight. I put mine in the fridge.
The Filling:
Ingredients:
- 1lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, finely chopped
- 2 Carrots, peeled
- 2 Celery Stalks, peeled
- 1 Medium Onion
- 1 Cucumber, peeled
- 3 Garlic Cloves, peeled
- 1 Lemon, juice of
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tsp Ginger, ground
- 2 tsp Chinese Five Spice Blend (Star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel, black pepper)
- 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt to taste
Instructions:
- Combine prepared Shrimp with Lemon Juice, Olive Oil, Ginger, Chinese Five Spice Blend, Red Pepper Flakes and Salt. Refrigerate covered for at least 30 minutes.
- Finely chop (brunoisette) Carrots, Celery, Onions, Garlic and Cucumbers. Finely mince (ciseler) Cilantro. Combine veggies in bowl and refrigerate until the shrimp has finished marinating and the dough has finished setting.
The Puffs:
- Preheat oven to 350° F
- Break off a small portion of the dough and kneed with your fingers or roll out until it is approximately 5’’ in diameter. It helps to use a lightly floured work surface.
- Fill with 1 – 1 ½ Tbsp of shrimp mixture and 1 Tbsp of veggie mixture.
- Pinch up all sides to close. You can do a cute twist on the top if you wanna get fancy.
- Place on ungreased baking sheet
- Repeat until all dough is used
- Saute remaining shrimp to be used as garnish
- Brush all puffs with melted butter
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown
- Enjoy :-)
A sauce can be made by heating honey, lemon juice, red pepper and salt. The puffs are pictured on a bed of chopped red lettuce with the sautéed shrimp, veggies and sauce used to garnish. The lettuce is dressed with a Garlic Vinaigrette (Olive Oil, Garlic Paste, Apple Cider Vinegar, Black Pepper, Salt).
