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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

... Crab Cakes ...

It is very hard for me to use the word or ingredient CRAB seriously.  Mostly because my darling Andrea and I have been calling eachother crab for the last few years after a brief obsession with hermit crabs.  This recipe and post is for her, obvs.

I needed a quick meal tonight and remembered I had a few cans of crab meat in my massive suburban pantry.  (Don't tell Ina Garten that I used canned crab meat.  She'll never forgive me.  We're best friends in my head, laughing as we pick fresh herbs from her Hamptons garden. Shut up. )

After a bit of internetting, I found the following recipe.  The original is a bit high on cholesterol and sodium.  You can omit the worcestshire if sodium is a concern and perhaps use egg alternative or two egg whites or vegan mayo in place of the regular to drop the cholesterol down.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Nutritional information on the bottom is for original recipe with all the high fat fixins. Substitute away, friends.  And do yourselves a favor, sautee these in coconut oil for a touch of added sweetness.  Thank you to Laura and Tim for turning me on to that wonderful stuff!

Maryland Style Crab Cakes!

18oz crab meat, picked through for shells and drained if in liquid
4 tsp mayonnaise
1 egg1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp old bay seasoning
1 tbsp onion, grated
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp dried or 2 tbsp fresh parsley
6 tbsp crushed gluten free crackers or bread crumbs (aka 1 frozen waffle, toasted and processed)

Add egg to a large bowl.  Whisk until slightly frothy.

Whisk in mayo, worcestershire, old bay, onion, dijon and parsley until well combined.  Stir in crab meat.  Gently fold in bread crumbs/crackers.

Form crab mixture into 8 evenly sized, flat patties.  Think hockey puck sized.

Preheat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat.  Add 1 tbsp coconut oil to skillet.  Add crab cakes, cooking for 3 - 4 minutes on each side or until deep golden brown.  Try to only turn them once to lower the risk of cracking.



These were fantastic with a side of pasta (in lemon zest/juice, creme fraiche, veggie broth and green onions) and sauteed red and yellow peppers, also in coconut oil. Mmmmmm mmm.

Nutrition info (in 2 crab cakes) : 224 calories; 10g off at (5 saturated); 127mg cholesterol; 1131mg sodium; 13g carbohydrates; 2g fiber; 1g sugar; 18g protein


Sunday, August 28, 2011

FRITTATA FRENZY

I have seriously been neglecting the original content portions of this blog. To make up for it, I bestow upon you all a frenzy of frittata recipes. Frittatas are easy midweek meals to throw together and serve with potatoes or a great salad. I also love them for lazy weekends since one will get two people through breakfasts with a little to spare.

The first version I made below was created based on what veggies I had around thanks to my parents picking everything from their garden to avoid it all being trashed by the hurricane. I'll give you three different versions to choose from, but you can really swap any vegetables or cheeses that you like. I've even made it with light sour cream instead of ricotta in a pinch. Frittatas are great because you can pretty much throw in whatever you have in the fridge. You can also knock out some more of the calories by using egg beaters or egg whites, without compromising the overall texture of the dish.

For an added fiber boost and crunch factor, add ground flax meal to the top before baking. Today, I processed a gluten free frozen waffle in my food processor and topped the first frittata with that.

Frittata a la Irene

5 eggs (or 1 + 1/4 cup egg beaters/egg whites)
1 cup of part skim ricotta cheese
3 oz goat cheese
3 oz parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 large zucchini, sliced into long matchsticks and cut into quarters
2 roasted red peppers
1/2 large spanish onion, thinly sliced and diced
Moroccan seasoning blend (Fresh Direct's is fantastic)

In a large frying pan, add cooking spray and onions. While onions cook, dice zucchini. I like to cut it into thin match sticks and then into quarters. Once onions are translucent, add zucchini and at least one tablespoon desired dried seasoning. With this vegetable combination, I used a Moroccan seasoning mix which was delicious.

Preheat oven to 375.

While zucchini cooks until tender and lightly browned (you should be able to easily slice with your cooking spoon), add 5 eggs (or substitute 1 1/4 cups egg beaters or egg whites) and beat until slightly frothy. Add ricotta and stir until well integrated. Crumble goat cheese and stir, leaving crumbles intact for pockets of cheese.

Take vegetables off the heat and add to a bowl to cool slightly. Meanwhile, thinly slice and dice roasted red peppers (2 should be fine) and stir into egg mixture. Once onion/zucchini mixture is partially cooled, stir this into egg mixture as well.

Pour combined egg, vegetable and cheese mixture into baking dish. I like a pyrex pie dish for this. Bake at 375 for at least 25 minutes or until frittata is browned all around and firmly set in the center.


Greek Frittata

5 eggs
3/4 cup feta cheese
1 cup part skim ricotta
3/4 cup grated parmesan/reggiano
3 or 4 roasted red peppers, cleaned of seeds and finely diced
10 oz spinach, finely chopped, frozen or fresh
1/2 small package of fresh mushrooms, washed and finely diced
red/black pepper
dried oregano
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 tsp all spice

Same as the above. Cook the vegetables, allow them to cool a bit and add to egg and cheese mixtures.

Mexican Frittata

5 eggs
3/4 cup queso fresco, monterey jack or pepper jack
1 cup part skim ricotta
3/4 cup grated parmesan/reggiano
1 cup of diced green chiles (any heat level)
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 can of black or pinto beans, rinsed
red/black pepper
cilantro
1/2 red onion or 2 green onions, diced

Same as the above. Cook the vegetables, allow them to cool a bit and add to egg and cheese mixtures.