Feaux Crab Cakes

I hope you are all taking advantage of the break in the SnowPocalypse/ SnowTastrophe/ SnowMaggedon weather!  We are loving this warm up in the weather—though it also has us scrambling to get things ready over at The Scoop since the park across the street has been PACKED!  Apparently Spring Fever is in full effect & the only cure is fresh air & ice cream. :)
With the gorgeous weather, I was craving something a little lighter…something reminiscent of the Gulf.  And, preferably something that would allow me to use the random package of Louis Kemp fake crab meat I found in my freezer.  I’m sure I bought it with intentions to make my Crab & Corn Bisque some time over the winter, but that never happened. And this weather is just too WARM for bisque!  So what’s a gal to do?

KRAB CAKES.  That’s what we do.  Of course, crab cakes are ALWAYS like, a thousand times better when you have fresh, delicious, REAL Gulf crab meat, but sometimes, you live in Missouri, and you have fake crab meat that you got on sale.  So you make do.  But you can add a ton of fresh veggies to make up for it.
Ingredients:

• 1 lb imitation crab meat (surimi)
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• ¼ white onion, diced
• ¼ cup diced mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp dill pickle relish
• 2 Tbsp light mayo
• 1 tsp Cajun seasoning
• 1/4-1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1-2 eggs, whisked
• Flour for dredging (I used a combination of flour, corn meal, & bread crumbs in equal parts)
• ¼ cup olive oil for cooking (divided—add about 1 Tbsp at a time)

Directions:
In a food processor, pulse the crab, celery & onion until diced—should be about the texture of rice.  In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms, relish, seasoning, bread crumbs (1/4 cup to start with), mayo, & 1 egg, then slowly integrate the krab/onion/celery mixture.

If the mixture is too dry, add part of another egg.  If it’s too loose, add more of the breadcrumbs.  Then form into patties and refrigerate for at least one hour (though you can let these sit as long as overnight).
In a small skillet, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  When ready, dredge the patties two at a time and fry in the skillet (using the small skillet allows you to use less oil for frying).  It should take about 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown.  When those are done, place them on a paper towel to drain off the excess, add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, and make the next batch.   Makes 8 patties.

Serve with a New Orleans style remoulade sauce—here’s my recipe:

• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise (NOT Miracle Whip)
• 3 tbsp cocktail sauce
• 1/2 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1/2 tbsp Creole or Spicy brown mustard
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp hot sauce
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 green onion, diced
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning

(For the best flavor, make this sauce the night before so the flavors can fully combine.  Or, if for time/convenience, you'd prefer to buy remoulade, here's the one I like.)

Add a light salad on the side, and you’ve got a perfect meal to enjoy on your patio!

Recipe of the Week: FeauxCrabmeat Au Gratin

The first time I had crabmeat au gratin was at Tony Angelo’s in New Orleans (pre-Katrina, sadly, I heard it’s gone downhill since it’s comeback).  I’ve tried replicating a few times over the years, but this recipe is the best one I’ve found so far.

The original recipe calls for real crabmeat, but sadly, that’s just tough to find here in the midwest at a reasonable price.  So I used this:

Which was on sale, and is nice & low calorie.  The garlic flavor actually worked REALLY well with this dish. (Note: if you make a full batch, remember to buy two packages, since they’re only 8oz each.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter

1/2 cup chopped green onions (or 1/8 cup dried green onions)

2 cloves garlic, mixed

1 lb Louis Kemp Garlic Herb imitation crab (diced into irregular 1/2 to 1 inch pieces)

2 tsp Cajun seasoning

1/2 cup evaporated skim milk

2/3 cup fat free sour cream

2 eggs or 1/2 cup  egg substitute

1/2 tsp Tabasco

2/3 cup grated cheese (we mixed part skim mozzarella & 2% cheddar)

paprika

2 tbsp seasoned bread crumbs

lemon wedges

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat & add the butter—once that’s melted, add the garlic & onions & saute for 2 minutes.  Add the feauxcrabmeat and the Cajun Seasoning, & saute for 5 minutes, & turn heat to Low.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the milk, egg, sour cream, and Tabasco until well blended. Add this to the skillet with the crabmeat & stir constantly for 5 minutes as the sauce starts to thicken.

Pour it all into a greased 8x8 pan or 2-quart casserole dish, then cover with the shredded cheese.  Sprinkle lightly with paprika & the bread crumbs. 

Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted & begins to brown.  Serve hot, with lemon wedges.  Serves 4.

I served it with mashed potatoes & Cajun brown gravy, and a green vegetable (to add some color & extra vitamins to the plate).

Nutrition facts (crabmeat au gratin only):

Calories: 219

Fat: 4.3 g

Protein: 28.4g

Carbs: 12.4g

Cholesterol: 100mg

Fiber: 0.2g

Sodium: 462 mg

Reduced Calorie Crab & Corn Bisque

This is one of my all-time favorite dishes. And one of the first "cajun" dishes I ever attempted cooking. However, it was certainly NOT "healthed-up" the first time I made it. I don't even want to attempt to fathom the calories that were in that version. So, I've tweaked it over the years, and now it's equally delicious, but much lower in fat (thanks to the many Lower Fat versions of ingredients that are currently available).

Please note that this recipe calls for imitation crab meat...yes, the real stuff is infinitely fabulous, however, a) most of us don't have ready access to fresh crab, b) the frozen real stuff is rather pricey, compared to it's surimi counterpart, and c) the imitation stuff is quite good for you! I will issue fair warning--I use Louis Kemp Crab Delights, and it doesn't flake extremely well when you're breaking it apart for the soup. In fact, it looks a little like noodles. But delicious crab-esque noodles in a rich & creamy soup. So it's all good. :)

This recipe will make 8-10 servings; each serving is less than 300 calories, and approximately 6g of fat. And if you're living just about anywhere other than Louisiana right now, you're probably experiencing this same wicked El Nino winter we are here in Missouri, so it should go without saying (but I'll say it anyway, because I'm obnoxious like that) that this makes a fabulous winter meal alternative to chili or your other winter staples.



Is your mouth watering? It should be. ;)

Ingredients:
2 medium onions chopped
2 tbs. olive oil (Extra Virgin)
1/4 large red bell pepper chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 - 16oz. can whole kernel corn, undrained
8oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced (or you can use canned sliced mushrooms, undrained)
1 - 16oz. can Italian style tomatoes coarsely diced
1 tsp. sugar
1 - 10 3/4oz. can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 - 16oz. can cream style corn
1 lb. Louis Kemp Crab Delights imitation crab, flaked
1 tsp. dried and crushed sweet basil
3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
4 tsp cajun seasoning (as usual, I have to throw in my plug for Fontenot & A Half right here. It's lower sodium than most of the cajun seasonings around, and is made by two very good friends of mine down in Louisiana, so it's about as authentic as you can get. And it's now available for purchase online!)
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 - tsp. liquid crab boil (not dried)
1 cup fat free Half-N-Half cream
2 tbs. fresh parsley chopped
1/2 lb. light Velveeta
Salt and Pepper to taste
Thinly sliced green onion tops
Your favorite crackers (I get the "Buttery Smooth" club-style crackers)

Directions::
In a 6 - quart dutch oven (or your largest pot), over medium heat, heat the olive oil, then sauté the onion until transparent. Add bell pepper and celery, sauté until just tender. (I use red bell pepper for the added color, and because for some reason, right now they're the same price as green bells). Season vegetables with a pinch of salt & pepper as they saute.

Stir in the whole kernel corn, mushrooms, tomatoes and sugar. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Add mushroom soup, cream style corn and half of the crab meat mixing well after each addition.

Add the sweet basil, bay leaves, thyme, garlic powder, 2 tsp of the cajun seasoning, and the liquid crab boil.

Lower heat to medium and cook 15 minutes, stirring often to prevent scorching. Turn heat to low and blend in the Half-N-Half, parsley and remaining crab meat. Simmer 5 minutes, then remove the bay leaves (because they're nearly impossible to find in the pot if you do it after you add the Velveeta), then stir in cheese until melted. (I cube up the Velveeta in order to speed up the melting.)

Season to taste with more cajun seasoning, salt, & pepper. Serve nice-n-warm, garnished with green onions. BE SURE TO SERVE WITH CRACKERS, as this is a very rich dish; the crackers help balance everything out nicely.

Nutritional Info:
* Calories: 279.7
* Total Fat: 6.0 g
* Cholesterol: 11.9 mg
* Total Carbs: 47.5 g
* Dietary Fiber: 4.1 g
* Protein: 11.8 g

Enjoy!