Crispy Tofu with Garlic and Broccoli

We like tofu, but have kind of been in a tofu rut - we only make one dish with it. I saw this and decided to give it a try, and see if we can like tofu in other dishes. I decided to serve it with japanese soba noodles, and it was a great pairing. The sauce it great, though next time I might reduce the amount of broth and/or add a thickener. Either way, a delicious meal!

Crispy Tofu with Garlic and Broccoli
Source: Mary Ellen’s Cooking Creations

• 1 block firm tofu, cut into thirds
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Approximately 1 tbsp chopped white onion
• 2 tbsp cooking sherry
• 1 small head broccoli, chopped into florets
• 14.5 oz chicken broth
• 1/4 c low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Hoison
• 1 tsp (or less) red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 green onion, chopped

Directions

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add tofu; remove after 5 minutes. Drain and press some of the water out. Chop into bite sized pieces.
2. Heat 2-3 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick pan.
3. Add tofu and cook until browned on all sides, about 12-15 minutes. Once cooked, remove tofu and let drain on a plate covered with a paper towel. Note - the tofu will still be somewhat wet so be careful when you add it to the oil! I wore an apron tonight to protect me from the splatter.
4. Add the onions and garlic to the pan; saute 2 minutes. Add cooking sherry, cook 1-2 minutes. Add broccoli and red pepper flakes; saute 3-4 minutes.
5. Add chicken broth mixed with soy sauce, brown sugar, and Hoison. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Remove a few tbsp of the sauce to a small bowl and whisk in the cornstarch. Pour the mixture into the pan and stir.
7. Return the tofu to the pan along with half of the green onions. Let simmer for a few minutes.
8. Serve over noodles and top with the rest of the green onions.

Pumpkin Penne

For a few years we have enjoyed a pumpkin sauce over pasta and turkey sausage, but I never got around to sharing it on here. Partly, I'm sure, because I have no idea where the recipe came from, and it certainly didn't come from my head. I decided it was about time to put it back on the menu, but when I pulled out the recipe I realized it used a butter/flour mixture to thicken it.

Certainly there is nothing terribly wrong with a tablespoon or two of butter throughout the dish, but I had recently been reminded of Cara's version using cottage cheese. I decided to give Cara's recipe a try and I'm so glad we did! I didn't miss the butter and the sauce really stuck to the pasta, vegetables, and sausage. I made a few small changes, using kale for the spinach and turkey sausage for the chicken (at least, I think it was turkey sausage... I must remember to label my freezer bags!). This version isn't quite as pumpkin-y as the old one, so next time I might increase the amount of pumpkin and slightly decrease the milk/cottage cheese. Either way, it's a wonderfully delicious fall meal!

Creamy Pumpkin Penne
Source: Cara's Cravings

• 4 oz penne pasta
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced (about 75 g)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 2 links cooked chicken sausage, sliced
• 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese (1% milk fat)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup nonfat milk
• pinch of nutmeg
• 5oz torn spinach, thick stems removed
• grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese, optional

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook gently for about 10-15minutes, until softened and beginning to caramelize. Add garlic, sage, and chicken sausage; continue to saute.

2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.

3. In a blender, combine combine pumpkin, cottage cheese, and milk. Blend until no lumps are present. Add to sausage mixture in skillet and continue to cook over low heat. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.

4. Drain pasta and return to pot over low heat. Add sausage mixture and baby spinach, and toss together until the spinach is wilted. Serve with parmesan cheese, if desired.

The Green Monster

No, I'm not talking about this one:

I'm talking about this one:

A delicious, healthy breakfast smoothie that sounds and looks weird, but tastes delicious - just like banana and peanut butter. Try it!

The Green Monster
Serves: 1

1/2 cup skim milk
1 banana (frozen works great!)
1-2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
handful of spinach, well rinsed (about 2 ounces)
3-4 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth. Pour into tall glass and enjoy.

Chili Chicken Kabobs

My husband requested chicken kabobs over the weekend, but while he was imagining these, I was trying to think of what else I could make to avoid the sugar and soy sauce. A quick search led me to this recipe for chili chicken kabobs from the Eat-Clean Diet for Men book... how perfect! I knew the flavor profile was one my husband would love, so I was excited to make them.

I did cut the amount of oil down by half, and still found the sauce to be thinner than I would like. Perhaps I'm just a really good lime juicer? Either way, the kabobs came out great, not too spicy for me, but great flavor for him.

Chili Chicken Kabobs
Source: The Eat-Clean Diet for Men™, via Fitness Freak

• 3 Tbsp best-quality olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Juice of one fresh lime
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 large onion, chopped into thick pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• Sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

1. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and lime juice. Season with chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper and pressed garlic.

2. Place the chicken in a shallow baking dish with the sauce and stir to coat.

3. Preheat the grill to medium high. Thread the chicken onto the skewers, alternating with chopped onion pieces. Discard the marinade.

4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill the skewers for 10 to 15 minutes or until the chicken juices run clear.

Cannellini Beans with Tomatoes, Bulgur and Spinach

I've been trying to experiment with new grains to keep things interesting in this clean eating lifestyle. So far, I've done well making tasty meals using couscous and quinoa that my husband really enjoys. Next on the list was bulgur, and after seeing it in the bulk food section of my local grocery store, I knew it was time to dive in! A quick google search brought me to this recipe, which was perfect for the leftover beans and spinach I had in the refrigerator.

The recipe was quite easy to throw together. Saute some vegetables, add the rest of the ingredients and let it simmer away. Add the spinach until wilted and - done! Easy and relatively quick, not to mention delicious. I think this would benefit from a light sprinkling of some grated parmesan cheese, too. The best part is the creamy, risotto-like texture that arises as it cooks down.

Cannellini Beans with Tomatoes, Bulgur and Spinach
Slightly adapted from Mark Bittman
Yield: 4 servings

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
• 3 cups cooked cannellini or other white beans
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups chopped tomatoes, including juice; canned are fine (see note)
• 1/2 cup coarse bulgur
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups spinach or other tender green
  
  1. Put oil in large pot over medium heat; when oil is hot, add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 5 minutes. Add beans with their liquid, tomatoes, bulgur, chili and rosemary and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, over medium-low heat, until tomatoes have broken up and flavors begin to blend, about 12 minutes, adding water to make it as soupy as you like.
  
  2. Add arugula and continue to cook, just until it wilts. Taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve.
  

Chicken Piccata

I've made chicken piccata before, but that recipe didn't call for capers (blasphemy!) and no longer fits in my clean eating lifestyle. I was very excited to see a new version in the Sept/Oct issue of Clean Eating Magazine - capers included!

This recipe turned out to be fantastic. I had some leftover artichoke hearts so I threw them in - what a great addition that turned out to be! Surprisingly, and thankfully, I didn't miss the butter in the sauce at all!

Chicken Piccata
Slightly Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine, Sept/Oct 2009, page 49

• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, divided
• sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 4, 4-oz boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thick
• 3 tsp olive oil, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsps capers or olives, rinsed and coarsely chopped
• 1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped (I omitted)
• 1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped (I added)

1. Reserve 1 tbsp flour for later use. In a shallow dish, combine remaining flour with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

2. Heat 1 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken to pan and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Remove chicken from pan and transfer to plate.

3. Using the same pan over medium high heat, add remaining 2 tsp oil, garlic, and reserved 1 tbsp flour. Heat mixture, stirring constantly for about 1 minute, scraping up any brown bits from pan. Add stock, lemon juice, artichokes and capers. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium high and simmer for about 3 minutes, until sauce thickens. Add chicken back to pan and continue to simmer for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Cilantro Ginger Tilapia

Tilapia is one of the few fish we agree on in this house. Since we eat so much chicken, (and now even more so with our love for chicken at breakfast!) I'm trying to make more of an effort to choose fish at least once on the weekends. I had already decided on making quinoa with an avocado dressing, so I did some searching for flavors I wanted to use and found this recipe from Martha Stewart.

The sauce is fantastic, and not at all spicy... it complements the delicate fish well. I loved how easy it was to prepare - blend, baste, and grill!

Cilantro Ginger Tilapia
Slightly Adapted from Martha Stewart

• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeds and white pith removed
  
• 1 piece fresh ginger (1 inch), peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
• 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tilapia fillets (4-6 ounces each)

Directions

1. Combine garlic, jalapeno pepper, ginger, lime juice, and cilantro in the jar of a blender. Cover blender, and remove the stopper. Turn on blender, and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Process until mixture is bright green and smooth. Season cilantro sauce to taste with salt and black pepper.
2. Season both sides of fillets with salt and black pepper. Brush the top of each fillet with 1 tablespoon cilantro sauce.
3. Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-low heat. Spray with olive oil and allow oil to heat up. Place tilapia in pan, grill until fish has just cooked through but is still moist, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove fish from pan, drizzle with additional cilantro sauce, and serve.

Quinoa with Zucchini and Avocado Dressing

This is another great way to prepare quinoa. I decided to use it as a side dish with some tilapia, so I made a few modifications to the recipe. This went very well with the fish, and the avocado dressing is delicious!

Quinoa with Zucchini and Avocado Dressing
Adapted from Branny Boils Over

• 1/3 cup quinoa, prewashed or rinsed very well
• 2/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch thick half moons
  
• 1/2 medium yellow squash, sliced into 1/4 inch thick half moons
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup mexican cheese (queso) (omit the cheese or choose low fat for a cleaner side dish)
  
• 1/3 cup avocado dressing (recipe follows)
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
  

Combine quinoa and chicken broth in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-15 minutes, until quinoa is translucent. Meanwhile, spray zucchini and squash with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill 5 minutes on each side, until tender.

Combine cooked quinoa and squashes, nuts, cheese, cilantro, and 1/3 cup avocado dressing in a large bowl. Toss to combine, then serve.

Avocado Dressing
Makes about 1.5 cups

1 large avocado, ripe
1 T lemon or lime juice
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup greek yogurt
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Puree all ingredients together.

Artichoke Stuffed Turkey Burgers

We love artichokes. We love cheese. We love turkey burgers. This dish was a natural fit for us! I made this recipe ages ago, and for reasons unclear to me now, I did not include it in my blog. We completely fell in love with this burger all over again when I made it over the weekend - it would be a shame to leave it out a second time!


I served the burgers on homemade whole wheat burger buns, and WOW. The combination was fantastic! We hadn't even finished our meal and we were fighting over who would get the leftover burger the next day.

Katie calls for 2 pounds of ground turkey, but I find I can get by just as well with one. You can skip the cheese or choose a lower fat cheese, such as feta, to make this dish clean.

Artichoke Stuffed Turkey Burgers
Slightly adapted from Good Things Catered
Serves: 4

• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 medium sweet onion, diced finely
• 1 large pinch of garlic salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2 artichoke hearts, quartered
• 4 oz. aged fontina cheese, sliced into 4- 1 oz. squares (choose lower fat like feta, or omit to make it clean)
• 4 whole wheat burger buns
  

Directions:
-In large bowl, add ground turkey, balsamic vinegar, onion, garlic salt and pepper.
-Work lightly with hands until well blended.
-Heat grill on medium heat. In case your cheese starts to ooze out, a good preventative measure would be to line the grill with some non stick foil, poked with holes for drainage.
-Divide meat into four portions.
-Remove 2/3 of each portion and flatten into 4-5 inch patties.
-Place 1 slice of fontina and two artichoke heart quarters in middle of each patty.
-Lightly flatten remaining 1/3 of each portion into 3-4 inch patties and place on top.
-Work lightly to flatten and seal all edges of patties.
-Cook over medium to medium-low heat *without moving* burger until bottom side is browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes.
-Turn burgers over and continue to cook until bottom side is browned and the burger is cooked through but not dried out about 8-10 more minutes.
-Remove from heat, place on bun and serve immediately.

Quinoa with Black Beans and Cilantro

With my new found interest in clean eating, I'm discovering a plethora of new grains. First was (whole wheat) couscous, and now, quinoa! A friend has been bringing a quinoa dish to all our gatherings for quite some time now, and I finally asked her about it. Apparently quinoa needs to be washed, very well before cooking or it will give a bitter taste, so my friend highly recommended getting the prewashed variety. One quick trip to Whole Foods later, and I had myself some quinoa.


I was planning on some fish tacos, and thought this would be a good time to experiment, since quinoa itself is pretty plain and can be flavored a number of ways. Cilantro sounded like a good way to go. Then, Bon Appetit (thanks to Google) inspired the addition of black beans. Which ::sigh:: had to be replaced with red kidney beans when I realize we were out of black beans (OUT of black beans?? How does that happen?), and the white onion replaced with red (no idea what was running through my head whilst food shopping this week!). I switched out the water for some low sodium chicken stock, to add flavor. This quick side dish came out great and my husband, who has been very understanding of my culinary escapades, loved it as much as I did.

Quinoa with Black Beans and Cilantro
Source: Bon Appetit

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cups chopped white onions (or red)
  
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper (or not)
  
• 1 cup quinoa,* rinsed, drained
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (or coriander)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed, drained (or red kidney)
  
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• Crumbled Cotija cheese or feta cheese (optional)

Preparation

Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and red pepper; sauté until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in next 4 ingredients. Add water; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until quinoa is almost tender, about 14 minutes. Add beans and 1/4 cup cilantro; cook uncovered until heated through and liquid is fully absorbed, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cilantro and cheese, if desired.

*A grain with a delicate flavor and a texture similar to that of couscous; available at natural foods stores.

Nutritional Information
One serving contains the following:
Analysis is based on using 1 ounce crumbled Cotija cheese per serving.
Calories (kcal) 391.35
% Calories from Fat 30.3
Fat (g) 13.16
Saturated Fat (g) 5.07
Cholesterol (mg) 25.23
Carbohydrates (g) 53.04
Dietary Fiber (g) 10.24
Total Sugars (g) 5.56
Net Carbs (g) 42.79
Protein (g) 16.20

Fish Tacos with Avocado Cream

I've had numerous attemps thus far to make tasty fish tacos. Nothing seems to come out right. The addition of avocado cream made this recipe quite appealing, so I figured I'd give fish tacos one more try before giving up.


I am so glad I did! The spice of the Emeril's seasoning was soothed by the delicious avocado cream. A definite keeper for us!

Fish Tacos with Avocado Cream
Source: SweetTea in Texas

For the tacos:

2 tilapia fillets
taco seasoning (we used Emeril's Essence)
lime
cilantro
tortillas (use whole wheat tortillas to make this meal clean!)

For the avocado creme:
1 small ripe avocado
1/4 C fat free sour cream (or greek yogurt)

In a Ziploc bag, combine the juice of 1 lime with about a Tbps of taco seasoning. Shake the bag, to mix and then add in the tilapia fillets. Marinate this for about 10 minutes (while you heat your grill).

Before your turn on your grill, place a sheet of foil on the grill grates and spray with a non stick spray. This is just an easier way to cook this fish. Turn grill heat to low & cook fish for about 10 minutes, turning once, until fish is white & flakey.

While the fish is cooking, scoop out the flesh of a small ripe avocado and combine with the sour cream. Set this aside.

Wrap tortillas in foil and place in the grill, on the top section to heat through.

To serve, spread warm tortillas with avocado creme. Top with flaked tilapia, and a sprinkling of cilantro.

Chicken Breakfast Sausage Patties

My favorite breakfast, as of late, is a whole wheat english muffin with an egg. I decided to add more protein to the dish with a chicken sausage patty. I looked around at a few different recipes and settled on a savory one from recipezaar for turkey sausage. The reviews said it was very spicy, so I cut back the black and cayenne pepper by half. With those amounts, I found it to be not at all spicy, so I might increase them for the next batch. I was pleasantly surprised to find that fresh boneless skinless chicken breasts, in place of the turkey, were easy to grind up in my mini food processor, and held together very well!




Chicken Breakfast Sausage Patties
Source: Adapted from recipezaar
Yield: about 13 patties

1 lb ground chicken
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sage
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients (use less pepper if you don't want a spicy taste) and blend well. If time permits, refrigerate overnight to let the meat absorb the flavor of the spices.

2. Form into patties. Heat a non-stick griddle or pan over medium heat. Spray pan with cooking spray. Add chicken patties and cook until brown on one side, about 5-10, then flip and cook through, about 5 minutes. Freeze leftovers. Don't overcook or they will dry out--remove from the heat as soon as they're no longer pink inside, but still juicy. (if you prefer a moister texture, you add a splash of olive oil or an egg to the mixture just prior to cooking).

No Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ok, ok. I grew up on chocolate chip cookies. I know these aren't chocolate chip cookies, but they certainly make a fine substitute if you are trying to make better choices about your food! I saw this recipe in the September/October 2009 issue of Clean Eating magazine and thought they looked like minimal effort for a potentially sweet outcome (pun intended). There is no baking involved, making them a perfect treat for summer. In fact, I've even kept mine in the freezer. It helps them stay together and provides a cool snack.

They are naturally sweetened by raisins and dates, with just a minimal amount of agave nectar or honey to hold the cookies together (on this first attempt, I think I was a little shy on the agave so mine didn't hold well unless I froze them). The cinnamon is a delight, waving hello to you from the background. I haven't had a chance to check out my local health food store for cacao nibs (has anyone ever seen those?), so I just used mini chocolate morsels (definitely not clean, but it was all I had). You could probably also just use some squares of really dark chocolate, chopped fine. I think these would be good in a ball shape, formed with a cookie scoop for easy release onto a tray, then frozen.

No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: Clean Eating Magazine, Sept/Oct 2009

~1 1/4 cup raisins
~1/2 cup pitted Deglet Noor dates
~2 cups whole oats
~4 tbsp agave nectar or honey
~2 tsp cinnamon
~pinch of salt, to taste
~1/2 cup cacao nibs

1. Place raisins and dates in your food processor and chop into small pieces. Add oats, agave or honey, cinnamon and salt. Process to mix well. Empty into a mixing bowl and add cacao nibs. Mix well.

2. Use a tablespoon measure to portion cookies. Enjoy immediately, or chill before serving for firmer texture.

Nutritional Information per 2 cookies:
Calories: 140
Total fat: 3 g
Sat. fat: 1.5 g
Carbs: 26 g
Fiber: 3 g
Sugars: 7 g
Protein: 3 g
Sodium: 15 mg
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Lemon Oregano Chicken

This recipe is a nice contrast to some of the other grilled chicken recipes I've tried lately. This one is simple. It doesn't even require fresh herbs, or marinating! Make a paste, slather it on the chicken, and grill. Easy! The flavors here are great, even with the dried herbs. We found that pasta with a simple marinara paired quite well with this chicken. The only problem I saw was that there wasn't quite enough lemon/oregano to cover both sides of the 3 pieces of chicken that I cooked. I will definitely at least double those ingredients next time.



Lemon Oregano Chicken
Source: Cooking Light, July 2004

* 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
* 5 teaspoons grated lemon rind
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
* 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon water
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* Cooking spray
* 4 lemon wedges
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Prepare grill.

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin.

Combine lemon rind and next 6 ingredients (through minced garlic); rub evenly over both sides of chicken. Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill 3 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Remove from heat. Squeeze 1 lemon wedge evenly over each chicken breast half. Sprinkle parsley evenly over chicken.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 226 (22% from fat)
Fat: 5.6g (sat 1g,mono 3g,poly 0.8g)
Protein: 39.6g
Carbohydrate: 2.2g
Fiber: 0.7g
Cholesterol: 99mg
Iron: 1.8mg
Sodium: 465mg
Calcium: 38mg

Crab Cake Comparison

I love crab cakes. My husband does not. This makes me sad, as I never get the chance to make them at home. But, alas! My chance as come! He had to go out of town for work, so I sat down and mulled over all the crab cake recipes I've saved, just for this very occasion. The problem was, I couldn't just pick one. How would I know which one I liked best unless I made them all? And what better way to compare than to make them all at once? I am a huge fan of Bridget's comparison posts and figured this would be a great time to copy emulate her.

How I Like My Crab Cakes
I don't quite remember if I've ever made them at home before. I've certainly had a nice sampling from restaurants over the years, though. I love a nice coating on the outside... something to break into with your fork. Also, I like there to be something there besides the crab. I kind of like a little filler. Of course, I still want that crab flavor... just, enhanced. On the cooking side, I'd love a recipe that works well being baked. Also, how well it holds together is important.

For sauce, I made a fantastic Paule Deen remoulade once but lost the recipe. The one I used here is all I could find of hers, but I don't think it's the right one. Anyway, this one is pretty good, and I used 2% greek yogurt in place of the mayonnaise.

The Plan
I narrowed down my list of recipes to four, then scaled them all down based on 4 ounces (1/4 pound) of crab meat. This would be enough to get two cakes from each recipe: one for baking and one for pan frying. Here are the four recipes I chose to test:

1. Christine of Chronicles of a Fledgling Cook. I've had this recipe printed out and in my recipe box for years. Figured it was about time I made it!
2. Ellie Krieger of the Food Network. I definitely wanted to throw one in there from someone who stance is healthful food.
3. Cook's Illustrated. They seem to know what they are doing, right?
4. Katie of Good Things Catered. I've been drooling over hers since January!

The Process
I will warn you now - this experience was a true testament to the name at the top of this page. I have zero flipping skills, especially when it comes to delicate items. I am moderately embarrassed by the unfortunate demise of half these cakes, but hey - it's just me at home today. When I make them for company, I will be that much the wiser.

I only made one minor ingredient adjustment. I (really, really) don't care for fresh parsley, so I used cilantro in the three recipes that called for it. Also, I see no issue with using canned jumbo lump crab meat. Cook's Illustrated gave their blessing on that front, so that was enough for me. (Plus, I live in the midwest. Any "fresh" fish scares me!). One note about the canned crab - only got roughly 3.5 ounces of crab from each 6 ounce can, so plan accordingly! Also, all the cakes were chilled for 2 hours before cooking.




1. Christine's recipe (actually an adaptation of a Paula Deen recipe) requires the most prepwork. red pepper, garlic, and shallots are sauteed before being combined with the other filler ingredients, then folded into the crab meat. I found the filler to be more of a paste, which was difficult to blend into the crab without overworking. Later I realized I didn't use the proper amount of egg, so that probably affected the mixing. It didn't seem to hold together well while handling, which made it difficult to coat with the cheese/bread crumbs mixture. Ultimately it was the easiest recipe to flip in the pan, holding together very well where it counts.

2. For Ellie's recipe, the filler ingredients are combined in a bowl, then added to the crab. Bread crumbs are added last, then the cakes are coated in breadcrumbs. This didn't hold together well, either. The pan frying was a disaster, it completely fell apart!! Flipping was a disaster. The baked cake was easier to flip, I think because since it's baked, the whole cake is cooking instead of just one side when pan frying.

3. The CI recipe threw everything together except the egg, which was folded in last. It had a good moisture level and held together better than the others before going into the fridge, but then was hard to dredge in the flour before cooking. The recipe is a little confusing, it calls for ground black pepper in the ingredient list, but the directions call for white pepper. I only have black, so that's what I used. This was another flipping disaster! And, like Ellie's, it fared better in the oven. I probably should have used more breadcrumbs, as the recipe instructs you to do if it isn't holding well.

4. Katie's recipe was had the best moisture level, not surprising with the bread soaked in milk. The directions didn't say what to do with the bread when adding it to the crab, so I just tore it into pieces before throwing it in. It seemed to hold together the best pre-chilling. While cooking, it was the second easiest to flip.




The Results





1. I loved the flavor of the red pepper in Christine's crab cakes, but I was missing something important - the crab! At first I thought that I had just chosen the wrong weekend to make these, as I have come down with a cold and my taste buds are sleeping. But after trying the other recipes, I realized that this recipe just falls flat. It takes the most work, and while it holds together the best, it just didn't work for me.







2. Ellie's recipe also had the great flavor from the red pepper. The hot sauce gave it a great, subtle kick in the background that complemented the other flavors. The crab flavor finally surfaced here, though it was not as strong as the next two recipes. The baked cake had a nice crunchy coating, but the pan fried cake completely fell apart during cooking. This one was my overall favorite. It is perfect for baking, had a moderate level of crab flavor with great complementary flavors.







3. When I got to the CI recipe, the first without red pepper, I expected to miss that flavor since I loved it so much in the first two. That was not the case at all! The crab flavor really came out in this one, accented by the green onion. Also, this cake had that certain je ne sais quoi that only mayonnaise can provide. However, I had a problem keeping it together while flipping in the pan. If you love crab cakes that really give great crab flavor and a hint of onion, this is a good recipe to try. Hopefully everyone else is better at flipping than I am!







4. My notes on Katie's recipe start with "pure, unadulterated crab." This is a great recipe if you have fantastic, fresh crab and love to let it shine. It held together better in the pan than it fared in the oven. Perhaps because it was the 4th one I flipped, I started to get better at being gentle. It's very similar to the CI recipe in terms of flavor, really just without the green onion. So if you love letting the real crab flavor shine, this is a fantastic choice.







The Bottom Line
My personal favorite is Ellie's recipe. I love the flavors and that it can be baked, holding together reasonably well. With practice I think I will improve upon that. For real crab loving company, if I can get my hands on some fresh crab, I'll probably make Katie's recipe and pan fry, since it was easier to work with than the CI recipe. If the CI recipe held together better (perhaps by following the directions?), it would also be a good choice for those without aversion to onions.

The Recipes

Crab Cakes
Source:Christine of Chronicles of a Fledgling Cook

extra virgin olive oil and butter
1/2 large red pepper, finely diced
1 shallot, finely minced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tbl heavy cream
1 egg, beaten
1 tbl italian parsley, chopped
1 tsp Horseradish Mustard
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 lb crab meat
lemon, cut into wedges

-Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Saute the shallot, pepper, and garlic until the pepper is limp, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add the cream, mustard, 1 egg, parsley, old bay and 1/4 cup bread crumbs. Mix well and then gently fold in the crab meat. Form the mixture into 4 cakes, about 1/2-inch thick.
-In a separate mixing bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of bread crumbs with the Parmesan. Pat this topping onto both sides of the cakes. Place cakes on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
-In a medium skillet, combine more oil and butter (about a tbl of each) over medium heat. Saute the crab cakes approximately 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.


Crab Cakes
Source: Ellie Krieger of the Food Network.

* Nonstick cooking spray
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
* 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* Dash hot sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
* 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
* 1 scallion, including green top, finely chopped
* 1 pound lump crab, picked over for cartilage
* 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* Smarter Tartar Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
-In a medium bowl mix together the egg, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning and hot sauce. Stir in the bell pepper and scallion. Gently fold in the crab, 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs and salt and pepper to taste. Put the remaining bread rumbs in a shallow dish.
-Divide the crab mixture into 8 mounds. Shape 1 mound into a round and coat in bread crumbs. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and flatten the crab cake to form a patty about 1-inch high. Repeat to form the remaining crab cakes.
-Bake until golden on the bottom, about 10 minutes. Gently flip the crab cakes and cook until the second side is golden, 5 to 10 minutes longer.


Maryland Crab Cakes
Source: Cook's Illustrated, July 1995
Serves 4
The amount of bread crumbs you add will depend on the moistness of the crabmeat. Start with the smallest amount, adjust the seasonings, then add the egg. If the cakes won't bind at this point, add more bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon at a time. If you can't find fresh jumbo lump crabmeat, pasteurized crabmeat, though not as good, is a decent substitute.

1 pound fresh jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over to remove cartilage or shell
4 scallions, green part only, minced (about ½ cup)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh herb, such as cilantro, dill, basil, or parsley
1 ½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
2 to 4 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs
¼ cup mayonnaise
Salt and ground white pepper
1 large egg
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup vegetable oil
Lemon wedges or dipping sauce

1. Gently mix the crabmeat, scallions, herb, Old Bay, 2 tablespoons bread crumbs, and mayonnaise in a medium bowl, being careful not to break up the lumps of crab. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Carefully fold in the egg with a rubber spatula until the mixture just clings together. Add more crumbs if necessary.

2. Divide the crab mixture into four portions and shape each into a fat, round cake, about 3 inches across and 1½ inches high. Arrange the cakes on a baking sheet lined with waxed or parchment paper; cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes. (The crab cakes can be refrigerated up to 24 hours.)

3. Put the flour on a plate or in a pie tin. Lightly dredge the crab cakes in the flour. Heat the oil in a large, preferably nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Gently place chilled crab cakes in the skillet; pan-fry until the outsides are crisp and browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Serve immediately with lemon wedges or dipping sauce.


Real Maryland Crab Cakes
Source: Katie of Good Things Catered

1 lb. fresh lump crab meat
1 egg
1 Tbsp light mayonnaise
1 slice bread, crust removed, soaked in milk
1 tsp old bay seasoning, plus extra for topping
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
3 Tbsp oil

Directions:
-In large bowl, combine crab, egg, mayo, bread, 1 tsp old bay (or more if desired), salt, pepper, parsley and mix to combine thoroughly.
-Pat into 4 inch cakes and place into fridge to set for 20-30 minutes.
-In medium fry pan, add oil and heat over medium low heat until almost smoking.
-Place cakes into pan carefully, making sure not to break, and let pan fry until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.
-Carefully flip cakes and let pan fry until other side is golden brown, about 5-8 minutes more.
-Carefully remove cakes from the pan and place on paper towel lined plate.
-Sprinkle tops of cakes with old bay and serve immediately.

Remoulade Sauce
Source: Paula Deen

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves (I used cilantro)
1/3 cup chopped green onions, white and green parts
1/4 cup capers, with juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup mayonnaise (I used 2% greek yogurt)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

To prepare sauce, place the parsley, green onions, capers, and garlic in a blender or food processor and combine. Add the mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice and mustard. Blend well. Chill until ready to serve with seafood. This keeps in a covered container in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Pesto Chicken Salad

I saw this recipe at Jenn Cuisine (a gorgeous blog if you haven't seen it!) and couldn't wait to try it. During the summer, my husband likes to take wraps to work since they are light and don't need to be heated. Ina's chinese chicken salad had been the staple for a while, but I figured I'd change it up with this one. We really love this recipe and I can't wait for my basil plant to grow enough that I can take a second harvest and make more!

I made half the amount of pesto listed below, with all basil and no arugula (so, 3 cups of basil). It was the perfect amount for the 3 cups of chicken.

Enjoy with a salad or on a whole wheat wrap to make it clean.




Pesto Chicken Salad
Source: Jenn Cuisine
Ingredients:
3 cups shredded chicken (already cooked)
2 ribs of celery, chopped
1/4 cup of kalamata olives, quartered
1/4 onion, chopped
1/4 cup sliced toasted almonds
2 cups basil
4 cups arugula (I omitted, using 3 cups of basil and halving the remaining pesto ingredients)
juice from a lemon
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup EVOO
1/4 cup graded parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup plain yogurt (use Greek yogurt if you can!)
salt & pepper
greens to serve chicken salad on if desired

Directions:
1. Combine chicken, celery, onions, and olives in a large bowl.
2. Set oven to broil. Toast pine nuts for about 5 min, or until golden brown. Careful not to burn them!
3. In a food processor, add basil and arugula and pulse til chopped . Then add in the lemon juice, garlic, EVOO, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, yogurt, salt & pepper. Pulse until smooth.
4. Add about a cup of the pesto mixture to the bowl of the chicken salad mix, add in the almonds, and toss until all is coated.
5. Serve on a bed of arugula and garnish with more sliced almonds. Eat!

BB: Pasta with sundried tomatoes

I'm a little (ok, a lot) late on my Barefoot Bloggers recipes this week, but here was the first recipe from July: Pasta with sundried tomatoes. At first I thought it was a warm pasta dish, but as I read on, I realized it was more of a pasta salad - and a delicious sounding one! I finally got around to making it and I am so glad I did. Ina does not disappoint with this recipe! I loved the other pasta salad we've done - pesto, pasta, and peas, and this recipe with be another great alternative in my recipe book to the traditional pasta salads.


I found it to be plenty salty as written between the kalamatas and capers, so next time I will cut down the amount of salt in the dressing. Also, I only used 8 ounces of mozarella - there was still plenty to go around!

Pasta with sundried tomatoes
Source: Barefoot Contessa Family Style on page 58
Chosen by Cat of Delta Whiskey

Ingredients

* 1/2 pound fusilli (spirals) pasta
* Kosher salt
* Olive oil
* 1 pound ripe tomatoes, medium-diced
* 3/4 cup good black olives, such as kalamata, pitted and diced
* 1 pound fresh mozzarella, medium-diced (I used about 8 oz)
* 6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped (I used dried, reconstituted)

For the dressing:

* 5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained (I used dried, reconstituted)
* 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* 6 tablespoons good olive oil
* 1 garlic clove, diced
* 1 teaspoon capers, drained
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
* 1 cup packed basil leaves, julienned

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water with a splash of oil to keep it from sticking together. Boil for 12 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Drain well and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

For the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, capers, salt, and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth.

Pour the dressing over the pasta, sprinkle with the Parmesan and basil, and toss well.

Tuscan-style Couscous

This was delicious. Bridget runs one of my favorite blogs and when I saw this, I could.not.wait to make it. Fantastic combination of flavors, great for summer with it's simple cooking method. It is a favorite in our house and I think will become a weekly staple!



Tuscan-style Couscous
Source: Bridget at The Way the Cookie Crumbles

1½ cups couscous (use whole wheat couscous or quinoa to make it clean)
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 cups boiling water
½ cup pine nuts
1 (15-ounce) can small white beans such as navy or Great Northern, rinsed well and
drained
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
¾ cup shredded fresh basil
1 small red onion, slivered

The dressing:
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
⅓ cup lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
Generous seasoning freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1. Place the couscous and turmeric in a large bowl and mix. Pour on the boiling water, stir, and immediately cover the bowl with a large plate. Let sit for 10 minutes. Remove the cover and fluff the couscous with a fork. Let cool.

2. Place the pine nuts and unpeeled garlic cloves in a small skillet and toast over medium heat, tossing often, until golden, about 5 minutes. Watch them carefully because they can easily burn. Let the pine nuts cool, then mix them into the couscous along with the beans, tomatoes, basil, and red onion.

3. Mince the garlic. Place the dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously. Pour over the couscous mixture and toss well. Let marinate at least 30 minutes before serving. Cover and chill if longer than 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

Lemon Basil Chicken

This is a great, light fresh recipe for grilling chicken. Great way to use up some fresh basil! We've made this a few times so far, some on the grill and some on a pan in the stove (as pictured here). We love it!



Lemon Basil Chicken
Source: Loves to Eat

Ingredients:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 freshly chopped basil
2-4 chicken breasts depending on size
3 tbsp grated parm cheese
2 tbsp veg oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic chopped


Directions:
Mix all ingredients together and let marinate for 30 mins to 1 hour. Heat grill to medium heat. Grill chicken until tender and completely cooked through.

BB: Gazpacho

I've never really had an interest in trying gazpacho. Cold soup? Normally, I am all about soup, but HOT soup. Cold soup does not sound interesting to me at all. Reluctantly but in the spirit of Barefoot Bloggers, I made June's second recipe - gazpacho. And you know what? I love it. With the coarse chopped vegetables, it is more reminiscent of pico de gallo or salsa than the pureed smooth tomato soup I typically think of when I hear "gazpacho." I added some cilantro for flair, and while a toasty piece of crusty bread would go fabulously with this, I didn't pick any up at the store and have to settle for gazpacho, all by itself.



Gazpacho
The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook on page 79
Chosen by Meryl of My Bit of Earth

* 1 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled
* 2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
* 4 plum tomatoes
* 1 red onion
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 23 ounces tomato juice (3 cups)
* 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
* 1/4 cup good olive oil (I've been cutting back on this quite a bit)
* 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
* 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess!

After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.