Curry Shrimp with Green Beans and Soba Noodles

A few weeks ago I mentioned one of our favorite curry recipes, and said it was one of two favorites. Today, I am bringing you the other favorite! After trying so many different recipes, this one always stood out as the best. When I went back to evaluate why, and compare all the recipes, I found that this one calls for twice the curry powder that the others do. That could definitely explain why we like this recipe so much more!



As luck would have it, I wanted to make this right as we ran out of curry powder. I was due to refill some other spices, so I turned to my trusty spice store, Penzeys, for a new order. I flipped to the curry page in the catalog and was instantly overwhelmed. There were so many different kinds, and I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I didn't realize "curry powder" was really a blend of several different spices. I thought curry powder was just - curry powder, like turmeric is just turmeric. Boy, was I wrong!

I grabbed my empty curry jar and scanned the ingredient list, then picked the one in the catalog that sounded the closest and crossed my fingers as I placed the order. I chose the sweet curry powder, and it turned out to be the perfect choice. It was just the right blend for us!

This is a fabulously quick, easy, one pot meal - great for a weeknight. This combination of spices is our favorite curry sauce, which I suspect we will be able to use in many other curry dishes in the future!

Curry Shrimp with Green Beans and Soba Noodles

Source: Slightly adapted from The Gracious Pantry
Yield: Serves 2-3
Preparation time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 minutes

 

Ingredients

• 1 pound frozen shrimp (peeled and deveined, tail off)
• 1 can light coconut milk (14 oz)
• 1 pound fresh green beans
• 3 green onions, diced
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 4 teaspoons curry powder
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 6 ounces soba noodles

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients except soba noodles in a large pot or pan, cover and bring to a boil.
2. Once you have a nice rolling boil, remove the lid and continue to cook over medium to medium-high heat.
3. Add soba noodles and cook an additional 3-4 minutes, until noodles are soft and shrimp are cooked through.

Tilapia with Lemon Pesto and Oven Roasted Tomatoes

We've been in a fish rut for a months now. All I seem to make with our stash of frozen tilapia is fish tacos. While fish tacos are pretty darn awesome, I knew I would need to move on, eventually. For a while I could blame it on the nice weather (I'm talking last summer, here), but even in the dead of winter, I turned to that easy-to-prepare, delicious, healthy fish taco recipe.

I could further blame it on the fact that most of the tilapia recipes in my queue call for breadcrumbs, and I can't find whole wheat breadcrumbs in the store. Or, I did eventually find some, but a look at the ingredient label revealed that they contained high fructose corn syrup. (In breadcrumbs? Really?) They immediately went back on the shelf. Yes, I know I can make them at home, but I'm too lazy busy to figure out how to achieve the right texture.

Enter one of my favorites blogs: Elly Says Opa! This recipe caught my eye because I had some pesto to use up, and allowed me to skirt around my bread crumb debacle.

This turned out to be a quick, simple way to prepare a flavorful dish!

Tilapia with Lemon Pesto and Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Source: Elly Says Opa!
Yield: Serves 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons pesto
• 1 lemon
• 2 tilapia filets
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425. Toss the tomatoes and the garlic with the olive oil and some salt and pepper. Roast for about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, juice the lemon and reserve both the juice and the juiced lemon. To the juice, add the pesto and stir to combine. Season the tilapia with salt and pepper and then spread the pesto mixture on top of the fish.
3. Take the pan of roasted garlic and tomatoes out of the oven and nestle the cut lemon into the pan. Place the tilapia on top of the lemon and tomatoes and put back in the oven for about 10 minutes, or until the fish is flaky and no longer opaque. Spoon the tomatoes over the fish.

Mexican Shrimp Burgers

My husband was originally a little skeptical about the idea of shrimp burgers, but he was nice enough to wait and tell me that AFTER I made them. These burgers totally won him over. We both agree that they are fantastic, and definitely something different! I love that they are actually relatively easy to prepare and being able to use frozen shrimp, which thaw quickly, makes it even more attractive.


Mexican Shrimp Burgers
Source: slightly adapted from Everyday Gourmet /  FN

1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 egg
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
2 garlic clove, peeled
3/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs, plus more as needed
1 poblano chile, roasted, peeled, stemmed, seeded, and diced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Avocado Aioli:
1 Hass avocado, halved, pitted, and peeled
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled
1 serrano chile, stemmed, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 whole wheat burger buns, split in half
2 medium tomatoes, or pico de gallo
6 lettuce leaves or a mixture of baby lettuce leaves

Directions

Burgers:
In a food processor, combine the shrimp, egg, cilantro, garlic, 3/4 cup bread crumbs, poblano chile, salt, and pepper. Process until the mixture is a coarse puree. (If the mixture is too wet, add additional bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture can be molded easily). Form the mixture into 4-6 patties and put on a plate and store in the fridge to firm up while you make your aioli.

Avocado Aioli:

Scoop the avocado pulp into the bowl of a food processor. Add the yogurt, lime juice, garlic cloves, serrano chile and cilantro. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Heat the oil over medium-medium high heat in a non stick skillet. (because the shrimp doesn’t have a lot of fat, the oil will help develop a nice crust). Add burgers to pan, gently sear until golden, about 3 minutes per side, depending on the thickness. Cover burgers while cooking to ensure that the shrimp will cook through. Do not over cook the burgers! Like anything using shrimp, it will taste best when the shrimp are just cooked through.

To assemble:

Serve the shrimp burgers on buns, topped with avocado aioli, sliced tomato or pico de gallo, and lettuce.

Tune Nicoise

Something I think my husband is better at stocking the pantry than I am. Unfortunately, in his recent trip to the grocery store, he forgot one crucial element: We are moving, and soon. And we are not just moving across town, no. We are making a nearly 1,000 mile trip back to the east coast! He returned from the store with an abundance of tuna, so I turned to this recipe to help us use it up.

I've never had anything like this before, but I was nearly addicted to it.  It was also very easy to throw together!  A word of caution, the dressing is very tangy and the dish may be a bit salty for some, so you may want to go very easy on the salt (I think the olives provide enough!)

I happened to be out of couscous so I used bulgur, forgetting that bulgur is quite a bit larger than couscous. This made my casserole seem a bit carb heavy between the bulgur and potatoes. Next time I'll cut down the amount of bulgur if I find myself without couscous again.



Tuna Nicoise Stovetop Casserole
Source: Clean Eating Magazine, March/April 2010, p75
Serves 8

• 2 cups couscous
• 8 small red potatoes, cut into halves or 4 large red potatoes cut into quarters
• 2 6 oz pouches or cans unsalted water packed tuna
• 1/2 pound frozen green beans, thawed
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, sliced
• Juice and zest 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp white onion, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp fresh parsley, minced
• sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• Olive oil cooking spray

Cook couscous according to package directions

Over medium-high heat, bring a medium size pan filled with water to boil.  Cook potatoes for 10 minutes; drain.  In a large bowl, mix together tuna, green beans, olives and potatoes.  Once couscous is cooked, mix it into tuna-vegetable mixture.

In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice and zest, Dijon, onion, garlic vinegar, oil, parsley, salt and pepper.  Pour dressing over tuna-couscous mixture.

Heat large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over high heat for 1 minute.  Reduce heat to medium high, mist pan with cooking spray and sauté tuna couscous mixture for about 5 minutes or until throughly warmed.  Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Nutrients per 1 Cup serving:
Calories 430
Total fat: 6 g
Sat. fat: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 70 g
Fiber: 11 g
Sugars: 4 g
Protein: 25 g
Sodium: 350 mg
Cholesterol: 15 mg

Roasted Cauliflower with Crab, Lemon, Garlic and Breadcrumbs

I have the fortune of being married to someone who was born and raised in Northern California. Every trip home to visit family means a fun side-trip to Napa Valley. While we are far from connoisseurs, we love tasting different wines and enjoy this activity immensely. A favorite of ours, for quite some time, has been Cakebread Cellars.

Each time we head to Napa, we like to visit different wineries, but Cakebread is the one mainstay on our list. It's a definite must-go. After our first visit, many years ago, it was immediately clear to us that Cakebread is all about the wine. No fancy gimmicks or drawn out tours - just very knowledgeable employees and some really fantastic wine. Perhaps we adore them because on that first visit, while walking over to a tasting station, the workers were unloading crates of grapes, fresh picked from the vines, and dumping them right into the crusher. Our wine guide poured each of us a sampling from the freshly crushed grapes, and it was amazing!

I've been on their (e)mailing list for a while now, and one feature they have is a Recipe of the Month - a meal created to be enjoyed with a specific wine they produce. In October, that meal was designed for their chardonnay. We happened to have a bottle of 2007 Chardonnay patiently waiting to be enjoyed, so I thought I'd finally try out one of their recipe pairings with the Roasted Cauliflower with Dungeness Crab, Garlic, Lemon and Toasted Breadcrumbs. I messed around with the proportions a bit, as I think my head of cauliflower was on the small side, and my 6 ounce can of crab only yielded about 3.5 ounces of crab (yes, I used canned crab, but I live (for now) in the midwest so that's just the easiest way to go), and I went a little overboard with the breadcrumbs.

I loved making this - it was fast and easy, both of which are a huge plus when you have a great bottle of wine staring you down, waiting to be enjoyed. The lemon juice nicely complemented the subtle crab and crispy breadcrumbs. And of course, it went great with the chardonnay!

Roasted Cauliflower with Crab, Lemon, Garlic and Breadcrumbs
Source: Cakebread Cellars

• 1 head cauliflower, broken up in to large pieces
• 5 T. olive oil
• 1/2 c. coarse breadcrumbs*
• 1/4 c. flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 6 oz. Dungeness crab meat
• salt and pepper
• lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss the cauliflower with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and spread out on a sheet pan or shallow casserole dish. Place in the center of the oven and roast for 10-12 minutes, stirring once or twice until cauliflower is tender and starting to brown in spots. While the cauliflower is roasting, toast the breadcrumbs in a small skillet. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet, add the breadcrumbs and toss until brown and crispy. Remove from the heat and place in a small bowl. Combine the garlic, parsley and lemon zest and mix to combine. To finish, remove the cauliflower from the oven, toss with the crabmeat and garlic, parsley mixture. Return to oven and roast for 4-5 minutes more. Squeeze lemon juice over top and sprinkle with the toasted breadcrumbs.

* It is preferable use homemade breadcrumbs from stale country style bread for this dish. The toasted breadcrumbs provide a crunchy contrast to the cauliflower that is not achievable with the finely ground breadcrumbs available in the grocery store.  When sufficiently dry, pulse stale country style bread that has been cut up in the work bowl of a food processor until coarsely ground.

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta

This is another quick, easy, delicious dish, inspired by Everyday Food Magazine.  The original recipe was part of a two days, two meals type of menu, where sauce made on the first day is reserved and used the next day in a different dish.  I wasn't making the first meal in this series, so I adapted the recipe to work with what I had on hand.  The dish came together in the time it took the broiler to heat up, and then baked in about 10 minutes - perfect for a hectic day or when you just don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.  We served it with steamed broccoli.

I had to broil mine a little longer than the recipe suggested to cook the shrimp, so my feta got a little... black in the process.  In the recipe below, I've adjusted the instructions to add the feta after the shrimp have baked for a few minutes, to keep it from burning.  Between the capers, olives, and feta, the dish is on the salty side, so cut back on those ingredients if that's a concern for you.

Baked Shrimp with Tomatoes and Feta
Adapted from Everyday Food Magazine
Serves 2-3

8 ounces (1/2 pound) large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
2 tsp capers
2 tsp chopped kalamata olives
3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat broiler. Combine sauce, tomatoes, capers and olives in a small bowl.  In a broiler safe 1.5 quart baking dish, layer shrimp then sauce.  Broil 5 minutes.  Top with feta crumbles, broil an additional 3-5 minutes until shrimp are opaque throughout and feta is golden brown.

Spaghetti with Tuna, Lemon, and Breadcrumbs

It's good to have an arsenal of quick, easy, delicious meals in your recipe file for when you...well... need something quick, easy, and delicious. This recipe definitely fits the bill.  It has a bright lemon flavor, and is done in the amount of time it takes to boil water and cook the pasta.  I used my toaster oven to make the breadcrumbs since it takes even less time to heat up than the regular oven.

Spaghetti with Tuna, Lemon, and Breadcrumbs
Source: Everyday Food, January/February 2009

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3/4 pound spaghetti
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons slivered Kalamata olives
• 2 cans (6 ounces each) chunk light tuna in water, drained

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse bread and 1 teaspoon oil until coarse crumbs form. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Bake until golden, tossing occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot. Add lemon zest and juice, parsley, olives, and 1 tablespoon oil; toss, adding enough pasta water to coat. Add tuna; toss gently. Serve sprinkled with breadcrumbs.

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.

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.

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.

BB: Tuna Salad

There was definitely no way I was going to work with fresh tuna, so I used canned for this installment of Barefoot Bloggers. It was still fantastically delicious, so I don't feel like I was missing out on anything ;-) I can't wait to make it again!

Tuna Salad
Chosen by Kate of Warm Olives and Cool Cocktails

* 2 pounds very fresh tuna steak, cut 1-inch thick
* 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
* 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
* 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black, plus extra for sprinkling
* 2 limes, zest grated
* 1 teaspoon wasabi powder
* 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (3 limes)
* 2 teaspoons soy sauce
* 10 dashes hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
* 1 to 2 ripe Hass avocados, medium diced
* 1/4 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (2 scallions)
* 1/4 cup red onion, small diced

Directions

Brush the tuna steaks with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the tuna steaks in a very hot saute pan and cook for only 1 minute on each side. Set aside on a platter.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, lime zest, wasabi, lime juice, soy sauce and hot sauce. Add the avocados to the vinaigrette.

Cut the tuna in chunks and place it in a large bowl. Add the scallions and red onion and mix well. Pour the vinaigrette mixture over the tuna and carefully mix.

Spiced Cilantro Shrimp

I got this recipe from one of my favorite sources: Katie at Good Things Catered. I was going to hold off and try it later in the summer, but my husband really wanted to grill last weekend. It ended up being a perfect topping for a fresh salad, and was very easy and quick to put together and cook!



Spiced Cilantro Shrimp Skewers
Source: Good Things Catered

Ingredients:
50 extra large shrimp, shelled and deveined
10 bamboo skewers
juice of 1 lime
juice of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp tequila
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp chili powder
large pinch of salt
freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, finely minced

Directions:
-Soak bamboo skewers for 1 hour
-Shake off bamboo skewers and skewer 5 shrimp onto each skewer.
-Place skewers into 9x13 baking dish and cover with remaining ingredients, except cilantro.
-Toss to combine and let marinate for 10 minutes.
-Preheat grill on high
-Toss skewers to combine again and let marinate for another 5 minutes.
-Bring shrimp to grill, turn grill down to medium and place skewers on racks to cook and get grill marks, about 4 minutes.
-Flip skewers and cook through, about 3 more minutes.
-Remove from grill, plate and sprinkle with fresh cilantro to serve.

Pan Seared Shrimp with Soba and Broccoli

This pan seared shrimp recipe from Cook's Illustrated sounded tasty, easy, and quick. And, it was! I ended up doubling the sauce since I wanted to combine it with some noodles. It was just the right amount and we really enjoyed the flavors.


Pan Seared Shrimp
Source: Cook's Illustrated
Serves 4

For the shrimp:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds shrimp (21/25 count), peeled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon granulated sugar

For the sauce:
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1.5 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
2 teaspoons water
2 scallions, sliced thin

8-12 ounces soba noodles, cooked and drained
2 cups steamed broccoli

1. Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. (Double sauce ingredients if pairing with noodles)

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until smoking. Meanwhile, toss shrimp, salt, red pepper, and sugar in medium bowl. Add half of shrimp to pan in single layer and cook until spotty brown and edges turn pink, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; using tongs, flip each shrimp and let stand until all but very center is opaque, about 30 seconds. Transfer shrimp to large plate. Repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and shrimp; after second batch has stood off heat, return first batch to skillet along with sauce mixture and toss to combine. Cover skillet and let stand until shrimp are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Add cooked soba noodles and steamed broccoli along with remaining sauce. Toss to combine, then serve.

Spiced Shrimp and Barley Risotto

After Christmas, I finally found time to organize my recipes. I came across a lot that I have been meaning to make, so I decided that I'd make new recipes every weekend to work through the list. This weekend, I pulled out my Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, Bridal Edition. I decided to go with a shrimp dish, and saw a recipe for spiced shrimp with rice. I didn't want or have long grain rice, but as I read through the directions, I thought it would be perfect as a risotto! I remembered seeing barley used in risotto recipes, and thought it would be a great way to use up some leftover barley.

I removed all the heat from the original recipe, so while it's not hot-spicy, it's still plenty flavorful. The five-spice powder and saffron play so well together! The green onion garnish adds a wonderful burst of bright flavor, so don't leave it out!


Spiced Shrimp Barley Risotto
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Bridal Edition

~3/4 pound fresh or frozen medium shrimp in shell, peeled and deveined
~1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
~1 teaspoon ground coriander
~1/2 teaspoon 5 spice powder
~1/2 teaspoon paprika
~pinch of saffron threads, or 1/4 teaspoon ground tumeric
~3 tablespoons margarine or butter
~1 tablespoon cooking oil
~1/4 cup finely chopped onion
~3 cloves garlic, minced
~3/4 cup pearl barley
~6 cups water (with 1/2 teaspoon of salt) or chicken broth (I did 4 cups broth and 2 cups water)
~2 green onions, sliced

Directions:

In a large bowl combine ginger, coriander, five-spice powder, paprika, and saffron or turmeric. Toss the shrimp in the spices, and let stand at room temperature for up to 30 minutes. Heat the water or broth in a pot until simmering. Meanwhile, heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add butter and oil and when butter is melted, add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add barley and toss to coat, then heat 2-3 minutes in pan. Add a ladleful of water or broth and stir gently until almost absorbed. Repeat with remaining water or broth. When barley is fully cooked, stir in spiced shrimp and cook until shrimp turn opaque (about 5 minutes). Top with green onions.

BB: Smoked Salmon Spread

This was SUPER easy and delicious! I tried a bit before adding the salmon, as I don't like salmon. I thought it was great, even without, and my husband (who loves salmon) polished off the rest. I served it with sourdough bread (another favorite of his).
Smoked Salmon Spread
from Barefoot Contessa Family Style, page 35
Chosen by Ashley of The Spicy Skillet

~8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
~1/2 cup sour cream
~1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
~1 tablespoon minced fresh dill (I used dried)
~1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, drained (I used horseradish mustard)
~1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
~1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
~1/4 pound (4 ounces) smoked salmon, minced

Cream the cheese in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until just smooth. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, horseradish, salt, and pepper, and mix. Add the smoked salmon and mix well. Chill and serve with crudites or crackers.

The love affair continues...

In celebration of my new found appreciation for spaghetti squash, I've been looking for other ways to incorporate it into dishes (having 2 sitting on the counter is a great motivator!). When I saw a recipe for spicy shrimp over at Lovestoeat, I knew my husband would love it. With every intention of making shrimp, I found myself with some thawed chicken that needed to be used, so I substituted that instead. I ask my husband if he'd rather have spaghetti squash or real pasta (thank goodness he likes it enough for me to be able to ask that!), much to my disappointment, he requested real pasta. I couldn't put my love aside... so... I did it. I made HIM pasta and ME spaghetti squash. He was happy, I was happy, and the oven was on anyway for some cupcakes (and apple crisp, but we won't go there). This turned out GREAT and we both loved it... very light, but full of flavor! Spicy Chicken with Spaghetti Squash
Lovestoeat

~4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (mine were small) or 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
~2 Tbsp Olive Oil
~1/2 chopped Onion
~1/2 tsp Thyme
~1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
~1/2 tsp Black Pepper
~1/2 tsp Basil
~1/2 tsp Tabasco Sauce
~1 Tbsp Garlic, chopped
~1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
~1/2 cups Tomato, peeled and diced (I omitted the peeling step)
~2 Tbsp Sugar-I omitted this
~1/2 cup Green Onions, chopped
~3 cups Chicken Broth
~1 lb Vermicelli or Linguini, or 1 spaghetti squash, cut in half and roasted, then shredded.
~1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated-I omitted this

Directions:
In a large pot, start cooking your pasta (if using). Boil until tender.

Meanwhile, in a non-stick fry pan, sauté the onion in the olive oil for approximately 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir. Add thyme, cayenne and black peppers, and basil and cook at low heat for 5 more minutes. Add everything else except for the pasta, shrimp, and cheese, and cook over low heat for about one-half hour or until the liquid is reduced.

Meanwhile, in another fry pan, sauté the shrimp or chicken in some butter and garlic until three-quarters cooked. Add the onion and garlic mixture and cook for an additional two minutes (or until chicken is cooked through). Add the cooked pasta and toss well with the grated cheese.

Platinum Chef Challenge 7

It's that time again! This round was hosted by Dani of Make No Little Meals and the 5 ingredients were mint, bok choy, mango, yogurt, and panko.

I knew that I could make one dish that had all five, but I only truly love mint in a dessert, so I broke it up. I ended up making two dishes for this, dinner and dessert! (as well as spurring another fantastic idea!)

First, I made Grilled Shrimp and Crab cakes, with Grilled Bok Choy and a Mango Dipping Sauce. I love crab cakes and this was a different and interesting way to have them! I discovered that I love bok choy, and how have a fridge stocked with it! Grilling it was pretty easy, but I found that the tops (green parts) of the leaves aren't terribly hearty when it comes to the grill. I didn't find that part enjoyable to eat. The mango sauce was originally way to strong on the ginger, so I've paired it down for the posted recipe. Overall, they tasted great!
The dessert was a little harder to create. I started with a mint chocolate chip frozen yogurt recipe that called for spinach. I thought it was cute and gave it a shot...... but ultimately it was too spinach-y for me and I didn't care for it. I tried again without the spinach, but still didn't love it. So it was back to the drawing board. I decided to try and lighten up the Gooey Chocolate Cakes I made with the TWD crew, and found success (almost). I replaced butter with yogurt and achieved a wonderfully dense, moist cake, but there was not enough mint and it was lost in the final product. I increased it in the recipe listed below, but next time I'll probably just use peppermint extract to make sure it is strong enough (but such was off-limits for this challenge).

Grilled Shrimp and Crab Cakes with Grilled Bok Choy and Mango Dipping Sauce

For the Shrimp and Crab Cakes
~8 oz shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed; chopped
~8 oz lump crab meat
~1/4 cup plain yogurt
~1/8 cup chopped green onion
~few shakes of hot pepper sauce such as Tabasco
~1 egg
~1 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
~1 Tbsp lime juice
~2 tsp soy sauce
~2 tsp grated ginger root
~3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs, plus additional for rolling

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing just until everything is incorporated. Form into patties or small balls (as I did since I wanted to grill them in my cages) and roll in additional panko. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set. Grill over medium heat for a few minutes on each side.

For Grilled Bok Choy
~about 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
~1 clove garlic, smash or minced/grated
~1 tsp grated ginger
~4 bok choy, sliced in half and rinsed

Add garlic and ginger to evoo, allow to blend for upwards of 30 min to an hour. Brush cut sides of bok choy with the blended evoo. Place cut side down on grill over medium low heat for a few minutes (they don't need much).

For the Mango Dipping Sauce
~2 mangos, skin and seed discarded
~1 clove garlic, minced or grated
~1 tbsp grated ginger
~juice from 1/2 an orange
~juice from 1 lime
~2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
~1 Tbsp sesame seed oil
~1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
~1 Tbsp fresh cilantro
~Lime zest for garnish

Combine all ingredients except garnish in a blender or food processor, pulse to combine. Pour into dipping bowl and garnish with lime zest.


Lighter Gooey Chocolate Cakes
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan, Baking, From My Home to Yours

~1/3 cup AP flour
~3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
~1/4 tsp salt
~4 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips, or chopped bar of chocolate
~1/2 cup drained plain yogurt (place about 1 cup yogurt in cheesecloth or coffee filter in a strainer, set over a bowl and refrigerate for several hours)
~1/4 cup heavy cream
~1 Tbsp fresh mint leaves
~2 large eggs
~1 large egg yolk
~1/2 cup sugar

Getting ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter (or spray – it’s easier) 6 cups of a regular-size muffin pan, preferably a disposable aluminum foil pan, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. (I use 3 - 7 ounce ramekins sprayed with baking spray). Put the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

Sift the flour, cocoa and salt together. Steep the cream and mint leaves together for a few minutes, being careful not to scalb/boil the cream. Combine with yogurt in a small processor or blend and pulse to combine. Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, put the chopped chocolate and the yogurt mixture in the bowl and stir occasionally over the simmering water just until they are melted. Remove the bowl from the pan of water.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and yolk until homogenous. Add the sugar and whisk until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and, still using the whisk, stir (don’t beat) them into the eggs. Little by little, and using a light hand, stir in the melted chocolate and yogurt. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups (or ramekins). Bake the cakes for 13 minutes. (18 minutes for the ramekins)

Transfer them, still on the baking sheet, to a rack to cool for 3 minutes. (There is no way to test that these cakes are properly baked, because the inside remains liquid.) Line a cutting board with a silicone baking mat or parchment or wax paper, and, after the 3-minute rest, unmold the cakes onto the board. Use a wide metal spatula to lift the cakes onto dessert plates.

I then poured a little leftover warmed chocolate ganache over the top, and garnished with some mint whipped cream.

Beautiful Bones: Island Shrimp and Tofu Pizza

I was quite inspired by the latest round of Platinum Chef Challenge (#7) and had a few recipes in mind to try out. The first recipe (Crab cakes) turned out great, but I still wanted to try my back up recipe (shrimp pizza) because I'd really taken the time to plan it out and it sounded so good in my head. I was chatting about my dinner plans with the ladies from What's Cookin, and Elly asked if my pizza was for the Beautiful Bones blogging event. I had never even heard of it, but as I looked into it, I realized this recipe is perfect!

I made a 9 inch pizza (roughly) and got about six slices. Each slice packs 23% of the RDA for calcium and is broken down as follows:
~1/2 mango ............................... 10 mg
~8 large shrimp ......................... 30 mg
~ground flaxseed (1/4 cup) ..... 40mg
~yogurt (2 tbsp) ....................... 50 mg
~1 small bok choy ..................... 70 mg
~3 oz tofu ..................................150 mg
~3 oz goat cheese..................... 450 mg
~3/4 cup mozzarella cheese .. 600 mg
TOTAL ................................... 1400 mg / 6 slices = 230 mg per slice

Island Shrimp and Tofu Pizza
~ 9 inch pizza dough of your choice (I used a whole wheat that included some ground flaxseed in place of some flour to get a little more calcium) :-)
~extra virgin olive oil for spraying

For the mango sauce:
~1/2 of a mango, seed and skin discarded
~juice from 1/2 of a lime (I had exceptionally large limes, so if yours are small, feel free to use the whole lime)
~2 tbsp plain yogurt
~few dashes of hot sauce, such as Frank's

For the toppings:
~3-4 oz extra firm tofu
~1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
~juice from 1/2 of a large lime
~ 1 clove of garlic, minced, grated or pressed
~1/3 cup soy sauce
~about 8 raw shrimp, peeled and cleaned
~roughly 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), enough to coat shrimp
~1 baby bok choy, leaves separated and rinsed
~3 oz goat cheese, sliced
~3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Combine tofu, ginger, lime juice, garlic and soy sauce in a small bowl. Refrigerate to marinate for 30 min to 1 hour. Meanwhile, combine ingredients for mango sauce in a blender and puree. Divide sauce, about 1/3 in a small bowl for coating shrimp, the remainder reserved for topping on the dough
2. Spray pizza dough with extra-virgin olive oil and place on the grill. As the dough cooks, it will firm up. Flip when it is firm enough. Meanwhile, place the panko in a shallow bowl or plate. Dip shrimp in mango sauce, then coat with panko. Grill shrimp, 2 to 3 min on each side.
3. When dough is ready and shrimp are done, remove dough for addition of toppings (or, if you are more talented than I, do so right on the grill!) Add the reserved mango sauce, about 1/2 the mozzarella cheese, then top with the tofu, bok choy, shrimp, goat cheese, then finish with remaining mozzarella cheese. Heat unil dough is finished and mozzarella cheese is melted. Slice and enjoy!