Creole Crab Cakes – Served Two Ways

I’m so glad that I found this recipe from the Project Foodie blog when planning my recent Mardi Gras Feast. The resulting crab cakes were slightly spicy, but without too much filler and kept the crab meat as the star of the show. The recipe below makes about 6 large cakes. I recommend serving it with my Red Pepper Remoulade.

Oh, and those “two ways” I mentioned in the title?

As appetizer or light lunch …

Or on a fresh roll as a sandwich.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound best-quality lump crab meat (not pasteurized)
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
  
• ½ small onion, finely chopped
  
• ½ poblano chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
  
• 1 garlic clove, minced
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• ¼ teaspoon pure chile powder (like ancho, New Mexico, or chipotle)
  
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
  
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
  
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
  
• 1 teaspoon Creole (or whole-grain) mustard
  
• Several dashes of Louisiana hot sauce
  
• 1 scallion (white and green parts), finely chopped
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
  
• Juice of ½ lemon
  
• ¾ cup fresh bread crumbs
  
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more as needed
  

Directions:

1. Place the crab meat in a large mixing bowl and carefully pick through for shells, then set aside.
   
2. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, poblano, garlic, salt, chile powder, black pepper, and cayenne and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are softened but not brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a mixing bowl and set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.
   
3. Add the crab, the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, hot sauce, scallion, parsley, lemon juice, and ¼ cup of the bread crumbs to the vegetable mixture. Using your hands, gently combine the ingredients.
   
4. Using a 1-cup measuring cup, form the mixture into cakes, packing gently; they should look like hockey pucks, about 2 inches thick with straight sides. Cover the cakes and chill for 20 to 30 minutes, or overnight.
   
5. When you are ready to cook the crab cakes, place the remaining ½ cup bread crumbs in a pie tin. Dredge both sides of each cake in the crumbs, shaking off the excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, fry the crab cakes for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Do not overcrowd the pan-fry in batches if necessary, adding more oil if needed. Serve immediately, with Jalapeño Remoulade.

Baked Falafel Patties

I only first tried falafel a few weeks ago while at Juniper 61 for a girls’ dinner. I immediately fell in love. I’m not sure what I was, or wasn’t, expecting, but they were savory, spiced, full-flavored, in a word: delicious. They were also fried, which meant I would not be making them at home. As a rule, I don’t fry things. First off, it’s messy. Secondly, it’s smelly. Thirdly, I really don’t need to get into the habit of frying things at home. Thankfully, the idea of a baked falafel wasn’t a new one, and I easily found this recipe on Chow Vegan. I only made a couple of adjustments to the original: using a food processor and starting with dried chickpeas. Yes, at the same time I made the recipe easier, I also made it more time consuming. Story. of. my. Life. It’s actually not all that much more work to start with the dried beans, you’ll just need to plan ahead more, as they will need to soak for 12 to 24 hours, and then simmer for 2.

I served these with with tzatziki in pita pockets, but I think they would be great on a Greek inspired salad as well, or even as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

• ½ cups Dried Chickpeas
  
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
  
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  
• 1 Small Yellow Onion, peeled and quartered
  
• 2 to 3 Cloves Garlic, peeled
  
• 3 Tbsp Fresh Parsley
  
• 1 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro
  
• Juice of ½ a Lemon
  
• 1 tsp Olive Oil
  
• 1 tsp Coriander
  
• 1 tsp Cumin
  
• ½ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  
• 2 Tbsp Flour
  
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Directions:

1. Rinse and soak chickpeas overnight in enough water to cover 2 inches above the top of the beans. Soak for 12 to 24 hours. Drain beans and transfer to a pot and cover with water, again, 2 inches above top of beans. Stir in baking soda and salt. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer for 2 hours.
   
2. Add onion to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add garlic and pulse a few more times. Add in chickpeas and rest of the ingredients. Pulse until just smooth.
   
3. Using an ice cream, cookie, or similar, scoop, place balls about an inch apart on a cookie sheet sprayed with olive oil, or nonstick, spray. I did this on my silpat for extra insurance of easy removal. Flatten slightly, spray tops with olive oil or nonstick spray, and then allow to chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or until ready to bake.
   
4. Preheat oven to 375⁰. Bake for 15 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. I found that a 2 spatula method worked best when flipping.
   
5. Serve with mini pita pockets, hummus, tahini sauce, tomatoes, lettuce and/or cucumber.
   

 

Servings – 8 @ 2 patties per serving

WW Points – 1 pt per 2 patties

Grilled Shrimp Po’ Boys

This was adapted from Ezra Pound Cake‘s recipe. I knew we’d have to try it soon, as we love spice, and I’ve been enjoying working shrimp into our menus. Bags of frozen shrimp are reasonably priced, and can be used in many various ways and recipes. I scoop up a bag when they’re on sale, and thaw as needed for meals. Oh, and I have stopped bothering with the shrimp at the grocery seafood counter, because, unless they specifically say otherwise, they’ve all been previously frozen anyways, so what’s the difference? Oh yeah, price and ability to go bad quickly.

I think I’ll have to take a picture of this one without the bun next time we have these and update the post, as this really doesn’t do justice to the spicy yumminess that’s inside. We like spice, so I think this has a really great balance, but if you’re concerned with it being “overly” spicy, wait to top with remoulade until you try the shrimp.

I didn’t feel like grilling, so I sautéed these on the stove over medium high heat for two minutes on each side. They were served with Baked Zucchini Chips, which were a great compliment and alternative to fries.

Ingredients:

Creole Spice Blend:

• 2 ½ tsp Paprika
  
• 2 tsp Salt
  
• 2 tsp Garlic Powder
  
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
  
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
• 1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
  
• 1 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
  

Shrimp:

• ½ lb Shrimp, peeled and deveined
  
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  
• 1 Tbsp Penzey’s Cajun Seasoning or Creole Spice Blend (recipe above)
  
• 2 Club Rolls
  
• 1 cup Shredded Slaw Blend Cabbage
  
• 1 Tomato, sliced
  

Remoulade Sauce:

• ½ cup Mayonnaise
  
• 1 Tbsp Mustard, Creole or Whole Grain
  
• 1 Tbsp Ketchup
  
• 1 Tbsp Horseradish
  
• 1 small Clove Garlic
  
• 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  
• 1 tsp Capers
  
• 1 Green Onion, chopped
  
• ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
  
• ¼ tsp Paprika
  
• Hot Sauce to taste
  

Directions:

Creole Spice Blend (if using):

1. Mix all spices together and keep in an airtight container.
   

Remoulade Sauce:

1. Blend everything in a food processor, or with hand blender, until smooth.
   
2. Made at least an hour ahead of time, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
   

Shrimp:

1. Toss the shrimp in the oil and seasonings to coat. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.
   
2. Grill the shrimp until cooked, about 2-3 minutes per side.
   
3. Toss cabbage in ¼ cup of Remoulade.
   
4. Assemble sandwich.

Buffalo Chicken Burgers

These are an adaptation of the previously posted Tequila Chicken Burgers, with some inspiration from The Active Foodie’s
Boneless Buffalo Strip recipe.

I really couldn’t have asked them to turn out any better than they did. They have a nice flavor and spice without being too hot, and the blue cheese mayo is a perfect complement to keep any overwhelming spice in check.

Ingredients:

Burgers:

• 1 lb Ground Chicken
  
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
  
• 1 tsp Salt
  
• 1 tsp Pepper, freshly ground
  
• 1 Tbsp Sriracha
  
• 2 Tbsp Frank’s Red Hot
  
• 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  
• 1 ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
  
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
  
• ¼ cup Parsley, finely chopped
  
• ¼ cup Celery, finely minced
  
• ½ cup Panko Bread Crumbs
  
• ½ cup Blue Cheese, crumbled
  
• Olive Oil
  

For serving:

• Burger Buns
  
• Grilled Onion Slices
  
• Tomato Slices
  
• Lettuce
  
• Blue Cheese Mayo:
  
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
    
  • ½ cup mayo
    
  • ¼ cup Blue Cheese, crumbled
    
  • 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
    
  • ½ tsp Salt
    
  • 1 tsp Pepper, freshly ground
    

Directions:

1. Combine the garlic, salt, pepper, Sriracha, Frank’s, vinegar, paprika, chili powder, and chicken breasts. Mix in the parsley, blue cheese, celery, and panko. Make sure all ingredients are well blended. Chill for 1 to 4 hours to allow flavors to meld.
   
2. Light grill, and preheat on high for 5 minutes.
   
3. Form the mixture into 4 patties, bushing all sides lighting with olive oil. Grill burgers, turning flame down to a medium, for about 16 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking to brown both sides. Cover with foil, and allow to rest for a minute or two. Serve on buns with onion, tomato, lettuce, and blue cheese mayo as desired.

Tequila Chicken Burgers

Jim doesn’t usually like when I “mess” with certain foods, and burgers are usually one of them, so I was excited when he was okay with trying this recipe from Annie’s Eats for a “messed with” burger.

We both thought these were great, and I will definitely be making them again. The cilantro mayo is a must, and I don’t really recommend dressing these with ketchup, as the flavors don’t really go. The cilantro mayo makes a great dipping sauce for sweet potato fries as well.

Look forward to more chicken burger variations to come. I’m already thinking of Buffalo Chicken, and Marsala, and I’m sure more will come to mind as well. The traditional beef burger will always have its place on our grill, but it will have to move over every once in awhile to make room for chicken.

Ingredients:

Burgers:

• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
  
• ½-1 Jalapeño Pepper, seeded and minced
  
• 1 lb Ground Chicken
  
• 3-4 tbsp. Cilantro, finely chopped
  
• Zest of ½ a lime
  
• 1 oz. tequila
  
• Dash of Soy Sauce
  
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
  
• 1 tsp Pepper, freshly ground
  
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
  
• Olive Oil
  

For serving:

• Burger buns
  
• Grilled Bell Peppers & Red Onion
  
• Lettuce
  
• Cilantro Mayo:
  
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
    
  • ½ cup mayo
    
  • ½ cup cilantro
    
  • ½ tsp Salt
    
  • Zest of 1 Lime
    
  • Juice of 1 Lime
    

Directions:

1. Combine the garlic, jalapeno, chicken breasts, cilantro and lime zest. Mix in the tequila, soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste, and panko. Make sure all ingredients are well blended. Move onto next steps, or refrigerate until ready to grill.
   
2. Light grill, and preheat on high for 5 minutes.
   
3. Form the mixture into 4 patties, bushing all sides lighting with olive oil. Grill burgers, turning flame down to a medium, for about 16 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking to brown both sides. Cover with foil, and allow to rest for a minute or two. Serve on buns with bell pepper and onion, and lettuce as desired.

Pork Meatball Banh Mi

This is a Bon Appétit
recipe that I first saw in their January 2010 issue, but was truly inspired to try when posted in the blog Oishii Food. This is an amazing little sandwich. It’s spicy, savory, and slightly sweet, with the tenderness of the meatballs contrasting with the crunchiness of the bread and quick pickled vegetables. I recommend making the mayo and meat mixture ahead of time to allow the flavors to meld. This worked great for a quick Monday night meal, as I had completed those 2 steps on Sunday afternoon.

I served it with sweet potato fries, which were downright addictive when dipped into some of the extra Hot Chili Mayo. This would also make a delicious slider for an Asian inspired appetizer. Instead of a 1″ meatball, use a cookie scoop, and press the top down slightly to form a patty, and then serve on toasted rolls.

Ingredients:

Hot Chili Mayo:

• 2/3 cup Mayonnaise
  
• 2 Green Onions, finely chopped
  
• 1 Tbsp Sriracha
  

Meatballs:

• 1 lb Ground Pork
  
• ¼ cup Fresh Basil, finely chopped
  
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
  
• 3 Green Onions, finely chopped
  
• 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
  
• 1 Tbsp Sriracha
  
• 1 Tbsp Sugar
  
• 2 Tbsp Cornstarch
  
• 1 tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground
  
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  

Sandwiches:

• 2 cups Carrots, coarsely grated
  
• 2 cups Daikon Radish or Jicama, peeled and coarsely grated peeled
  
• ¼ cup Unseasoned Rice Vinegar
  
• ¼ cup Sugar
  
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  
• 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
  
• 4 10-inch-long individual baguettes or four 10-inch-long pieces French-bread baguette (cut from 2 baguettes)
  
• Thinly sliced jalapeño chiles
  
• 16 large fresh cilantro sprigs
  

Directions:

Hot Chili Mayo:

1. Stir all ingredients in small bowl. Season with salt.
   
2. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
   

Meatballs:

1. Gently mix all ingredients in large bowl. This can be done ahead of time, and kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
   
2. Using moistened hands and scant tablespoonful for each, roll meat mixture into 1-inch meatballs.
   

Sandwiches:

1. Toss first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour, tossing occasionally.
   
2. Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat sesame oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of meatballs. Sauté until brown and cooked through, turning meatballs often and lowering heat if browning too quickly, about 15 minutes. Transfer meatballs to another rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining meatballs.
   
3. Cut each baguette, or baguette piece, horizontally in half. Pull out enough bread from each half to leave 1/2-inch-thick shell.
   
4. Spread hot chili mayo over each bread shell. Arrange jalapeños, then cilantro, in bottom halves. Fill each with 1/4 of meatballs.
   
5. Drain pickled vegetables; place atop meatballs. Press on baguette tops.

Chipotle Chicken Sloppy Joes

This popped into my head one day when I was using one chipotle out of a can of 20. I based the recipe below off of Tyler Florence’s
Ultimate Sloppy Joe recipe from Food Network.com.

Ingredients:

• Olive Oil
• 1 large Onion, diced
• 1 Red Pepper, diced
• 1 ½ pounds lean ground Chicken
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1 to 2 Chipotle Peppers, depending on taste, finely minced
• ¼ cup Dijon Mustard
• ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
• ½ Cup Beer
• 1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
• Rolls

Directions:

1. Set a heavy-based pot over medium-high heat and add a 3-count of olive oil.
2. Add onions and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. Stir in red pepper and sauté for about 2 to 3 minutes longer.
3. Add ground chicken, season well with salt and pepper and brown well all over, breaking it up with a wooden spoon – about 7 to 10 minutes.
4. Add ketchup, chipotles, mustard, cayenne, brown sugar, tomato paste, and beer.
5. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Finish with a splash of red wine vinegar and season it once more before serving

Hollander Lion Patty Melt

The go-to place for the last three girls’ meals in a row now has been a Belgian influenced restaurant called Café Hollander. It’s a really warm low-key type of place with great wines and beers on tap and a menu of homey favorites. Well, homey if you’re Belgian, so I guess I’m just guessing on that one, but trust me, it’s all really yummy. I have enjoyed two of their signature burgers the Hollander, featuring sautéed mushrooms and Swiss cheese, and the Lion, with Gouda, ale braised onions, and whole grain mustard. They were both heaven, and I recently decided that I needed to recreate that heaven at home. Now, this is by no means takes the place of some serious girl talk over burgers, fries with fantastic dipping sauces, and wine, but it’s a nice substitute while you’re waiting for schedules to work out again soon.

I am making this while Jim is at his brother’s house helping to remodel his bathroom. They only have one in the house, so it’s a whirlwind week of my not having to cook for, or see, him for an entire week. My point? This is a recipe for one, and you’ll want to double, triple, or quadruple accordingly, because you may want 2 or 3 or 4. This is especially excellent with oven fries dipped into remaining garlic mayo.

Ingredients:

• 5 Cremini Mushrooms, sliced
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 1 tsp Thyme, fresh is preferred, but dried will do fine
• Salt
• 1 shallot or ½ Red Onion, sliced thin
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• ½ cup White Wine or Beer, divided
• ¼ cup Mayonnaise
• 4 cloves garlic, divided
• Beef Patty
• Swiss Cheese, thinly sliced
• Whole Grain Mustard
• Bun or Sliced Italian Bread, toasted

Directions:

1. Melt butter over medium heat in sauté pan. Toss in mushrooms and sauté until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add in thyme and a pinch of salt, and cook for an additional minute or two. Transfer to plate or ramekin.
2. Add in Olive Oil to warm pan and mix in shallots or onion slices. Sprinkle another pinch of salt into the onions. Turn down heat to a medium-low and pour in about ¼ cup of wine. When that has evaporated and cooked into the onions, add in the other ¼ cup of wine. Once that has cooked into the onions, they should be slightly sweet. Transfer to a plate or another ramekin.
3. Preheat oven to 500⁰. Roast 3 cloves, with skin on, for 5 minutes. Mince roasted garlic with raw garlic clove and mix into Mayonnaise, or blend everything together with a hand blender. Set aside.
4. Salt and pepper both sides of beef patty. Over medium heat, sauté hamburger for 3 to 4 minutes each side. Once sides have browned, stack on onions, mushrooms, and then cheese. Turn down heat and cover pan so that cheese can melt, another 5 minutes or so.
5. While cheese is melting, spread about 1 teaspoon of the garlic mayo on each side of the bum. Spread mustard on top half of bun. Once cheese is melted, place beef patty onto bottom half on bun, top with other half and enjoy!

Herbed Turkey Meatball Subs

This is another recipe from Everyday with RR. We really liked how it turned out, though it dawned on me when we were eating that I could “correct” the issue of messy meatball sandwiches by simply making them in patty form next time around. Oh, and if your local grocery store is out of pancetta (Grrr!) bacon works too.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  
• Five 6-inch hoagie rolls
  
• 3 onions, halved and sliced
  
• 2 cloves garlic
  
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  
• 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves
  
• 6 ounces sliced pancetta, chopped
  
• 1 pound ground turkey
  
• 1 large egg
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
  
• Salt and pepper
  
• One 15-ounce can tomato puree
  
• 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
  

 

Directions:

1. In a large nonstick skillet, toast the fennel seeds over medium heat. Transfer to a large bowl and reserve the skillet. Using a food processor, pulse 1 hoagie roll into crumbs; add 3/4 cup crumbs to the bowl.
   
2. Using the food processor, finely chop 1 cup onion slices and the garlic. In the reserved skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic-onion mixture and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes; add to the bowl, wiping out the skillet. Using the food processor, finely chop 1/4 cup basil; add the pancetta and pulse until finely chopped. Add to the bowl along with the turkey, egg, oregano and 1/2 teaspoon salt; mix together.
   
3. Shape the meat mixture into 16 meatballs. In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the remaining onions and cook until browned, about 7 minutes; transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the meatballs and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree, season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover with foil and cook until the meatballs are firm, 10 to 12 minutes.
   
4. Preheat the broiler. Partially split the remaining 4 hoagie rolls; arrange cut side up on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Broil until toasted. Top each roll with 4 meatballs. Chop the remaining 1/2 cup basil and stir into the tomato sauce; spoon over the meatballs. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and broil until the cheese is melted.
   

Baked Ham & Swiss Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of Ham
  
• 2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded
  
• 1 Tbsp poppy seed
  
• 1 Tbsp onion, dried minced
  
• 1 Tbsp yellow mustard
  
• 1 stick butter, melted
  
• 1 Dozen silver dollar sized rolls
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350⁰
   
2. Place ham in food processor and pulse until chopped. Transfer to bowl and mix in poppy seeds, minced onion, and mustard. Once combined, mix in butter 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture is moist and starts to stick together. This may not require the entire stick of butter.
   
3. Scoop mixture onto split rolls and wrap with foil. At this point, sandwiches could be refrigerated or frozen for later use.
   
4. Transfer wrapped rolls to baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.