Recipe Tuesday ~ Zesty Crab Cakes

Sorry I didn't get my blog updated yesterday.  I'm doing vacation fill-in at work this week, so that means that every day except today I have to be in the office around 6am (today I go in at noon).  That doesn't give me as much "morning time" as I'd normally like.  Getting up at 5am to get cleaned up, coffee and breakfast made, and out the door is about all I can do.  Needless to say I might not be updating every day this week, but I'll do my best so keep checking back.  Dont' leave me!  

Susan asked me last week if I eat the pasta when I make pasta salad, given my low-carb way of life.  Well, there's not a short yes or no answer to this one.  NORMALLY, I'd eat just a bit of the pasta, because pasta isn't pasta if you don't eat the pasta, but I don't eat much.  Now that being said, we've all been eating pretty poorly around here due to time and budget constraints.  I love eating healthy, but I'd be a liar if I said that it doesn't take some time and planning.  It also isn't cheap, and while I'm not normally a penny pincher at the grocery store, I'm sure everybody has noticed how food has gone through the ceiling.  

I've gained some of my weight back and I feel pretty disgusted and ashamed about it to be honest.  I've also been noticing that I'm starting to get some of those familiar pains in my back, hips and legs again, and it was pretty bad a few days last week after painting those kitchen cabinets. So yesterday I started treatment again with my boss, because I don't want to keep ignoring my back pain like I did in 2006 and end up like an old woman again.  And yes, he got on my case for not taking better care of my back and my weight, and I deserved it.  It was the kick that I needed.  

SO....we're back on the Beach, big time.  We leave for the real beach in a little over a month, so my goal is to lose 10-15 lbs before we leave. That's an aggressive goal, indeed.  I probably won't make it, but I'm sure going to try.  The whole family is involved as well, so it'll be good for all of us.  I'll keep you posted on my progress.

And with that being said, today I'm posting my revision of a recipe that I haven't tried yet.  I think I'll do this Thursday night for dinner.  I love crab cakes.  Even despite high food prices, you have to keep the family happy while eating healthy, and crab cakes are one of my favorite things ever!

Crab Cakes

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 rib celery, finely chopped

1 egg white

2 Tablespoons of ground walnuts

2 Tablespoons light mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp celery seeds

1/2 tsp dry mustard 

1/2 tsp paprika

1 pound lump crabmeat, flaked and drained

1/2 tsp hot pepper or tabasco sauce

1 C fresh whole grain bread crumbs

fresh parsley

Heat oil in a non stick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook for 5 mins or until soft. Remove to a large bowl. Stir in egg white, walnuts, parsley, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, celery seed and paprika. Blend with a fork. Stir in the crabmeat and the hot pepper sauce. Mix well.  Form into 8 patties.  Place the bread crumbs in a shallow bowl.  Roll patties in bread crumbs to coat completely. 

Heat large non stick skillet with cooking spray over medium heat. Working in batches if necessary, add the crab cakes and cook for 2 mins. Cover and cook 1 minute longer, or until brown on the bottom. Coat the tops with cooking spray and flip over. Cook for two more minutes uncovered until golden brown.  Serve with pepper sauce, below.

Creamy Pepper Sauce

Blend the following in a food processor and then serve on hot crab cakes:

2 jars roasted red peppers, drained

1/2 C light mayonnaise

salt to taste

squeeze of fresh lemon juice

ground black pepper

Comments

[welli designs]

hmm sounds like a really yummy recipe
gonna give it a try if I can find all ingredients here :-)

[Eve]

Those sound yummy Barb!! We are also having trouble staying on track with the healthy eating with prices so high it is just seems much cheaper to grab a bag of pasta and some sauce. At least I try and make it whole wheat pasta!

[Jan C.]

Hi from the beach, friend! If you love crab cakes, I guess you should visit Ocean City, MD, sometime. I don't know how many restaurants there are here that specialize in crab cakes--I've lost count. And crab is the one food I am allergic to, if you can imagine the torture!

Good luck on the diet, and post those before and afters of Janet's kitchen cabinets. I am dying to see the transformation!

[Roxanna]

another recipe for me to try. . .

good luck with the diet!

[Carjazi]

Sorry I haven't been by. I was trying to play catch up last night and read the past few days posts but "baby" needed something so I got sidetracked. Thanks for your concern over my lack of posts too. lol. Detroit was fun, but I didn't "go" anywhere, didn't even get my coney dog. Oh well. Your crab cakes sound divine. Good luck with the beach.

[Liz]

I stumbled onto your blog this afternoon, love it! And I was JUST looking for a good crab cake recipe.

[Heather]

Good luck with losing weight again! It's always so hard! that recipe looks delicious. I always wish I wasn't allergic to seafood when you post an awesome recipe!

[Kate Teague]

My hubby loves crab- I am said to say I have never tried crab cakes- maybe I should! On the west here we have salmon burgers as the seaside cake du jour. I'd have one happy hubby.