Food Flavor Fun:Meatless Friday Recipes

Food Flavor Fun
We continue our Lenten Series: Meatless Friday Recipes with Tom Neeb, author of Food Flavor Fun. Today he offers up a Louisiana Crab Cake recipe. Please visit Food Flavor Fun or Luxury Palate for more great recipes and food ideas.

Hi everybody. My name is Tom Neeb and I’m really excited to get the opportunity to share some great meatless recipes with you for your Lenten Friday. A huge THANK YOU to Joe Catholic for allowing me this opportunity.

I’m so glad you’ve found your way here. Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!

Crab Cakes are often served as a small plate item. I can make a whole meal of them…and I do. The sauce is terrific. Keep the extra and put it on a burger, sandwich or other dish later. Just keep in sealed and refrigerated. It will keep for about a week in the fridge. So tasty. A must try.

Louisiana Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce

Creole Remoulade Sauce

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions (green and white part)
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 3 tablespoons Creole mustard
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (yeah, that pepper mill thing!)

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a blender or a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until fairly smooth, about 30 seconds.

Transfer to an air-tight container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.

The sauce will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. Makes about 2 cups.

Louisiana Crab Cakes

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme  
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onions
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons dried fine bread crumbs
• 1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked for shells and cartilage
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the dry seasonings.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Combine the mayonnaise, a little at the time, with the cooked vegetables, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon of the seasoning mix in a large bowl, and mix well. Gently fold in the crabmeat.

Combine the flour with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the seasoning mix in a shallow bowl and mix well. Combine the remaining 1 cup of bread crumbs with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of seasoning mix in another bowl. Whisk 1 egg with the milk in another bowl.

Using your hands, form mini cakes with the crabmeat mixture, packing gently but firmly. Dredge each crab cake in the flour mixture, then in the egg wash, then the bread crumb mixture, shaking to remove any excess breading.

Heat 1/2 cup of vegetable oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Pan-fry the crab cakes 3 or 4 at a time until golden brown, about 4 1/2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.

To serve, arrange the crab cakes on a platter and top each with a spoonful of the rémoulade sauce. Serve hot.

About Tom Neeb
Tom Neeb, author of Taste the Flavor Cookbook and owner of Food Flavor Fun and Luxury Palate will be sharing some of his great East Texas roots' recipes throughout the season of Lent. Tom is by profession an Information Technology geek/manager with a large financial services provider. In his spare time and by necessity, he learned to cook. Why? “Because I like to eat! I like food with great flavor… And who does not like to have fun?” Tom is passionate about sharing his love for good food, good friends and good times. Tom is also a member of our local parish, St. Catherine of Siena, and a regular attendee at Joe Catholic. You can follow Tom's blog and all his great recipe ideas at Food Flavor Fun or on Facebook and Twitter.