Remake…

Monday’s dinner was simply a remake of these fabulous crab cakes but instead of celery I subbed in some green bell pepper.

Here’s a new tip though: get yourself to Trader Joe’s and stock up on their canned crabmeat.  At $1.99 it is much cheaper than other varieties you will find but that does not mean you are sacrificing any of the quality.  The Trader Joe’s crabmeat also contains some of the legmeat meaning which comes in larger pieces, so you may need to break it up a bit with a fork,

Do you shop at Trader Joe’s?  What’s one of your favorite finds there?

Maryland in NYC Crab Cakes

The original plan for last night’s dinner was to make pizza but someone decided to treat me to a homemade meal instead.

And who wouldn’t love simple crab cakes, quinoa & sauteed spinach.  Delicious, healthy and easy, last night’s cook knows what I like!

Using canned crabmeat makes these cakes a more affordable version for during the week but if you have fresh crabmeat, that works too.

Crab Cakes

(makes 4 medium crab cakes)

6 oz. can white or lump crabmeat, drained and broken up with a fork

3/4 cup finely diced celery

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp ground mustard

1/2 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp salt

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp butter

Combine first 8 ingredients in a medium sized bowl.  Divide mixture into four portions and form into inch thick patties. Place a skillet (non stick or cast iron work well) over medium heat with olive oil and half of the butter.  Once the pan is hot & the butter has melted, place crab cakes in the skillet.  Cook on first side about 5-8 minutes or until lightly browned.  Add remaining butter to the skillet and flip over the cakes.  Cook another 7 minutes or until heated through.

Serve with your choice of dipping sauces.  Hot sauce or cocktail sauce are our favorites!

Quinoa

Quinoa is a great food to add to your weekly menus.  It is quick cooking and has a whole host of nutritional benefits.  Although many think of it is as a grain, quinoa is more closely related to beets and spinach.  Because quinoa is a complete protein and it contains all nine essential amino acids it is believed to improve stamina & endurance.  Other benefits include cardiovascular health, migraine & cancer prevention.

Cook according to the package instructions and feel free to add a bit of olive oil & salt to the cooking water.  Once cooked, chopped tomatoes make a great addition to the dish.

My compliments to the chef! 🙂