Crab Cakes with Red Pepper Chipotle Lime Sauce & Sauteed Vegetables

Crab Cakes adapted from skinnytaste.com
Vegetables courtesy of Plated Perfection


Last night we were craving crab cakes (because why not?!). I wanted to make a healthier version, so I went to one of my favorite blogs - skinnytaste.com. Her recipes are so tasty and healthy at the same time. I was a little short on the crab meat, so mine turned out a little too "liquidy"...make sure you have enough crab meat! The flavor was great though and so was the sauce! Enjoy!


Ingredients:
Crab Cakes

9 ounces lump crab meat, picked free of shells

1/2 cup (about 13) reduced fat Ritz crackers, crushed

1 whole egg plus 1 egg white, beaten

2 finely chopped scallions

2 tbsp finely chopped red bell pepper

1 tbsp low fat mayonnaise (I used greek yogurt)

2 tbsp fresh cilantro (or parsley)

1/2 lime, juiced

salt and pepper to taste

cooking spray

Red Pepper Chipotle Lime Sauce

1 tbsp roasted peppers (jarred)

1/4 cup light mayonnaise (I used greek yogurt)

1 tsp minced canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce

1 tsp fresh lime juice

Sautéed Vegetables

~1/2 cup zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and then cut into 1/2 inch pieces

~1/2 cup asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

~1/2 cup red bell pepper, cut into chunks

1 clove garlic, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

dash of salt-free Italian blend seasoning

1 tb olive oil

Directions:
For the sauce, in a small blender (or magic bullet) puree greek yogurt/mayonnaise, lime juice, roasted pepper and chipotle pepper. Set aside.


In a large bowl, combine crushed crackers, eggs, scallions, pepper, mayo, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix well, then fold in crab meat, careful not to over mix so the crab remains in large chunks. Gently shape into patties using a 1/2 cup measuring cup. Chill in the refrigerator at least 1/2 hour before baking.

In a skillet, heat 1 tb olive oil and toss in the garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add in the vegetables and seasonings and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.


Preheat oven to 400°. Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Bake about 8-10 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Drizzle red pepper chipotle lime sauce over crab cakes and serve with the vegetables.

Lemony Salsa Verde Scallops with Mashed Cauliflower

Lemony Salsa Verde courtesy of Epicurious
Mashed Cauliflower courtesy of Plated Perfection


This recipe was perfect for a healthy weeknight meal, and the sauce was very bright and refreshing. It would also be great on a mild, white fish!


Ingredients:
Lemony Salsa Verde

1/2 lemon (with peel), seeded, chopped (I didn't include the peel)

1 finely chopped small shallot

1 finely chopped garlic clove

Salt and pepper

1 cup olive oil (I adjusted this to about 3/4 cup olive oil)

3/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

Lemon juice

1 pound fresh sea scallops

1 tb olive oil

Mashed Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

1/3 cup reduced fat sour cream

1 tb butter

salt and pepper to taste

splash of skim milk

Directions:

Combine 1/2 lemon (with peel), seeded, chopped, 1 finely chopped small shallot, and 1 finely chopped garlic clove; season with salt and pepper. Let sit 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup olive oil, 3/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley, 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, if desired.

In a pot, bring a pot of water to boil. Add the cauliflower and boil approximately 10-15 minutes or until somewhat tender. Drain and add to a large bowl. Using a masher, begin to mash the cauliflower and add the sour cream, butter and salt and pepper. Mash until smooth.

In the meantime, heat the 1 tb olive oil (or butter) in a skillet over medium-high heat. Pat dry and season the scallops with a dash of salt and pepper. Sear on each side for approximately 3 minutes until browned on each side. Serve scallops with the salsa verde on top, alongside the cauliflower.

Prosciutto & Vegetable Frittata

Courtesy of Plated Perfection

It's been quite some time since I've made a frittata, and since we are kicking off "Dry August", I figured a healthy breakfast to have on hand for the next few days would be ideal. In an attempt to lose some weight, we have decided not to drink in August (with the exception of our wedding anniversary and another event), but otherwise, it'll be a lot of staying in and cooking this month! Get ready for more posts! This frittata came out great and will be so easy to heat up the next couple of mornings. You can get creative with your ingredients, but this is what I had on hand and it went great together! Give it a try!

Ingredients:
8 large eggs
1/4 cup skim milk
1/4 cup shredded cheddar (optional)
1/2 zucchini, diced
1/2 shallot, diced
1/2 bunch asparagus, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1-2 tb olive oil
4 oz diced prosciutto (I buy this already packaged from Citterio - it's much leaner than pancetta)
dash of salt and pepper
non-stick cooking spray
parsley (for garnish)

Directions:
In a saute pan, heat 1-2 tb olive oil and cook the zucchini and asparagus over medium-high heat for approximately 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add in the shallot and cook another 1-2 minutes. Toss in the prosciutto and stir together to blend the flavors. Remove from the heat and place in a bowl to cool off for a few minutes (you don't want to add a hot mixture to the whisked eggs as it'll start cooking them). While the vegetables are softening, whisk together the eggs, milk, cheese, and a dash of salt and pepper. Also add a dash of pepper to the vegetable mixture (you won't need the salt with the prosciutto). Preheat the broiler to high. Once the vegetables have cooled a bit, add them to the egg mixture. Spray a skillet with non-stick cooking spray and pour in the egg/vegetable mixture. Heat the mixture over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes, until the sides are set but there is still a loose egg mixture in the middle. Place in the broiler and broil for 5 minutes on high heat, with the oven cracked. Remove and top with parsley and serve.