Seafood Feast for my Dad!

My dad and his girl friend Bev came to visit this past weekend, which was very exciting! They requested a Plated Perfection meal :) so that's what we did. Nick made lobster tails and I made crab cakes and roasted lemon chive vegetables. Dad and Bev provided the vino -- can't go wrong with that combination! I highly recommend this recipe!

Crab Cakes:

• 1/4  cup  finely chopped red onion
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh parsley
• 3  tablespoons  light mayonnaise
• 2  teaspoons  Dijon mustard
• 3/4  teaspoon  Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2  teaspoon  Worcestershire sauce
• 2  egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1  pound  lump crabmeat, drained and shell pieces removed
• 3/4 cup  panko or Italian breadcrumbs

1) To prepare crab cakes, combine first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl. Gently fold in crabmeat. Gently stir in 3/4 cup panko. Cover and chill 15-30 minutes.

2) Divide crab mixture into 8 equal portions (about 1/2 cup each); shape each into a 3/4-inch-thick patty. If using panko, place 3/4 cup panko in a shallow dish. Working with 1 patty at a time, dredge in panko. Repeat procedure with the remaining patties and panko. This step isn't necessary if using the Italian breadcrumbs (which is what I used).

3) Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat both sides of crab cakes with cooking spray. if desired. Add 4 crab cakes to pan; cook 7 minutes. Carefully turn cakes over; cook 7 minutes or until golden. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, cooking spray, and remaining 4 crab cakes.

Roasted Lemon Chive Vegetables:
 * The vegetables you use can vary depending on what you are in the mood for. The key is to have them all cut so that they will cook evenly.  I usually rely on zucchini, squash, carrots, yellow onion and and potatoes. This go around I left out the carrots. I also peeled the vegetables this go around.

• 1 zucchini, 1 squash, 1-2 potatoes, half an onion (all chopped evenly in size)
• 2  tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Olive oil, salt and pepper

1) Coat a 13 x 9 baking pan with cooking spray. Add the chopped vegetables and coat with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper, and half a lemon juiced.
2) Bake at 375 for approximately 30 minutes. Juice the vegetables with the other half of lemon and sprinkle with the fresh chives. Bake for another 5 minutes or so.

Lobster Tail:

This is Nick's specialty so I'm going to take my best guess at how he provides these :) He cracks the top of the shell all the way down and separates the lobster tails (fresh from the grocery store) from their shells. He then tops the lobster tail with a little butter, lemon pepper seasoning, and garlic powder. He then broils the lobster tails in a baking dish until the meat has pulled away from the shell and they become a red color. They should be tender to the touch, and not slimy. SO GOOD. We served all of the above with remoulade sauce. I cheated and used a bottled brand I love (Louisiana Fish Fry Products).