Healthy Crab Cakes...Thriller not Filler! w/ Butternut Quinoa Risotto

chef jimmyj · Nov 25, 2011

Pan of Crab Cakes...Baked not Fried! BTW...Ignore the time stamp got this camera from a friend and no one reset the time...

Quinoa is great tasting, and a Complete Protein...The Butternut Squash adds a bit of Sweetness!

Two 3 ounce Crab Cakes and 1/2 Cup Risotto in a little Bearview...I could not get the recipe software to load so I'll give the Recipe and those with the software can get the Nutritional Info. I kept the Sodium and Fat down as much as possible...

I developed this Crab Cake recipe for a Restaurant I ran in southern PA...Lots of Maryland folks coming in and these were our Best Seller!...Thanks for looking...Enjoy...JJ

Crab Cakes...Thriller not Filler!

2Lb Crab Meat...picked over to remove any shell fragments...Try using a Black Light...Makes 'em GLOW!

2lg Eggs

1 1/2C Low Fat Mayo

2C Panko Bread crumbs

1/2C Scallion...Fine dice, about six each

1/2C Roasted Red Pepper... Fine dice, one medium

2T Roasted Garlic...About 8-10 cloves minced

2tsp Old Bay

1/2tsp Black Pepper

1T Lemon Juice

Combine all but the Crab and rest 15 minutes for flavors to develope and Bread Crumbs to soften.

Gently fold in Crab Meat.

Measure out 3 ounce Cakes on to cookie sheet and Bake at 450*F until Golden about 20 minutes or Smoke with fruit wood at 325*F to an IT of 165*F.

Makes about 16 each...

Butternut Quinoa Risotto

Adapted from Cooking Quinoa

1 Butternut Squash...Cut in 1/2inch Dice

2T EVOO

a Pinch S & P

Roast at 425*F until golden and tender about 30 minutes...Keep warm.

5-6 Cups Low Sodium Chicken or Vegetable Broth...Brought to a simmer

1T EVOO

1/2C Diced Onion

1T Minced Garlic

1/2tsp Black Pepper

1/4-1/2tsp Cayenne Pepper

1/2C White Wine

1T minced Fresh Thyme

1T minced Fresh Sage

1C Peas...Fresh or Defrosted Frozen

4oz Goat Cheese...Chevre

1/4C Grated Parm Reggiano

Saute Onion until soft in EVOO, about 5 min.

Add Garlic and Quinoa saute 2 minutes.

Add Peppers and Wine, cook over Medium heat until absorbed, stirring frequently.

Add two cups Broth simmer until almost absorbed.

Continue adding 3Cups Broth...1/2Cup at a time with frequent stirring. Cook until Quinoa is tender.

Add Herbs, Peas and Squash with 1/2C broth. Simmer and Stir until Hot.

Add Cheeses and Stir to combine.

Serve.

Makes about 4 Cups.

Good and Good for you...JJ

Edit: Ooops forgot the Panko...Good call JR!

roller · Nov 25, 2011

Looking good there JJ...Love me some Crab Cakes !

scarbelly · Nov 25, 2011

Awesome Jimmy. Gonna put these in the cookbook.

hoity toit · Nov 25, 2011

I love crab cakes...Nice JJ

jrod62 · Nov 25, 2011

jj that looks greats !!!!

jirodriguez · Nov 25, 2011

Jimmy those look great.... but I got one question: You mention combining everything except for the crab and bread crumbs, but I didn't see bread crumbs in the ingredient list for the crab cakes.

Oh.... another some what cheaper take on crab cakes is to poach some white fish (tillapia) and use that to replace the crab. But crab is definately better if you got the $$

werdwolf · Nov 26, 2011

Onto the "to do list"

thanks for sharing.

africanmeat · Nov 26, 2011

JJ it looks great i will put it on my to do list thanks.

SmokinAl · Nov 26, 2011

Those look awesome JJ. Great recipe. I copied & pasted it in my recipe book. Thank-you.

We make a similar recipe, all crab & very little filler. But we put them in a little oil in a cast iron pan over charcoal w/ mesquite chunks for smoke.

Even though they only take 10-15 minutes to cook they pick up a nice smoke flavor.

daveomak · Nov 26, 2011

JJ, mornin' and thanks for the recipes.... the cakes look good.... never had risotto... going to hav to try it now.... Dave

Bearcarver · Nov 26, 2011

Awesome, JJ !!!

I love Crab Cakes, and these look and sound great !

Thanks,

Bear

chef jimmyj · Nov 26, 2011

Thanks Guy's....Al, Smoke on these sounds awesome!...Dave, This Risotto is a Technique that is traditionally done with a high starch Italian rice called Arborio...It is even better with Rice (Substitute 1C Arborio) but Quinoa is lower in carbs and higher in protein...

Crab Cake Omelette for Breakfast....YUM!....JJ

owlcreeksmoker4 · Nov 29, 2011

Looks great JJ

venture · Nov 29, 2011

More crab, less cake. This one I have to try. Thanks, Chef!

Good luck and good smoking.

big twig · Nov 30, 2011

What are the weird colors in your crab cakes cause in Maryland we call that filler.

Just busting your chops Chef!

They look and I am sure taste great.

Round these parts we only use:

1lb crab

1 egg

2 tbs mayo

1tsp mustard

about 6-8 saltine crackers crushed

1tsp Old Bay

pinch of salt

splash Worcestershire sauce

makes about 6 (4 if you like them bigger) cakes that you can fry (coat in bread crumbs or more crackers), saute, bake or broil

I have had crab cakes with peppers and such (I am willing to try anything

) and some have been good but if you were born and raised in Maryland, you cringe when you see anything except crab in the cakes.

Oh and I thought I was the only one who knew about the blacklight trick.

Again just busting your chops Chef, nice job!

mdboatbum · Nov 30, 2011

Good looking risotto Chef. Twig has the right idea on what makes a crab cake.

I've amended his recipe to reflect mine(not saying it's better, just what I use):

1lb lump** crab

1 egg

2 tbs mayo

1tsp dry mustard

about 6-8 saltine crackers crushed

1tsp Old Bay

pinch of salt

splash Worcestershire sauce

Form into ONE medium sized crab cake. Saute, broil, bake or fry until golden brown.

1 Pitcher National Bohemian to be served with each 2 crab cakes.

**If I can afford it, which I usually can't.

All due respect to Chef JJ, I don't claim to be any sort of cook and wouldn't dream of insulting one of your recipes. Crab cakes, however, are to Maryland as grits are to the South. A true Maryland crab cake is a pile of crab meat magically held together with little more than the will of the divine spirit of the Chesapeake.

big twig · Nov 30, 2011

Good catch Mdboatbum! I only use lump crab, didn't even think to put lump in the post, figured everyone knows to use it but not everyone is from MD.

I have used dry and regular yellow mustard just prefer the yellow but both are good.

And Natty Bo is always good!

Healthy Crab Cakes...Thriller not Filler! w/ Butternut Quinoa Risotto

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