Crab Cakes with Rémoulade

So… full disclosure… the recipe is actually Crab Cakes with Snow Pea Slaw. But I didn’t make it with the snow pea slaw so I’m leaving it out of this particular post because it’s a separate recipe. If anyone wants me to post it, I absolutely can, but I haven’t tried it yet.

Now… on to the actual crab cakes. O-M-G… amazing. LOVED them. This will be my go-to recipe for crab cakes going forward. I’ve tried others and they were okay, but I was never super thrilled. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve made them and enjoyed them. But there was never a crab cake recipe that I’ve tried that wow’ed me. This one wow’ed me. Big time… I’ll definitely be making these again, without a doubt.

Okay… so a note about how I customized this to suit my own taste. I pretty much followed this recipe to the letter with the exception of the capers (which I reduced to 1 tablespoon) and I skipped the chives because I’m not a fan.

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Ingredients:

Rémoulade
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1 1/2 tablespoon capers
1 1/2 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives


Crab Cakes
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
8 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

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To make the rémoulade, in a medium bow, whisk together the mayonnaise, garlic, capers, mustard, ketchup, chives, parsley, hot sauce, lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving.

To make the crab cakes, in a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, egg, lime juice, Old Bay, and salt. Add the panko and crabmeat and toss with a fork to combine. Shape the mixture into four patties.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Fry the crab cakes on both sides until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer each to a plate and serve with rémoulade.

Panfried Salmon with Broccolini and Orange Sauce

I’ve made this dish twice already and I loved it both times. This will definitely become a favorite on the rotation. I love salmon and as much as I enjoy the ways I’ve made it in the past, finding a new way to prepare an old favorite is never a bad thing. And this recipe is so simple and so quick to make that it will definitely become a “go-to” on those nights where I get a late start on dinner but don’t want to go out and grab something or have something delivered.

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Ingredients:

8 navel oranges
12 ounces broccolini trimmed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Four 6-ounce skinless salmon filets

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1. Cut off the tops and bottoms of two oranges. Using a small sharp knife, cut away the peel an white pith from the oranges, following the curve of the oranges form top to bottom. Holding one orange in your hand, and working over a bowl, make 2 cuts along the membranes on either side of a segment, then lift the segment out of the membranes and drop it into the bowl. Repeat to remove all the segments from both oranges. Squeeze the membranes over the bowl to release as much juice as possible and discard them. Pour the accumulated juices into a 2-cup measuring cup; set the segments aside. Squeeze enough juice from the remaining 6 oranges to make 2 cups total juice.
   
2. Pour the orange juice into a wide heavy saucepan and boil over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, or until reduced to 1/2 cup. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
   
3. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the broccolini and cook for about 2 minutes, or just until it is bright green and tender. Drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool completely. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels.
   
4. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in the pan, add the broccolini, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
   
5. Meanwhile, sprinkle the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Heat a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, then add the salmon and cook, turning the salmon over half-way through cooking, for about 3 minutes per side, or until it is mostly opaque, with a rosy center when pierced in the thickest part with the tip of a small knife. Transfer to a platter and let rest for 2 minutes.
   
6. Divide the broccolini among four dinner plates and top with the salmon fillets. Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon butter into the orange juice reduction and drizzle over and around the salmon. Garnish with the orange segments and serve.

Cucumber, Peach, and Feta Salad

The Happy Cook
Daphne Oz

I don’t remember when I bought this book but it’s been a while. So I’m kind of kicking myself that I didn’t browse through it much sooner because there are some really interesting recipes in it. One of which is this salad. It’s light, refreshing, and very tasty. So it’s definitely one I’ll be making again. And best of all, it’s quick and simple so it’s something that can be added as a side dish when you want to switch things up a little bit.

Just a quick note… I pretty much followed this recipe to the letter, with the exception of the chives. Not a fan, so I skipped them. I used to think that not including all the ingredients was an unforgivable sin. But it’s not. We’re allowed to tweak to our own tastes. So I tweaked.

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Ingredients:

1 English (seedless) cucumber or 4 Persian (mini) cucumbers sliced into thin rounds
2 peaches, halved, pitted, and thinly sliced
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (preferably Belgian or French)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 small garlic clove, grated on a microplane-style rasp
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
1 teaspoon honey
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh chives

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On a platter, alternate slices of cucumber and peaches. Crumble the feta over the top.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, garlic, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper to taste. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is creamy and emulsified.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and service sprinkled with the chives.

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Two variations were included at the bottom of the recipe:

Variation #1:
In the winter you can make this salad with grapes instead of peaches.

Variation #2:
Feta cheese can have a very assertive, salty flavor. If you prefer a more mellow flavor, you can substitute ricotta salata or goat cheese.