Crab Cakes with Homemade Tartar Sauce

Curtis Stone’s favorite brunch happens outside in the backyard with omelettes, mimosas, and an epic game of croquet. Photo credit Quentin Bacon.

Ingredients

Crab cakes:

• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup minced green onions
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
• 4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound Alaskan king crabmeat
• 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 4 tablespoons (or more) unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons (or more) canola oil
• 3 cups mixed baby green lettuces
• Lemon wedges

Tartar sauce:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup diced peeled cored Granny Smith apple
• ¼ cup finely chopped dill pickle
• ¼ cup finely chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons drained capers
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

To prepare crab cakes:

1. Line baking sheet with waxed paper.
2. Whisk first 8 ingredients in large bowl.
3. Mix in crabmeat and panko, breaking up crabmeat slightly. Let stand 15 minutes.
4. Using 3-inch ring mold, form crab mixture into 8 patties on prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
5. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 1 tablespoon of oil in each of 2 heavy large skillets over medium-high heat.
6. Add crab cakes to skillets and cook until golden on both sides, adding more butter and oil as needed, about 5 minutes total.

To prepare tartar sauce:

7. Whisk all ingredients in medium bowl to blend.
8. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.
10. To serve: Mound the lettuce on 4 plates. Set 2 crab cakes on each plate.

Sea Salt and Lime Grilled Fish Tacos

Sea Salt & Lime Grilled Fish Tacos.
Photo courtesy of the Food Channel

• 1 pound (1-inch thick) red snapper fish fillets
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup prepared salsa verde
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
• 2 cups shredded coleslaw blend
• 16 avocado slices (about 2 small avocados)
• 8 corn tortillas
• 2 limes, cut in half

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Combine lime juice, cilantro, oil, and red snapper in large zip top bag; marinate in refrigerator for 20 minutes.

For creamy salsa verde, combine salsa and mayonnaise in mini food processor or blender. Puree until smooth.

Remove fish from marinade, season with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, and place on hot grill. Grill fish for 6 minutes on each side and remove. Let rest several minutes then flake fish with fork.

Place lime halves on grill, flesh side down, along with tortillas for 1 minute or until limes are grill marked and one side of tortillas are toasted. Remove and bend tortillas, toasted side out, into taco-shape.

Fill each tortilla with 1/4 cup slaw and 2 slices avocado. Divide fish evenly among tacos and drizzle each with 1 tablespoon sauce. Sprinkle with remaining sea salt and serve with grilled lime half.

Salmon with Chickpea Ragu

Salmon with Chickpea Ragu

(Makes 4 servings)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 large zucchini, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can low-sodium chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup basil leaves, sliced into ribbons, plus more for garnish
• ½ teaspoon salt (optional)
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add carrot, zucchini, and garlic and cook, stirring, until carrots are firm-tender, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir. Add chicken broth and chickpeas and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until liquid thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, add 1 cup basil and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Stir and cover to keep warm.

To cook salmon: preheat broiler. Season with remaining salt and pepper. Broil fillets for 8 to 10 minutes per inch thickness, turning once. Serve with 1 ½ cups chickpea ragu in shallow bowl. Garnish with basil.

Ellie’s Blueberry Blast Smoothie

Blueberry Blast Smoothie

(Makes 1 smoothie)

• ½ cup nonfat milk
• ½ cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 1 cup frozen unsweetened blueberries
• 1 teaspoon honey

Put all ingredients into blender and process until smooth.

Shrimp in Sherry-Garlic Sauce

Shrimp in Sherry-Garlic Sauce, courtesy of The Food Channel.

• 3 pounds shrimp, 21-25 count, peeled, deveined, tails on
• 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup sherry, semi-dry, such as amontillado
• 1/4 cup parsley, minced
• Lemon juice, fresh, to taste

Spread shrimp on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Let rest for 5 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil and garlic over medium high heat until the garlic begins to sizzle. Add 1 pound of shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp is opaque. Transfer shrimp to a container.

Return skillet to heat. Add another pound of shrimp to the skillet and additional olive oil as needed. Transfer cooked shrimp to container. Cook the final pound of shrimp, leaving it in the skillet when done.

Add reserved shrimp to the skillet and lower heat to medium. Add sherry and reduce until sauce slightly thickens. Stir in parsley, lemon juice, and salt to taste.

Serve immediately.

Shrimp Casserole Harpin

Shrimp Casserole Harpin

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Kathy in Florida writes: “I remember this recipe from the 50s and 60s, back in the day when my mother used to make it with potato soup and fish sticks every other Friday. It was a tradition I’ll never forget. Here’s the recipe:”

• 2 1/2 pounds large raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon fresh or canned lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons salad oil
• 3/4 cup uncooked rice or 1 cup packaged precooked rice
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup minced bell pepper
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon mace
• dash cayenne pepper
• 1 10.5-ounce can condensed tomato soup, undiluted
• 1 cup cream
• 1/2 cup sherry
• 3/4 cup slivered blanched almonds

Cook shrimp in boiling salted water for 5 minutes; drain. Place in 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice and salad oil. Cook rice as label directs, drain. Refrigerate all.

Heat oven to 350 F. Set aside about 8 shapely shrimp for garnish.
Saute bell pepper and onion in butter for about 5 minutes. Add rice, salt, pepper, mace, cayenne pepper, soup, cream, sherry, and 1/2 cup almonds to the shrimp in casserole. Toss well.

Bake uncovered about 35 minutes. Top with 8 reserved shrimp and 1/4 cup almonds. Bake 20 minutes longer or till mixture is bubbly and shrimp are slightly browned.

Sardines Portugese-Style

Sardines Portuguese-Style

(Makes 4 servings)

• 12-16 fresh whole sardines (2 to 2 1/2 pounds), scaled, cleaned, and rinsed
• 2 cups peeled, seeded, and diced tomatoes (from about 1 pound tomatoes)
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped pitted kalamata olives
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 lemon, sliced into 1/3-inch-thick rounds
• 4 Roma tomatoes (about 1 pound), halved

Lay sardines side by side on clean, dry kitchen towel or on paper towels, and gently roll together into cylinder to remove excess moisture. Refrigerate until ready to use. (It is very important that sardines are sufficiently dry before oiling, seasoning, and grilling.)

Preheat very clean, well-oiled grill or broiler to high.

In medium mixing bowl, combine diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup of extra-virgin olive oil, and olives, parsley, basil onion, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Mix well. Set aside at room temperature until ready to serve sardines.

Transfer sardines to small, rimmed baking sheet, and drizzle 1/4 cup of olive oil over them. Turn sardines in oil to coat them. Oil grill grate one more time before cooking. Season sardines on both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Place them directly on grill and cook, undisturbed, until skin is crispy and lightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn them over and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. (If you try to turn fish to soon, they will stick to the grill. Be patient here and fish will turn easily once skin has crisped.)

While fish are cooking, brush lemon slices and tomato halves lightly with remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Season them with sea salt and black pepper to taste, and place them on the grill. Grill until softened and nicely marked on both sides, about 2 minutes.

Arrange grilled sardines on serving platter, season them a final time with sea salt and black pepper, and drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice and remaining ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil. Serve immediately, with grilled tomato halves, grilled lemon slices, and tomato-olive vinaigrette spooned over all.