Dan's Crab Cakes with Spicy Remoulade Sauce

This is a favorite of Lynne and I  - always good.  Serve it with boiled baby reds ( or tri colors in this case) and home made slaw.... yum

Dans Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce: (Serves 6 dinner portions)

In a large stainless bowl:

·          

·         1lb fresh crab meat ( I use claw - it's fine, and it's not worth spending 10 bucks more for lump - really doesn't make that much of a difference)

·         4 cloves garlic minced

·         1 shallot minced

·         3/4 cup frozen tri color pepper strips, minced when frozen

·         2 tbs butter

·         (combine last 4 ingredients in a fry pan, and saute till translucent,  then add to bowl with crab meat)

·         1/4 cup mayo

·         1 egg, beaten in a cup

·         2 tsp dill

·         3/4 cup parm cheese

·         3/4 cup bread crumbs

·         3 tbs old bay seasoning

·         1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

·         1/4 tsp ( to taste ) cayenne

·         3/4 tsp garlic powder

·         3/4 tsp celery salt

·         1 cup panko bread crumbs

Mix mixture in bowl until will mixed.  Let stand for an hour or so to let flavors blend.  When ready to cook, use 6 or 7 tbs of lite olive oil, and heat in fry pan till simmering.  While heating, form cakes into 3inch wide, by about 3/4 inch high patties.  Put panko crumbs on a plate, and coat each patty with the panko crumbs.  Fry for about 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy.  I often mix black pepper, garlic powder and parmesan cheese in with the crumbs.  Serve hot with Remoulade or Tartar sauce.  Serves 4.

Dan's Remoulade Sauce:

In a medium mixing bowl, combine:

·         3/4 cup mayo

·         2 tbs dijon mustard

·         1 tsp paprika

·         2 tsp horse radish

·         2 tbs chopped bread and butter pickles

·         1.5 tsp tobasco

·         1 tsp garlic powder

·         1.5 tbs capers, minced

·         2 shakes Worcestershire

·         2 tbs lemon juice

Whisk all ingredients together, and let sit in the fridge for at least one hour to blend flavors.

Poached Coconut Curry Mahi Mahi with Mango Pineapple Salsa and Coconut Rice

Made this last night - super simple, and really tasty.  The salsa was a little sweet, a little spicy - and a fantastic compliment to the fish.  The fish is simply poached in a foil pouch on the grill, in coconut milk, with a little red curry paste in it, and a few extra pieces of fruit in there.  I just bought the pre peeled fruit in the produce section of my market. The coconut rice simply replaces half the water with coconut milk - perfect with Jasmine rice.


Ingredients:

1 can coconut milk, stirred, and divided in half.
4 small Mahi Mahi fillets
2 cups mango chunks
2 cups pineapple chunks
1/2 sweet red pepper, diced
1/2 small onion, diced
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs brown sugar
3 tbs white wine
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes ( to taste)
1 tsp red curry paste
1tsp fish sauce
1/4 cup sliced green onions, divided.

Directions:

For the fish:

Lay two pieces of foil, about 18" long on the counter.  Lay fish fillets in center, season with salt and pepper.  Fold edges of the foil op to make a "boat".  Add 1/2 can coconut milk, red curry paste, fish sauce and a few mango/pineapple chunks.  Carefully fold edges of the foil over the fish, to make an tight seal.  Wrap another piece of foil around it if you have to, but this is an important step.  Place on pre heated grill on med high heat, and cook for about 12 minutes.


While fish is cooking, start the salsa and the rice.

For the Salsa:
In a small sautee pan, heat olive oil.  Add onions, and cook till they start to get translucent - about 3 minutes.  Add diced red peppers and cook for another couple of minutes till tender.  Add fruit, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes, the white wine, and some of the green onion slices.  Stir until heated through, but not boiling hot.

Prepare the Jasmine Rice as directed on package, but substitute 1/2 of the water for coconut milk.  You can add a little sugar to it to sweeten it up, but I didn't and it was fine.

CAREFULLY open foil packet with fish - it will be steaming hot, and very easy to get burned, so go slowly.  Place fish over rice, spoon some sauce from the packet  over fish and rice.  Top with salsa, and garnish with green onion slices.  I added some sauteed green beans to mine for a pop of color, and a veggie.

Enjoy!