Baked Crab Cakes

This weekend we had some of our very good friends to the farm for a visit on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  The weather even cooperated and let the 8 of us relax and unwind (and burn!) on the beach. When we got back home we were hungry so while dinner was getting prepared I had 3 professional taste testers sample a recipe I put together that I wasn't too sure about.  I got thumbs up all around - YIPPEE!!!  The recipe; Crab cakes (NOT crapcakes). I've never made, tasted or even seen a crab cake before so this was a challenge for me. I warn you, there are a ton of ingredients in this recipe, but if you took my advice (here) and invested in a good selection of spices you won't have to purchase much. Next time I plan on making smaller, bite-sized crab cakes for an appetizer instead of an entree. Hope you like 'em too!

Yield: 8 large or 16 small crab cakes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, diced (white or red onion - your choice)

1 large egg

1 tablespoon lemon juice concentrate (or 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice)

5 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons mayo

1/2 teaspoons dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cans crab meat

1 cup cracker crumbs (Ritz crackers smushed up in a Ziploc)

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

salt & pepper to taste

Method

In a fry pan over medium heat, add the 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Cook the onion and until soft, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, mayo and all spices. Fold in the cooked onion, crab meat, cracker and bread crumbs. Refrigerate mixture for 15-20 mins for breadcrumbs to absorb some of the liquid. Preheat oven to 350° F. Divide the crab mixture into 8 or 16 portions. Roll each portion into a ball with your hands and place onto a greased cookie sheet. Press down gently on each ball to form a cake. Bake until golden brown on each side, about 20 minutes (if cooking the smaller ones it should be about 14 minutes). Turn the crab cakes over half way through. Serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup low fat sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice concentrate
6 slices of pickled jalapenos, diced

Mix all together. Serve with crab cakes.

Sole with White Wine Sauce & Roasted Asparagus

From discussions with my friends I have discovered that I am the only one on the planet that doesn't plan out my meals for the week.  I'm more of a spur-of-the-moment type when it comes to my cooking.  I like to pull a few items from the fridge and go from there.  For me, it promotes variety and creativity when I cook.  Over the last year of writing this blog I have tried over 100 new recipes and my husband has branched out of his the meat and potatoes box he used to live in. YA FOR US! For now this method works for me but when little munchkins eventually come into the picture I'm sure I'll like the structure of having the weekly meals planned out.



I am proud to say that by noon yesterday I knew what I was cooking last night. 6 hours ahead of time! Now that's progress.  Sole in an herb white wine sauce served with roasted asparagus and red pepper.


Yields: 2-4 servings (depending on the size of fillets)

Ingredients
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 cup white wine
1 lemon, (1/2 juiced and 1/2 sliced)
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/4 cup capers, roughly chopped (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of a combo of dried herbs (basil, rosemary, oregano, basil, dill etc.)
4 sole fillets

Method
Combine everything except fish and lemon slices in a skillet over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer about 8 minutes. Pour into a bowl and set aside.  In the same skillet over medium-high heat add 3 tablespoons sauce. Season both sides of fillets with salt and pepper. Arrange fillets and lemon slices in skillet. Cook until fillets are golden, about 4 minutes per side. Plate and pour sauce over fish. Serve with roasted asparagus.

Roasted Asparagus
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place asparagus in a oven safe dish.  Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar over top.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook for 10 minutes, flipping once half way through.  ENJOY!

Local Harvest

While doing my early morning, coffee sipping Internet reading I stumbled across an awesome website. It outlines local agricultural related events and will help you quickly find local food vender's including markets, restaurants, farms and stores anywhere in Ontario.  What a fantastic resource!  I will definitely be showing this website to my Nutrition students in the fall.

www.localharvest.ca

Below is some information taken from (www.localharvest.ca/about-us)

Our Goal For Local Harvest

Our goal is to become the ultimate source for finding local food across Ontario. We want to become local food storytellers and through those stories we hope to motivate consumers to explore their communities for great tasting food...

Another important goal is to build a community centred around the celebration of great local food. We are fortunate to live in an amazing province that grows an abundant variety of food. There are many reasons to buy local, it helps support the local economy, is better for the environment and what we feel is one the greatest reasons, “it just tastes better”. Have you ever tried an Ontario strawberry, farm fresh asparagus, locally grown corn, a fall harvest apple? There is no comparison. The food in Ontario is amazing and we need to be celebrating and encouraging more shops and restaurants to source local products...

Honey Garlic Chicken in the Crock Pot

Anything cooked in a crock pot is a-ok with me.  The prep time is usually under 5 minutes and meat, for the most part turns out so tender.  This time around I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs however next time I use this recipe I going to try chicken breasts because they are much leaner.  They won`t be as tender as the thighs but if it will help with my waistline, I`m game.  I served this over a very small portion of jasmine rice.  It was delish!  It made enough for leftovers --  BOOYA!


Ingredients
1 package skinless, boneless chicken thighs (there were 6 in mine)
3 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup honey (try the local stuff! Clovermead has an amazing selection)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce (or apple, orange or pineapple juice)
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon ginger root, very finely minced (optional - - I love ginger!)
2 tablespoons corn starch (to thicken it up)
1/4 cup water

Method
Mix all that stuff together in a crock pot.  Cook on high for 4 hours.  Serve over rice with a side of veggies.


Cooking Hint: my sister-in-laws boyfriend who is pretty much my brother-in-law is an amazing cook and got me hooked on preminced jarred garlic.  It saves SO much time.  You end up having to use a little more since the flavour isn't as intense but it truly makes cooking much quicker.  The jumbo jars can be purchased at Costco and your regular grocery store.

Aunt-to-be

I recently hosted a baby shower for my wonderful sister-in-law (ya, that's right! I'm going to be an Aunt in 6 weeks!).  She is quite the little crafter and has a few very environmentally aware girlfriends that were going to be in attendance.  Pressure was on to come up with a non-cheesy, craftyish, ecofriendly favour for the guests.  I decided to give each guest a potted indoor plant but I had some difficulties finding 12 healthy matching plants.  I hit a local nursery and came across a bunch of rosemary plants that smelled fantastic.  An edible, useful and ecofriendly party favour. Score!  I was very pleased with how they turned out.  The pots were from IKEA for .99 cents each, the rosemary plants were $1.00 each and a bag of potting soil was $2.59. I'm no math teacher but I I think the total cost was about $2.50 a person - YA! 

Tazo Chai Latte

I've mentioned before the many benefits of living in the country - - the serenity, solitude, space, the views, however this does not change the fact that the closest Starbucks is a 20 minute car ride. If I owned a teleporter and Starbucks didn't charge $42 for a small coffee I'd be hittin' that everyday. I have to say, part of the fun of paying and arm and a leg for a latte was getting that special little uplifting quote on the side of my cup.  Because of the recent branding changes I no longer get that spirit lifter. Thanks a lot Starbucks....I digress.

So there I was at Walmart a few days ago. (For the record I try my best to steer clear of Walmart but every so often my errands take me there) and I had a Life.changing.moment. ok, ok, ok, maybe a week changing moment. Tazo, the tea that Starbucks uses has a Chai tea latte concentrate for sale.  A good friend of mine has been using if for quite sometime, however I always assumed she was purchasing a Starbucks brand concentrate that I definitely didn't want to get in the habit of purchasing. It's currently on sale for $6.97 for a 32 oz jug, which makes roughly 7-8 large lattes. It's 70 calories for the concentrate and you use about 1 cup of milk.  Overall a not-too-bad-for-you-treat that tastes great and is cheaper then the real thing. I should probably open a franchise of Starbucks, it might save me a couple bucks.

Milk Frother
My latte loving friend not only gave me a Starbucks gift card for my Birthday last month, but also a milk frother.  A homemade latte truly isn't the same without using this.  They can be purchased in the kitchen section of any department store and usually run between $10-$20.  Thanks KP.

Figures that my longest blog post of all time is about lattes.     

Strawberry Spinach Salad

I've mentioned before that I love spinach and try to slip it into many dishes that I make.  Spinach salad with sliced fruit is my favourite!  Tonight I made a huge salad with a homemade honey dressing with baked chicken breast.  Quick & easy - just the way I like 'em.

Salad
Bowl of baby spinach
4 strawberries, sliced
6 pecans, chopped (I quickly warmed them in a frying pan with a drop of butter)
goat cheese

Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice concentrate
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
salt & pepper to taste
*this is enough dressing for more then one salad.  Half if you don't want leftovers

Mix everything together. I always have a few mason jars on hand for mixing up homemade dressings.

Baked Chicken
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
various spices

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Roll chicken in your favourite spices (My husband is obsessed with Montreal steak spice so that is what I put on his and I put rosemary, basil, oregano and thyme on mine). Bake in a ovenproof baking dish, uncovered for 25 minutes.

Steak Sandwiches

I planned my meal last night around the kaisers I was talking about in my previous post.  I was half way through preparing it before I realized the buns were completely mouldy. I ripped through the freezer and found some marble rye bread. A steak sandwich wouldn't be much of a meal without bread. This recipe creation earned a "tastes like restaurant" review from both my husband and myself.  I will be adding this recipe to my regulars for sure!

Yields: 2 large sandwiches

Ingredients
2 steaks, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large mushrooms, slices (optional)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup red wine
1 beef bouillon cube
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Swiss cheese, sliced
4 pieces rye bread (or two buns)

Method
Warm olive oil over medium heat in a skillet.  Add steak and cook until almost all red is gone.  Add onion and continue cooking until beef is cooked through.  Add remaining ingredients (except cheese and bread).  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put steak on top of each slice of bread. Cover with Swiss cheese. Put on cookie sheet and bake for 7 minutes.  Remove and form sandwiches.  If you like them crunchier put in oven for 4 additional minutes after you've smacked the two pieces together.  Serve juice from skillet on the side as a dip for sandwiches.    

Local

Buying local foods makes me happy for a few reason.  Since I have become apart of the farming community I am much more aware and appreciative of where my food comes from. Local usually means fresher, little to zero additives/preservatives, tastier and lets face it, it feels wonderful to support those in our community. I was thrilled to find a local bakery selling their products at a grocery store I visit regularly.  Spicers is a family owned bakery that sells amazingly delicious items. Definitely worth the drive to Port Stanley, Aylmer and most recently, St. Thomas for their cookies and cupcakes. Only bummer is they mould much quicker then products with preservatives in them so make sure you keep them in your fridge to extend their life, especially in this humidity.  I was half way through preparing dinner before I realized that the kaisers I needed were speckled with green dots.  Dammit.  Onto plan B....      

Good Things Grow in Ontario

Look for the Foodland Ontario symbol when you're shopping. It's an easy way for you to identify Ontario foods in grocery stores, farmers' markets, and on-farm markets.

(www.foodland.gov.on.ca)

Billy's Strawberry Pie

To celebrate the end of school a few colleagues and I went to Billy's Deli Restaurant on Dundas St. in London for lunch this week.  I had never heard of this place but was told they are known for their pie.  I'm not the hugest pie fan but my God, was the strawberry pie to die for.  Their pie is so popular that you have to reserve a slice on your way into the restaurant ($5.00 a slice but worth every penny).  I will be trying to recreate this rediculously amazing dessert over the next few weeks. 

Raspberry Yogurt Muffins

I've been pretty brutal at posting on here for the last two months but with the time I have off this summer I will be able to cook, bake and post more frequently.  The last two months of school were a whirlwind, and although I'm somewhat sad that it's over I'm in desperate need of some refueling time. Summer, here I come!

My first summertime post: Raspberry yogurt muffins.  I never mess around with baking recipes but this morning I was feeling a little bad ass (My God I live on the edge, eh?).  I reviewed a few recipes and made some healthy modifications and created my own.  My husband and I just sampled them while sipping on starbucks out in the sun of our backyard...and now he's washing my car! Ah, it can't get better then this :)
Ingredients

1 cup white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup sugar 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fat-free yogurt (any kind!)
1 egg (I used the whole thing but I'm sure you could use the white only)
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries 

Method
Preheat oven to 400°.  Grease muffin tray. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well. In another bowl, whisk together orange juice, apple sauce, vanilla extract, yogurt and egg. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened (ewww). Fold in berries. Spoon into muffin cups. Bake at 400º for about 20 minutes, or until golden.

Yields: 12 muffins