Lauren's SHRIMP CAKES

Here is my daughter Lauren's terrific recipe for shrimp cakes:

Ingredients:

2 slices bacon, chopped 2 lb. shrimp
2 slices sandwich bread
1/4 c. milk
1 c. chopped scallions
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro ( optional)
1 5 oz. can water chestnuts
4 t. cornstarch
1/2t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
2 c. panko, more as needed
Dipping sauce:

 3/4 cup mayonnaise
 1 1/2 t. soy sauce
 1/2 t. finely grated lemon zest
 1 t. lemon juice

Stir together dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl and chill. Pulse bacon in processor until finely chopped. Pat shrimp dry, then add to bacon and pulse until shrimp is coarsely chopped (make sure not to puree). 

Soak bread in milk until very soft. Squeeze out excess mil and add wet bread to processor and pulse until just combined. 

Transfer shrimp mixture to large bowl and stir in scallions, cilantro, cornstarch, salt, sugar, pepper until well combined. Spread crumbs in a pie plate. 

Using a tablespoon measure or small ice cream scoop drop a mound of shrimp mixture on crumbs. Coat well, and saute.

Lauren and Betty

CHESAPEAKE BAY CRAB CAKES

When we lived in Virginia Beach on an inlet from the Chesapeake Bay, we could - and did - catch blue crabs right off our dock. While they made great eating just boiled with Old Bay seasoning, they were even better made into crab cakes. I mean real crab cakes with lots of lump crab meat and very little else. Here's my recipe:


1lb. backfin crabmeat
4 tablespoons fine, dry breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
I cup mayonnaise
I teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
4 tablespoons red pepper, finely chopped and sautéed in 1
tablespoon butter until softened
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 drops Tabasco, or to taste
1 ½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

1 to 1½ cups Panko bread crumbs

Oil for frying

In a medium sized bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, parsley, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper, lemon juice, Tabasco and Old Bay and then fold the crabmeat in gently.

Dip in Panko

.
Form into 6 cakes and fry for about 5 minutes on each side or until nicely browned. You may also make these an hors d'ouevre by using just 2 tablespoons of the mixture per cake.

(Leftovers reheat beautifully and they can be frozen)

Rick and I in our front Williamsburg style garden

Our dock where we caught crabs with a chicken baited line

Watch the video demonstration:

“Fried” Zucchini (Courgette) Sticks

Long a popular appetizer in Italian restaurants, this is a great way to use up some of that bumper crop of zucchini taking over your vegetable garden.  It’s not only a tasty appetizer, but a delicious side dish kids will love!  In addition, it is significantly lower in calories than the fried version.

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini cut into sticks
2 egg whites
¾ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 cup panko bread crumbs
½ cup grated Parmegiano cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 425º convection or 450º conventional.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray.
3. Place the egg whites in a rimmed dish and whisk until well blended
4. Combine the flour, salt, pepper and cayenne in a plastic bag and shake to combine.
5. Combine the breadcrumbs and Parmegiano on a sheet of waxed paper.
6. Place half the zucchini sticks in the bag and shake to coat.  Remove and shake off excess flour.
7. Dip sticks in egg whites and then roll in the breadcrumb mixture to coat.
8. Place on the baking sheet, spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray and bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
9. Serve with marinara sauce.

NOTES:  Panko breadcrumbs are large, crunchy breadcrumbs available in most grocery stores.  If you can’t find them, use plain breadcrumbs.  A recipe for marinara sauce can be found here on my website and is also on You Tube.