Crabcake variation

When I first came to the States, there were four things I could never have enough of: pancakes, cheesecake, crab cakes and blue cheese dressing. I have stayed true to the third one. Come summer, I crave a lunch of crab cakes and cucumber salad. It took me some time to perfect one that would be equally solid and light. As to the solidity, the secret is twofold: use a silicone mold, and bake twice, refrigerating in between. The advantages for a busy hostess are obvious: a reheated dish with a better taste can be made a day ahead. For the lightness, I use light store bought mayonnaise. That same mayonnaise is the basis of the dip. Crab cakes are not limited to lunch: they are also a great and very convenient hors-d’oeuvre. Once I had crab on my mind, and given my love of Asian inspired food, I decided to play with the idea of crab finger food. To dissociate the Asian crab from the American, I decided to forgo spicy and choose green tea as a flavoring instead. My crab package is made of a mixture of crabmeat, minced chives, green tea and ricotta held in a brick, and slightly cooked in a frying pan. It should be eaten hot with a green tea dip. By making larger squares and serving two with a salad it can turn equally well into a light lunch.

Crab cakes

Ingredients:

1 lbs (500g) jumbo crabmeat, bones removed

1cup (250 ml) light mayonnaise

½ cup (125g) Panko or bread crumbs and some more for dusting the silicone molds

1 shallot finely minced

1 yellow, green or red pepper finely minced

1 clove garlic finely minced

1/3 cup (80g) of chives

1tablespoon olive oil

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon salt

Material:

Large or small silicone muffin molds

1 salad bowl and wooden spoon

1 frying pan

Set the frying pan on the stove on the low setting. Pour the tablespoon of oil and add the shallot, garlic and pepper to soften for five minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.

Mix in the salad bowl the crabmeat, mayonnaise, and the half-cup of Panko. When the vegetables are cold, add them too. Mix well. Sprinkle Panko crumbs in the silicone molds. Fill the mold with the crab mix. Sprinkle the top of the crab cakes with crumbs as well. Place in the fridge for an hour.

Turn the oven on at 360F (180C) and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and place in the refrigerator when it has cooled.

Before serving, remove from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven at 360F (180C) and bake for 10 minutes.

24 appetizers or 8 large crab cakes

Serve with dill mayonnaise and, if you are having lunch a cucumber salad.

Dill dip

Ingredients:

½ cup (125g) nonfat mayonnaise

½ cup (125g) Kefir or yoghurt

1 tablespoon dill, washed, dried and minced

1 clove garlic peeled

Salt and pepper

Material:

Food processor

Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blend until well mixed.

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

4 small cucumbers

1 tablespoon white sugar

2 tablespoon seasoned Japanese vinegar

1 tablespoon dried seaweeds

1 tablespoon minced chives

Material:

Peeler

Knife

Grapefruit spoon

Salad bowl

Place the seaweeds in warm water according to the manufacturer.

Peel the cucumbers. Cut them in half and remove the seeds with the grapefruit spoon. Cut the cucumber in thin slices.

Mix in the salad bowl the sugar and vinegar until well dissolved. Add the cucumber slices and toss until well coated with the vinegar.

Drain the seaweeds and add to the salad. Toss and serve.

Asian crab squares

Ingredients:

8 brick sheets

1 lbs crabmeat

1 tablespoon chives

2 teaspoon green tea powder

½ (125g) cup ricotta cheese

Salt and pepper

Material

Fine strainer

Salad bowl

Non-stick frying pan

Place the ricotta in the salad bowl. Strain the green tea powder above the salad bowl. Mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the chives, and the crabmeat. Mix well.

For the larger square, place the crabmeat mixture in the center of the brick sheet and fold over. For the small hors-d’oeuvre, cut the brick sheets in four. Follow the method outlined above to obtain 32 small squares.

Place the frying pan on the low range of the gas stove. When it is warm, add the squares. Cook on each side for 3 minutes each or until golden,

Serve with Green Tea sauce.

Green tea sauce

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon green tea powder

½ cup mayonnaise

Salt and pepper

Material

Blender

Strainer

Place the mayonnaise in the blender. Strain the tea powder over it and mix well. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.

Home Spa

Once in a while, I love to take a home spa break. It is a wonderful occasion to eat a lot of vegetables and fruit and finally reach the required daily number of 5 servings. It does wonder for the complexion, not to mention the figure. It must be the cocktail of natural vitamins being soaked by a parched body. And for those of us who think that beauty is more than skin deep, it cleanses the system. The length and frequency of the regime is up to you. I feel energized and enjoy pairing it with daily yoga or stretching session.
I use it whenever I have overindulged. A full winter weekend is a nice way to start. All you need is a blender, a juicer, a cutting board, paring knife, running water, fresh or frozen fruit, seasonal vegetables and the desire to take care of yourself. In between the intake of smoothies, drink a lot of vegetable broth, water and green tea: 6 8-oz (250 ml) glasses of green tea a day can help rev the metabolism. The flaxseeds I add to the smoothie contain Omega-3. It is a wonderful lubricant for the digestive system as well as for the skin. If you like massages, book one. It will provide the natural complement to the treat you are giving yourself.

Vegetable broth (Easy, preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes, Cheap)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil (28 ml)
2 medium onions peeled and thinly sliced
2 small leeks split lengthwise, rinsed and thinly sliced
1 medium fennel bulb, halved and thinly sliced
2 carrots peeled split lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 large tomato halved
1 whole garlic head, halved crosswise
2 large shallots peeled and thinly sliced
1teaspoon salt
1teaspoon peppercorns
2 thyme sprigs coarsely chopped
2 flat leaf parsley sprigs coarsely chopped
2 pints (890 ml) water

Material:
4-quart saucepan and its cover
Salad bowl
Strainer

In a large saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the vegetables, garlic, shallots and salt. Cover and cook the vegetables for 10 minutes.
Add 2 pints of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium low and simmer uncovered for twenty minutes.
Add the thyme, and parsley. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat. Add the pepper and infuse covered for another 5 minutes.
Strain the stock in the salad bowl. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Make about 2 pints.
Once cold, you can drink it all day long. You may use it in place of water to blend the vegetables.

Cold green tea

Ingredients:
Green tea bags
2 pints (890 ml) cold water

Material
1 pitcher

Seep 4-6 green tea bags in 2 pints of water in the pitcher for 4 to 6 hours.
Drink immoderately.

Breakfast smoothie (Easy, Preparation time: 5 minutes, Cheap)

Ingredients:
¼ cup (60 g) flaxseed grains
2 cups (500 ml) watermelon peeled and finely sliced
1 cup (250 ml) pomegranate juice
1 cup (250 ml) frozen raspberries

Material:
Coffee grinder
Blender

Grind the flaxseeds in the coffee grinder. Transfer to the blender. Add the fruit and juice and blend until smooth. Divide in two tall glasses and drink instead of your usual breakfast.

Choose any of the following three juices in place of lunch and dinner.

Sunshine: Pumpkin juice (Easy, Preparation time: 5 minutes, Cheap)

Ingredients:
½ butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut in pieces
1-inch (3 cm) piece of ginger peeled and finely chopped
2 cups (500 ml) vegetable broth

Material:
Blender

Pour the broth in the blender. Add the vegetables and ginger. Blend until smooth. Divide in two glasses, refrigerate and drink within 24 hours.

Sunset: Beet Gazpacho (Easy, Preparation time: 5 minutes, Cheap)

Ingredients:
3½ oz (100 g) beetroot raw, peeled and chopped
1 pear peeled, cored and cut in pieces
2 stalks celery chopped
1-inch (3 cm) piece of ginger peeled and chopped
2 cups (500 g) tomato juice
1 cup (250 ml) vegetable broth
1 tablespoon (14 ml) red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons (28 ml) olive oil
Drops of Tabasco to taste

Material:
Blender

Pour the liquid in the blender. Add the vegetables and blend until smooth. Divide into two glasses, refrigerate and serve within 24 hours.

Fruity veggie mix (Easy, Preparation time: 5 minutes, Cheap)

Ingredients:
4 Granny smith apples washed and quartered
1 fennel bulb washed and halved
4 celery stalks washed
3 carrots washed
1 1-inch (3 cm) ginger root peeled

Material:
Juicer

Juice the fruit and vegetables. Divide the liquid into two glasses and drink immediately.