Poor Man's Crab Cakes

2 eggs

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

Juice from 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

10 oz. pkg Imitation Crab

1/2 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
¼ cup all purpose flour

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 green onion, chopped

Olive oil or oil spray

Heat oven to 400F.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, dijon, lemon juice, paprika, and black pepper. Chop imitation crab into small pieces and pull apart using 2 forks, or put in a food processor and pulse 2-3 times to separate pieces.  Stir in imitation crab, garlic and green onion. Stir in flour until well blended. Gently stir in bread crumbs until just combined.  Form mixture into 8-10 patties and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Lightly brush or spray the tops of each with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden. Remove from the oven and serve.

This recipe originally called for real crab, which is delicious but can also be expensive.  When I changed the real crab to imitation crab I found the taste isn't as great as the real thing but its still a delicious dish.  Make sure you break up the chunks of imitation crab so it doesn't clump too much.  Also, don't over cook and dry it out.  This is one I'll be making again.

Yum Yum Crab Salad

1 pkg. Imitation Crab, chopped
2 spring onions, chopped
Yum Yum sauce

In a bowl combine imitation crab and onions.  Add Yum Yum sauce until creamy.  Chill and serve with crackers.

Comment:  I love this stuff.  I was buying it frequently at the grocery store but decided to see if I couldn't copy the flavor and make my own.  The Yum Yum sauce did the trick.  You can also add a little chopped celery and a sprinkle of paprika if you like.  You can increase or decrease the amount of onion to your own taste too.  If you don't know what Yum Yum sauce is you'll find it in the Oriental section of the grocery store.  This is a delicious, quick and cheap dish to make for yourself or maybe your next party/cookout.

Maifun and Shrimp

2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. grated ginger
1 tsp. Asian sesame oil
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1  lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pkg. (6.75 oz.) Maifun Rice Sticks
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
sesame seeds

In a large bowl combine lemon juice, ginger, sesame oil, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  Add shrimp and toss to coat.  Refrigerate 30 minutes tossing now and then to coat.  In another large bowl place Maifun Rice Sticks and cover with hot water.  Let soak 10 minutes.

Place shrimp in a single layer in a large frying pan.  Pour sauce over and cook shrimp until done.  Remove shrimp.  Drain Maifun and add to pan.  Add soy sauce and toss to coat.  Serve Maifun with shrimp on top.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Comments:  I had never used nor eaten Maifun Rice Sticks until I made this dish.  The original recipe called for bean thread but I picked up the Maifun by mistake so that's what I used.  Maifun has a chewy texture and it picks up the flavors of what it's cooked with very well.  I'm actually glad I made the mistake but you can also use the bean thread and even angel hair pasta if you want.  The recipe also called for the shrimp to be marinated in the sauce, with it being disposed of after removing the shrimp.  There was then another sauce made that had the same ingredients with the addition of the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar.  I couldn't see wasting that delicious marinate so I decided to cook the shrimp in it and add just the soy sauce when I added the Maifun which was another step I changed.  Originally it would be just served on the dish with the shrimp on top and the 2nd batch drizzled over.  So, what it boils down to is that I shortened the time and ingredients of this dish and it still came out tasting absolutely delicious!

Shrimp Alfredo

1 lb. spaghetti or fettuccine
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
2 cups half-and-half
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 lb. shrimp, cooked, shelled and deveined
1/4 cup cheese for topping
Panko

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook spaghetti according to package.  Drain and add olive oil, tossing to coat.  Mix 1/4 cup of the half-and-half with the cornstarch.  Stir well and set aside.  In a medium saucepan add the remaining 1 3/4 cups of half-and-half and place over medium-high heat.  Stir in the garlic salt and nutmeg.  Bring to a simmer and then stir in the cornstarch mixture.  Cook for about a minute or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Add cheese stirring until melted.  Add shrimp.  Pour over spaghetti and toss to coat.  Pour into 2 qt. baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray.  Bake 20 minutes or until bubbly.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of cheese and Panko.  Bake another 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.  Serves 6

Comment:  I found a version of this recipe on recipe.com.  I made just a few changes.  For one, I had no fettuccine but plenty of spaghetti so I made that change.  The recipe called for Asiago cheese but I decided to use Cheddar which worked out perfect.  It called for 1 cup of frozen peas, thawed and since I'm not a fan of frozen peas I omitted that ingredient.  It called for jumbo shrimp which I have but I also had some pre-cooked frozen small shrimp.  I thawed these, pinched off the tails and they worked perfectly.  I also added the baking step, extra cheese and Panko.  This dish is really good and if you Think With Your Taste Buds you can come up with other variations such as using chicken instead of shrimp; using Imitation Crab which will really cut the cost;  using different flavors of cheese; and maybe even adding capers or olives for added flavor.

Shrimp Salad

1 lb. shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked
1 cup chopped celery
1 large carrot, chopped
1/4 cup green onion, chopped (white and green tops)
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
salt & pepper to taste

In a large bowl combine all ingredients.  Chill until ready to serve.

Comment:  I found this recipe in an allrecipes booklet.  I made just a couple of changes.  I chopped my carrot instead of shredding it.  I used only 1/4 cup of chopped green onions instead of 1/2 cup of regular.  And I decreased the mayonnaise from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup and could probably have cut that down to about 1/4 so I recommend adding the mayo a little at a time.  I wasn't sure that I would like this.  I simply couldn't imagine mayo and shrimp but some people do dip their shrimp in tartar sauce which has mayo as an ingredient.  I wasn't sure about the boiled eggs and shrimp but used them anyway.  What I found when making this dish was 1 - you can taste each ingredient individually which makes it unique.  2 - it's a perfect light meal served on a bed of lettuce with crackers.  3 - this dish is simply delicious!

Salmon Cakes

1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 eggs
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. Old Bay
2 Tbsp. dehydrated onions
1 1/4 cups seasoned bread crumbs
1 can (14 oz.) Salmon drained and mashed

1/2 cup oil

Mix mayonnaise, eggs, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard Old Bay and onions until well blended.  Add bread crumbs and salmon.  Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.  Heat oil on medium high in a large frying pan until hot enough to barely sizzle.  Scoop up mix, roll into a ball about golf ball size, flatten and add to hot oil.  Fry on each side about 3-4 minutes.  Place on paper towels to drain.  Makes about 12. 

Comment:  This was a recipe for crab cakes that I made a few changes to.  The original called for egg yolks only, I used the whole egg.  It called for blackening seasoning, I used Old Bay.  It called for red pepper flakes and 1/2 cup of chopped parsley, I eliminated both and added the onions.  I also changed from regular bread crumbs to seasoned.  And of course I used a can of salmon instead of the 1 lb. of crabmeat.  These came out delicious!  You can get a hint of the lemon, a slight taste of the Worcestershire and the seasoned (Italian) bread crumbs adds yet another taste.  Combine them all together and these are some of the best salmon cakes I've ever made.   And did I tell you they are moist!

Baked Scallop Scampi

5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1 lb. sea scallops
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 cup Panko bread crumbs



Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place 2 Tbsp. of butter in a 9 x 9 baking dish.  Place in oven until melted.  In a bowl season scallops with salt and place in buttered dish.  Squeeze lemon juice over scallops.  In a small frying pan melt the other 3 Tbsp. of butter.  Add garlic and cook over med. high heat 2-3 minutes stirring constantly to prevent burning.  Add Panko and zest.  Stir and cook another 1 - 2 minutes or until butter is absorbed and bread is slightly toasted.  Sprinkle Panko mixture over scallops.  Bake 12-15 minutes or until scallops are opaque and firm and bread crumb mixture has browned.



Comment:  I found this recipe at Publix.  I love scallops and usually order them, rarely cooking them myself.  This recipe was so simple that I had to give it a try.  Now for my changes.  The original recipe called for 4 cloves garlic, chopped - I used 1 Tbsp. minced.  I also, due to the price of scallops, cut mine down to 1/2 lb. and added 2 thin slices of cod, treating it just as I did the scallops.  This gave me a meal for just over half the cost and 2 sea products instead of one very expensive.  I do suggest that whatever fish you use make sure it's about 1/2 to 3/4 the thickness of the scallops.  Since the fish is larger than a scallop, this gives them equal cooking.  This dish is simply delicious!

Spicy Shrimp

1/4 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp. Ginger, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced

In a medium-size bowl, toss shrimp with lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper.  Heat the oil on medium-low heat.  Add the shrimp, orange juice, ginger, and red pepper flakes.  Sauté 2-3 minutes turning the shrimp and stirring frequently.  Add garlic and continue to sauté until the shrimp are pink and opaque, about 3-4 minutes longer.  Serve with additional lemon juice.  Serves 2

Nutrition Facts per serving - 264 calories, 138 calories from fat, 15.6g total fat, 172.4 mg. cholesterol, 314.8 mg sodium, 315.4 mg. potassium, 7.1 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 3.1 g sugar, 23.6 g protein

Recipe Tips

Diabetic Exchange: 1 vegetable + 3 lean-fat meat + 2 fat.

Shrimp is heart healthy and provides a source of vitamin B12 and protein.  Lemon and orange juice contain vitamin C and strengthen the immune system.  Garlic contains sulfur compounds and boosts the immune system.  Ginger strengthens the immune system and decreases inflammation.  Red pepper flakes contain capsaicinoids that decrease inflammation.  Olive oil is a mono unsaturated fat and is heart healthy.

Comments:  This recipe came from Bonnie Raffel's book The Power of Food.  I love the taste and texture of shrimp but usually coat it with cocktail sauce.  No more!  This recipe makes the best shrimp I've ever eaten.  It needs no cocktail sauce.  The flavors form the juices, ginger and garlic are perfect.  And the touch of red pepper gives it just enough heat to make it even better.  I wouldn't change a thing but will be using this recipe when I cook my scallops.  I have no doubt that will come out just as good.


Comment from Food Tester Carol:  This dish leaves the impression of lightness.  It's a delicious recipe and the searing of the shrimp in the lemon and orange juice makes them moist and tender.  It's simple and quick and a real pleaser.

Shrimp and Spaghetti

1 lb. shrimp
1 lb. dried spaghetti, broken
1/4 cup bell peppers, chopped
1/4 cup onions, chopped
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter or margarine
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups half and half, light cream or milk
1 1/2 cups American cheese shredded 

Cook spaghetti according to package.  

In large sauce pan melt butter.  Add shrimp and cook until pink.  Remove shrimp from pan and add bell peppers, onion and garlic.  Cook about 5 minutes or until tender.  Stir in flour, pepper and salt, to taste until well blended.  Add half-and-half all at once.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Add cheese, stirring until melted.  Stir in shrimp.  Add spaghetti, tossing gently to coat.  Serves 6.

Comments:  The inspiration for this recipe came from a recipe I found online for crawfish.  I substituted for shrimp, used spaghetti, added the onions and used half evaporated milk/half water.  I also eliminated the baking.  This dish is perfect without putting it into the oven, which I feel would dry it out.  There are many ways to make changes to this.  For one, you can use chicken instead of shrimp.  You can add veggies like broccoli.  You can add a little extra seasonings such as Old Bay.  Just Think With Your Taste Buds to make this dish your own.

'Crab' Cakes

1 cup imitation crab, chopped
2 cups Pepperidge Farm Seasoned Stuffing Mix
1 cup Pictsweet Seasoning Blend (onions, peppers, celery & parsley)
1 egg
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Add the egg to the 1/2 cup of water and whisk till blended.  Pour all ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.  Let sit about 30 minutes allowing stuffing mix to soften.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Make mix into patties and place on parchment.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until browned.  Makes 8, serves 4.

Comment:  Yes, this can be made with real crab but with the economy that can get expensive and to be honest I kind of like the imitation.  The original recipe came form an old cookbook that had lost its cover so I have no idea of it's name but it does appear from around the 60's - 70's.  The original did not have the peppers and parsley that come in the Pictsweet seasoning blend but it did call for the mix to be stuffed and baked inside 4 bell peppers.  These little changes made it simple to make and oh so good.  There is a slight sweetness from the red and green bell peppers as well as the 'crab'.  Blend that with the seasonings in the Pepperidge and you have the perfect taste.  No condiments needed.

Shrimp Toast

6 slices rye bread
36 med. shrimp, cleaned
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. minced garlic
6 slices cheese

Place bread on a baking sheet.  In a frying pan melt butter, add garlic and shrimp.  Saute until shrimp is pink.  Place a slice of cheese on each slice of bread.  Top cheese with 6 shrimp.  Drizzle with drippings from frying pan.  Broil in oven until cheese starts to melt. 

Martha:  I made shrimp scampy one night and had leftover.  This is what I came up with so the shrimp wouldn't go to waste.  Boy was it a big hit.  The fortunate food testers that got to try this one all raved over how good it was.  You got the flavor from the rye bread, the sweet taste of the shrimp and of course the delicious blend of butter and garlic.  Oh yeah, the cheese was good too.  If you don't like rye bread, use French, wheat or whatever you do like.  As for the cheese, I used a blend of cheddar and jack.  You can do the same or use whatever cheese you like that will go with shrimp and garlic. 

Imitation Crab Casserole

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cheese, grated
1 lb. imitation crab, bite size pieces
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
Panko or bread crumbs
Melt butter over medium heat in a medium size saucepan.  In a small bowl mix flour with 1/2 cup of the water.  Whisk together until smooth.  Whisk into butter.  Add milk and remaining water.  Cook over med. heat until it starts to thicken to the consistency of gravy.  Add cheese.  Continue to heat until cheese melts stirring very frequently.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick spray.  Evenly layer eggs and imitation crab.  Slowly pour cheese mixture over both.  Bake 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with Panko or bread crumbs.  Bake another 5 minutes.  Serves 6-8. 

Chip Crusted Cod

Fish fillets
1 egg white for every 2 fillets
crushed salt and vinegar chips

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place a rack sprayed with non-stick spray on top of a baking pan.  This keeps the fish from sitting in it's drippings and have a crisp crust all around.  Lightly whisk the egg whites.  Dip each fillet in the egg white and then into the crushed chips.  Place on rack and bake 15-20 minutes depending upon it's thickness. 

Comments:  I have a friend who knows how much I love fish.  One of my favorite is a nice thick piece of Cod.  You can cook 1 - 2 pieces in a toaster oven or more by cooking it in a regular oven making this perfect when cooking for 1 or 2 or for a larger family.  No matter which oven you use, make sure you place your fish on a rack with another pan under it to catch the drippings and give you a good crust.  If you like fish, this is one you must try!

Salmon Patties with Hashbrowns

2 cans (6-7 oz.) boneless, skinless Alaskan salmon, drained
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp. mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh chopped dill or 1 1/2 tsp. dried
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
4 cups frozen hashbrowns shredded potatoes
Olive oil

Thaw hashbrowns and drain water by placing them in a strainer and lightly pressing.  In a bowl combine salmon, onion, eggs, mustard, dill, pepper and salt.  Mix well.  Stir in hashbrowns.  Heat oven to 200 degrees.  Heat 1 Tbsp. of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Take a handfull of mixture (about tennis ball size).  Place in the hot oil and press to flatten.  Don't overcrowd the pan.  You can usually cook 3-4 patties at a time.  Cover with a well fitting lit and cook 3-5 minutes or until browned on the bottom.  Gently turn over and do the same to the other side.  Remove from pan and place on a baking sheet.  Place in the preheated oven and continue with the next batch.  Makes 9-12 patties depending upon the size of your patties.

Comments - This dish came from a friend who found it on EatingWell.  I did make a couple of changes.  The original recipe called for red onions, I didn't have them so I used regular onions.  It called for 2 eggs plus 1 egg white.  I just used 3 full eggs.  I used yellow mustard instead of whole-grain and cut the dill in half.  This is a super delicious dish.  I loved the texture as well as the flavor the hashbrowns gave these patties.

Crabby Rice Patties

Chicken broth
1 cup instant rice, uncooked
2 cans (6 oz. each) crabmeat, drained, cleaned
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup butter
Old Bay seasoning, to taste
2 eggs
Panko bread crumbs
Cooking Oil

Cook rice in chicken broth according to cooking directions on package of rice.  Stir in crabmeat, cheese, butter and Old Bay.  Add eggs.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  Heat oil in large frying pan.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Pour Panko into a shallow bowl.  Shape into patties, press patties into Panko to coat.  Fry until browned on both sides.  Place on a baking sheet covered with foil.  Bake 20 minutes.

Tips/Changes - I mixed everything but the eggs so I could taste my mixture as I went along.  This way you can add as much or as little of the Old Bay.  You can add more or less cheese, I used cheddar but you can change that to fit your own taste.  I used plain Panko bread crumbs but I'm sure seasoned would be good.  I haven't tried it yet but I want to give this a try using Salmon instead of crab.  Bet that one will be good too.

Dirty Rice & Shrimp

2 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 lb. ground pork
1 med. onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. Zatarain's Jazz it Up Seafood seasoning
2 pkg (6.2 oz.) Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice
  (or 1 1/2 cups any brand long grain & wild rice)
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) low sodium chicken broth
1 lb. (40-60 count) shrimp, shelled, cleaned, cooked & cut in half
3-4 green onions including tops, chopped

In a large saucepan heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil.  Add pork and cook over med. heat until the meat is no longer pink.  Reduce heat to med. low and add the other Tbsp. of oil, onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes.  Stir in Zatarain's seasoning and rice (do not add seasoning mix).  Add broth.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer covered for 20-25 minutes or until rice is done.  Stir in shrimp and let simmer for about 2 minutes.  Garnish with chopped green onions.  Serves 8-10.

Tips:  The original recipe called for regular rice, I wanted the different textures so I used the wild and long grain rice.  I also had a list of 6 different seasonings but I had just bought a jar of Zatarain's Jazz it Up Seafood so decided to try it instead.  I used 1 Tbsp. but wanted just a bit more heat so I added an extra teaspoon which is optional.  I also bought my shrimp already cooked which saved time.  All-in-all, it turned out wonderful!

Changes:  Use Polish Sausage or chicken instead of the shrimp.