foodie wednesday: clams & crab cakes

last week, craig & i had my parents and my sis, hannah, over for a seafood feast.  we enjoyed steamed clams as our appetizer and then had crab cakes and a garden-fresh salad for dinner.  of course, dinner was accompanied with glasses of white wine and lots of good conversation & laughs : )

clams with white wine & garlic

1 lb little neck clams, rinsed & cleaned
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
3 tbsp butter
salt
juice from 1/2 a lemon
other 1/2 cut into wedges

1. melt 1 tbsp butter in a medium pot over medium heat.  add the garlic & shallots, season with salt and cook for 2-3 minutes until mixture is fragrant.

2. add wine & lemon juice and increase heat to medium-high until liquid comes to a simmering boil.

3. add clams and cook, covered, for 5-7 minutes, until clams have opened.  (discard any clams that are still closed!)  while clams cook, melt the final 2 tbsp of butter and pour into a small bowl.

4. using a slotted spoon, transfer clams to a large serving bowl and pour the broth into a small bowl for dipping.

5. serve clams with shallot-garlic-broth and butter for dipping and lemon wedges.

i loved scraping the bottom of the broth bowl to get some shallots/garlic for my clam.  with a squeeze of fresh lemon, i was good to go!

low-carb crab cakes

crab cakes often rely on breading to give them bulk.  this recipe relies on awesome, lump crab to make these cakes extra delicious : )

1 lb lump crab
2 large eggs
2 (heaping) tbsp grainy mustard
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
salt & pepper

preheat oven to 400 degrees

1. in a large bowl combine the crab, eggs, mustard and parm.  season with salt & pepper.

2. once evenly combined, form crab mixture into patties.  i opted for 8 large cakes.

3. put bread crumbs in a shallow bowl and lightly coat each patty.

4. spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray and arrange cakes.

5. bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping once half way through baking.  crab cakes should be golden brown and scrumptious looking!

enjoy with horseradish mayo, light ranch dressing or even guacamole...and a lemon wedge, of course!

our seafood feast was seemingly decadent, but actually rather wholesome.  with the proper combination of decadent ingredients, you can enjoy both a healthy & deliciously fulfilling meal.

bon appetit!.

craig cooks crab cakes

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i am the cook at our house, and i enjoy it.  cooking is one of my all-time favorite things, but believe me, i enjoy a night off too.  so, my lovely fiance is not only going to relieve me in the kitchen (once in a while) but has also agreed to let me blog about it!  (he wants ultimate recognition for his contribution : )

so, what did craig cook for us?  crab cakes!  and they were so delicious.  i honestly think he has been deliberately making me believe he can't cook in order to escape cooking duties : )  i mean, just look at the amazingness he cooked up!  it does not look like the work of a cooking novice by any means...

crab cakes
1 lb fresh lump crab meat
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp mustard
lemon
1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
1 tsp curry
1 egg
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
canola oil
salt & pepper
1. in a medium bowl combine mayo, mustard and squeeze of lemon.
2. add crabmeat, dill, curry and season with salt and pepper, stirring gently.
3. add beaten egg and 1/2 cup bread crumbs, again stirring gently to combine.
4. place remaining bread crumbs in shallow bowl.
5. in a skillet, heat 1/4 inch oil.  (oil is sufficiently heated when a drop of water makes oil sizzle.)
6. while oil heats, shape crab mixture in balls and roll in bread crumbs to coat.  once coated, press flat into cake shape.
7. place cakes in oil and cook until they are browned (3 or so minutes per side).  *keep a close eye - oil cooks quickly and spritzes.  (...craig learned the hard way when he was "attacked" by the oil...)
8. remove cakes from oil and drain on paper towel.
serve with tartar sauce or yogurt dill sauce (that's what we had) and fresh lemon.  and enjoy (of course) with your cocktail of choice!

for someone who "doesn't cook", craig made some of the best crab cakes i've enjoyed in quite a while!  well done, babe.  very well done.
and don't forget to enter for a chance to win these lovely earrings!!!  you have until monday, march 7th to enter the spiral style giveaway : )
click {here} to enter

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