Tag: Fish Recipes

Seaside Starters: Maryland Crab Cakes

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Seaside Starters: Maryland Crab Cakes

Good Morning and Happy Thursday, everyone!

This coming weekend is shaping up to be a busy (in a good way!) one- including a long overdue dinner with my family to celebrate my older brother and my niece’s upcoming birthdays, working at the station, catching a screening of “It: Chapter 2” with friends- and then Sunday will be fully devoted to sand, surf and scallops at Hampton Beach’s Annual Seafood Festival!

And, of course- the Patriots’ regular season kicks off- so there will be beer and nachos, as well. As is tradition!

Inspired by the Seafood Festival, and still getting acquainted with my new kitchen- I thought I’d whip up one of my own favorite recipes to share with you all- crab cakes! These can be served as an appetizer or, if you’re eating more than one- as an entrée all on their own. Whatever you choose- they’re delicious and very easy to make!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 8 ounces crab meat- drained, shells removed and patted dry.
  • ¼ cup diced red bell pepper
  • 2 teaspoons tarragon
  • 1 cup Panko bread crumbs, divided in half
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ teaspoon McCormick Old Bay seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • ¼ teaspoon dried mustard
  • 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish (optional)
  • Olive oil (to fry cakes)

READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

  1. Drain crab meat, pick out shells and pat dry with paper towels
  2. Add crab meat, bell pepper, tarragon, ½ cup Panko bread crumbs, egg, salt, pepper, mayo, dried mustard and Old Bay seasoning to a medium mixing bowl and mix with a rubber-tipped spatula.
  3. Scoop handfuls of the combined mixture out one at a time and gentle pat/press together to form cakes.
  4. Add ½ cup Panko bread crumbs to a shallow dish. Place each cake in and coat the sides until all of the cakes are covered evenly in bread crumbs.
  5. Heat a heavy sauté pan and add the olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Place cakes in the sauté pan and cook approximately 4 minutes on each side or until they are evenly browned
  6. Remove cakes and place on a plate to allow to cool for approximately 5 minutes.
  7. Drizzle horseradish sauce over the cakes and serve.

I could eat these crab cakes all day every day- that’s how much I love them- and while I’m sure I’ll be eating plenty of variations of these at the Seafood Festival, among many, many other things- I’m a bit biased when it comes to my own! I don’t think they can be topped!

Next week, my blogging schedule returns to normal now that Labor Day is over (Monday, Wednesday and Friday!) I’ll be sure to have more Autumnal Activities to share, a peek into the Fall section of my wardrobe- and a few other surprises!

But until then- enjoy your weekend, everybody!

xx

– Ashley –

Backyard BBQ Recipes: Crispy Baked Fish Tacos with Cabbage Slaw

by Ashley DeLarge3 Comments on Backyard BBQ Recipes: Crispy Baked Fish Tacos with Cabbage Slaw

Good Morning and Happy Hump Day, everyone!

Yesterday was a bit strange around here- with severe thunderstorms sweeping through the state well into the evening. We even had a tornado watch in effect for a few hours- but thankfully nothing came of it apart from some slightly terrifying lightning and a bit of rain/hail. Just another late-Spring-early-Summer day here in New England, really!

Tonight I’ll be heading to the Paradise Rock Club over on Comm Ave to catch a set by Editors (who I haven’t seen in years!)- but before I power through my work day and get over to the venue- I wanted to share a recipe my mom and I whipped up this past Sunday while we were spending Mother’s Day together.

I’m a big fan of tacos- any kind, really- and experimenting with different flavor combinations is something I really enjoy when I’m making my own at home for myself or guests. I also love seafood- so street-style fish tacos are pretty much a win/win. Add some red cabbage cole slaw and a twist of lemon and/or lime? You’ve got a delicious lunch to serve at your next cookout!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

FOR THE FISH:

  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons store-bought taco seasoning
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1¾ pounds tilapia, cut into 1½-inch-wide strips

FOR THE CABBAGE SLAW:

  • 2 cups shredded red cabbage
  • 2 carrots, peeled and shredded
  • 2 cups shredded green cabbage
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 jalapeño, minced
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • Zest and juice of 1 lime (for these tacos, I used a lemon, instead!)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE TACOS:

  • ¾ cup sour cream
  • 12 tortillas
  • Zest and juice of 1 lime (again, I used a lemon, instead!)
  • ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

  1. MAKE THE CRISPY BAKED FISH: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it generously with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk the eggs. In another wide, shallow bowl, whisk the flour with the taco seasoning to combine.
  3. Working in batches, dip the fish into the egg and then into the flour mixture, tossing well to coat. Place the breaded fish on the baking sheet. Repeat until all the strips are breaded. Spray the top of the fish with nonstick cooking spray.
  4. Bake the fish until they are golden brown and very crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Flip the fish with a spatula halfway through cooking to brown on both sides. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  5. MAKE THE CABBAGE SLAW: In a large bowl, toss the red cabbage with the green cabbage, carrots, red onion, jalapeño, lime zest, lime juice, rice vinegar and olive oil to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  6. MAKE THE TACOS: In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream with the lime zest and lime juice to combine. Set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, place 2 or 3 tortillas in the pan and heat until lightly browned on both sides, 1 minute per side. Repeat until all tortillas are toasted.
  7. To serve, place 3 tortillas on each plate, and fill each tortilla with 1 or 2 pieces of fish. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of slaw on top of each taco and drizzle each taco with 1 to 2 teaspoons of the sour cream. Garnish each plate with 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves.

I actually served the minced jalapeño separately so that my mom would be able to control the amount of hot and spicy on her own tacos (she’s very particular!)– and it worked out well! With some sour cream on the side for dunking//drizzling- there were so many amazing flavors incorporated into these- and I’ll definitely be making another batch of them soon!

Here’s to Wednesday being a breeze for all of us. It’s almost the weekend, everyone. Hang in there!

xx

– Ashley –