The weather is getting warmer which means I typically begin to cook lighter fare.  Traditionally crab cakes are probably not considered “light” in terms of calorie count, but I found a recipe that keeps them on the “healthier” side (or at least I like to tell myself so).

Who doesn’t love a good crab cake?  Personally, I think everyone should eat more crab cakes, but typically this dish is more frequently served up in restaurants rather than on your dinner table.  I hope to change that notion.  This American classic is easy to make using canned crab meat (warning: this can be pricey, but keep an eye out for when it goes on sale), a few fresh ingredients and some pantry staples.

I slightly adapted this recipe from Ellie Krieger’s Crab Cake recipe.  Serve these tasty little morsels with some lemony aioli…nom, nom, nom!  Here’s how to make them.

Ingredients //

• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Dash hot sauce  (in my case, Frank’s Red Hot)
• 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 scallion, finely chopped
• 1 pound lump crab, picked over for cartilage
• 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• Lemon aioli (recipe follows)

Directions //
In a medium bowl mix together the egg, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, Old Bay and hot sauce. Stir in the bell pepper and scallion. Gently fold in the crab, 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs and salt and pepper to taste. Put the remaining bread crumbs in a shallow dish.

Divide the crab mixture into 6-8 mounds. Shape 1 mound into a round and coat in bread crumbs. Transfer to a baking sheet or plate and flatten to form a patty about 1-inch high. Repeat to form the remaining crab cakes.

Add oil to a large skillet over high heat. Add crab cakes and saute, flipping once, until golden brown and crisp, about 5 to 6 minutes per side. Serve with Lemon aioli.  Note // For a healthier version, you can bake them in a 400 degree oven until golden on the bottom, about 10 minutes.  Flip them and cook until the second side is golden, 5 to 10 minutes longer.

Lemon Aioli

Ingredients //

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions //
Mix all ingredients together and serve.

Let me know what you think of these if you make them!  Enjoy!