Sally’s Summer Salad & Crabcakes (pes, gf)

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When my husband goes out of town, I like to treat and distract myself by cooking nice meals to be enjoyed solo. He’s my favorite person to be around and when he leaves, I find myself doing things to keep my mind off of the house being so quiet. I grew up with lots of noise, two sisters, and very little privacy, and that first night with him gone is always a little, well… boring. Close quarters and bedlam are my peace.

fancy photo

Lots of people would savor that quiet, private, coffee commercial-like time… not me. I am happiest when surrounded by people I love (and sorry, Parley, but you don’t count). Correction: people I love and FOOD! And if I can’t have one, I’ll certainly have the other. We’re fortunate enough to have great friends to visit in many parts of the state and country, and we spent the past weekend in Joplin with some wonderful people. Being in a house full of folks we love and miss had me spoiled. Here was my (edible) replacement for rowdy company last night:

SALLY’S SUMMER SALAD

Recipe poached from the lovely Sally Robinson

Ingredients:

  • small container Organic Girl greens of your choice
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 1 red onion, sliced into thin strips
  • 1 bag ready-to-eat green beans, cut into thirds
  • 1 bag ready-to-eat snap peas, cut in half
  • 1 container Santa Sweets grape tomatoes, washed and halved
  • 1 lemon, juiced (you’ll save some juice for the recipes below)

Directions:

This was an as-best-I-can remember recreation of a delicious salad our friend Sally made Saturday night. When I told her I’d duped it, she mentioned that she’d also used feta, toasted slivered almonds, and garlic, salt, pepper, and a sprinkling of oil instead of a vinaigrette (recipe to follow). Each of those ingredients was incredibly tasty- I highly recommend adding any and all. All you need to do here is wash and cut the veggies as stated above and toss. Sprinkle with a bit of lemon juice for a bright, fresh taste, and to keep the avocado green in case you have leftovers.

Set salad aside, or meanwhile, make the following super-easy vinaigrette:

  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp-1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dried herb of your choice (basil’s a good one)
  • 1 tsp whole grain or Dijon mustard
  • 1/2-3/4 cup olive oil

Whisk together all ingredients except oil; then add oil in a steady stream while whisking to emulsify dressing. Taste and season accordingly. I have categorized this post as gluten-free; the salad if gf, but the crabcakes are not gluten-free unless made with gf breading.

 CRAB CAKES MOUTARDE

Ingredients:

  • 1 12-oz container lump crab meat (found in the refrigerated section of the seafood counter)
  • 1 tbsp light mayo
  • 1 tsp whole grain or Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp yellow mustard
  • 1/2 tsp dried mustard
  • 1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
  • dash (or three) of cayenne
  • dash celery seed, if you have some around
  • 1 tsp lemon juice (save this from your vinaigrette)
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 tbsp whole wheat breadcrumbs
  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Moutarde was the surname I gave these basic crab cakes to make them extra-fancy. French does that (see: Grey Poupon and pommes frites). So does drinking wine. There is mustard in the sauce I made, so I guess the name is legit. Voila! So very fancy.

Heat a non-stick pan over medium low, and add oil. Mix all ingredients except crab and bread crumbs. I recommend whisking them so they’re well-combined. I wouldn’t over-salt these, as you want to taste the delicate crab, and can liven up the flavor after cooking with bright, fresh, lemon juice. Fold in the crab with a spoon; then fold in the breadcrumbs. Add more breadcrumbs if you like, but keep in mind that the egg will bind the ingredients and help them cook in a patty form.

Divide the mixture into quarters (about 3 tbsp each), and gently form into cakes with your hands. Add patties (also gently) to the hot oil, leaving space between each. They don’t have to be flat and wide to thoroughly cook, they can be tall. They’ll cook pretty quickly. Let cook about 3-4 minutes on the first side; make sure to monitor the cooking temperature so the bottoms don’t burn. Flip over with a spatula and cook an additional 2-4 minutes. You want both sides to be golden brown. The crab cakes will look so pretty and smell so good at this point!

Remove to a paper towel-lined plate, and let rest while you make your schmancy moutarde sauce:

  • 1 more tsp coarse grain or Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp light mayo
  • remaining lemon juice

Whisk all together. Plate your vinagrette-dressed salad, add crab cakes, spoon sauce on top. There! Being home alone isn’t so boring after all! Savor, finish your wine, and google some more French words in the sunroom as you watch the sun set. Enjoy.

Defiantly unaltered photo. Instagram is Photoshop for food.

Chinese Dumpling Pasta (gf)

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Hi, all!! We’ve had all kind of things going on lately- workouts, races, friends in town, trees falling on our cars, beautiful nephews being born, parties to plan, and so on and so forth.* The [happy] chaos had led to lots of cereal for dinner and very few blog posts (okay, NO blog posts), but I actually had time to cook last night! Real food involving vegetables, protein, and grains- and none of it came from the ready-made Whole Foods bar. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Good wives go there all the time. At least that’s what I hear. You know, on the streets.

in all its tasty glory

I have mentioned this in a previous post, but I often crave Asian foods- Vietnamese, Korean, and Chinese are favorites. I’d made this dish before and it’s just what it sounds like: a pasta dish that tastes like steamed dumplings. BIG flavors, and quite tasty. It really hit the spot. Here’s what I came up with:

CHINESE DUMPLING PASTA

Adapted from Fitness Magazine

Ingredients:

  • 1- 1 1/4  lb lean ground pork (you can use turkey or chicken if you’d like)
  • 1 10-oz bag ready-to-eat shredded carrots
  • 1 bunch scallions, sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 8-10 tbsp hoisin sauce (sounds like a lot, but it isn’t; made with soy sauce, which contains gluten- substitues accepted for true gf)
  • 1/2 lb-1 lb shiitake mushroom caps, sliced (rehydrated, then sliced, if purchased dry) 
  • 1 pkg Tinkyada brown rice pasta, or pasta of your choice

Directions:

In a large stockpot, cook your chosen pasta according to package directions. On a recent experimental gluten-free kick, I tried the Tinkyada brown rice pasta, and loved it. I was inspired to go gluten-free in an effort to resolve some long-standing stomach issues, by some of the ideas behind the Wheat Belly craze, and by the endorsement of Heather Wurtele, a professional triathlete I admire (I’m a nerd, I know). Side note: Heather and her husband Trevor (also a pro triathlete) live in a tiny RV and drive all over North America racing and training. That sounds like such a great lifestyle to me, so streamlined and focused!

adorable

She’s very positive (check out their fantastic blog here) and she’s a fellow tall girl, which inspires me because she’s been very successful in a field of shorter, compact, fast little women who often seem to have a natural advantage in the sport. I met her in New Orleans and she had a big smile on her face all day, despite having taken a very violent and very public tumble off of her bike. She got right back up, placed 2nd (her hubby won the men’s division that day), and went out on Bourbon that afternoon, bandages and all. Her attitude completely won me over- she’s my fave. Oh- drain pasta and set aside.

good eats

While the pasta is cooking and as you’re perusing the Wurtele’s blog, heat the sesame oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the sliced shiitakes, the garlic, and the ginger. Cook for three minutes, until the mushrooms are soft and the kitchen smells amazing. Add the pork [turkey, chicken], and cook for another three minutes, breaking up and stirring to cook evenly. Drain at this point if there is a lot of fat coming off of the pork. Add the hoisin sauce and pasta water, cook another 3 minutes, then add the entire bag of shredded carrots and cook until the pork [turkey, chicken] is completely cooked through and the carrots have cooked down a bit (you will know this when you see it).

mushrooms, garlic, ginger

Place the drained pasta back in the large pasta pot and top with meat and veggies, then with scallions. Toss furiously! But don’t break up the pasta. That’s all! Serve with Sriracha (Cruse ketchup) and more hoisin, for those who’d like it. Quite a yummy and complete meal, and this will make a LOT for leftovers. Enjoy!

all together now

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