These tasty baked crab cakes can be made for an elegant appetizer, or served as a main course. Use leftover crab legs for cook once, eat twice success, or use packaged or fresh crab. Serve with lemon dill mustard sauce.

Ingredients

• Approximately 3/4 pound crab meat
• 15 Ritz or other puffy crackers, smashed
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise or Greek Yogurt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/4 cup diced green onions
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, break apart crab meat with fork. Add remaining ingredients, and mix well. Form into patties: 1-1/2 inch diameter for appetizer size, and 2-1/2 inch diameter for entree size. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes for appetizer size, and 20 minutes for entree size, until edges are browned. Serve with rice, or on rolls with mustard sauce.

Dill Mustard Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, sour cream or mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dill
• 1 teaspoon white wine or white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Filed under: Category 40 Dinner Duos, Appetizers, Light Cooking, Recipes, Seafood | Tags: baked crab cakes,best crab cake recipe,crab cakes recipe,easy crab cakes by No Comments »

Here we combine a traditional Caesar with black olives and strawberries for not only some protein, but some Vitamin C and a great color combination to boot. The homemade croutons add a fantastic flavor balance to the fresh strawberries and lettuce.

Makes two large entree salads, or a side serving for 4-6

Ingredients

• 4 – 1-inch thick slices day old Italian bread, cut into cubes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, mashed
• 3 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup strawberries, diced
• 1/2 cup cook black olives

Mash garlic into oil. In a large bowl toss bread cubes with oil. Place on baking sheet and toast for 4 minutes.

Prepare dressing below. Toss lettuce with bread croutons, strawberries, black olives and dressing. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Caesar Dressing

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs (can substitute 1/2 cup mayonnaise)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Filed under: Category 30 Spectacular Salads, Light Cooking, Recipes, Salads & Sides | Tags: by No Comments »

This salad works as a salsa, with chips, on its own as a salad, or as a garnish for grilled chicken or meat. The beautiful color combination is a treat for any table.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1/2 pound (approximately 7 spears) asparagus

3/4 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced

1-1/2 teaspoons jalapeno, finely diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh Italian Parsley, minced

1 tomato, seeded and diced

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

Blanche asparagus for 2 minutes in boiling water. Immediately drain and rise with cold water. Dice asparagus into 1/4 inch rounds. Combine with remaining ingredients. Chill before serving.

Filed under: Category 30 Spectacular Salads, Light Cooking, Recipes, Salads & Sides, Vegetarian | Tags: asparagus salad,black bean salad,great dip,healthy dip by No Comments »

Ingredients
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 medium onion, chopped
-1 teaspoon chili powder
-1 cup vegetable broth
-1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into cubes
-2 tomatoes, diced
-1 fresh jalapeno, or 3 tablespoons jarred jalapenos, minced
-16-ounces pinto beans
-1/2 cup water

Heat olive oil in stock pot, and sauté onion about 5 minutes. Add chili powder, broth and potato. Cover pan; reduce heat and simmer until potato is almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans and water. Continue to simmer until chili thickens, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Filed under: Category Light Cooking, Recipes, Vegetarian | Tags: chili recipe,lite chili,Sweet Potato Chili,vegetarian chili by No Comments »

Ingredients

• 1 package (8 oz.) Orzo pasta
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 finely diced onion
• 1/2 cup capers
• 1/2 cup diced black or kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup minced fresh spinach
• 1/2 yellow pepper, diced
• 1 package crumbled feta cheese
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup Newman’s Own Three Cheese Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing

Boil pasta according to package directions. Rinse with cold water, drain well, place in large bowl, and immediately coat with lemon juice. Add remaining ingredients, and chill or serve immediately.

Filed under: Category 30 Spectacular Salads, Light Cooking, Pasta, Recipes | Tags: best pasta salad,kalamata pasta,lemon juice pasta,pasta salad recipe,perfect pasta salad by No Comments »

Ingredients

• 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined (raw or precooked, your preference)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 4 limes (for pre-cooked shrimp, 7 for raw)
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons red onion
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/2 mango, diced
• 1 heart Romaine Lettuce, chopped
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon spicy dry mustard

Dice shrimp and place in dish. Season with salt, top with onion, and squeeze with juice from limes (3 if cooked, 6 if raw). For cooked shrimp, let marinate at least one half hour. If shrimp is uncooked, let shrimp “cook” in lime juice for at least 3 hours, up to overnight. Add avocado and mango to shrimp, and serve on bed of lettuce topped with dressing. For dressing, combine yogurt, juice from remaining lime, cilantro, mustard and garlic salt.

Filed under: Category 30 Spectacular Salads, Light Cooking, Recipes, Salads & Sides, Seafood | Tags: ceviche salad recipe,shrimp mango avocado salad,shrimp salad recipe,unique salad by No Comments »

Tired of the same old mayonnaise-laden potato salad? Follow this recipe for a leaner, lighter-tasting salad with all the flavor and more.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 tablespoons chicken or vegetable broth granules
• juice of 4 lemons
• 3 tablespoons white vingar
• 1/4 cup diced green onions
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 3 tablespoons mustard (your choice of spicy or straight)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 hard boiled eggs, diced
• 1 table spoon fresh dill and/or parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Place potatoes in a large stock pot. Over with water and add broth granules. Boil until tender. Remove from heat, drain and rinse with cold water. Immediately cover potatoes with lemon juice, and vinegar. Stir to coat, and let cool completely. Add remaining ingredients and stir to coat. Refrigerate before serving.

Filed under: Category Light Cooking, Recipes, Salads & Sides, Vegetarian | Tags: lite potato salad,potato salad,potato salad recipe by 1 Comment »

Easy Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• The meat from one half a butternut squash, cubed
• 2 cups chicken broth
• one apple, cubed (or one pear, or one cup carrots)
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Season squash with garlic salt. Cook the squash in oil in a large pan on the stove 10 minutes. Add pear, apple or carrots, and continue cooking until soft, about 20 minutes.
2. Add onions to the pan, stir and cook a few more minutes until translucent.
3. Add broth and water and simmer.
4. Transfer squash to a blender and puree.
5. Return to pan. Stir in cream, lemon juice and pepper. Cover, and continue to simmer 25 minutes.

Filed under: Category Light Cooking, Recipes, Soup, Vegetarian | Tags: butternut squash soup recipe,squash soup by 1 Comment »

Ingredients

• 8 wood food skewers
• Blueberries (as large and firm as you can find, approximately 40)
• Watermelon (use the firmest part of the watermelon, and cut into 32 one-inch squares)
• Feta cheese (cut into 24 one-inch squares)

Filed under: Category Appetizers, Light Cooking, Recipes, Vegetarian | Tags: appetizers for Memorial Day,Fourth of July Recipes,fruit skewers,holiday recipes,memorial day recipes by 1 Comment »

Growing your own herbs this summer? Here is a super easy recipe for delicious homemade gnocchi using fresh herbs.

Ingredients

• 1 pound potatoes
• 1 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage (you can substitute basil)

Boil potatoes with skins on until completely cooked. Dry and peel off skins (Or slice in half and scoop out potatoes to use skins for an appetizer). Process potatoes through a vegetable mill, or grate on cheese grater. Blend potatoes with flour, salt, nutmeg and egg. Roll out dough into long rolls, and cut into bite sized gnocchi. Poach dough in a pot of boiling water until floating. Remove, and rinse immediately in cold water. Serve with olive oil blended with Italian Seasonings and Parmesan cheese, or traditional red sauce.

Filed under: Category Light Cooking, Pasta, Recipes, Uncategorized, Vegetarian | Tags: easy pasta recipe,gnocchi,gnocchi recipe,potato recipes,vegetarian dinner by No Comments »