I feel very fortunate, my family truly loves great food and they are always willing to try new flavor combinations. Well, almost always or at least five of us(our youngest may not always be as eager as the rest of us). We love having fresh fruit on our counter and lunch boxes are always filled with clementines or nectarines. Pineapple and raspberries don’t last more than a couple of hours and there is rarely a day that we don’t have some type of salad.
We have been trying to come up with healthier alternatives to some of the “not so healthy recipes” that we also enjoy. One of the recipes that we recently “healthified” (is that even a word?) is a twist on a crab and spinach dip that we love. You know the one, made with mayo, sour cream and cheese. Of course it is delicious but not something that you want to splurge on very often. The challenge was to recreate those flavors in a healthy version.
Since my daughter is a total crab cake fanatic, we decided to try combining a light spinach salad with a crab cake and topping it with fresh shaved parmesan. Did I mention the addition of a sprinkle to truffle sea salt? Oh my, this Crab Cake Salad is the Bomb!
If you have been following me for a while you know that I am a big believer in letting the natural flavors in our food shine through. This is especially true with crab cakes. Fresh crab is amazing, let’s not cover up it’s beautiful flavor adding an abundance of ingredients, which may cause you to lose the essence of crab taste. The point of the other flavors should be to help highlight the crab. Since these crab cakes are more mounds than patties, we don’t need too many fillers to make sure that they stay together.
Ingredients
- For the Crab Cakes:
- 3 pounds jumbo lump crabmeat
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Freshly squeezed juice from 1/2 lemon (1 tablespoon)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered mustard
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 6 green onions, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, finely chopped
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- For the Salad:
- 12 ounces Fresh Spinach, washed and drained
- 1/2 cup grape tomatoes cut in half
- 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice from one lemon
- Truffle sea salt or any great quality sea salt
- fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 cup shaved parmesan
Instructions
- Carefully go through all crab to pick out and discard any bits of shell. Leave the lumps intact as much as possible.
- Transfer the crab to a large bowl.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, mustard, Old Bay, green onion and parsley to the bowl. Use your hands to gently fold the mixture without breaking up the lumps of crabmeat.
- Beat the eggs in a separate large bowl, then add the mayonnaise and mix well. Gently fold into the crab mixture.
- Use your hands to mold them into mounds of the same size so they cook evenly. Place on baking sheet.
- Refrigerate the crab cakes for 30 minutes to 1 hour so they hold together better during the cooking process.
- Preheat oven to 450˚ and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.
- In the meantime combine the spinach, tomatoes, red onion, olive oil, lemon juice in a large bowl.
- Plate on individual plates and sprinkle with sea salt, fresh ground pepper and shaved parmesan.
- Place crab cakes on top of the salad and serve.
It is such an honor to be partnering with American Family Insurance once again this month, as part of their #ChooseDreams initiative! They inspired today’s #SundaySupper theme, Family Favorites Turned Healthy, and Katie from Ruffles & Truffles is our host.
For even more inspiration, check out the Family Favorites Turned Healthy #ChooseDreams Pinterest board, or connect with American Family Insurance on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,Google+, YouTube, or LinkedIn! We welcome you to join us this Tuesday, June 24 at 6:00 pm EST for a fun Google+ hangout.
There is nothing boring about these recipes – they are packed with flavor! They are just fantastic and perfect for the family that wants to #ChooseDreams with eating healthy meals together!
Savory Recipes
- Angel Hair & Zucchini Noodles with Fresh Tomato Sauce by Ruffles & Truffles
- Baked Vegetable Egg Rolls by Curious Cuisiniere
- Beef Stroganoff by Country Girl in the Village
- Buffalo Cauli-Tots by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Corn and Crab Chowder by The Dinner-Mom
- Crab Cake Salad by Family Foodie
- Grilled Portabella Mushrooms On Red Pepper Slaw with Cucumber Dressing by Seduction In The Kitchen
- Healthy Chicken Salad by Run DMT
- Lighter Chipotle Beef Tacos by Alida’s Kitchen
- Meatballs with Vegetable Noodles and Fresh Tomato Sauce by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
- Roasted Cauliflower Mac & Cheese by The Messy Baker
- Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms and Spinach by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Tex Mex Enchilada Skillet Lasagna by Neighborfood
- Zucchini Meat Lasagna by Peanut Butter and Peppers
Sweet Recipes
- Chewy Coconut Granola Bars by Savvy Eats
- Enlightened Southern Banana Puddings by The Weekend Gourmet
- Mom’s Fruit Salad by Magnolia Days
- Strawberry Vanilla Canap?s by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
- Superfood Pancakes by girlichef
- Zucchini Carrot Cake by The Foodie Army Wife
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our#SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.
Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.
Renee
June 22, 2014 at 6:16 amI’m pretty sure I could eat this salad at least 3 or 4 times a week. Wait, very sure. Oh how I LOVE crab.
Marjory @ Dinner-Mom
June 22, 2014 at 6:45 amThis looks fantastic! No frying or breading…these are definitely at the top of my summer to do list.
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
June 22, 2014 at 8:11 amIsn’t that a clever technique to bake the crab cakes!
Katie
June 22, 2014 at 8:11 amWhat a fabulous salad! I have never made crab cakes (or crab in general) at home, but I really should! I love that you added a sprinkle of truffle salt…seriously one of my favorite things in the world….
Constance Smith (@FoodieArmyWife)
June 22, 2014 at 8:53 amWhat a great salad for summer time! Crab is a favorite of mine, I don’t eat it nearly enough! 🙂
Shannon @VillageGirlBlog
June 22, 2014 at 9:25 amI absolutely adore crab cakes! Love them! This is such a great way to eat them more often without all the added calories from fillers and frying. Yum!
Deanna Samaan
June 22, 2014 at 9:28 amI love seafood and crab cakes is one my favs! This looks amazing!
Wendy (The Weekend Gourmet)
June 22, 2014 at 10:43 amI’m a crab lover too…and this salad looks AMAZING! I agree that letting the fresh, sweet taste shine through is the best approach.
Courtney @ Neighborfood
June 22, 2014 at 11:56 amI couldn’t agree with you more about letting the flavor of the crab shine through. Why would you want to cover up the great taste of fresh crab with all that other stuff? Now if I can just get my hands on some good crab, I can make this salad happen!
Jennie @themessybakerblog
June 22, 2014 at 12:55 pmIsabel, this salad looks so light and fresh. Crab is one of my favorite things to eat in the summer, and, living in Maryland, we have plenty of it. Pinned.
Bea
June 22, 2014 at 1:14 pmI am with Renee; we love crab and your salad looks absolutely amazing. I cannot wait to make this!
Liz
June 22, 2014 at 1:57 pmWhat a spectacular idea!!! All the great flavors of crab cakes atop of a salad!!!
Run DMT
June 22, 2014 at 2:01 pmThis is so clever! My husband loves crab cakes!
Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips
June 22, 2014 at 2:43 pmWhat a fabulous way to lighten up a favorite dish!
Cindys Recipes and Writings
June 22, 2014 at 2:57 pmA great crab salad is always welcome here!
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers
June 22, 2014 at 3:08 pmYum! Your salad looks amazing! Simple and delicious! Perfect for me!
Shaina
June 22, 2014 at 3:15 pmTruffle sea salt is one of the most amazing smells and flavors in the world. What an incredibly delicious salad, and so perfect for summertime. Everything about this makes me smile 🙂
Heather // girlichef
June 22, 2014 at 4:30 pmMmmmm….awesome idea (I love that dip you’re talking about)! I love a crab cake that has huge chunks of crab with very little filler, so I KNOW I’d devour this. Ummm….TRUFFLE SALT!
Alida
June 22, 2014 at 8:46 pmThis salad looks so fresh and delicious…perfect for a light summer meal. My husband adores crab cakes…this will definitely be making an appearance at the dinner table soon!
Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere
June 23, 2014 at 9:23 amThis is such a great way to enjoy the flavor of crab cakes without all the fillers and frying mess!
Julie
June 23, 2014 at 1:48 pmAdding truffle salt is brilliant! Love it!
Susan
June 24, 2014 at 12:08 pmI love this so much! If you are going through all that trouble to pick the pieces apart in your crab to get the shells out then let it shine! Don’t fill it up with binder.
Nick
June 28, 2014 at 9:27 amGreat recipe, will try this out next week as we have guests coming to dinner.