...bring a taste of it to your dinner table! Chef Carlo Sernaglia came by Tonia's Kitchen to talk about his new cookbook, appropriately named Margaritaville to talk about how you can bring paradise to your kitchen. Chef Carlo told Tonia one featured dish is the Crab and Quinoa Cakes with Curry Kale Slaw. These crab cakes are just barely bound with quinoa and chickpeas, which allow us to forgo the usual brad crumbs and eggs. This mixture makes the crab cakes much healthier and more interesting. The vibrant Curry Kale Slaw, which perfectly complements the crab’s sweetness, also really sets these apart. You can serve these with extra dressing from the slaw or even a bit of Mustard Sauce. You can also serve them as sandwiches or even throw in a little bacon for an elevated crab cake BLT! Try it out, and don't waste away...eat away in Margaritaville.¼ cup minced ren onion
¼ cup minced red bell pepper
¼ minced yellow bell pepper
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 ¼ cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 pound fresh or pasteurized jumbo lump crabmeat
2 tablespoons neutral oil (canola or vegetable), for frying
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, for frying
2 cups Curry Kale Slaw, for serving
1 lemon cut into wedges, for serving
Place the onion, peppers, quinoa, chickpeas, cilantro, salt, pepper, curry powder, lemon juice, olive oil and mustard in a food processor and pulse until well combined, about six pulses Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the crab. Using clean hands, mix everything well just to combine (done overmix and break the crab apart too much). Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and shape each on e into a small patty. Places the crab cakes on the prepared baking sheet and cove r with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours before cooking. Place 1 tablespoon of the neutral oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large nonstick skillet set over medium high heat. Once the fat is hot, add half the crab cakes in a single layer and cook until the bottoms are browned, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip the crab cakes and cook until well browned on the second side, about 2 minutes more. Transfer the crab cakes to a serving platter and repeat with the remaining oil, butter, and crab cakes. Serve the crab cakes warm, with the Curry Kale Slaw alongside and lemon wedges for squeezing over.
