Baked Crab Cakes with Lemon Mustard Sauce over a bed of Arugula

The winter months here in Birmingham have been mild (knock on wood), I feel like our fall was colder than our winter. I am not complaining, but the sunny bright blue skies and slight coolness is making me crave a beach trip with fresh seafood involved. I made these crab cakes, which were recommended to me from a friend, a week ago and still craving them. They have such a wonderful lemon flavor that makes them so fresh. Make them today and enjoy

Baked Crab Cakes

inspired by Kitchen Daily and Allison K.

1/3 cup of mayonnaise or Greek yogurt

2 TBS dijon mustard

zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp old bay seasoning

1 TBS fresh parsley, chopped

2 scallions, finely chopped

1 egg

1 LB fresh lump crabmeat, rinsed to check for small shells

1/2 tsp Salt

pepper to taste

1 cup bread crumbs, or 1 cup Almond Meal (I like almond meal but it can be hard to find and expensive)

Lemon Mustard Sauce

1/3 cup mayonnaise or greek yogurt

juice of 1 lemon

2 TBS dijon mustard

1 1/2 TBS chopped fresh parsley

Salad

Fresh Arugula, washed and rinsed

sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan cheese

avocado, sliced

red peppers, diced

1/2 to 1 lemon, juice squeezed (depends on how much lemon you like!)

1/4 cup olive oil

2-3 TBS balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, mix mayo (or greek yogurt), dijon, lemon zest, old bay, parsley, scallions, and egg. Add the crab meat and season with the salt and pepper. Be sure to combine well.

Place the almond meal (or bread crumbs) onto a plate. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly oil the foil or use a non stick spray on foil.

Form the crab cakes into a ball using 1/4 cup mixture for each crab cake. Then dip the cake into the almond meal or bread crumbs and flatten to about 1 inch high. Note - this mixture doesn't hold together very well, so just know that it will be messy and your hands will get dirty! Just do your best to work with the mixture and form it into a round patty.

Bake for 10 minutes. After ten minutes, turn your broiled on high and cook for another 1-2 minutes to brown cakes. Be sure to watch the broiled carefully so you don't burn!

When baking, prepare the sauce by combining the mayo or greek yogurt, lemon juice, dijon mustard and fresh parsley. Stir together well.

To make salad, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice and whisk until well combined. Toss the arugula with some of the dressing (this dressing makes enough for several salads). Throw in the cut avocado and peppers.

Plate the salad, layer the crab cakes on top and drizzle the mustard sauce on top.

This is such a wonderfully fresh salad that has the perfect amount of lemon. IF you use the almond meal, the carb count is very low. Substituting for the yogurt will also reduce total calories. ENJOY