Taste for Tuesday: Shrimp Cakes

Where are my Foodies at?

Are you tired of the same ole, same ole for dinner every night? One day, it hit me and I was like, "I want crab cakes tonight!" A few weeks ago, I had crab cakes from a nearby eatery and was not a happy customer. I like my cakes crispy on the outside and tender on the inside WITHOUT an oily residue on my plate. So I decided to search for a healthier option. I'm sure all of you (well, most of you) are probably avid Pinterest users like I am and use it as an online database for recipes.

I chose to make shrimp cakes instead of crab cakes for two reasons: the thought of the canned crab I found at the grocery store gave me an uneasy feeling & crab itself is so dang pricey! So shrimp seemed to be a more viable option. I went through dozens of different recipes and compiled ideas from all of them to create the perfect recipe! I made this for my boyfriend and his parents and it was a BIG hit. With the cakes, I made a simple spicy mayo sauce and served it with steamed broccoli and a simple cilantro lime veggie rice.

And let me tell you, it tastes as good as it looks! Now it's your turn to give it a try :)

Serves: 4
Total Time: Up to 1 hour and 30 minutes

Here is what you'll need:

1 lb. uncooked shrimp (unshelled, deveined, chopped) -- this is the most time consuming of the prep!
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 orange pepper, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg
1 green onion, sliced
2 Tbs. lime juice
3 Tbs. light mayo
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. cilantro, minced
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
Pinch of pepper
3 cups Panko

Before you begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

1. Heat 1 Tbs. of oil over medium heat. Add the finely chopped peppers and sauté for about 3 minutes, then add in the garlic and sauté for another minute until fragrant. Smells good, doesn't it? Transfer the peppers/garlic to a medium-large bowl.

2. To the bowl, add the shrimp, green onions, dijon mustard, mayo, lime juice, hot sauce, egg, salt and pepper. Stir in cilantro and 2 cups of Panko. Combine all of the ingredients until they are mixed well. Go ahead, use your hands and get messy!

3. Pour the remaining 1 cup of Panko into a shallow plate. Divide the mixture into 4 patties and dredge each patty in the Panko and place onto a large plate. Let the patties chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.

4. Remove the patties from the fridge. Heat 1 Tbs. of oil over medium heat, add cakes and cook for 4 minutes on each side until slightly browned. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

5. Pop them in the oven for 20 minutes. When they're done, transfer them to a plate covered with a paper towel.

For the Spicy Mayo sauce:
In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup mayo, juice from 1/2 lime, 1/2 tsp. dijon mustard, and 1/2 tsp. Sriracha (or hot sauce).

For the Cilantro Lime Veggie Rice:
In a medium bowl, whisk together lime juice, 2 Tbs. olive oil, salt and pepper. Add cooked rice (I used Uncle Ben's boil-in-a-bag brown rice), sautéed peppers and corn. Season more to your taste!

Dish up and enjoy :) You can make your own alterations if you wish. That's the best thing about a recipe, it's never set in stone!