Not So Crabby Cakes

I am never 100% satisfied with the lump crab meat available at my supermarket. I always give it another shot and end up being incredibly disappointed with the freshness of the crab and spend the entire meal devastated that I spent 19.99 on a pound of sub par crab meat. It took me a while, but I learned my lesson. I try not to cook with crab while in DC. But there are crab dishes that I miss - like crab cakes. The idea of these shrimp cakes really intrigued me since it was an awesome alternative to the crab cake.

Spicy Shrimp Cakes with Corn and Avocado Salsa
Adapted from Cooking Light November 2006

Yield

5 Servings

Ingredients

Cakes:

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Cooking spray
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
3 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), divided

Salsa:

2 ears of fresh corn, roasted and cut from the cob
1 diced peeled avocado
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped seeded jalapeno pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

To prepare cakes, cook shrimp (salted and peppered) in a skillet sprayed with Pam until pink,

place shrimp in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until finely chopped. Set aside.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add bell pepper to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add garlic to pan; sauté for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Place bell pepper mixture in a large bowl. Add shrimp, green onions, and the next 6 ingredients (through egg), stirring well.

Stir in cilantro and 1/4 cup panko.

Divide shrimp mixture into 5 equal portions, shaping each portion into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Pat panko bread crumbs on each side of the cakes while holding in your hand. The mixture is too loose to dredge. Chill at least one hour (I chilled them overnight).

Heat pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 3 cakes to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Be careful will flipping the cakes. They crumble easily. Press down on the cakes with the back of the spatula a couple of times before flipping.