Vegan Crab-less Cakes with a Smoked Bell Pepper Sauce
Serves: 5
Crabless, you ask? Yes! These are plant based made with hearts of palm, which mimics the texture of the crab, but not the taste. To turn it into a “sea” tasting dish without sacrificing our health, we add nori seaweed, curry leaves, mustard seeds and homemade Old Bay seasoning, and. Voila—-Crabless cakes for a meal your guests will not soon forget.
Crabless, you ask? Yes! These are plant based made with hearts of palm, which mimics the texture of the crab, but not the taste. To turn it into a “sea” tasting dish without sacrificing our health, we add nori seaweed, curry leaves, mustard seeds and homemade Old Bay seasoning, and. Voila—-Crabless cakes for a meal your guests will not soon forget.
Ingredients
- 1 (14 oz) jar Hearts of Palm
- 1 medium parsnip (about 6 oz.) washed, peeled and cut into medium dice
- 1 tsp. black or brown mustard seeds
- 8 curry leaves (optional)
- 1 large shallot, finely minced (¼ cup)
- 1 red or green jalapeño or fresno chile, seeds removed and finely minced
- 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. Nori flakes
- 1-½ tsp. Old Bay Seasoning, preferably homemade without salt (link to recipe)
- 1 slice Ezekial bread, toasted until golden brown & processed to fine crumbs
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ¼- ½ cup fresh herbs, chives and cilantro or parsley
- Lime juice and slices
Directions
They will be very salty, so drain and rinse, two-three times, then slice in half lengthwise. Soak in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain. Chop in medium dice and place in a food processor. Pulse a few times until the hearts of palm look like crabmeat, about 8 pulses. Remove to a medium sized bowl.
Place in a steamer and steam for 8-10 minutes or until very tender. Remove from the steamer and pass through a ricer or mash with a potato masher. Let cool.
Heat a small sauté pan over medium high heat and using a paper towel, wipe just a bit (⅛ tsp) oil on the bottom of the pan, and heat for 30 seconds. Just this tiny bit of oil allows for the mustard seeds and curry leaves, if using, to bloom. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves to the pan and cook until the seeds just start to pop, about a minute. Don’t let it go too long or the seeds will burn. Reduce the heat to low and add the shallot, chile and garlic. Sauté for a couple of minutes, or until the shallots are translucent. Remove from the heat, and let cool.
To the bowl with the hearts of palm, add shallot mixture, nori flakes, Ezekiel bread crumbs, old bay seasoning and freshly ground black pepper. Form into 4-5 large cakes or make smaller for hors d’oeuvres, to make 15-16 bite size pieces.
Refrigerate for 15 minutes, or longer
Place a non-stick pan over medium-high heat for one or two minutes. Gently place the cakes in the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Cover and cook for two-three minutes. Check to see if the bottom has browned. Once lightly browned, carefully flip the cakes over and brown the other side. Squeeze a little lime juice on top.
Preheat the oven to 400℉. Place the tiny cakes on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 10-12 minutes or until the tops are dry and lightly browned. Turn over and cook for another minute or two. Squeeze a little lime juice on top.
Place a dollop of Smoked Bell Pepper Sauce on the serving dish and top with cake. Squeeze a little lime juice on top and adorn with chives, parsley and/or cilantro. Add a slice of lime on the side.
Place the cake on a serving platter and add a dollop of Smoked Bell Pepper sauce on top. Adorn with a cilantro leaf or chive sticks.
Cook's Notes: To make ahead the cakes can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated, a day in advance. Or, freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator before cooking.
Serve with Smoked Bell Pepper Sauce.
