Crab Cakes with Roasted Bell Pepper Vinaigrette

This is one of my very favorite dishes to ever enter my mouth. I love them so much, but when ordered out, they are fried and very heavy. Here is a lightened up yet very flavorful version.

1 lb. fresh  white crab meat (pick out all shell fragments)
2 Tablespoons light mayo
1/4 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup sliced green onions
2 Tbsp. finely diced red bell pepper
1 Tbsp. finely diced celery
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
Juice of half a lemon
Paul Prudhomme's  Seafood Magic (to taste-about 1/2 tsp)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a nonstick pan or griddle on medium heat. While heating, combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix well . Form into small patties-you should get about 8 cakes. Spray griddle with with cooking spray. Cook patties until they are golden brown on each side being careful to adjust heat as needed as to not burn them. Make sure to let the patties  brown well on the first side before flipping to avoid having them fall apart. Use a very thin spatula to turn them.  Serve immediately with vinaigrette.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Vinaigrette

1 large red  bell pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. sliced green onion
Juice of 1.5 lemons (add less or more to your taste)
2 tsp. creole mustard
salt and pepper to taste


Oil the bell pepper and roast at 400 in oven until soft--about 30 min. Remove from oven and wrap in foil until cool . Peel off outer skin. Remove stem and seeds. Place in blender with all but the oil. Process until smooth and then add oil slowly. Serve with crab cakes.

Note: if you have any leftover, you can crumble into an omelet the next morning. To die for.
Crab Cakes