Baked Horseradish Crab Cakes

So after the successful crab rangoon experiment of last week, I had a lot of yummy blue crabmeat left over. Craig suggested crab cakes and my mind immediately started to spin out all the healthy possibilities. I LOVE crab cakes. But I don't love that they are deep fried, filled with mayo, and usually very light on the actual crab. So I decided that I could fix this by whipping up my own version. Two tasty batches later, I've worked out all the kinks. Owing to my current horseradish fixation, I decided to incorporate the healthy root into this recipe.

Crab and horseradish are a winning combo. The flavor of the meat is enhanced by the spicy complexity of the fresh horseradish. I was overwhelmed with how nicely this combination worked. In order to make these as healthy as possible, I used Greek yogurt and one egg to bind the crab cakes, instead of mayo and oil, which are traditionally added. I also kept the flavoring simple to maximize the impact of the horseradish. I cut waaaay back on breadcrumbs to highlight the tasty, healthy crabmeat and lower the calories. And, finally, I baked them, which resulted in a crispy exterior, and a warm interior.

I usually prefer crab cakes without any calorie laden sauce on them, but I decided to whip up a light sauce to accompany them. I used the same flavors of the crab cakes so as not to compete with the horseradish flavor. And I used the rest of the Greek yogurt, to keep things protein filled and low calorie. 

All this yummyness clocks in at only 62 calories per crab cake! Which  made me SO happy because they are super delicious but also super filling. A couple of these feels like a full meal!

Yet another reason you should run out to the store and make these tonight: they take less than 20 minutes to make! The whole process is easy, quick and has minimal clean up.

Ingredients:
1lb crab meat
1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1 tbsp dijon mustard (I used Annie's Horseradish Dijon)
1 tbsp grated horseradish
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs

Step by Step Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375

2. Pour crab meat into a mixing bowl. Pick through with a fork and remove any pieces of shells

3. While looking for shells, break up any large pieces or chunks of meat

4. Add all ingredients and mix thoroughly

5. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop mixture into the cup and pack in with a fork

6. Place each "cup" of crab mixture onto a greased baking sheet

7. You may have to tap the measuring cup a few times to get the "cake" to slide out

8. Repeat steps 5-7 until all the mixture has been made into cakes

9.  Bake for 12-15 minutes, until edges have browned and cakes have cooked through

10. Serve with yogurt-horseradish sauce



Yogurt-Horseradish Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp grated horseradish (cut in half for a less spicy version)
1/2 tsp paprkia
1/2 tsp black pepper

To make: whisk all ingredients together, chill at least 20 minutes and serve!