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Thursday, August 23, 2007
Zucchini Mock Crab Cakes

Ah, Summer! Where it gets so hot the chickens lay fried eggs and the zucchini try to take over the world like some horrid 1950's B-Grade horror flick that should only be shown with a guy and two bots silhouetted in the lower right corner of the screen.

I didn't get to plant a garden this year. We were too busy eradicating the evil poison ivy from the yard. Die!Vile Weed!Die! Next year will be the garden year. Thank goodness for Central Market. The one produce stand at Market has an abundance of zucchini right now. One Tuesday, I snagged a 1 1/2 foot long zucchini for 45 cents. I so love a healthy bargain. By dinnertime, the big green monster was shredded and ready to be made into zucchini mock crab cakes.

I can't remember who emailed me this recipe, but it's been a family favorite since the first time I made them. Princess not only loves this recipe and requests it, but is also learning how to make it. I do need to thank Crazy Aunt Purl and her zucchini invasion stories for inspiring me to share my favorite zuke recipe. So without further ado.......

Zucchini Mock Crab Cakes

1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon Old Bay; more to taste (crab and seafood seasoning)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise (if you use egg less mayo this dish is vegan)
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
1/4 cup tofu (I freeze the rest of the block for other dishes)
2 cups zucchini; unpeeled, finely shredded

Blend the tofu with a hand mixer or potato masher until creamy. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the zucchini.

Place zucchini in a large strainer. Press out as much liquid as possible. Add zucchini to the tofu mixture. Mix with a fork (or your hands) for several minutes, until the mixture is well blended.

Preheat a non-stick skillet (I use my cast iron with a spray of vegetable cooking spray). Divide zucchini into 8 portions and make patties. Place on prepared skillet and cook. Turn several times, until the patties are light brown on both sides. Serve hot.

We always put the can on Old Bay on the table so each person can add more if they wish. This is great with fries.


Feel free to share your favorite zucchini recipe with me. I'm always on the lookout for interesting new recipes.

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posted by Angel at 8/23/2007 11:39:00 PM ¤ Permalink ¤ 3 comments
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Chicken Corn Soup
Just for the record, this is not my picture, I'm just borrowing it.
My father's parent's owned a small farm. You know the small farms that raise a few crops, some cows, a roost of chickens, and one very mean goose. From what I was told, when my father was growing up, my grandparent's farm provided most of the food for the family. Grandmother would can, pickle, brine, and freeze everything she could. But life on the farm wasn't all work.
During the late summer, my aunt and uncle from Florida would come up to visit. I guess the humidity of Pennsylvania was better than the humidity, bugs, and hurricane's of Florida. They'd drive up in this big ole RV that had a hitch on the back so they could tow their car up also. When the RV would park on the farm, it was time for the family to gather for social time and chicken corn soup. My uncle and Grandpa would set up picnic tables in the yard and the big cast iron cauldron was placed on it's tripod over a fire. Grandma would go into cooking mode. Corn was harvested, chickens plucked, and eggs boiled. Everything went into the cauldron and the family would gather, potluck dishes in hand, for a all you can eat chicken corn soup gathering.
Chicken corn soup played an important role in many summer gatherings of my childhood. My parents loved to go to church dinners where they would sell chicken corn soup with the fixings and have a local country band play. I remember eating lots of corn soup and playing in a lot of church playgrounds as a child. They were often cheap dinners and a chance for my parents to socialize with people they new. Now the local churches seem to have switched to drive through chicken bbq's instead of the chicken corn soup picnics.
I've raised a family of soup eaters. In fact, as soon as she sees corn at market, my daughter starts bugging for me to make chicken corn soup. It's healthy comfort food. My recipe is basically the same and my Grandma M's and my Mother's recipe.
Chicken Corn Soup
This recipe can be doubled easily. Soup reheats well and freezes well.
1 chicken or 6 boneless breasts
1 medium onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped (optional)
2 medium potatoes, chopped (optional)
6+ cups of cooked corn
6 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 1/2 cups egg noodles, crushed slightly
water
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon dried parsley (or 1/4 cup fresh)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
Boil chicken, onion, and celery in water until the chicken is cooked. Remove chicken to cool. Skim any fat off the broth. Bring broth to boil and add carrot, potatoes, and corn. Shred the cooked chicken and add to soup. Add seasonings and egg noodles. Once potatoes are soft, add eggs. Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve.

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posted by Angel at 7/31/2007 11:52:00 PM ¤ Permalink ¤ 1 comments