Refuting the Notion: 'Nothing Good Ever Came Out of a Can'; Crab Cakes Make a Great Summer Entree; Read the Labels!

Let me say up front that I was never a big fan of 'Everybody Loves Raymond.' Not that it wasn't funny because it clearly was. But more because I thought the family was oftentimes over-the-top dysfunctional and sometimes if you think about real-life cases (the Casey Anthony clan, for example) it's not all that much to laugh about.

Nevertheless, my husband and I were faithful viewers of the show for the nine years it ran on CBS (1996 to 2005). One of my favorite episodes called 'The Can Opener' came in the beginning of the fourth season. The storyline was that cooking-challenged Debra purchased a deluxe can opener that cost more than Ray thought a can opener should. As was usually the case, Marie got involved criticizing Debra for cooking with canned goods and eliciting the comment that I used in my headline "Nothing good ever came out of a can.'

I tend to agree with Marie, objecting mostly to the sodium content in most canned foods, but I decided to use a recently purchased can of crabmeat to make crab cakes for dinner tonight. We had them recently in a restaurant in Patchogue, Long Island and I put them on my list of things to try this summer. I had a good recipe that I couldn't locate so I peeled the label off my can of Bumble Bee Fancy Lump Crabmeat to see if there was one inside. Many canned goods have recipes hidden there as an added bonus. Take that Marie!!

Sure enough, there was a nice and easy recipe for Bite Sized Crab Cakes just waiting to be tried. I had all of the ingredients too but this recipe called for three 6 oz. cans of crabmeat. I had only one. I adjusted the ingredients but will give you the original as it appears on the can's label. I'm going to make these again for appetizers this weekend at a family gathering. I added a dollop of goat cheese to mine but tartar sauce is probably the way to go.

Though this is a fried entree, there are lots of ways to compensate making it a bit more heart-healthy. See the notes I placed in the text.

Bite Sized Crab Cakes
Ingredients
Three 6 oz. cans of crab meat (I used Bumble Bee)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup diced onion
1/2 cup cracker crumbs (use whole grain crackers)
3 tablespoons mayo (use the light variety)
1 tablespoon regular mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
dash of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup green peppers diced
2 large eggs
Butter for frying (use a light butter)

Directions

• Combine all ingredients except for butter in large bowl.
• Mix well then shape into 2" rounds, flattening slightly.
• Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.
• Add cakes in batches, frying both sides until golden.