Easy peasy home-made crab cakes

Hi everyone,

Today I have a recipe for home-made crab cakes witha zingy lime & creme fraiche dip. This is such a simple dish to make & it's great for dinner parties too. The only hard part about this is cooking & picking the crab (unless you're buying ready to eat crab meat!).

For the crab cakes you will need: (Makes around 12)
1 large crab (or around 250g of fresh crab meat)
1/2 a loaf of white bread, blended into breadcrumbs
1 small egg
2 tbsp of full fat mayonnaise
The juice & zest of 2 limes
1 tsp each of sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the zingy lime & cremè fraichè dressing:
1 pot of full fat creme fraiche
The juice & zest of 2 limes
1/2 a tsp each of sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Too cook the crab:

Fresh, live crab is the best as the meat will be firm & sweet. Pop the crab in the freezer for half an hour- this will knock it out so it won't feel a thing when you drop it in the boiling water. Have a big pot of boiling, slightly salted water on the hob. A common misconception is that crabs "scream" when you drop them into the pan. All this is is the air escaping. The crab isn't in pain- it is already in a coma-like state so it will die instantly once submerged. Let the crab boil for about 40 minutes. Let the crab cool down for a bit before you pick the meat out. Start by removing the legs & claws, using a skewer to pull the meat out, or a hammer to crack them open to remove the meat. Use a screwdriver to prise the body away from the head. There is also plenty of sweet white meat in the body. Inside the head remove the dead mans fingers (these look like slimy brown feathers. Remove the white intestinal tract too & you will be left with the lovely soft brown meat (this can go into the crab cakes too)

To make the crab cakes:

After you have got your crab meat in a bowl (make sure there is no shell left in it) combine with the rest of the ingredients to make a sticky, dough-like mixture. Roll into balls about the size of a small apricot & flatten slightly into patties. Leave to chill in the fridge for at least half an hour. Fry in a small amount of oil until crisp & golden-brown.

To make the dressing:
Combine the creme fraiche, lime juice & zest, & salt & pepper. Divide into small dip pots or ramekins.

A great way to serve these tasty little crab cakes is with rice & some steamed veg, or a salad. Either way, I hope you enjoy this recipe & would really love to know what you all think!

Thanks for reading :) Xxx

**********************************************************************************************
For questions, suggestions, opinions & comments, place a comment below or feel free to email me at:
dollytrolley1994@gmail.com

An update, general chit-chat & this weeks likes & dislikes :)

Hello everyone!

Bit more of a cheerful update for you all this week :) if you read my last post then I am glad to say I'm feeling ALOT more positive about things now. There haven't been any developments on the medical front as yet- I have 2 appointments this week. One is with the GP to get sorted about my endometriosis after last weeks upset. The other one was today with the hand specialist to have a chat about a long-term problem I have with my left arm as things haven't improved like they hoped.

I've been seeing the hand specialist for 2 years now as the problem I've had with my arm is pretty complicated as there are birth defects & old injuries that have flared up as well as immense pain & swelling which has been pretty difficult to find what is causing it. Today when I saw the specialist, he was very sympathetic when he heard how bad things have been since I last saw him (in August last year) & agreed that on top of all my other problems that it was time they tried to sort things regarding my arm. He said my wrist & thumb joints are pretty unstable & wants me to try hand therapy again (gentle exercises & ultrasound therapy) for 8 weeks, then for me to see him again.

After a long chat with the hand therapist she said she wants to make me a new thermoplastic splint, she gave me an ultrasound session & said we'll start the exercises next week. It was agreed between me, the specialist & the hand therapist not to hold out too much hope as the hand therapy didn't work last time, but we would give it a go. If it doesn't work then some kind of surgery could be on the cards. I'll update you as the weeks go along so fingers crossed!

I am feeling generally more upbeat after being able to vent last week & am hopeful that things will start to sort themselves out. I've been quite tired this last week & the pain hasn't been easy to deal with at times but I have managed to have a few hours out today. It's been so warm lately & the weather has been nice so hopefully I will be able to get out more.

What I'm liking this week:

The Bodyshop Papaya Body Butter- this smells incredible & leaves your skin so soft & smooth. I get quite dry skin & this really helps keep it hydrated. Plus it's an absolute bargain- on offer for £5 a pot- usually £13!!!

Jubbly Cola freeze pops- the heat is making me pretty thirsty & these are so refreshing. They're on offer at the moment too- £1 for a box of 8 at Asda

Fresh grapes- I can't stop eating them!

What I'm not liking:

Rude people- they'll quite happily walk straight into you then tell you to watch it!

Litter- living by a seaside resort means I like to go to the beach & some people have no consideration & just leave rubbish all over the beach which then gets washed into the sea.

Poor local bus services- I, like many other locals, rely on buses for transport & the local council really needs to invest money in improving the public transport in out area.

So there we go. Thanks for reading :)

Easy guacamole

Hello everyone!

Got a recipie for you today- simple guacamole. I love guacamole- it's great as a dip or when you're craving a savoury snack. It goes great with loads of diferrent things too- carrot sticks, crackers, spread on toast with bacon or with a big plate of cheesy nachos!

You will need:
1 large ripe avocado
3 spring onions, finely chopped
4 cherry tomatoes chopped roughly
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 tablespoons of lime juice
1 tablespoon of creme fraiche
Pinch of sea salt
Pich of freshly ground black pepper

1. Slice avocado in half. Remove the stone by pressing the knife into it & gently pulling the stone out. Scoop the flesh of the avocado into a bowl & mash with a fork into a chunky paste.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients & mix well.
3. Serve!

Hope you enjoyed this recipie & found it easy to make. Thanks for reading :)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For questions, suggestions, opinions & comments, email me at:
dollytrolley1994@gmail.com

Brocolli & stilton soup recepie :)

Hi everyone!
Today I thought I would share with you one of my favourite recepies for brocolli and stilton soup. This recepie is so easy to make. It's great as a starter, a snack or on cold winter days served with thick crusty bread. One pot makes five good sized bowls

You will need:
1 large brocolli
A small onion, finely diced
A large piece of stilton (about 300g)
2 pints of milk (either whole or semi skimmed)
100ml of double cream
A large tablespoon of creme fraiche (optional)
Juice & zest of half a lemon
1/2 a teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

To serve (optional)
Thick crusty bread with butter
A dollop of creme fraiche
Parmesan shavings

Step one:
Boil or steam the brocolli until it is soft and tender, then drain. Cook the onions until they are soft (but not brown or fried).

Step 2:
Bring milk to a light simmer (do not boil). Cut stilton into small cubes & stir into the milk until melted. Take the cheese and milk mixture off the heat.

Step 3:
There are three ways you can do this step
A) Add the cooked brocolli & onions to the cheese & milk mixture then puree with a hand blender until it is a thick consistency & all of the brocolli is broken up
B) If you do not have a hand blender then put the brocolli and onions into a food processor, blend to a puree then mix into the cheese & milk until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
C) If you do not have a hand blender or a food processor then use a potato masher to mash the brocolli & onions to a puree then add to the cheese & milk mixture & stir well (if using this methood then cook brocolli until very soft for easier mashing).

Step 4: Add lemon juice & zest, cream, creme fraiche (if using) sea salt & black pepper. Mix well then simply heat & serve. Simple :)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope you enjoy this recepie- if you did then let me know!
More recepies will be coming soon & if you have any questions, suggestions, comments or opions then email me:

dollytrolley1994@gmail.com

Thanks for reading! :)