3/22/14 ChefElla's Shrimp Cakes with Spicy Avocado Sauce

CHEFELLA'S SHRIMP CAKES WITH SPICY AVOCADO SAUCE

I like seafood, but every time I tell my friends I like seafood they all say, "YUCK!"  I think my friends do not like seafood because they have not had the chance to try something they like.  I think they tried one thing once, and said, "I did not like that fish, or shrimp, or crab, so I do not like seafood."  I know they do not say the same thing with candy because I see them trying all sorts of candy until they find their favorite.  I like to share my love of food with my friends, so this week I made a recipe for them to give seafood one more try.  I hope it changes their minds about seafood and about trying new things even though they did not like something the first time.

For this recipe you will need to use the oven, a food processor (cuisinart) and a knife.  If you are not allowed to use the oven, appliances or a knife by yourself you can have a grown up help.

Note:  If you do not have a food processor you can still make this recipe.  You will just need to mince your shrimp and water chestnuts by hand.

1. Wash your hands.

2. For this recipe you will need measuring cups and spoons, a rubber spatula, a large mixing bowl, a small mixing bowl, a food processor, a cookie sheet, a butter knife and fork, and a cutting board.

ChefElla's Shrimp Cakes

Ingredients: (This recipe will make 20-24 appetizer servings.)

1 Lbs.       Shrimp, Cooked, Peeled, De-veined, Tail-off, and Thawed.
                 -A frozen shrimp is o.k. if you thaw it first.  An expensive shrimp is not necessary.
                 -If you like another kind of seafood feel free to substitute it instead of shrimp.

4 oz.        Water Chestnuts (After you drain one 8oz can you will be left with 4oz of Water Chestnuts.)  

1 tsp        Garlic, Fresh Minced (If you only have granulated garlic use 1/4 tsp granulated garlic instead)
                 -Minced is when you cut something into a small dice and then you chop down so that it is
                  in really small pieces.
1/2 Cup   Scallions (Green Onion), Thin Sliced, (2-3 green onions)
                -Wash the green onion and cut off the small root end.  Slice the green onion into thin circles.  Be
                careful because the green onion can roll while cutting it.
2 ea          Eggs
1.5 Cups  Panko Bread Crumbs.
                -There are different kinds of bread crumbs.  Panko are white Japanese bread crumbs that are
                made from a special bread and only contains the white part of the bread.  You can also use
                French bread crumbs called mie de pain (meaning middle of the bread).  Do not use plain bread
                crumbs they contain the crust and are heavier.
2 Tbl.        Sesame Seeds
1/2 tsp      Black Pepper
4 tsp         Soy Sauce

3. Pre-heat oven to 400F.
4. Cut cut shrimp into pieces and put into your food processor.  Chop your shrimp on low until it is in small
    pieces.  Do not blend into a paste.  You still want to be able to see some shrimp pieces.  Put shrimp into
    your mixing bowl.  (See ingredient picture below).

5. Add water chestnuts to the food processor, and chop them into small pieces.  Again do not blend into a
    paste.  Add water chestnuts to the bowl with the shrimp. 

6. In your small bowl mix your egg, soy sauce, and black pepper.

7. Add egg mix to your large bowl and mix well with your shrimp and water chestnuts.
8. Add remaining ingredients and mix until all of the ingredients are combined.  Do not beat or whip the
    mixture.
9. Cover your cookie sheet with foil and spray with pan spray.
10.  Wet your hands and take a heaping table spoon of the shrimp mixture and roll into a ball with your
       hands.  Put the shrimp ball on the pan and pat it gently so that it flattens out a little.
11.  Repeat the process until all of your mix is rolled and patted flat on the tray.  The cakes should not touch.
12.  Put the tray in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
13.  When the shrimp cakes are done flip them over so that the browned side is facing up.

Spicy Avocado Sauce

Ingredients: (This recipe will make about 1 cup of sauce.)

1 ea         Avocado, Ripe

                -To figure out if an Avocado is ripe you can do one of two things.
                 1.  Ask the produce person nicely if they will pick out a nice ripe avocado for you, or
                 2.  Gently squeeze some avocados.  If they are hard as a rock they are not ready.  A ripe
                      avocado should be just a little soft when you press on the skin.

1 Tbl.      Mayonnaise

                -I use Canola Mayonnaise because it has 1/2 the calories of regular mayonnaise but still has all of
                 the flavor of regular mayonnaise.  You can use whatever kind you like best.

1/2 tsp     Soy Sauce

1/2 tsp     Wasabi Paste, ready to use
1/4 tsp     Garlic, Fresh Minced (If you have granulated garlic, just use a pinch.)

14. Clean the food processor and rubber spatula.
15. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise.  There is a large hard pit in the avocado so you will need to cut
      around it not through it.  Separate the two halves of the avocado and using your butter knife pry out the
      pit.  Take your knife and cut the Avocado while it is still in the skin (see picture below)  Do not cut
      through the skin.  Cut the Avocado one way and then the other to make small squares.  Scoop the
      Avocado out of the skin with your rubber spatula into the food processor. 

15. Add all of the ingredients to the food processor and mix until the sauce is smooth.

Serve your shrimp cakes warm with your spicy sauce.  If you do not like the Spicy Avocado Sauce serve your shrimp cakes with Teriyaki, Plum, or Sweet and Sour Sauce.

Enjoy

- ChefElla