I simply love this recipe. The pineapple chutney pairs perfectly with the cakes, and I feel like I'm eating at a fancy seafood restaurant.
This recipe is a bit more advanced, and requires a bit more time than most of my recipes, but its totally worth it. You could call this a Sunday Dinner or Special Occasion recipe, as it's sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
I use hearts of palm instead of crabmeat, which is essentially the inner core of certain types of palm trees. In the United States, we get most of our hearts of palm from Costa Rica but they are also grown in other Latin American countries and parts of Asia. Some groceries may carry fresh hearts of palm, but the canned variety is more readily available and what this recipe uses.
Hearts of palm are very low in dietary cholesterol and fat, while very high in dietary fiber, Vitamin C, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc copper, and manganese. They are also a good source of plant-based protein, riboflavin, and potassium. Although mostly found in salads, hearts of palm are a great way to change up your veggie intake in a variety of ways.
The downside is that most canned hearts of palm are in a water-citric acid solution. This is why I don't recommend eating these very often, and that you thoroughly rinse, soak for an hour, and rinse again prior to cooking or eating. This will take care of the majority of the citric acid solution.
Pineapple Chutney Ingredients:
1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger root
Juice of 1 lemon (roughly 2 tablespoons of juice)
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 cup water
Combine pineapple chunks, grated ginger, lemon juice, sugar, cayenne (if using), and water into a blender. Blend until smooth.
Pour sauce into a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Store in the refrigerator until serving, and use extras as a dipping sauce for oven baked fries and summer rolls, or as a salad dressing.
'Crabless' Cake Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
2 - 20 oz. cans of hearts of palm, drained, soaked, and rinsed
1 cup of red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup carrot, shredded
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of Old Bay seasoning
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1/2 cup oat flour
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper
After soaking the hearts of palm for at least 15 minutes, drain and rinse thoroughly. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and roughly chop the hearts of palm. Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil and coat the bottom of the skillet. Add the chopped hearts of palm, red bell pepper, shredded carrot, shallot, and garlic. Saute for 8-10 minutes, until the veggies soften. Remove from heat.
Using a potato masher, mash the mixture to break up the hearts of palm until the big pieces are about the same size as the other veg. Transfer vegetable mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt, Old Bay seasoning, green onions, Dijon, and oat flour. Stir well to combine.
Using a 1/3 cup measure, scoop and shape the 'crab' mixture into patties. Gently place on the parchment lined baking sheet. It should make about 6 - 8 cakes.
Bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven, flip the cakes, and bake for another 10. Remove from the oven and serve with a side of Pineapple Chutney.
