Need some healthy meatless recipe ideas for Lent? The Mountain West Medical Center Web site features seven delicious seafood recipes that are a snap to prepare and good for you, too. Homemade dishes such as citrus salmon, red snapper and crispy fish tacos are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which may naturally help lower blood pressure and can reduce plaque build-up in the arteries, according to ongoing medical research. Fish is high in lean protein and has fewer calories than most meats and poultry.

The new Web cooking video for March features Health eCooking Chef Danni Bleil showing you how to prepare a lightly pan-fried Maryland crab cake that has less fat and oil compared to traditional fried crab cakes. The secret to crispy, but non-greasy crab cakes is the breadcrumbs. In our crab cakes, the chef recommends using panko, also known as Japanese bread crumbs. Most grocery stores stock panko in the international food aisle. Panko is flaky and crunchy yet it won’t absorb excess frying oil like traditional bread crumbs.

Watch the Health eCooking Show chef make crab cakes and a dozen other recipes at www.mountainwestmc.com. Click the pink chef hat.

Maryland Crab Cakes

This recipe is diabetes friendly. This recipe is heart healthy.

Serves 4 (2 crab cakes per serving)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp whole grain mustard

1/8 tsp hot sauce

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1/2 lb jumbo lump crabmeat

2 Tbsp finely chopped chives

2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley

1 cup panko

1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest

1/4 cup canola oil

Heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet. Combine red pepper, celery and green onions and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the vegetables are just softened, about 2 minutes.

Stir in ginger, Worcestershire, mustard, hot sauce and evaporated milk. Boil mixture until it’s reduced by half, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly.

In a separate bowl combine crabmeat, chives, parsley, panko breadcrumbs and lime zest. Combine the reduced cream mixture with the crabmeat and stir gently. Avoid breaking up crab pieces.

With moistened hands, shape the crab mixture into 8 cakes, using approximately 1/3 cup for each. The cakes should be about 3 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick. Spread the remaining bread crumbs on a large plate. Coat the crab cakes with bread crumbs and transfer to a baking sheet lined with wax paper.

Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a medium nonstick skillet. Add half of the crab cakes and cook until browned and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter. Repeat with remaining canola oil and crab cakes. Arrange crab cakes on plates.

Nutrition facts (per serving): Calories 311; Fat 20 g; Saturated Fat 3 g; Cholesterol 61 mg; Sodium 422 mg; Carbohydrates 20 g; Fiber 1 g; Protein 12 g.

Healthcare publisher Baldwin Publishing produces The Health eCooking™ Show for Mountain West Medical Center. Go to www.mountainwestmc.com to watch the Health eCooking Show.