Recipe: WW Maryland Crab Cakes (WW points=5)

WW Maryland Crab Cakes
Source: Connie Reece
Adapted from WW's New Complete Cookbook
Makes 4 servings; Points per serving: 5

1 pound cooked crab meat, picked through for shells and cartilage
3/4 cup bread crumbs
6 scallions, minced
1/4 cup low-fat (1%) milk
3 tbsp. reduced-calorie mayonnaise
2 tbsp. minced parsley (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper (actually, I prefer cayenne)
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. reduced-calorie margarine
2 1/2 cups mixed green lettuce leaves (for garnish)

In a large bowl, combine the crab meat, bread crumbs, scallions, milk, mayonnaise, parsley, salt and pepper. With moistened hands, form into 8 small round cakes; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.

Place the flour on a sheet of wax paper; lightly coat each cake on both sides.

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the margarine. Cook the crab cakes until golden brown and crispy, 4-5 minutes on each side. Line a platter with the greens; top with the crab cakes.

Notes: My mother adapted this recipe on subsequent tries, and I like it even better. She omitted the milk, margarine, and flour, substituting one egg white to hold the cakes together (and probably reducing the points). Instead of adding the bread crumbs to the mixture, she formed the cakes and coated them with cracker crumbs. BTW, we use the fake crab meat, which is actually some kind of white fish that's processed to be the texture of crab. - Connie