Krabby Patties, or How To Trick Your Toddler Into Eating Dinner

Wee One is picky. There, I said it. He likes what he likes, which is chicken nuggets and french fries, and he's hesitant to try new things. That being said, when he tries a new food that he likes, he devours it. Anchovy stuffed olives? Loved them. Sauteed duck liver? Tried to eat the whole thing. Roasted beets? Fell in love! So, he's picky, but he's not too picky.

Trying to get him to eat new things is difficult most times, and he decided that he needs you to "help" him eat. (In toddler speak, "Help me eat this," means "The only way you're going to get me to eat this stuff is to put it on the fork and put it in my mouth every single time.") So, when I found this recipe for Paleo "Krabby Patties" I got really excited! I love crab, like actual crab, not that fake pinky-orange stuff that has the consistency of a pencil eraser. Actual crab is delicious.

I put the Krabby Patties on our weekly menu--which is also the grocery list--and we set out to find crab. Again, it was a Costco win! (Love that store.) We found a pound of pasteurized lump crab meat in the seafood section and did the happy dance. I did mix her recipe up a bit though, because sometimes you just have to use whatcha got, am I right?

So, this is how I made our...

Paleo Krabby Patties:
(makes ~9 fairly large patties)

1lbs. canned pasteurized lump crab meat
1 1/2 TBS coconut flour
1/4 cup Paleo Mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely minced green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely diced onion
2 eggs lightly beaten
Pinch of salt and pepper
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. dill
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Enough oil to cook in (I used grapeseed)
Coconut flour to dredge the cakes in

I found that leaving the patties in the fridge for more than 30 minutes kept them together a bit better, though they still made me nervous. (I've never been really great with fish-cakes. Or potato cakes. Or any type of fried cake other than pancakes. And even then, the outcome isn't 100%.) I also found that the three minutes per side she suggested was just too long. Husband, having worked in a restaurant kitchen for longer than me, fixed the skillet temperature and filled the pan with fresh, un-burned oil, and we started again. The first two were pretty charred, but the remaining seven were delicious.

I think Sriracha or some sort of spiced mayonnaise would go really well with these, as the coconut flour absorbs so much more moisture than regular flour. The cakes weren't dry, and by no means were they bland, but for those of us out there that need a little extra kick, those suggestions could work.

If you've been following my progress, thanks so much! It's slow going, but I'm feeling great and I have so much energy! I'm not getting bored with anything I'm eating, and I know what I'm putting in my body is good for it! Also, I have an Amazon wishlist full of delicious snacks to help get me through the Whole30, cookbooks packed with Paleo recipes, and other helpful items if you'd be interested in helping me make it through!

Until next time, Kitchen (and Cardio) Comrades!