Coconut Crab Cakes with Coconut Basil Mayonnaise

Coconut Crab Cakes with Coconut Basil Mayonnaise. Need I say more? Recipe follows.

Coconut Crab Cakes
Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons canola oil (plus a bunch more for frying)
• 1/2 Medium onion, finely diced
• 1 Stalk celery, finely diced
• 1 pound lumb crabmeat
• 1/2 Cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened, I chose sweetened)
• 2/3 Cup mayonnaise
• 1 Teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 Tablespoons chives, finely minced
• 2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 5 Cups panko bread crumbs
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
• 3 Large eggs, beaten
• Diced tomatoes, for garnish (whoops, didn't garnish for that pic, did I?)
• Chives for garnish 

Directions

1. Heat oil in a saute pan, add onion and celery until onion is translucent. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix crabmeat, coconut, mayonnaise, mustard, chives, parsely and 1 cup panko with the onion/celery mixture. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Form into 2-inch diameter cakes.
3. Roll cakes first in flour, then in beaten eggs, then in the remaining 4 cups of panko, each time shaking off excess. At this point you can plate on wax paper and refrigerate to allow cakes to set if desired.
4. Heat oil, and deep fry the crab cakes until golden brown, flipping once.
5. Arrange on a platter and garnish with tomatoes and chives. Serve with coconut basil mayonnaise.

Coconut Basil Mayonnaise
Ingredients

• 1 Cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 Cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 1 Tablespoon basil leaves,chopped
• 1 Teaspoon chili garlic paste (more if you want it spicy, the 1 teaspoon will not make it spicy at all)

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, and whisk until smooth.
2. May be prepared a day ahead, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Sauteed Swai Fillets with Green Salad and Honey Grapefruit Vinaigrette

Ok, so I have to admit that Swai is not my favorite fish, but it's inexpensive and if you're going to eat it, this recipe will do just fine. I served it with a fresh green salad drizzled with honey grapefruit vinaigrette.
Recipes follow.

Sauteed Swai Fillets
Ingredients

• 3 large Swai fillets, thawed, rinsed and patted dry
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 tablesoons garlic powder
• salt to taste
• lemon pepper to taste

Directions

1. In large, deep sauce pan or sautee pan, heat olive oil, then add butter and heat until melted.
2. Add red wine vinegar and give a light stir, then add a pinch of salt and the garlic powder.
3. Add Swai fillets, and continue cooking over medium heat.
4. Sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning onto each fillet.
5. After about 3 minutes, carefully flip fillets, sprinkling other side with lemon pepper, and continue cooking for about 4 minutes, or until outside is opaque.
6. Serve immediately, spooning sauce from pan over fish.

Lemon Grapefruit Vinaigrette
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1-2 freshly crushed garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon chopped basil
• 1 tablespoon honey

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients well, adding the olive oil last, and whisking to combine.