No Excuses

Right up there with finding a delicious recipe that I already have all the ingredients for is learning that making and eating one of my (new!) favorite dishes is a step towards the protection of my bones (especially as I seem to be growing older much quicker these days).

So when I read that the author of one of my favorite food blogs has osteoporosis and in order to raise awareness for this all-too-common disease, she was hosting an event to "alert women to the potential risks of osteoporosis", I thought it might be as good as time as any to venture back into the world of food blogging events.

*Read Susan's post to learn all sorts of interesting, and dare I say alarming, facts about osteoporosis! I already knew I was at risk being a woman and Asian but now have a heightened awareness for other risk factors.

My recipe takes advantage of the fact that seafood and some herbs made it to the list of calcium-rich ingredients. It was hard enough to resist making these delicious Shrimp Cakes before I knew they contributed to the health of my bones, but now... it's almost an impossibility.

16 uncooked large shrimp (about 1 pound), peeled, deveined
1 large egg
1 green onion, sliced
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 TBSP minced fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1/2 tsp salt
Pinch of ground black pepper
2 c panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 TBSP butter

1. Coarsely chop shrimp. *I chopped them with a knife to avoid having pureed shrimp. Add egg, green onion, lemon juice, mustard, cilantro, hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper. Add 1 cup panko.
2. Form mixture into desired sized cakes. Roll cakes in remaining 1 cup panko; transfer to waxed-paper-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate at least 10 minutes. (Can be made up to 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
3. Heat olive oil and butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry cakes until cooked through and golden brown on both sides, adding more oil to skillet as needed, about 6 minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy!

*I've found the Panko (versus regular breadcrumbs) really makes this dish - so definitely use them if you can find them!

Adapted from Bon Appetit - Sept 2005

We have enjoyed this dish a few times but have found that our favorite preparation thus far is simply with a side of cocktail sauce.

Even if you don't make this recipe, make sure you're getting enough calcium-rich foods... your bones will thank you for it!