Crab Cakes and Baked Potatoes

If you haven’t picked up on it here and there, I really have a thing for the ocean. “When Oceans Rise”, “Not-So-Smooth Sailing”, being on a cruise when I first got sick… you’d think that meant I did NOT like the ocean anymore, but I totally do. Not even PI-IBS can crush that part of my spirit.

That being said, I’ve always loved seafood, too. I fell in love with crab cakes in my early teens (something I’m sure most of my high school dates and parents appreciated every time we went to a restaurant). So when I found out that crab cakes could still be a thing in my life, I nearly cried tears of joy! I was so excited, y’all. To make it even more special, this was the meal we concocted for our seventh wedding anniversary…after all, we were just glad to have made it through this year!

Without further ado, I introduce to you my take on low-FODMAP crab cakes for two (with a baked potato on the side to make it a well-rounded, fancy-shmancy, date-night affair!). If you really want to go big, toss in a small side salad with low-FODMAP toppings as an appetizer before the main course.

Utensils/appliances you’ll need for this meal:

• One large skillet
• A medium-sized mixing bowl
• Aluminum foil
• These measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• An oven and a stovetop!

The Baked Potatoes

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and then get started with the baked potatoes first, simply because they take longer to cook.

Ingredients you’ll need:

• Two large Russet potatoes
• Olive oil

Directions:

• Simply scrub your potatoes, dry them, and then spread a dollop of olive oil evenly across your baked potato (just enough to glaze, not soak, each potato!).
• Wrap each potato completely in aluminum foil. Unlike many common baked potato recipes, do NOT poke holes in the potatoes.
• Place the potatoes in the oven to bake for about an hour.

The Crab Cakes

Once the potatoes are baking, get going on the crab cakes.

Ingredients you’ll need:

• 8 ounces of lump crab meat, drained (If you live close to us, we buy ours at Sam’s Club. They have 16-oz containers so you can make this meal TWICE!)
• 4 tablespoons of gluten-free bread crumbs (We get the Kroger Traditional Gluten-Free bread crumbs…if you do a different brand, watch out for high-FODMAP ingredients like onion or garlic!)
• 1 tablespoon coconut mayonnaise (We like the Chosen Foods brand…no high-FODMAP ingredients and tastes just like normal mayo.)
• 1 egg, beaten
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

• Combine crab meat, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, egg, salt, and pepper in your medium-size mixing bowl and let sit in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes or until your potatoes only have about 25 minutes left.
• Divide the mixture into four portions and shape them into patties that are about one-inch thick.
• Heat the olive oil in your skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Carefully place the patties in the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden-brown.

The Plating

• Once your potatoes are finished, take them out of the oven and drop them onto your kitchen counter from about a foot in the air. (I’m actually not kidding…I read this tip once, gave it a try, and it really does seem to make the potato break apart in a fluffy way!)
• Put your crab cakes on the plate, unwrap the potatoes out of the foil, cut them open, and add any low-FODMAP toppings (we go with a small slice of unsalted butter, a tiny sprinkle of cheddar cheese, and a few bacon bits).

Boom. Date night!

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