Riverside Ovens
Test Kitchen

Although seemingly complicated at the outset, the Mediterranean Paleo diet is supposed to be, interestingly, as simple as possible.  The concept is to provide ingredients and meals that are more natural, less processed, and closer to how the human body ate in virtually all generations previous to this age.  Convenience and mass production has complicated foods; as the use-by date extends, so too do the artificial ingredients. In theory, cooks can by-pass all of this by walking to the market, buying

fresh, unprocessed ingredients, and taking that to prepare back home in order to apply and recipe that calls for techniques that preserve flavor and nutrition.  The original recipe for Zesty Crab Cakes with Aioli definitely would have played by these rules because the chef lived in San Francisco when he was inspired to first prepare them. He was able to buy the Dungeness fresh and had fun picking out the meat from the cracked shells.  Being from Algiers, the chef had found a similarly vast selection of ocean raised seafood, ranch raised meats and cheeses, and farm raised vegetables.  So, first to cook the crabmeat in any way desired, as long it can eventually be shredded for patties.  Place in a bowl with coconut flour (stay away from the grains in breadcrumbs), two eggs, scallions, garlic powder, cayenne, paprika, salt and pepper, and you have the fresh beginnings of a certainly aromatic crab patty.

To fry, the chef is a strong defender of using alternative forms of cooking oil to anything corn based, including standard vegetable oil or canola oil.  The unprocessed fats found in coconut oil are what are called unprocessed and are the very kinds the body needs for full functioning, nerve enhancement, and brain functioning.  Looking at the make-up coconut oil, it consists of some 60 percent of daily recommended fats, and serves as a very good source of clean fat. Fry the three inch patties about three minutes per side, until golden brown and that the rest of ingredients, including the scallions on the inside, are tender.  Drizzle over with a home made aioli sauce, scatter with some sharp greens, and this is a very real taste of the Mediterranean.

For the accompanying soup, the cumin cauliflower is a great Mediterranean option.  In essence, this soup is seasoned cauliflower and chicken broth. As the side note on the recipe states, "Cauliflower and onions are rich sources of quercetin, a potent antioxidant that regulates blood sugar, lowers inflammation, and provides cardiovascular benefits." This is a good and easy sell, especially considering that cooked and seasoned cauliflower is twenty times more interesting than raw.  This

recipe also starts with 2 tbsp. of the coconut oil (by now combining benefits for both the brain and the heart), and sautéing white onion, adding garlic, cumin and chili powder for taste.  Place a full head of cauliflower florets into the mix, warming, then 4 cups of chicken broth for the real base of the thin soup.  As 10 minutes rolls past, the cauliflower should feel tender. It is time to puree this stock in a blender or processor, pulsing until as thick or thin as chosen.  What comes out is entirely different soup flavor than what might be expected.  All of the bland to bitterness of the cauliflower has been absorbed by the stock and the seasoning.  The coconut fat adds richness.  Drizzle over the top with olive oil, and here is a great compliment to the crisp heartiness of the crab cake.