New England Crabless Cakes

vegan, nut-free, refined sugar-free

Adapted from a recipe in Totally Vegetarian by Toni Fiore

These beautiful little cakes replicate the flavors and textures of traditional seafood-based croquettes quite well. Serve with spicy wasabi mayo in a sandwich or on a bed of greens alongside fries or a baked potato.

Yield: 10-12 cakes / Active time: 50 minutes / Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
For the cakes:

• 3 tsp canola oil, divided
• 1 medium celery stalk, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1/2 small green or red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 yellow onion or several green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley*
• One 14 oz pkg firm tofu, drained and pressed dry
• 2 tbsp aquafaba (chickpea liquid) OR 2 tbsp ground flaxseeds**
• 5 slices whole wheat bread, toasted and processed into fine crumbs OR 1-2 cups store-bought breadcrumbs (panko or otherwise)
• 1/2 cup vegan mayo
• 1 sheet nori seaweed, chopped or torn into flakes
• 1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning/seafood seasoning
• 2 tsp dry mustard or prepared yellow mustard
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

For serving:

• fresh lemon wedges
• wasabi mayo: 4 oz vegan mayo, 1 to 2 tsp wasabi powder, 1 tbsp non-dairy milk whisked together in a small bowl

Directions:

1. Pulse celery, carrot, bell pepper, and onion in a food processor until finely chopped (but not pureed) OR mince finely with a knife.
2. Heat 1 tsp of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, carrot, bell pepper, and parsley and saute until softened but still firm.
3. Process the tofu in a food processor until the consistency of cottage cheese; do not puree.
4. In a large bowl, combine the sauteed vegetables, tofu, aquafaba, half of the bread crumbs, the mayo, seaweed, Old Bay, mustard, and salt and mix very well. Add the remaining bread crumbs a little at a time, until the mixture is easy to shape into patties.
5. Using a 1/3 cup measure, shape the mixture into ten 1/2 inch thick cakes. Spread the panko on a plate. Carefully dredge the cakes in the panko to coat. These patties are delicate and must be handled gently to avoid having them crumble.
6. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. In batches, gently place the cakes in the hot oil and cook on one side, without fussing with them, until they’re golden brown and move easily when you shake the pan, 5 to 8 minutes. With a spatula, gently flip the cakes and cook until golden brown on the other side. ALERNATIVELY place cakes directly on basket of air fryer, lightly spray with oil, and air fry at 350 degrees F until golden brown, about 10 min.
7. Serve hot with wedges of fresh lemon and the wasabi mayo.

*This will only use a small part of a typical bunch of parsley sold at the grocery, so if you have leftover parsley, don't let it go to waste. Parsley is much more than a garnish! Chop some up to serve with the finished crabless cakes. The wasabi mayo and lemon juice make an excellent dressing for this "salad" too.
**Aquafaba or ground flaxseeds act as a binder here. Aquafaba, literally "bean water" (doesn't aquafaba sound better?) is the thick starchy liquid made from cooking beans. It has a remarkable ability to foam, bind, emulsify, and thicken much like eggs do, and can even whip up to form fluffy vegan meringue. Read more here. Simply measure out the liquid from a can of chickpeas to put in this recipe, and reserve chickpeas in an airtight container in the fridge for another use. Need ideas? Try: Roasted Chickpeas, Easy Bruchetta + Salad, Chickpea Salad, or Chickpea Noodle Soup.