I couldn’t tell if they were looks of scorn, or pity, or downright disgust.  I tried not to make eye contact.  I popped in my headphones, cranked up my most motivational cardio playlist, and got to work.  I tried to look very intense, so they would know my time on the treadmill was serious business.  I even kept my warm-up top on the whole time so as not to offend anyone with my holiday jiggles, and I’ll tell you what … that was not pleasant.

Later on I wondered out loud on Facebook about all the freaking mirrors they have at the gym:  “Are they really necessary?” I asked.  My hilarious friend Laurie had this response:  “I pretend that the person in the mirror isn’t me and mock her all through class in my head.”

I’m still laughing over that comment.

Which brings us to today’s chicken recipe, which is frugal in both cost and calories, and I hope you like it. 

CHINESE CHICKEN LEGS
Serves: 6
Source:  Simply Delicious, by Weight Watchers International; copyright 2002.  p.101.

1/2 c. prepared barbecue sauce
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. oyster sauce
2 T. honey
1 T. sugar
2 t. minced fresh ginger
1 t. chili garlic paste or hot pepper sauce
1 clove garlic, minced

2 1/4 lb. chicken drumsticks or thighs, skin removed (Organic Smart Chicken Drumsticks and Thighs are on sale)
2 t. sesame seeds, toasted

Preheat oven to 400.  Line the bottom of a large baking pan with foil or parchment paper.

Combine the barbecue sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, sugar, ginger, chili paste, and garlic in a large bowl.  Add the chicken and toss until well coated.  Place the chicken in the baking pan.  Spoon any remaining sauce over the chicken.  Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake 20 minutes.  Remove the foil, and continue baking until the chicken is browned and cooked through and the sauce is thickened, about 20 minutes longer.  Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and serve.

*NOTES*  To toast the sesame seeds, place them in a small dry skillet over medium low heat.  Toast, shaking the pan and stirring constantly, until lightly browned and fragrant, 2-3 minutes.  Watch them carefully when toasting; seeds can burn easily.  Transfer the seeds to a plate to cool.   For anyone playing the WW game at home, this recipe has roughly 4 points (old points) per serving.

Today I’m channeling Lori (her real name).  When I had a look at the new sale ad gave me eggplant stack inspiration, I just needed to find the perfect preparation.  I sat for a while and did my research.  Fifteen recipes later, nothing had spoken to me.  Some called for pan frying the eggplant first.  No.  Some called for basil pesto (LOVE!), but my basil has had a blight cast upon it this year (*sniff*) – so, no again.  I ended up taking the best aspects of three different recipes, used them as a spring board, and voila!  Here’s what they morphed into.

It’s pretty darned good too, I have to say.  Feel free to play with it however you choose – if your basil is healthy and happy, then please make up some pesto and add a generous schmear.  If you’re short on time, swap in a jar of your favorite jarred marinara instead making the roma sauce.  If you’re an eggplant fan, you are going to love this!

EGGPLANT STACKS WITH TOMATOES & PARMESAN
Serves: 6
Source:  adapted from marthastewart.com, prouditaliancook.com, epicurious.com

3 medium eggplants (eggplant is on sale)
1/2 c. (or so) olive oil – just keep the bottle handy (Gia Russa Olive Oil is on sale if you’re running low)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 T. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
6 roma tomatoes, trimmed and coarsely chopped (roma tomatoes are on sale)
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
1/2 t. dried oregano

1 12-oz package fresh mozzarella (Belgioioso Unwrap & Roll Mozzarella is on sale), unrolled flat and sliced into 18 equal rectangles

1/2 c. dried breadcrumbs
1 T. olive oil
2 T. grated Parmesan (Sendiks Imported Parmesan is on sale)

18 fresh basil leaves (12 for the stacks and 6 for garnish)

Preheat oven to 450.  Trim the eggplant’s tops and bottoms.  Use a sharp vegetable peeler to peel away strips of skin from the eggplants so you have a striped pattern.  Cut the eggplant into 3/4″ thick slices and place on a well oiled cookie sheet.  Spray or brush eggplant slices with additional olive oil, until well coated (be generous).  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Roast eggplant until it is golden brown on both sides, for me this was about 40 minutes, flipping eggplant once halfway through cook time.  Reduce oven temperature to 400.

While eggplant is cooking, make tomato sauce:  heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to pan.  Saute sliced garlic for 20 seconds (don’t brown it), then add chopped tomatoes and salt to pan.  Cook tomatoes until they have broken down almost completely, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes.  Stir in fresh basil and oregano.  Remove from heat.

Place a small skillet over medium heat; add breadcrumbs.  Drizzle breadcrumbs with one tablespoon olive oil and stir to coat breadcrumbs.  Toast crumbs over medium heat until they are golden brown; remove from heat.  Add Parmesan and stir to combine.

Coat a 9×13″ glass baking pan with a bit of the tomato sauce.  Place six slices of eggplant down on the sauce.  Top each slice of eggplant with a smidge more of sauce, followed by a slice of fresh mozzarella, and then a fresh basil leaf.  Repeat layers so you end up with three slices each of eggplant and mozzarella.  Finish each stack by topping the fresh mozzarella with a hefty sprinkle of breadcrumb mixture.  Bake eggplant stacks for 15 – 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and stacks are hot throughout.  Top each eggplant stack with a fresh basil leaf and serve.

I’m kidding!  I wasn’t being sassy, I swear!  I am 100% on board with Healthy Eating for April and May.  And to get us started, here’s is a main course recipe so delicious and rich tasting, you will never believe that it’s light.  I pinky swear.  It’s also easy, easy, easy and comes together in a matter of minutes.

There’s plenty more to come over the next 8 weeks, and of course I’ll keep the ‘sale ad’ theme going as usual.

As for the wine in this recipe, make sure you use one that you would enjoy drinking.  As Caprial Pence (one of my favorite chefs) always says, if it doesn’t taste good in your glass, you’re not going to like it in your finished dish.  A rule to live by, right?   I used the Alamos Chard’ that’s on sale.  It’s yummy.  If you’re not a wine drinker, never fear – go ahead and swap in an equal amount of chicken broth.

Enjoy!

CHICKEN & MUSHROOMS IN GARLIC WHITE WINE SAUCE
SERVES:  4
SOURCE:  cookinglight.com

4 oz. uncooked egg noodles  (Mrs. Miller’s Noodles are on sale)
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves  (Just Bare Chicken Breasts are on sale)
2 T. flour, divided
1/2 t. salt, divided
1/4 t. black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided (Sendik’s Olive Oil is on sale if you’re running low)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium shallot, minced
1/2 t. dried tarragon
1 – 8 oz. package presliced mushrooms (Sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms are on sale)
1/2 c. dry white wine  (I used the Alamos Chardonnay that’s on sale)
1/2 c. chicken broth (Wolfgang Puck All Natural Stocks are on sale)
1/4 c. good quality grated Parmesan cheese

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.  Drain and keep warm.

Cut chicken into 1″ pieces.  Place chicken pieces in a shallow dish.  In a small mixing bowl, combine 1 tablespoon flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, stirring well with a whisk.  Sprinkle flour mixture over chicken and toss to coat.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add chicken to pan; saute 4 minutes or until browned (if necessary, brown chicken in batches to avoid crowding the pan).  Remove chicken from pan.  Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan.  Add garlic, shallots, tarragon, and mushrooms to pan; saute for 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms darken.  Add white wine to pan; cook 1 minute.  Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Stir in broth, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring frequently.

Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pan; stir to combine.  Cover and simmer 2 minutes.  Uncover; cook 1 minute or until chicken is done.  Stir in noodles; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.  Place about 1 1/2 cups chicken mixture on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 tablespoon of cheese. **see note**

CALORIES: 350 (29% from fat); FAT 11.1g (sat 2.6g, mono 6.2g, poly 1.4g); IRON 2.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 99mg; CALCIUM 91mg; CARBOHYDRATE 26.5g; SODIUM 502mg; PROTEIN 34.3g; FIBER 1.2g

**NOTE** I didn’t toss it all together because I made this ahead of time and I didn’t want the noodles to suck up all the sauce.  When we have this for dinner tonight, I’m going to plate the noodles first, then top them with the chicken / mushroom mixture.  Looks prettier that way, IMO. 

That was an exceedingly long sentence and I just know it’s only a matter of time before someone calls me out on it.

Calls me ‘out’.  Get it?  Baseball humor.

Anyway, if I was going to attend Opening Day at Miller Park, I would surely have a fun and festive spread to serve in the tailgate of my big white grocery-go-getter, and these sliders would be definitely be on the menu.

I tested this recipe on the DamFam last night and everyone LOVED them – naturally, No Thank You Boy made a face and took a pass, but whatever with him, I’m over it.    Two others are having leftovers in their lunch boxes today, so I consider that to be a pretty good review.

I only added one of the serrano peppers because I didn’t want things to get too spicy for the twerps, but toss both in if you can HANDLE the heat.  This recipe makes 12 baby burgers, but obviously make 6 regular sized patties if you choose.  Personally I feel that sliders are more fun to eat and they leave room in your belly for more snacks (and beers :-0) when you finally make it to your seats inside the ballpark.

A little friendly PSA:  I just checked the 10-day forecast.  They’re calling for 48 and showers, so pack an umbrella to keep your sliders dry.  LOL :-)

Have fun, go Brewers!

SOUTHWESTERN STYLE TURKEY SLIDERS
YIELDS:  12 sliders or 6 regular sided burgers
SOURCE:  foodnetwork.com, recipe by Emeril Lagasse

2 lbs. ground turkey (Plainville Farms AFB Ground Turkey is on sale)
1/2  c. minced red onion
1/4 c. minced green onion
1 or 2 serrano peppers, minced (to taste)
2 egg whites (Sparboe eggs are on sale)
1 1/2 T. Emeril’s Southwestern Essence (see note)
1 t. ground cumin
1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 c. grated cheese (ShurFine Shredded Cheeses are on sale)
12 mini burger buns or small soft dinner rolls, warmed
12 small lettuce leaves
12 slices tomato
1 c. thinly sliced red onions
1 avocado, thinly sliced

Spicy Mayonnaise, optional; recipe follows
Ketchup and mustard for serving  (Red Gold Ketchup and French’s Classic Mustard are on sale)

Preheat grill to medium high heat.

In a large bowl, combine ground turkey with minced red onion, green onion, peppers, egg whites, Essence, cumin and Worcestershire suace.  Divide the turkey into 12 equal portions and, using your hands, shape into 12 small burgers about 3 1/2″ wide.

Place the burgers on the grill and cook until turkey is done and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 165 degrees (for me this was 4 minutes on one side and three on the other).

Top the burgers with the cheese and serve them on the mini buns with lettuce, tomato, red onions and avocado.  Garnish with condiments as desired.

For the Spicy Mayonnaise, place about 1/2 cup of mayonnaise in a small mixing bowl.  Add in a teaspoon or two of minced chilies in adobo sauce, a small squeeze of lime juice, and salt to taste.  Stir to combine; taste mayo.  Fiddle around with it until you have the heat where you want it.

**NOTE**  I couldn’t find the Emeril’s Southwest Essence.  I ended up swapping in equal amounts of his Rib Rub, which worked out fine.

Or the many yeasted breads that lazily failed to achieve liftoff.

And don’t even ask what transpired when I attempted to make shrimp egg foo yong last fall … I can’t discuss it, the horror is still too fresh in my mind.

Epic chicken pie failure was nearly realized by the omission of its crust.  Are you familiar with chicken pie?  Because crust is key.  It really is.

I neglected to purchase pie crust because I was involved in very passionate and highly entertaining discussion with the Mequon Sendik’s Cheese Girls.  Well, they were mostly talking and I was mostly listening to the conversation, which centered around the fabulous Aaron Rodgers and his many fine … attributes.

As I’m easily distracted, I forgot to put the pie crusts in my cart.  I paid.  I went home.  I unloaded the groceries and started pulling together my beloved pie, and discovered I’d forgotten the stupid, yet all important crust.

AAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHH.

I was super annoyed.  But, I am the resilient type (not really) and I refused to admit defeat.  Even though I was thisclose to crying and sending The Husband out for Jimmy Johns,  I changed up my gameplan.  Went with the flow.  Rolled with the punches.

I made biscuits, like any resourceful, non-tantrum throwing food blogger would do.

And by the way, in case you’re having deja vu - you HAVE seen this recipe here before.  I love it so much, I had to share it again.  And I can justify sharing it again because of the new and accidental twist.

Biscuit topped chicken pie.  A colossal success!

BEST EVER CHICKEN POT PIE
Serves: 5-6
Source: ?!  I don’t know!  I’ve been making this for YEARS!!

2 c. of diced raw chicken (I used a mixture of boneless breasts and thighs; Just Bare Boneless Breasts are on sale)
1 c. broccoli florets (broccoli is on sale)
1 large carrot, small dice
1 large leek, washed well and thinly sliced (white and pale green part only)

3 T. butter
3 T. flour
3 c. whole milk
1 large chicken bouillon cube (I like the Knorr brand, they’re really big!)

1 c. grated Parmesan
1 c. frozen peas, thawed

1 recipe Buttermilk Biscuit Dough, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 425.

Meanwhile, place the raw chicken, broccoli, carrots, and leeks in a shallow pan.  Add enough water to cover; season with salt.  Bring pan to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are beginning to get tender, 12-15 minutes.  Do not overcook chicken and vegetables. Drain well and set aside.

Place the milk and the bouillon cube in a large measuring cup and microwave on high for 3 minutes or so, or until bouillon cube is soft enough to dissolve when stirred with a whisk.  Set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the flour and cook for three minutes, stirring.  Add the milk and bouillon mixture in a steady stream, whisking to incorporate.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until thickened, stirring frequently, about  5 minutes.  Blend in the grated Parmesan cheese and remove from heat.  Add the cooked chicken and vegetables along with the peas and mix well.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Pour mixture into a 9×13” glass baking dish and top with biscuit dough cut-outs.  Brush raw biscuits lightly with milk or cream.

Bake pie for 30-35 minutes, or until filling is bubbling and crust is beginning to turn golden brown.  Spoon pie into shallow bowls and serve.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS
Makes 12 heart-shaped biscuits
Source:  epicurious.com

1 1/2c. all-purpose flour
1 t. sugar
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda
1/2 stick cold butter, cut into cubes
3/4 c. well-shaken buttermilk
1 T. milk or cream for brushing biscuits

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.  Blend in the butter with your fingertips or with a pastry blender, until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add buttermilk and stir with a fork until a dough forms (dough will be moist and shaggy looking).

Turn dough out onto a well-floured work surface and knead gently 6 times.  Roll out to half-inch thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut as many biscuits as you can get.  Gather dough back into a ball and repeat rolling and cutting process until you’ve used up all the dough.

Top the pot pie with biscuit dough.  Brush raw biscuits with milk or cream and bake pie as directed.

It’s yummy.  It’s easy too.

Why, it’s like a crunchy pan-fried pork chop with a Japanese twist!

My work here is done.

Happy Wednesday!

PORK TONKATSU
Serves:  4
Source:  Food & Wine Magazine, March 2010, p. 76  Recipe by Grace Parisi.

¼ c. ketchup
¼ c. applesauce (Mott’s is on sale)
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. soy sauce
1 t. Dijon mustard
1 t. unseasoned rice vinegar
¼ c. all purpose flour
2 egg whites, beaten (Egg-Lands Best eggs are on sale)
1 c. panko breadcrumbs (JFC Brand are on sale)
2 – 8oz. pork tenderloins, cut into 2” pieces and pounded 1/2” thick
Salt
Canola oil
Steamed rice and steamed spinach for serving

In a small saucepan, bring the ketchup, applesauce, Worcestershire, soy, mustard, and vinegar to a simmer; transfer to 4 small serving bowls.  Cool.

Put the flour, egg whites, and panko in 3 separate shallow bowls.  Season the pork cutlets with salt, then dredge in the flour, tapping off the excess.  Dip the cutlets in the egg white, followed by the panko, pressing the crumbs to help them adhere.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil.  Add the cutlets and cook over moderate heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes.  Add a bit more oil if it’s been absorbed, then flip the cutlets and cook until cooked through, about three minutes longer.  Transfer the tonkatsu to a work surface and cut into strips.  Transfer to plates and serve with rice, spinach, and the dipping sauce.

Now, for a bit of fine print (sorry, I feel compelled to share the dirty details with you so as to avoid disappointment later on).  While the prep time in this particular recipe is what I would call minimal, risotto itself isn’t a low-maintenance type of dish.  In other words, I wouldn’t recommend this recipe if you’re exhausted after a long work day and in a ravenous state.  When it comes to risotto, you’ll need patience, and patience is hard to come by when you’re about to chew your own arm off.

The long and the short is, you’ll have to spend some time slaving away at the stove.  But all is not lost!  If you’re serving risotto at a dinner party, just invite your guests to come stand by the stove and keep you company in the kitchen.  They can make sure your glass of wine (or apple cider or Yoo-Hoo  or what-have-you) is topped off while you stir.  They’ll be astounded by your gourmet skills and endebted to you for life!

Another plus, all that stirring is bound to fry at least a third of the calories contained in a serving of risotto.  I think.  At least, that’s what I tell myself.

Enjoy!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RISOTTO WITH BACON & SAGE
Serves:  4 as a main course, or 6 as a starter
Source:  finecooking.com

1 qt. low sodium chicken broth (more if needed)
1/2 c. dry white wine
2 T. olive oil
10 fresh sage leaves
4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into thirds
2 medium shallots, minced
2 c. butternut squash, peeled and 1/4″ dice (butternut squash is on sale for .39/lb!)
1 1/2 c. arborio rice
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese (BelGioios0 cheeses are on sale all month)

Combine the chicken broth and wine in a small saucepan and set over medium heat.  In a medium (3 qt.) saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the sage leaves and fry, turning once, until they’ve turned dark green in most places, about 1 minute total.  Don’t brown them.  With a fork, transfer leaves to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.  Put the bacon in the saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned, 5 to 7 minutes.  Transfer the bacon to the plate with the sage.

Add the shallots to the saucepan and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until softened, about 1 minute.  Add the squash and rice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Ladle enough of the hot broth mixture to just cover the rice.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the broth is mostly absorbed.  Add another ladleful of broth and continue cooking, stirring, and adding more ladlefuls of broth as the previous additions are absorbed, until the rice is tender with just a slightly toothsome quality, about 25 minutes.  As the risotto cooks, adjust the heat so that it bubbles gently.  The broth mixture needn’t be boiling; it should just be hot.  If you use all the broth and wine before the rice gets tender, use more broth but not more wine.

Set aside the nicest looking sage leaves as a garnish (1 leaf per serving).  Crumble half of the bacon and the remaining sage leaves into the risotto.  Stir in the Parmesan.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Crumble the remaining bacon over each serving and garnish with a sage leaf.  Serve immediately.

After a week-long hiatus, I’ve resumed my roll as the official DamFam taxi driver, laundress, short order cook, maid, and  referee, and my ‘to-do’ list is spiraling out of control. I have about 8 loads of laundry piled up in the hall upstairs, which must be dealt with, because while Camp Minikani is a wonderful place to visit, the scent that lingers is, well…not so pleasant.

Seriously, laundry from camp reeks — I would even place it in the same smelly category as my brother’s old goalie bag.  P.U!!!

When I’m going to find time to wash, dry, and fold this laundry remains to be seen.  We’re on our way to a 5-hour swim meet this afternoon, and then of course, I’ve got my daughter’s 9^th birthday party to plan.

Oh, when is her birthday?  How nice of you to ask.   Uhm, it’s tomorrow.   (Yeah, tomorrow.  That’s how I roll).   Bad Mom, reporting for last minute birthday planning duty, that’s me.

Anyway, in the midst of all this craziness, dinner still found it’s way to the table.  All three of my DamKids were off doing their own thing, so I whipped up these crunchy little Shrimp & Sweet Corn Cakes with Basil-Jalapeno Tartar Sauce for the Husband and myself.

Oh. My. Gravy.  We LOVED these!

I  used the Censea Cleaned Jumbo Shrimp that are on sale, $12.99 for a two pound bag.  Although it says “JUMBO” on the bag, I have to tell you, I think that’s a little misleading to the average shopper.  These shrimp are 26/30 count, which (in case you didn’t already know this) means that there are between 26 and 30 shrimp in each pound.  This also means the shrimp are, well, a little shrimpy.   These are not the shrimp I like to throw on the grill or serve in a shrimp cocktail (that’s just me); I prefer much larger shrimp for those types of preparations.

I like to use these shrimp for recipes such as this one, where their size doesn’t really matter, because they’re chopped up pretty finely in a food processor.

With the help of your Cuisinart, this recipe comes together quite quickly.  You’ll just need to set aside an hour or so for them to chill in the fridge before they’re quickly sautéed.  As I mentioned, I did serve these Shrimp Cakes for dinner, but they could easily be formed into teeny little cakes and served as an hors’ doeuvre.  ENJOY!  Now if you’ll pardon me, I’m off to sort more laundry.

SHRIMP & SWEET CORN CAKES WITH BASIL-JALAPENO TARTAR SAUCE

Makes 4 Servings (or 8 appetizer servings)

Adapted from The Dean Bros. Cookbook, Recipes from the Road, by Jamie and Bobby Dean and Melissa Clark, p. 206 (a really fun cookbook that I highly recommend!)

CAKES:

• 3 scallions, rough chopped
• 1 smallish clove garlic, rough chopped
• 1 lb. raw shrimp, tails removed
• ½ c. fresh corn off the cob (*see note)
• 1 egg
• 2 T. mayonnaise
• 1 T. Dijon mustard
• 1 hefty pinch of chopped cilantro or Italian parsley
• 2 c. Panko breadcrumbs, divided (find these in the Asian aisle on the bottom shelf)
• Salt and ground pepper
• Neutral cooking oil for sautéing

BASIL-JALAPENO TARTAR SAUCE

• ½ c. mayonnaise
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and rough chopped (please, wear gloves!)
• 1 smallish clove of garlic, minced
• 5-10 basil leaves, rough chopped
• 2 t. capers, drained
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• Salt and ground pepper

Place the first eight shrimp cake ingredients into the bowl of your food processor.  Pulse enough times to coarsely chop the shrimp, but not to the point of turning them to total mush.  Add one cup of panko, and pulse to blend.  Season with salt and pepper and pulse a couple more times.

Form the shrimp mixture into individual cakes (I got 8 cakes out of this).  Place the remaining cup of panko into a shallow bowl.  Dredge each shrimp cake in the panko, and place cakes on a plate.  Refrigerate the cakes for one hour.

Meanwhile, make the Tartar Sauce:

Place all tartar sauce ingredients into the bowl of your food processor (which you’ve cleaned out, of course – or avoid handwashing it altogether and use a mini-prep).  Pulse to combine to desired consistency –  I like mine pretty smooth.   Transfer to serving dish and chill until serving time.

Place a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add enough oil to evenly coat the bottom of the pan (1-2 T.).  When oil is hot (a crumb or two of panko will immediately sizzle when dropped in the oil), add the shrimp cakes (don’t crowd your pan; this took me two batches).  Brown 3 minutes on the first side (or until they reach a pretty golden color), flip; brown about 2 minutes on the second side.  Remove to a plate lined with paper towels, drain.  Transfer to a pretty platter, serve with the Basil Jalapeno Tartar Sauce.

**NOTE: Cutting corn off the cob can be a messy job.  You can avoid having it fly willy-nilly all over your kitchen by doing this simple trick:  get out a medium sized glass mixing bowl.  Place a smaller bowl upside down in the mixing bowl (I use a little cereal bowl).  Cut the bottom off of the corn cob to make it flat.  Stand it on top of the upside down bowl, and slice the kernels off of the cob.  They should all land in the mixing bowl.  Nifty, right?!

No need to thank me, I live for this stuff.