Cajun Couscous "Crab" Cakes

I created this dinner using the art of substituting crab meat with artichoke hearts and couscous to make "crab" cakes (sans crab). If you like cajun food and a little spice, you will love these. This recipe makes 6 vegetarian cakes.

Combine 1/2 a cup (measure uncooked) israeli (pearl) couscous with 4 cups of water, a pinch of salt and 2 thyme sprigs in small pot. Bring to boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.

Combine 2 teaspoons of stoneground dijon mustard, 1/2 cup of greek yogurt, 1/4 cup of sweet relish, 1/4 teaspoon of paprika and 1/8 teaspoon of ground red pepper in bowl.

Save half of yogurt mixture to top "crab" cakes. Refrigerate.

Mix second half of yogurt mixture with 8 oz of artichoke hearts (diced roughly but in small pieces), couscous, half of 1 red bell pepper, 1/4 cup of chopped green onions, 1/4 cup of chopped celery, and a pinch of black pepper and sea salt.

Brush baking sheet with olive oil. Spoon mixture into 6 equal sized parts and pat into cake form. Place each cake on baking sheet. Refrigerate for one hour to enhance flavors.

Bake at 500 degrees until brown and crispy, roughly 10-12 minutes on each side. Mix leftover yogurt combination well and dollop on top of "crab" cakes.

I served my Cajun Couscous "Crab" Cakes with 3 sweet potatoes mashed and mixed with a pat of butter, 1/4 cup of greek yogurt and a pinch of salt. I also cooked 3 cups of spinach on medium-low heat with a tablespoon of olive oil, a teaspoon of butter and 3 garlic gloves, minced, until wilted.

This combination of colorful, beautiful food was the perfect trio for my family. I get a deep feeling of satisfaction when I serve my family healthy foods and they enjoy the way they've been prepared. Do you feel this way? I hope that something about this creation catches your eye, and that we can share it its preparation as you choose to make it, too. Let me know what you think.