Spice up your spring menu with our Southwestern spin on everyone’s favorite seafood dish. These are so decadent you won’t believe they’re only 240 calories!

Blue-Corn Crab Cakes

Makes 8 crab cakes, or 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1¼ tsp. Canola oil
• 3 tsp. chopped yellow onion
• 4 tsp. chopped green bell pepper
• 4 tsp. chopped red bell pepper
• 8 oz. lump crabmeat, picked over for shell and cartilage
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1½ Tbsp. prepared horseradish
• 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. Tabasco sauce, or other hot red-pepper sauce
• Pinch kosher salt
• 3/4 c. panko breadcrumbs
• 2 Tbsp. blue cornmeal
• Avocado-Corn Salsa (recipe follows)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Heat ¼ tsp. of the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell peppers, and cook, stirring, until fragrant and soft, 2 minutes. Spread onto a plate to cool while assembling the other ingredients.
3. Combine the remaining ingredients except the panko and blue cornmeal in a large bowl, and fold together gently so as to not break up the lumps. Add the onions, peppers, and panko; and fold just to incorporate. Divide in eight portions and form the crab cakes.
4. Spread the cornmeal on a clean plate. One at a time, place the cakes in the meal, turning to lightly coat on both sides. Place the cakes on a clean plate until ready to cook. (The crab cakes can be assembled up to this point, covered with plastic wrap, and kept refrigerated for up to four hours.)
5. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add ¾ tsp. of the oil and 4 of the crab cakes, and lower the heat to medium. Cook until the crab cakes are golden brown, 2 minutes. Turn and cook for 1½ minutes and transfer to a baking sheet or baking dish.
6. Heat the remaining ¾ tsp. of oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 4 crab cakes, lower the heat, and cook the same way as the first batch. Transfer to the baking sheet with the other crab cakes and bake until cooked through and hot, 5 to 6 minutes.
7. Remove the crab cakes from the oven and place two on each of four plates. Arrange the salsa to the side of the crab cakes and serve immediately.

Calories: 240; Total Fat: 8g; Carbohydrate: 25g; Dietary Fiber:4g; Protein: 18g

Avocado-Corn Salsa

Makes 4 one-scallop servings

Ingredients:

• ¼ tsp. Canola oil
• ¼ c. fresh or frozen corn kernels
• ¾ c. chopped avocado
• 1 Tbsp. minced red onion
• 2 tsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp. minced cilantro
• Pinch kosher salt
• Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a small skillet. Add the corn and cook, stirring, until starting to turn golden brown, 1½ minutes. Spread the corn on a clean plate to cool.
2. Combine the remaining ingredients and the cooled corn in a small bowl and mix well.
3. Serve immediately. (The salsa can be made up to four hours in advance, tightly covered, and kept refrigerated until ready to serve.)

This recipe is featured in Miraval’s Mindful Eating cookbook, which includes two hundred beautifully clean recipes and simple techniques for readers to use at home, allowing them to make smarter choices with a better understanding of portion size, ingredients, and cooking practices.