Crabby Carrot Cakes with Yogurt Sauce

Crab cakes are always a hit and with both crabs and carrots in season here, these crabby carrot cakes are a good mix!  You can serve with your favorite crab cake sauce or the Turkish yogurt sauce used here - cacik.

Serves about 2-3.

Ingredients for cakes:

1/2 cup bread crumbs or finely ground crackers

1/4 onion, finely chopped

1/4 bell pepper, any color, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup mayo

1 egg

1 cup shredded carrots

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp mustard

1/2-1 tsp hot sauce (depending on how much heat you want)

1/2 tsp salt

juice from 1/2 lemon

1 lb. crab meat, shells removed and pulled apart

3 Tbsp veggie oil for frying, more if needed

For Cacik sauce:
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 medium size cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt

Juice from 1/2 lemon

Mix well all the ingredients for the cakes except for the crab meat and oil.  Crumble in the crab meat and stir well, mixture will be wet. For cacik, mix all ingredients well and set aside before serving. Heat oil in pan or griddle, over medium heat (or 400F on the griddle).  Form patties of mixture and place directly on heated pan, cook about 5-7 minutes on each side or until browned and firm, using oil as needed to prevent sticking.  Serve with sauce. Enjoy!

Turkish Style Red Lentil Soup (Mercmek Corbasi)

This is a delicious, warming and filling soup that can be an appetizer (Turkish style) or as a main course with bread and salad.  Red lentils are commonly used but other colors can be used as well.
Serves 3-4.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 tsp cumin
2 carrots, medium sized, peeled and chopped
1 cup diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)
4 cups water
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1/4 tsp oregano
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (depending on how much heat you want)
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried mint
Juice from 1/2 lemon

Heat the oil over medium heat and saute onion for about 4 minutes until soft.  Add the chopped garlic and cumin and saute another 1 minute. Add the remaining ingredients (except for the mint and lemon) and bring to a boil over med-high heat, then reduce to med-low and simmer covered for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, to soften lentils (this time will vary with different types of lentils).  This first part could be done 1 or 2 days ahead of time and kept in fridge. Next, puree the soup, either use an immersion blender or in a blender. If using a blender cool about 1 hour before blending, briefly puree in blender, for about 5 seconds (in batches, filling blender only halfway per batch).  The soup should have a slight lentil texture so you shouldn't puree too long.  After pureeing, transfer back to soup pan (if necessary) and add the mint and lemon juice. Reheat over medium heat, simmering and stirring for about 10 minutes.  Add more water if you would like to liquefy the soup more. Season with more salt to taste if needed.  Serve with lemon wedges and red pepper flakes as condiments. Enjoy!