Early Valentine's Day Dinner . . . Crab Cakes

Since I'm one half of an "old married couple" Valentine's Day isn't what it used to be - and I'm really  not that romantic anyway, so I usually make it more of a family affair.  For dinner last night I wanted to try something a little different, and in light of Valentine's Day I decided to make it an early V-Day dinner.  That meant bringing out the red napkins, lighting candles, having special heart cookies on hand for dessert, and  . . . Crab Cakes . . . that I made into heart shapes before cooking them up.  (Not gonna lie, here, though.  I got the idea from some pre-made ones that I saw at Whole Foods yesterday!)  Mine were made a little differently and were very appreciated by my boys.  This always tickles me in the way only a Mom can understand . . .LIGHT CRAB CAKES:2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I go light here)1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind1 tablespoon fresh lemon juiceDash pepper1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper1 large egg1/3 cup panko1 pound lump crabmeat, drained and shell pieces removed1 tablespoon olive oil, dividedRÉMOULADE:1/4 cup mayonnaise1 tablespoon chopped shallots1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped2 teaspoons Creole mustard1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

(Recipe adapted from Cooking Light)

1. To prepare crab cakes, combine first 8 ingredients. Add panko and crab, tossing to combine. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.2. Fill a 1/3-cup dry measuring cup with crab mixture. Invert onto work surface; gently pat into a 3/4-inch-thick patty. Repeat procedure with remaining crab mixture, forming 8 cakes.  (Or you can form into hearts like I did!)3. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 crab cakes to pan; cook 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden. Carefully turn cakes; cook 4 - 5 minutes or until bottoms are brown and cakes are thoroughly heated. Using a spatula, carefully remove cakes from pan; and place on a cookie sheet and keep warm in the oven.  Heat the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in pan and repeat with the rest of the crab cakes.4.For the rémoulade, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and combine.  Serve with the crab cakes.(Recipe adapted from Cooking Light)I will be honest and say I was just slightly disappointed with this rémoulade.  I think it was good, but my mom used to make the best EVER tarter sauce and I couldn't find her recipe while I was cooking.  I think had I used her recipe for tarter sauce with these Crab Cakes they would have been absolutely heavenly!  I will definitely have to find that recipe and share it with you!However, my boys didn't seem to notice the missing tarter sauce, although we did talk about it over dinner.  They appreciated the effort of my making the crab cakes into hearts, but it was a little difficult to tell because when they cooked they lost their shape.  Darn.The heart shaped cookies from Whole Foods made up for it.  What are you doing for Valentine's Day?  Do you celebrate in a big way?  What do you cook, if you cook?  Enjoy Your Day!