I have always seen those ‘Chili making’ contests in movies or people saying ‘Have you tried my famous chili?” and always wondered what it tasted like, a meal on it’s own in a bowl which everyone went crazy about! Texas is pretty famous for their Chili, but did you know that the authentic Texas chili has no beans? Yeah, I came to know about this recently when I had a traditional Beef Chili in a local place in Austin, Texas. As tasty as it was, I kinda missed the beans in it. After that, I decided to make a chili on my own or at least my version of it with flavors I felt would go well with each other. I used pinto beans and ground pork in my recipe as I felt the ground pork fats would add more flavor to the dish and the pinto beans because, well…

These fish cakes are loaded with fresh herbs and Asian inspired flavors. They are quick and easy to make and are perfect as a light appetizer or as part of brunch buffet.

The following fish and crab cakes are quick and easy to make, and will delight even those who are not that much into fish, as mixing flounder fish with crabmeat, creates a unique texture and flavor.
To keep things simple, and in order not to mask the flavor of fish and crabmeat, I added only parsley and scallions as flavoring ingredients. They added a nice green color and fresh aroma to the mixture.
The cakes hardly absorbed oil while frying, making them light and perfect for a hot summer day lunch, with a green salad on the side. Try them and enjoy.

Notes:
* I used individually frozen fillets of Flounder, which is a flat fish with a firm texture. Any similar fish can can be used instead.

Makes: 12
Prep time: 15 minutes
Frying time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless flounder fillets, about 6.5oz (180 grams) (see notes)

Polenta is made from corn meal that is an ancient peasant food—in Northern Italy it is made with a harder consistency, cut and grilled and topped with a sauce, while in the center and South, it is served creamy, almost like American grits.

I made this recipe as a warm comforting dish with a slow-cooked pork ragú as a hearty sauce to pour over the slightly spicy polenta. I love the contrasts in textures and the delicious flavors that the pork and corn polenta create together. It is a rustic, earthy dish that can be made for an army of people, since both components can be made in large quantities.

Serve it at your next dinner party when it is cold outside, and you want some comforting food. Or make it vegetarian, with a mushroom ragú, that lightens up the dish but remains super flavorful.