Crustless Seafood Pie Delicious Low-Fat Meal

For a delicious yet light lunch or dinner, try Crustless Crab Quiche.

This low-fat, low-calorie seafood pie is full of sweet, succulent crab meat, ripe tomatoes, herbs and seasonings. It’s low in fat because it doesn’t have a crust and is made with fat-free liquid egg substitutes. A mere 1 teaspoon of olive oil is added during cooking.

Each generous serving has about 100 calories and less than three grams of fat, allowing you to balance the meal with a crisp salad and a slice of peasant bread.

Remember to pick through the crab carefully to separate any bits of hard shell from the tender meat. If you can’t find real crab, imitation crab meat, called surimi, is an acceptable substitute.

Crustless Crab Quiche

Nonstick cooking spray

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

4 Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (about 1 cup; see note)

1 green onion, chopped

2 cups fresh or canned crab meat

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon dried dill

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 (8-ounce) carton fat-free liquid egg substitute

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly coat a 10-inch pie pan, preferably glass, with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large, nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and saute about 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft. Add the chopped Roma tomatoes and green onion and cook 3 to 4 minutes longer, or until the tomatoes begin to give up moisture but aren’t soupy. Remove from heat, set aside and allow to cool slightly.

Pick through the crab meat to remove any hard bits of shell or cartilage. In a medium-size bowl, combine the crab meat, salt, white pepper, dill and parsley. Stir in the tomato and onion mixture and toss to mix evenly. Pour the egg substitute on top and stir well. Transfer the mixture into the prepared pie pan and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese lightly on top.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the crab mixture is set. Allow to cool about 10 to 15 minutes before cutting. This can be eaten hot, chilled or at room temperature.

Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 99 calories, 2.5 grams fat (23 percent fat calories), 51 milligrams cholesterol, 14 grams protein, 5 grams carbohydrate, 460 milligrams sodium.

Note: To peel and seed tomatoes, bring a saucepan of water to a boil. With a sharp knife, cut a shallow “X” through the skin at the base of the tomato. Drop into the boiling water. Boil for 30 seconds for ripe, soft tomatoes or 1 minute for firm, unripe tomatoes.

Remove the tomato from the water with a slotted spoon or a pair of tongs. Allow tomato to cool. Peel the skin off, starting at the “X.” It should slip off easily. If not, drop the tomato back into boiling water for another 30 seconds.

Remove the core and slice the tomato in half width-wise. Squeeze gently to remove the seeds and juice. Chop the pulp coarsely and proceed with recipe.

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