What better way to celebrate Friday evening of Labor Day Weekend (or any time) with easy light delicious homemade summer crabcakes and fresh, cool and creamy coleslaw?

Crabcakes are an easy, make-ahead, outdoor patio dinner for summer and into the fall on those warm evenings. Coleslaw made at home tastes super fresh and with purple cabbage produces a great unique color as a side dish for this plate.

With two cans of crabmeat and few pantry and refrigerator items, these flavorful crabcakes are so fun and quick to make. Form the crabcakes the morning of your dinner to make meal time no fuss.

Served with a drizzle of melted butter and your housemade coleslaw, these two recipes of crabcakes and coleslaw go so well together. They are perfect for a great summer night meal.

Maryland-Style Crab Cakes

Makes approximately 12 medium-sized crabcakes

2 1-pound cans of jumbo lump crabmeat

¾ of a cup of mayonnaise

12-14 saltine cracker squares

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning

½ teaspoon of mustard powder

1 teaspoon of yellow mustard

1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

1½ sticks of melted butter, some for baking and the remainder for drizzle or dipping

Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl, except for the melted butter. Use a ¼ cup ice cream scoop to scoop out the crab mix. Next, form your crabcakes as you wish and place on a plate. Place into the refrigerator, covered, for at least an hour.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour a little of the melted butter on to a nonstick baking sheet and then set each crabcake on to the pan. Drizzle a bit more melted butter over the top of each cake. Sprinkle the tops of the cakes with Old Bay Seasoning.

Bake your crabcakes for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Broil for a few minutes to brown the tops. Serve with your favorite sides.

Homemade Coleslaw

Makes 4 pounds of coleslaw

½ of a medium purple cabbage, finely grated

½ of a medium green cabbage, finely grated

1 large carrot, peeled and finely grated

¾ cup of mayonnaise

2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

½ tablespoon of sugar

½ teaspoon of celery seed

Salt and pepper, to taste

Mix all of the dressing ingredients together and taste for salt and pepper. Pour over the grated cabbages and carrot. Mix and refrigerate for at least two hours to overnight.

Spoon your coleslaw into deli containers, serving that way on your picnic table if you wish. For a fun way of serving this side, reserve the largest clean green cabbage leaf. Line a serving bowl with the cabbage leaf. Spoon your coleslaw into the center of the cabbage leaf and present it on your picnic buffet table.

Sarah Schweitzer is dual-certified in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry from the Escoffier School of Culinary Arts (www.escoffier.edu). She is a former line cook for Chef Robert Irvine at “Fresh Kitchen by Robert Irvine” which was located at the Downtown Allentown Market. Sarah is currently working as a Sous-Chef and pastry chef at Ateira’s on First. She can be reached at sarah.schweitzer18@gmail.com.