Crispy Salmon Cakes

This love affair with salmon is still going strong. So you can imagine my excitement when my fave pinkalicious fillets were selling for $4.99 a pound this week! I’ve been dying to make salmon cakes – something I knew that *most of the family would love — so what better time to go for it?

*We’ll just say that Georgia continues to be the primary dissenter when it comes to mixed up foods like chili, soups, stews, and now salmon cakes.  I try not to be too disappointed. I’m pleased she will eat salmon at all. And, because she’s willing to give new things the teensiest of a taste before rejecting them, I don’t push. She’ll come around as she gets older (please, oh please).

The boys, Mark, and I loved these crispy little cakes, which were pan-fried in just a bit of oil. I whipped up a poor-man’s tartar sauce with some light mayo and my mother-in-laws homemade sweet pickles, which was the perfect accompaniment.

While I used fresh, cooked salmon (roasted in a 350 degree oven with a little olive oil, salt and pepper for 20 minutes), you could simplify this by using already-prepared salmon (like Chicken of the Sea). I kept the rest of the meal easy by preparing a salad ahead of time and popping some garlic bread in when the cakes were cooking. A perfect meal for a busy weeknight! And so filling – I was barely hungry by breakfast 🙂

Crispy Salmon Cakes
adapted from Meal Makeover Moms
Makes about 15 cakes

1.25 lbs cooked salmon
3/4 cup plus 1/2 cup bread crumbs
2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup diced celery
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
2 egg whites, beaten
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/4 cup canola oil

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except for the 1/2 cup of bread crumbs and the canola oil. (I use my hands for mixtures like these, to make sure all the ingredients are distributed evenly). Put the 1/2 cup of bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Using a 1/4 cup measure, portion out the salmon mixture, forming each into a flat, round hamburger-type patty. Press both sides of each patty into the bread crumbs to ensure it is coated.

Heat the canola oil in a non-stick pan or electric griddle on medium-high heat. Cook the salmon cakes about 4-5 minutes on each side — until they are golden brown.

Serve hot with tartar sauce or balsamic dressing for dipping. If there happens to be leftovers (unlikely, but it happens) have it on top of your lunch the next day — doesn’t my salad look happy?