Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Squid on a stick? I wish. How about Salmon Cakes instead?



No, this is not my kid, and no, its not a bug. Its squid on a stick! If I could buy these squids on sticks here, I would be all over them but since we cant all be that lucky, how about Salmon cakes instead?


Pat, pat, pat. Yes, that it is me patting myself on the back for managing not only to keep my son alive for the past 16 months, but also staying somewhat sane myself...somewhat. What I have not managed to do very well is expand my son's taste in food. 

Don't get me wrong - I make sure he eats very healthy (always eats veggies, never has sweets, sodium, or saturated fats), but for some reason I just never think of making him more complex meals.  It doesn't help that my husband and I have been on a controlled diet for the past 6 months so feeding him what we eat simply does not work for a growing baby. Honestly after a long "toddlery" day, the last thing I want is to have to cook two different meals.  

However, I cringe at the idea of having a child that will only eat chicken nuggets and/or spaghetti. I had my first raw oyster when I was two years old and to this day have no reservations in trying whatever weird dish you put in front of me. It is therefore critical for me that my son be flexible and open to different food choices and although I understand that he may still end up being a picky eater when he is three, I need to know that I tried my best.  

So in an effort to expand my son's palate, I am determined to cook two new meals for my son a week (preferable something that is freezable so I have something for those long "I hate my kitchen" days).  I have also given my mom a laundry list of Puerto Rican food items she absolutely must bring me on her next trip up and I cant wait for my son to try "dulce de batata"!  

Today I made salmon cakes that I haven't done in years and they were a hit! My son had tried very boring baked and pan fried salmon many times before but was not crazy about it.  He did, however, LOVE these salmon cakes and I was able to freeze some for some other day!  Yay!  

I figured I would share the recipe in case you need an easy and quick go to for dinner.  

Salmon Cakes



Ingredients
  • 1 15 oz can of pink salmon or 1 1/2 cups cooked salmon, flaked  
  • 3 scallions, finely chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced 
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 3/4 cups whole wheat breadcrumbs
  • 3 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add scallions and garlic. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in dill; remove from the heat.
  3. Place salmon in a medium bowl.  If using canned, you can remove the skin and bones or leave them in for an extra source of calcium. They are very soft. (I removed mine). Flake apart with a fork; r Add egg and mustard; mix well. Add the scallion mixture, breadcrumbs and pepper; mix well. Shape the mixture into 8 patties, about 2 1/2 inches wide.
  4. Heat remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in the pan over medium heat. Cook patties until the undersides are golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a wide spatula, turn them over onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining patties.
  5. Bake the salmon cakes until golden on top and heated through, 15 to 20 minutes.  Serve salmon cakes with a squeeze of lemon. Once cooled, these can be frozen and reheated in the microwave within 30 days. 
If you wish, you can make a creamy dill sauce (recipe below) to top these cakes but they are delicious without as well. 
 
Creamy Dill Sauce

  • 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and serve on the side with Salmon Cakes

1 comment:

Let me know what you think!