Recipe RE:MAKE: Salmon Patties

this recipe is perfect for re-inventing your leftovers.  but first, the background.  salmon patties for dinner was one of the meals i hated most as a kid.  and it was a staple meal in my house.  a favorite of my father.  often it went with potato cakes (which i did like) and most likely peas or some other green thing i didn't want to eat.  my mom would use canned salmon, eggs, and crackers to stick together a fish cake.  she fried them in the pan, and they smelled horrible from the moment they hit the oil.  they were dry and tasted terrible.  my dad loved them this way.  the rest of us gagged our way through it, crushing the occasional bone into a mist of dry powder as you tried to swallow.  my mom hates it so much that she cannot stand salmon in any way shape or form.  and to be honest, i was dreading attempting to reinvent a salmon patty.

but this is delicious.  and it is best if you use your left overs.  you can use canned salmon, but it's better if you use left over fish you've already prepared.  if you prepare everything fresh, this recipe takes about an hour to prep and you end up making meatballs with hot potatoes and fish.  if you use leftovers it will cut your time in half and you won't have to suffer hot potatoes.

ingredients:

12-16 oz of pre-cooked salmon (or canned)
4 medium size potatoes, boiled and mashed (about 2 cups mashed)
1 clove of garlic, chopped very fine
a bunch of fresh dill (about 1/8 cup chopped)
a bunch of fresh parsley (about 1/8 cup chopped)
1/4 tsp chili pepper
salt and pepper
1 egg
panko
flour
coconut oil
lemon
...makes 12 x 4" cakes

directions:

flake cooked salmon into mashed potatoes.  mix in dill and parsley, chili, garlic, salt and pepper.  mix well and separate into 4" patties.  it should make about 12.

beat the egg in a shallow bowl.  mix the panko and flour in another shallow bowl.  dip each cake in the egg and coat on both sides with the panko/flour mix.

heat about 1/8" depth of coconut oil in a skillet.  i have an old electric stove and i use medium/high on the dial.  fry each cake until golden brown.  finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon.

the cakes are nice by themselves, but i have a super healthy super simple dill yogurt sauce to top them with that sends them over the edge to delicious.

ingredients:

1/2 cup yogurt
small pinch of salt
juice from 1/2 a lemon
2 tbsp chopped dill
a small bit of chopped garlic (or a dash of garlic powder)

directions:

i always save aside a pinch of the garlic from the fish cakes to add to the sauce, but a dash of garlic powder will do the trick as well.  just simply mix together all the ingredients.  adjust your ingredients according to taste.  let it set for 10+ minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

serve salmon cakes topped with yogurt sauce and some fresh greens of your choice.  i can't believe i'm saying this, but i think salmon patties have re-entered my menu rotation.