Salmon Patties-- all grown up!

Growing up, we had salmon patties in the house probably twice a month. They were one of the first dishes I prepared on my own, actually! Salmon patties always consisted of a can of salmon (you know, with the bones that you can crush with a fork and add calcium to your meal?), whatever variety of onion was on hand, some celery, egg, and breadcrumbs or crackers. When I saw Ina Garten on tv making salmon patties with  fresh salmon, I felt like my eyes were open for the first time. I couldn't wait to try the new grown-up, all fresh ingredients version of my childhood favorite!

Salmon Patty (on a bun)

Salmon Patties- adapted from Ina Garten's Salmon Cakes 

• 1 salmon fillet (around 1/3 lb)
• olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 rounded teaspoon capers
• 1/4 cup (or maybe a bit more) fresh parsley, rough chopped
• dash tobasco
• 1 teaspoon (or so) worcest-that-thing-I-can't-spell
• toasted bread crumbs (mine are home made)
• 1 TBSP dijon mustard
• 2 TBSP mayonnaise (NOT miracle whip.)
• 1 XL egg  

First, you cook up the salmon in the oven or on the grill (mine was grilled) and then let cool completely. So, if it's not entirely obvious, salmon patties are a fantastic use of leftover salmon! Okay, anyway, throw everything from olive oil to Worcestershire sauce into a saute pan and let it cook til the veggies soften. Then, allow THAT to cool.

Once everything is cooled, flake up the salmon with a fork and add to the veggies. Then add mayo, dijon, and an egg. I like to keep bread crumbs til last so I can add the exact right amount. They should even out all the liquidy stuff that you added and make it possible to form this mess of ingredients into little patties.

I formed cakes using a 1/2 cup measuring cup. My ingredient list made exactly six patties of this size. I typically would make them smaller, but Timmy has an affinity for sandwiches so I tried to make them the size of the buns I had on hand. You can just form them and immediately drop them into a hot skillet, or you can put them in the fridge until you are ready.

Salmon Patty Fail

Add a touch of oil to the pan if it's not no-stick, and heat over med-high heat. Then drop in as many patties as can comfortably fit. Cook time is around 6 minutes, flipping half way through, but this will definitely change depending on how big and thick your patties are.

I had one pan of disaster patties that I tried to flip too early and they completely stuck. But, the second pan-ful turned out great. These were definitely different to the salmon patties I grew up with. I liked using fresh ingredients and having the colorful bits of peppers in them, but in the future I think I'd like a greater salmon-to-stuff ratio.

Typically, my mom would serve peas as a side dish to salmon patties. While I love peas, my dinner guest for the evening does not. So instead, I made frozen green beans on the grill (foil packet + 1 TBSP smart balance + salt and pepper), and some taters.

Parmesan Chive Mashed Potatoes

• 5 B-sized red potatoes, skins on
• 1 TBSP smart balance
• 3 TBSP plain yogurt
• 3 TBSP finely shredded parmesan
• 1 TBSP chopped chives

I boiled the crap out of the potatoes-- side note, I have a hell of a time with getting potatoes to be done at the same time as the rest of the meal. They always take longer than recipes suggest and completely infuriate me. So, the way I make mashed potatoes work is that I boil them way longer than they will need. Once they are fork tender I turn the pot on low until I'm ready to drain and mash. It's not an idea solution, but it works for me.

Anyway, once they were drained, I put the "butter" in the pan and threw the potatoes back on top. Then I threw in the rest of the ingredients and mashed away, and garnished with some more chives.

These were surprisingly delicious. I love Parmesan in all of its salty, nutty glory. The flavor was subtle but definitely came out in this dish. I will definitely repeat it, as it's pretty healthy too!