Baked Salmon Cakes

I remember the first time I had salmon cakes. It was over two years ago, the summer before I got married. My parents and I decided to go out for appetizers and drinks at +Moxies to celebrate the end of the week. They opted for their favourites: nachos and Caesars. I thought I would be the rebel that evening and went for salmon cakes, but stuck with my classic peach bellini. It was the first time I had ever tried salmon cakes, and I loved them! The only thing that I could think to myself, however, was "I can do it better".

A few weeks later, salmon went on sale, so I bought two nice, big fillets from the grocery store. I wanted to buy lots of salmon because I wanted to ensure I had freezable leftovers for later on. I had made sure to take note of all the different ingredients I spotted in the ones from Moxie's, and bought what I needed--and more! Especially with all the fresh vegetables in season at that particular time of summer, I could not resist blending flavours!

Only thing I would suggest is picking wild and Atlantic salmon over the farmed  and Pacific variety. Reasons for this include: less hormones, less chemicals, better quality of water, which has an influence on the quality of living, etc.

As it turned out, my salmon cakes were a success!! They were so flavourful, fresh and just so freaken good!! And another great thing about salmon cakes is that you can decide on whether you want to have them as smaller, bite-sized appetizers or as a main course (in the form of patties just on their own or in fresh summer-time burgers). And you can't forget to make a complementary dipping sauce!!! A nice avocado-dill sauce goes perfectly.

Benefits
Since we are using many whole, fresh ingredients to make this, the health benefits are endless. Following are some of the ingredients used in this recipe and how they help your overall health.

For starters, wild salmon is a sustainable source of omega-3 fatty acid. Since the human body does not naturally produce this, we must eat foods containing omega-3, as it normalizes and regulates your cholesterol triglyceride levels. It improves bone density and strength, and can help prevent heart attacks, strokes and high blood pressure, among other things. Salmon is also very high in Vitamin D. One of the many health benefits of this vitamin is that it enhances blood circulation, reduces inflammation, and, as a personal observation: it really helps with iron absorption. Vitamin D really helped my body absorb iron and regain strength in my nails and hair. So for all the ladies wondering why their iron levels are low, consider either taking Vitamin D shots at your local clinic or pills.

Next up, bell peppers contain a very pronounced amount of Vitamin C, which translates into better iron absorbency and antioxidant properties. Red peppers decrease anxiety, hypertension and reduce bloating. What's more? Regular consumption of this red veggy has been linked to lowering your chances of cancer. Orange peppers have little calories and contain lots of fiber, which is important if you are exercising portion-control and want to improve your cholesterol levels. And yellow peppers are great as they contain niacin (also known as Vitamin B3), an organic compound that helps your nerves and digestive system function the way they are meant to.

Also on the list is parsley.This herb puts your immune system at such an advantage that you just can't go wrong! It is rich in Vitamin A (beta-carotene), B-12, C and K, meaning that it cleans your immune system and flushes the excess fluid from your body. And let me tell you from experience, if you're pregnant, flushed out excess fluid can have you feeling pretty nice, and light, and not huge nor bloated. Did you know that this leafy green stuff also contributes to anemia prevention, bad breath treatment, blood tonic and purifying and indigestion soothing?

And to end things, we will conclude with sweet potatoes before introducing my baked salmon cake recipe! They are a source of potassium, which is an electrolyte that regulates the heartbeat, reduces swelling and inflammation and controls kidney activity. And like carrots, this vegetable is high in beta-carotene. Additionally, it strengthens eyesight and boosts our immune system's capabilities. It also protects the skin against aging. Now ain't that nice?

Another overall good thing about having salmon cakes at hand is that portion control is easily exercised (although, I have to say, these suckers turn out so good that they are SO hard to resist sometimes).

Now without further ado, let the cooking begin!

Ingredients:

For the salmon cakes

• 3 lbs salmon fillets;
• 2 tbs olive oil;
• salt and ground black pepper, to taste;
• 2 small red onions, thinly diced;
• 7 celery sticks, thinly diced;
• 1/2 English cucumber, thinly diced;
• 1 red, 1 orange and 1 yellow bell peppers, thinly diced;
• 1/2 sweet potato; thinly diced;
• 3 large garlic cloves; thinly diced;
• 1 cup parsley, chopped;
• 2 cups breadcrumbs; 
• 4 tbsp light mayonnaise;
• 3 tbsp mustard;
• 1 tsp paprika;
• 2 tbsp dried dill
• 1 tbsp dried basil;
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten; and
• 4 large egg whites, lightly beaten.

For the avocado-dill sauce

• 2 ripe avocados, mashed;
• 1 cup light sour cream;
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise;
• 2-3 tbs dried dill;
• 1/2 lemon, squeezed;
• 3 scallions, finely chopped;
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped;
• salt to taste; and
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper.

Directions:

Salmon Cakes

1. Add olive oil to a large pan and heat over medium-high heat.
2. Add one salmon fillet at a time to the pan when you see the olive start to boil, and season with salt and pepper. Each fillet should be cooked until the salmon easily flakes. Cooking time depends on thickness of the fish. Tip: don't worry about peeling off the skin just yet—the skin will gradually come off as the fish cooks more and more. Then at that point, you can peel it off. 
3. Place cooked salmon in a large bowl.
4. In the same pan, now emptied, add olive oil, onions, garlic, celery, cucumber, peppers, sweet potato, parsley, salt and pepper. Saute over low-medium heat. You don't want anything to burn—your goal is to soften these ingredients, give it about 15 minutes. Make sure to drain any excess liquid. Set aside while you complete step 5.
5. Flake salmon in the same bowl you placed it in after cooking. Add breadcrumbs, mayo, mustard, paprika, dried dill, basil and oregano. Add the vegetables and mix very well. Taste and adjust the flavour to your liking. Add eggs and mix once again. Now cover and let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.
6. Set oven to 400°F. On a baking sheet, add parchment paper to fit and start shaping your salmon cakes. A fistful makes appetizer-size cakes, while palm-sized ones are ideal for patties.
7. Bake 10-13 minutes on each side, until the cakes are a nice golden-brown.

Avocado-Dill Sauce

Combine all the ingredients together, and voila!

Enjoy!!!

-Alesia D.