Salmon Cakes with Creamy Dill Sauce

I made this recipe a couple weeks ago and it was so simple and healthy I wanted to share with everyone. I found these recipes at EatingWell.com. I love salmon because it is simple to cook and so good for you. This was my first time using canned salmon and I was pleasantly surprised how tasty it was. The Creamy Dill Sauce had so much flavor and combined perfectly with the Salmon Cakes. Serve over a mixed green salad and you have a complete balanced meal that everyone will enjoy! I paired this delicious dinner with one of my favorite white wines, Edna Valley Chardonnay. Smooth and crisp, this wine is full of fruit flavors including peach, pear, apricot, and pineapple. Added a fresh aromatic element to this delightful dinner!

Recipe:

Salmon Cakes

3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely diced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

15 ounces canned salmon, drained

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 ¾ cups fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 lemon, cut into wedges

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Heat 1 ½ teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in parsley; remove from heat.
3. Place salmon in a medium bowl. Flake apart with a fork; remove any bones and skin. Add egg and mustard; mix well. Add the onion mixture, breadcrumbs and pepper; mix well. Shape the mixture into 8 patties, about 1 ½ inches wide.
4. Heat remaining 1 ½ teaspoons oil in the pan over medium heat. Add 4 patties and cook until the undersides are golden, 2-3 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, 15-20 minutes.

Creamy Dill Sauce

¼ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

¼ cup nonfat plain yogurt

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, scallions, lemon juice, dill and pepper in a small bowl and mix well.

A couple notes:

I had a little bit of trouble keeping the Salmon Cakes from falling apart when removing from the baking sheet. I would suggest adding a tad more olive oil to the mixture to help hold them together.

I made the Creamy Dill Sauce first so it could chill in the refrigerator while I was preparing the meal. I definitely recommend serving the sauce slightly chilled.

Dress the mixed green salad with balsamic vinegrette to add some flavor to your salad and sqeeze a lemon wedge over the Salmon Cakes, serve with Creamy Dill Sauce on top!

Enjoy!