spiced salmon cakes

i've made these salmon cakes three times in the past two weeks.

each time i intended to serve them as an appetizer,

but by the time i ate a couple and my new favorite side salad (recipe coming tomorrow!)

i was sufficiently stuffed and had no room for dinner.

these were delicious and a crowd pleaser each and every time i served them.

also love that you can make them ahead of time.

easy for summer parties and entertaining.

recipe via date night in

makes 8 small salmon cakes

ingredients

8oz salmon

i usually cook just slightly more than this,

but be careful not to get the ratios too out of whack

or your cakes won't come together and stay together.

1/2 cup finely diced red onion

1 red or green jalapeno, finely diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

other fresh herbs can be substituted here

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped capers

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 cup panko

1 egg slightly beaten

2 tablespoon olive oil

salt and fresh ground pepper

creme fraiche or sour cream for serving

i always prefer creme fraiche to sour cream. personal preference!

directions

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees.

line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

place salmon on the baking sheet and generous sprinkle with salt and pepper.

roast for 10 minutes or until just cooked, or even slightly underdone, 

as it will be seared again in salmon cake form.

when the salmon has cooled enough to handle, 

pull from skin, break into small flaky chunks and remove any bones. 

let cool to room temp.

2. while the salmon roasts, in a medium bowl, combine red onion, jalapeno, 

basil, dill, capers, mayo, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, dijon, coriander, 

cumin, smoked paprika, panko, salt and egg. fold in cooled, salmon.

3. form salmon cake by taking 1/3 cup of the mixture in your hands 

and shaping it into a roughly 2 inch round cake. 

continue to make the cakes with the mixture. you should have about 8 mini cakes.

you can store the formed salmon cakes, covered, in the fridge for up to 2 days.

4. when read to make, preheat oven to 250 degrees 

(if you want to keep them warm in the oven)

coat bottom of a large skillet with olive oil and place over medium-high heat.

once oil is hot, sear the cakes in batches until deeply browned, about 2 minutes per each side.

keep them warm in the oven until you are ready to serve.

5. serve with a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream.

enjoy!

broiled teriyaki salmon

wanna learn to make your own teriyaki sauce?

here's how :)

(recipe via my father's daughter)

ingredients
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
3 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon peeled and finely grated ginger
2 sprigs fresh cilantro
4 6-ounce salmon fillets, skin discarded
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh chives, for serving

directions

1. combine the soy sauce, mirin, honey, water, ginger,

and cilantro in a small saucepan over high heat.

once it boils, turn the heat to low and let it simmer for 2 minutes.

remove the saucepan from the heat and let the sauce cool down.

(oh, and taste it... it's delicious!!) :)

2. once it's cool, pour into a large bowl or plastic freezer bag and add the salmon.

marinate in the fridge for at least an hour, up to overnight.

3. when you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler.

put the salmon on a heavy baking sheet with whatever sauce

adheres to it and broil until cooked to your liking, 7-8 minutes.

4. while it's cooking, strain the extra sauce into a clean saucepan,

bring to a boil, and let it reduce.

5. to serve, drizzle the cooked salmon with some

of the extra sauce and a sprinkle of chives.

this salmon was amazing.

(thanks to the homemade teriyaki sauce)

although i will say, you can cook your salmon any way your heart desires...

for some reason, i just prefer baking mine.

and those of you that have a BBQ - that would work too! :)

for other salmon recipes see here, here and here.

grilled salmon with corn & avocado salad

{recipe via whole foods}

ingredients
4 ears fresh corn, kernels removed from cob
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1/2 small ripe avocado, diced
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 (4-6 ounce) salmon fillets
cooking spray
salt & pepper

lemon wedge (optional)

directions

1. for the salad, put corn, tomatoes, avocado, onion, cilantro, oil, vinegars,

salt and pepper into a large bowl and toss gently to combine. set aside.

2. for the salmon, preheat grill.

spray fillets all over with cooking spray, then season with salt and pepper.

place salmon, skin-side up, on grill.

after about 2 minutes, turn salmon a quarter turn and cook 2 minutes longer.

flip salmon and grill until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes more.

3. remove salmon from grill and serve immediately, topped with corn and avocado salad.

4. enjoy!

salmon & brown butter couscous

these pictures don't do this meal justice.

the couscous was amazing - new fave recipe.

with the toasted pine nuts, browned butter, white wine and fresh lemon zest.

delicious!
and the salmon was perfect. easy and amazing.

enjoy!

ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons pine nuts

1 cup uncooked couscous

2 tablespoons dry white wine

1 (14.5-ounce) can fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets

  cooking spray

recipe via cooking light

directions

1. preheat over to 450 degrees

2. heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook 3 minutes or until browned.

add nuts; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. add couscous; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. add wine and broth; bring to a boil. cover, remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes.

fluff with a fork; stir in rind, juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper.

3. combine white pepper and next 4 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon salt) in a small bowl.

coat salmon fillets with cooking spray. sprinkle fillets with spice mixture.

place salmon on foil lined baking sheet. bake 12-14 minutes or until done.

4. serve with fresh grilled veggies. enjoy!

wasabi salmon w/veggies

ingredients

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon wasabi paste (Japanese horseradish paste)

(i found this at whole foods)

11-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely grated

2 large garlic cloves, finely grated

4 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets (preferably wild)

kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

1 pound baby bok choy, halved

2 cups (packed) finely shredded green cabbage (about 5 ounces)

4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, sliced if large

2 tablespoons olive oil

recipe thanks to bon appetit

directions

1. preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

heat a large rimmed baking sheet for 15 minutes.

2. meanwhile, mix mayonnaise and wasabi in a small bowl.

stir in half of ginger and half of garlic; set aside.

3. season fish all over with salt and pepper.

4. place bok choy, cabbage, and mushrooms in a large bowl.

drizzle with oil and add remaining ginger and garlic.

toss to coat; season with salt and pepper.

couldn't seem to find BABY bok choy... so we used the large size :)

5. scatter vegetables across one side of baking sheet.

arrange salmon on other side.

roast, stirring vegetables occasionally, until salmon is cooked through, 12–15 minutes.

6. divide vegetables among plates; top with salmon.

serve wasabi mayonnaise alongside.

really enjoyed this, and it's super easy. you should try it.

only things i would have done differently are:

*it really probably would have been better with BABY bok choy.

the big stuff was just too cumbersome and awkward to eat

*i would be more generous with the veggies (mushrooms & cabbage)

*make the wasabi dip to your liking :)

i would totally make this again.

super basic recipe that you can tweak as your heart desires.

enjoy! :)

sesame tuna with soba noodles

like i said, asian invasion :)

i have to admit, even though i LOVE tuna,

i was a bit nervous to cook it in my own kitchen.

let's just say i was hesitating for a while before actually throwing the tuna into the pan.

honestly, even after all that fuss, i have to say...

there are very few ways you could actually mess this up.

if anything, i would have cooked it slightly less.

i did about 3 minutes on the first side (per the instructions)

but then reduced that to only about 1.5 for the other side.

so delicious i kind of couldn't believe it came out of my own kitchen!

the noodles were awesome both hot and cold.

i also paired this with my new favorite asian coleslaw!

yum.

ingredients 

4 ounces soba noodles

1 cup frozen shelled edamame

2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 1/2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon white sesame seeds

1 tablespoon black sesame seeds

4  (6-ounce) U.S. yellowfin or albacore tuna steaks

(obviously, i just cooked two)

cooking spray

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons canola oil

(recipe from cookinglight)

directions

1. cook soba noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat;

add edamame for last 3 minutes. rinse with warm water; drain well.

2. combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, lime juice, chili sauce, and sesame oil in a medium bowl.

add soba mixture and cilantro; keep warm.

(these are also super cold)

3. combine white and black sesame seeds in a shallow dish.

coat tuna with cooking spray, and sprinkle evenly with salt.

coat both sides of each steak with sesame seeds, pressing gently to adhere.

4. heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

add oil to pan; swirl to coat. add steaks to pan; cook for 2.5 minutes

on each side or until desired degree of doneness. slice tuna thinly against grain.

(sorry, kinda blurry)

5. serve with noodles, slaw, and soy sauce for dipping!