Spicy Salmon Cakes

I have stated before how much I love Salmon.
I mean, it is freaking amazing.

And why shouldn’t I love it?

It is such a quick and easy meal and can leave you with lots of leftovers
and plenty of ways to recreate it into something else
so you don’t get bored with the same old thing.

Which, is why I love this recipe,
because it takes Salmon to a whole new level
and leaves you wishing you had more of it.

Plus, it is sooooo good for you!

Now, I’m not talking about the canned salmon,
while that can be great and all too,
I’m talking fresh, not frozen, just-off-the-boat,
red and shiny Salmon.

First a little background on the benefits of eating Salmon,
thanks to www.FitDay.com,
and then on with the recipe:

omega-3 Fatty Acids

The characteristic that sets salmon apart and makes it pretty desirable as far as health foods go is the high content of omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial to not only adults, but evenchildren. You want to have more omega-3 fatty acids in your diet due to the heart benefits that it provides. Research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids can stave off heart disease and then even lessen the mortality rate among current heart attack survivors. One serving of ocean-caught, Atlantic salmon will already net you almost two grams of omega-3 fatty acids. This characteristic of omega-3 fatty acids is found in these high quantities only in another kind of fish, the mackerel, which has even more omega-3 fatty acids than does salmon.

Trans-Fatty Acids

Trans-fatty acids, put simply, are deleterious for your body. They are connected to LDL cholesterol, which is branded as the bad kind of cholesterol. As if that wasn’t enough, trans-fatty acids also reduce the good kind of cholesterol, called HDL cholesterol, which just heightens the risk of people succumbing to either stroke or heart disease. Trans-fatty acids have been linked to Type 2 Diabetes. Salmon is very low in these toxic types of acids, which is great, considering that in 2003, the FDA actually recommended that Americans’ daily intake of trans-fatty acids be as low as possible. If you want salmon that is truly low in trans-fatty acids, though, you must be sure to buy the ocean-caught kind of salmon, as processed salmon is still relatively higher in trans-fatty acids.

Calories

If you have not been sold on salmon’s nutritional value just from the above mentions of omega-3 fatty acids and trans-fatty acids, then consider how low in calories salmon is. In just one serving of salmon, you get only 183 calories; to put that into perspective, both chicken and beef have higher calorie counts per single serving, as do other forms of fish. Adding more ocean-caught salmon into your diet is an effective way of lowering your caloric consumption.

Makes you want to run to the store and stock up on your Salmon, doesn’t it?

Hope you enjoy this recipe!

It went really well with a spicy yogurt dipping sauce.
Don’t worry, that’s below too.

Salmon

1 Salmon Fillet (1 lb)
Juice from half a lemon
1 TBSP crushed garlic
Salt/Pepper

Cakes

1 Roasted Red Pepper (diced)
1 Medium Red Onion (diced)
3 Green Onions (diced)
Handful of Cilantro (chopped)
2 Egg Whites
Juice from one lemon
½ TBSP Sriracha
1 TSP Oregano
1 TSP Garlic Powder
1 TSP Dried Parsley
½ cup of Plain Bran Flax Cereal (ground in food processor)
2 TBSP Olive Oil

1)      Follow this recipe for cooking the Salmon, but leave out the Sesame Seed Oil.

2)      While the Salmon is cooking, heat up 1 TBSP of olive oil in a medium size pan on medium-low heat. Sauté both the onions until translucent and slightly brown. Throw in the red pepper and sauté for 2 minutes. Take off the heat.

3)      When the salmon is done cooking, allow to cool for 15 minutes. When cool, use a fork to gently break it apart into flakes, leave the skin behind. Place the flakes into a large mixing bowl.

4)      In a separate bowl, mix the egg whites with the Sriracha, Oregano, Garlic Powder, Parsley,  and the lemon juice.

5)      Pour the egg white mixture into the large bowl along with the chopped cilantro and using your hands, mix it all together.

6)      Add in the ground up Bran Cereal and mix enough to incorporate.

7)      Shape mixture into even sized balls and place on to a cooking sheet. Place the cooking sheet in the freezer for a few minutes.

8)      Take them out of the freezer and then heat up the remaining tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat. Place the cakes on to the heated oil, flipping on to the other side only when browned. Once both sides are browned, take off the heat and place them on a plate with a paper towel.
Let sit for a few minutes to soak up any leftover oil.

9)      Make the spicy sauce by combining ½ cup of plain Greek yogurt with ½ TBSP of Sriracha and ½ TBSP of mustard.