~Amanda~
We all have those meals that we just love and recipes that we make over and over again because we just can’t get enough of them. For me, this is one of those recipes. I first discovered this recipe in my Cosmopolitan magazine many years ago…that’s right, I found an amazing recipe in Cosmo! Katie Lee (one of my absolute favorite chefs… have you seen her on Food Network or read any of her cookbooks?! She’s amazing!) used to do monthly food articles in Cosmo and I made almost all of her recipes because they always looked so good. This particular article was titled ‘A Sultry Summer Meal’…oooh la la! This meal is composed of incredible Salmon Cakes, Artichoke Tartar Sauce, and Lemony Quinoa Cucumber Pilaf and it is the perfect light and tasty summer meal that you can make ahead so you have time to ‘sit back and chill with your boyfriend’…says Cosmo. And you know what? Conor and did just that the other night; I prepared this ‘Sultry Summer Meal’ in advance and when he came home from work we spent the evening enjoying the warm weather on the patio eating “one of the best meals I’ve ever made” in Conor’s opinion!
The first step is to make the Lemony Quinoa Cucumber Pilaf and you can find that recipe HERE! While that’s cooling in the fridge, you can prepare your Salmon Cakes. One of the best things about this recipe is that you only need a half a pound of salmon! That may not seem like much, but when you combine it with all the other ingredients to make the Salmon Cakes, that half a pound goes so far and it’s such a great way to save some money while still making a very impressive dish. You simply season the salmon with salt and pepper and roast it in the oven for 15 minutes until it’s just cooked through, then cool. The next step is to sauté all the veggies and herbs in some olive oil until nice and tender. Once those are done you combine them with the flaked salmon, bread crumbs, and eggs and form the mixture into patties (you can make it into about eight smaller patties or four large ones) and then refrigerate. I usually do four large ones when I’m making this for a meal, but it’s totally up to you what you prefer.
While the patties are refrigerating, make the Artichoke Tartar Sauce. This sauce really makes the dish, so I definitely would not skip it if I were you! The original recipe calls for mayonnaise, but I use Greek yogurt instead because it’s so much better for you and I think it tastes pretty much the same. You then combine that with some marinated artichoke hearts that you’ve chopped up, fresh lemon juice and herbs, and some capers which give the sauce a delicious burst of flavor and tang. When you’re about ready to eat, you fry up the Salmon Cakes in a skillet with some olive oil (about 5 minutes per side) and then serve alongside the Artichoke Tartar Sauce and the Lemony Quinoa Cucumber Pilaf. Now you can ‘sit back and chill with your boyfriend’ (or with friends or by yourself, I’ve made these more for myself on nights home alone than anyone else!) and enjoy this incredibly delicious summer dinner! Thanks Katie Lee!
- 1/2 pound wild salmon
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 stalks celery, small diced
- 1 red bell pepper, small diced
- 1/2 red onion, small diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, minced
- 1 cup bread crumbs (gluten-free)
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place salmon skin side down in a baking dish, and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes, until cooked through. Let cool completely. Remove skin, flake with a fork, and put in a medium bowl.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add celery, bell pepper, onion, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Sauté until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely, and mix with salmon. Add bread crumbs and eggs, and mix.
- Shape salmon mixture (it will be wet) into eight small patties (or four large ones), and place on a baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook salmon patties about 3 minutes on each side (for small ones, about 5 minutes per side for larger ones). Serve hot or chilled with artichoke tartar sauce.
- In a bowl, mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate until serving time.
- *This goes great served with Lemony Quinoa Cucumber Pilaf (search for the recipe in our blog).
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