Salmon Cakes and Tabouleh

recipe: Barefoot Contessa

INGREDIENTS
· 1/2 lb. fresh salmon
· good olive oil
· kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
· 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
· 3/4 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
· 1 1/2 cups small diced celery (4 stalks)
· 1/2 cup small-diced red bell pepper (1 small pepper)
· 1/2 cup small-diced yellow pepper (1 small pepper)
· 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
· 1 tbsp. capers
· 1/4 tsp. hot sauce
· 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
· 1 1/2 tsp. crab boil seasoning (Old Bay)
· 3 slices stale bread, crusts removed
· 1/2 cup good mayo
· 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
· 2 extra large eggs, lightly beaten

DIRECTIONS
· preheat oven to 350°
· place salmon, skin side down, on baking sheet. brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until just cooked. remove form oven and cover tightly with aluminum foil to trap heat. allow to rest for 10 minutes and then refrigerate until cold.
· place t tbsp. butter, 2 tbsp. olive oil, onion, celery, red & yellow peppers, parsley, capers, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, crab boil seasoning, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a large saute pan over medium heat and cook until veggeis are soft. (15 to 20 minutes) cool to room temp.
· break the bread slices and process in food processor until you have about 1 cup of bread crumbs. place bread crumbs on a sheet pan and toast for about 5 minutes until slightly browned.
· flake chilled salmon into a large bowl. add the bread crumbs, mayo, mustard, and eggs. add the vegetable mixture and mix well. cover and chill for 30 minutes inthe fridge.
· shape into 10 (2 1/2 to 3 oz.) cakes
· heat remaining 2 tbsp. butter and 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. add the salmon cakes and fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side. drain on paper towels and keep them warm in a preheated 250° over. serve hot.

Frying the salmon cakes for a few minutes kept the outside crispy while the inside of the cakes turned out moist and delicious. The extensive list of ingredients in this recipe is completely necessary. These salmon cakes have the most amazing flavor. That Contessa knows what she's doing! I just do what she tells me.... I served the salmon cakes with the dijon aioli sauce I bought at Williams Sonoma after Christmas. It was perfectly smooth and tangy, perfect for a fish cake.

The freshness of the tabouleh balanced the dish well. Sorry I do not have a recipe for the tabouleh. I basically followed the directions on the box and just added mint, parsley, feta, tomatoes, lemon juice, and olive oil.

Lemon Pepper and Basil Salmon Salad

The other night, I was craving a light "Springish" meal. I hadn't eaten salmon in a while, so I decided to try something new. I thought that the lemon pepper in the salmon would pair really well with the sweetness in the dressing and the pear. The sunflower seeds could add a little crunch. I would have added gorgonzola cheese, but I am on a restricted diet compliments of my Acunpuncturist. I don't like her very much right now. If I were you, I would add cheese because cheese makes eveything better.


INGREDIENTS
salmon
· 2- 5 oz. filets of Salmon
· extra virgin olive oil
· 5 leaves of fresh basil
· lemon pepper seasoning
salad
· fresh spinach
· 3 tbsp. white onion, chopped
· 1 pear, cut into small slices
· 3 tbsp. honey roasted sunflower seeds
dressing
· 3 tbsp. Rasberry All Fruit
· 1/4 cup of Balsalmic Vinegar
· 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS
· Marinate both salmon filets in olive oil, sliced basil, and lemon pepper for a few hours.
· Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. (You could also cook Salmon on the grill for that smokey flavor)
· Cook salmon for about 20 minutes
· While salmon is cooking, prepare dressing by putting all ingredients in a bowl and whisking to emulsify the olive oil.
· Prepare salad in a bowl.
· When salmon is completely cooked, flake with a fork and put on top of the spinach salad. toss in dressing.

Enjoy!

Sunday Supper: Wild Salmon Pita Pizzas

I started off by grilling a 6 oz. fillet of Wild Salmon in a pan with EVOO, salt, pepper, the juice of 1/2 a lemon, and all purpose seasoning. While the Salmon was cooking, I made a green onion and cilantro cream cheese spread by mixing together 2 chopped green onions and a tablespoon of cilantro with about 2.5 tbsp of light cream cheese. I spread this mixture evenly over two 6 inch, whole wheat pita pockets. Once the Salmon was fully cooked, I flaked it with a fork and sprinkled the salmon over the pita bread. I then topped the salmon with capers and 2% mozzarella cheese. I placed both pita pizzas on a pizza tray and baked them in the oven at 350 degrees for 9 minutes. Then, I set the oven to broil to get the cheese all nice and brown (about 2 minutes). I let the pizzas cool for another 2 minutes and then sliced them both up the middle with a pizza cutter. Dinner was served...and it was good, I tell ya!

INGREDIENTS: (serves 2)
6 oz. fillet of Wild Salmon
EVOO
salt
pepper
all purpose seasoning
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2- 6 inch pita pockets
2.5 tbsps of light cream cheese
2 green onion stalks
2 tbsp of cilantro
20 capers (10 per pizza)
2 oz. of 2 % mozzarella cheese (1 oz. per pizza)

Mangia!