Salmon Cakes Mediterranean Style

One of the selling point of making a "cake" of this type is how inexpensive they are to make. For around $4 ($3 if you use tuna, even less if you use beans) you can produce enough cakes to serve four (or two people for two meals, as we ended up doing). On top of that, they can be a welcome change from the usual protein, and they're extremely versitile. In fact, I wavered extensively when I was in the imagining stage of creating this recipe; I was torn between doing a sort of Asian teriyaki-style cake or what I eventually ended up settling on: a cake enhanced with some Mediterranean ingredients. By all means you should use more feta and sun-dried tomatoes than I listed in my edibles list! Unfortunately, I was left scraping the bottom of the jar/container for both ingredients!

The Stuff:

• 2 medium-sized mixing bowls
• 1 medium-sized saute pan

The Edibles:

• 4 crackers, crushed
• 1 slice whole wheat bread, toasted and pulvarized into bread crumbs
• 2 T. milled flax seed
• 1/4 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp dried dill
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 T. lemon juice
• 3 T. mustard (I used a combination of spicy brown and honey dijon)
• 1 T. miracle whip or mayo
• 2 T. water
• 2 large carrots, shredded
• 2 packets of salmon, equal to 6 oz. of fish, flaked
• 4 sundried tomatoes, chopped small
• 1 T. crumbled feta
• extra virgin olive oil

The Making:

1. Combine dry ingredients (crackers through garlic powder) in a medium-sized bowl. In a separate, medium-sized bowl stir together wet ingredients (lemon juice through salmon).
2. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients. Using a fork or fingers, mix together. Add sun-dried tomatoes and feta, incorporating these additions into the mixture.
3. Form the mush into 6 to 7 patties. I recommend making at least 7, because they can be unwieldy when large.
4. Heat a medium saute pan over medium to low heat. Drizzle with about 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil per batch. Once the oil is heated, carefully place 3 to 4 patties in the pan. Cook 5 to 10 minutes per side, or until they have some color and flip easily. The key to knowing when they're done cooking on one side is that they will essentially "self-release" from the pan.
5. Serve with balsamic or Greek vinaigrette over a bed of quinoa pilaf and spinach.