We’re always on the hunt to find new good sources of nutrition that can be prepared for during-the-week-meals, including lunches. Trader Joe’s Wild Sockeye Salmon in a can (7.5 ounces for $3.99) was this week’s favorite! 

There is a easily-removed bone in the center that can be popped out in 3 seconds, and since it’s been cooked, the omega-3 rich salmon is ready to eat. We added cilantro, veggies and toasted quinoa for texture and color and to stretch those dollars, then turned them into oven-baked cakes. They are very good at room temperature or two minutes of warming in a pan the next day makes these a versatile additional to your regular rotation of meals.

Directions:

Heat oven to 400-425 degrees.

Quinoa: Cook and toast if you have none available. Five minutes active time with 15 minutes simmering on the stove, and thirty minutes in the oven. Make extra and use throughout the week.

Open and lightly drain three cans of salmon and remove small round spine bone at the center, to which other tiny bones may be attached.

Put the salmon into a large bowl with enough room to add other ingredients.

Using a food processor for speed if you have one, otherwise by hand:
(Note: You want the vegetable pieces uniform size since this salmon cake doesn’t hold together as easily as a meatball due to less fat and the salmon’s flakey texture. I do each vegetable separately in my food processor—note size of pieces in photo)

Chop red onion (on-off pulse method), add to salmon.

Chop red pepper (on-off pulse method), add to bowl.

Chop celery (on-off pulse method), add to bowl.

Add toasted quinoa and a bit of uncooked quinoa (1/4 cup) if you choose to. I always do.
Chop cilantro by hand and add to bowl with the salmon (the photo below shows only a portion of the two cups of chopped cilantro). 
Add 1 T of Dijon mustard and mix the ingredients together (without the egg). Add salt and pepper and then taste and adjust if necessary.
Now add the two eggs and mix together.

Make into patties by first forming a small ball in your hands—slightly smaller than a tennis ball–and firmly pressing together (extra moisture will run out). Place salmon rounds on greased sheet pans (or on greased parchment paper–I use ghee for this), leaving enough room to flatten with a spatula. I also even up the edges.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes until the bottoms are browned and the cakes hold together. No flipping necessary.  Let them cool before you move them off the pan. If you decide to rewarm, place top side (without browning) down on the pan for several minutes until the desired temperature. I store extras in recycled plastic containers from yogurt with muffin papers between each cake. Glass is great, but it does cause more condensation to form.
We like to eat them with Tzatziki with Kick! Both these recipes work well as “make a day ahead” dishes. Our tzatziki is at it’s best the day after it’s made.