SLOWE COOKING: Tzatziki sauce makes salmon cakes extra delicious - Tuscaloosa News

The Tuscaloosa News

My daughter recently gave me a cookbook on Mediterranean cooking for two. Jim and I enjoy Mediterranean food and it is generally a healthy diet. Jim's doctors recommended this diet for our family for years, since heart disease runs rampant in his family, making this cookbook perfect for us. 

Salmon cakes or salmon patties are one of our favorite dishes. The recipe below can be made from cooked fresh salmon or the canned variety. The tzatziki sauce is a delicious addition. 

Additionally, these tasty cakes can be on the table in less than 30 minutes. If you have salmon cakes left over, serve them on leafy greens for a light dinner. 

Salmon cakes with tzatziki sauce 

For the tzatziki sauce: 

½ cup plain yogurt 

1 teaspoon dried dill 

¼ cup minced cucumber 

Salt 

Freshly ground black pepper 

For the salmon cakes: 

6 ounces cooked or canned salmon 

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 

¼ cup minced celery 

¼ cup minced onion 

½ teaspoon dried dill 

1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley 

Salt 

Freshly ground black pepper 

1 egg, beaten 

½ cup unseasoned bread crumbs 

To make the tzatziki sauce: 

Combine the yogurt, dill and cucumber in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. 

To make the salmon cakes: 

Remove any skin from the salmon. Place the salmon in a medium bowl and break it into small flakes with a fork. Set it aside. 

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the celery and onion and sauté for 5 minutes. 

Add the celery and onion to the salmon and stir to combine. Add the dill and parsley, and season with salt and pepper. 

Add the beaten egg and bread crumbs and stir until mixed thoroughly. 

Wipe the skillet clean and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Heat the pan over medium-high heat. 

Form the salmon mixture into 4 patties and place them two at a time into the hot pan.  

Cook for 3 minutes per side or until they're golden brown. Carefully flip them over with a spatula and cook for another 3 minutes on the second side. 

Repeat with the remaining salmon cakes and serve topped with tzatziki sauce. 

Danahy, Mediterranean Diet Cookbook for Two, Rockridge Press, 2020