Toddler Dinner Party - Goldfish Sticks

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Happy Friday Everyone!

I know this is a blog about food, but I just finished knitting a couple of stuffed animals and I wanted to share the pictures!  Please let me know what you think!

Doggie I made for a friend because she saw the teddy
and wanted one too!

Teddy Bear I made for my niece Phoebe

So, Daniel has a friend down the street named Aubrey.  We met Aubrey's family a couple of months ago and ever since Daniel and Aubrey have been best friends.  Daniel talks about "Aubay" constantly, and even pretends to call her on the phone!  You have seen Aubrey and her sister Addison featured in a previous post from when we went to the apple orchard. Daniel and Aubrey love each other and boy do they get into some shenanigans together too!

Anyway, David has been working nights, and will be working nights for the next two months, and Aubrey's daddy was out of town, so Julie (Aubrey's mommy) and I decided to get together for dinner!  Since Julie and I were going to be outnumbered by toddlers, I decided we should make a kid friendly meal!  We made what I call "Goldfish Sticks" which are homemade fish sticks coated in Goldfish Crackers served with tartar sauce for dipping, cheesy  mashed potatoes and steamed carrots.  This meal was a TOTAL hit and everyone cleaned his/her plate!

Goldfish Sticks

• 2 cups crushed goldfish crackers or other snack crackers (I use the food processor to crush them)
• 2 lbs firm white fish such as cod or pollock
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp. minced onion
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp. dill
• 1/4 cup grated cheddar or jack cheese (or a blend- this helps bind the fish together)
• 1/2 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and spray a sheet pan generously with cooking spray.  Using your food processor, much like when making chicken nuggets, process the fish until pasty.  Add the mayonnaise, onion, eggs, dill, and cheese and blend well in the food processor.  With damp hands, carefully form the fish mixture into nuggets or logs.  Mixture will be very wet, but don't worry, it will firm up in the oven.  Coat the fish in the cracker crumbs.  Place each fish stick/nugget on the cookie sheet about 1/8 inch apart.  Drizzle with melted butter (this will help them get crunchy in the oven) or you can also use olive oil (but butter is always better in my opinion).  Bake for 15-20 minutes watching carefully until the fish is crisp and cooked through.  

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Salmon Risotto

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Risotto is a really easy dinner that is usually a crowd pleaser.  I change my risotto up many different ways, but I think my salmon risotto has to be my favorite.  

Salmon Risotto

• 1 lb salmon fillet, cooked and flaked (or you can also use canned salmon if you want)
• 1 recipe lemon dill risotto
• 1/4 cup peas

Cook the risotto according to the recipe provided in the link.  In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the peas and the salmon.  Serve with extra parmesan if desired.

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Tuna Pasta Florentine

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Hello Dear Readers!
I am doing some catching up on my recipes today.  I am sorry this one took so long for me to post.  I had to rework the recipe a bit.   This meal can be very budget friendly if made with ingredients that are in season.  I know some of you have been requesting to see it, so here it is!


Tuna Pasta Florentine

• 1 pkg spiral pasta or your favorite shaped pasta
• 2 cans tuna in water
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 lb fresh spinach
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms (if desired - I left these out because David HATES mushrooms, but I love them and think they would be good in this).
• 1 tsp. butter and 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 cup swiss cheese, shredded

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  In a large, deep sided skillet, heat the butter and olive oil.  Add the onions and saute until translucent, 3-5 minutes.  Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, another 2 minutes or so.  In a smallish bowl, mix the cornstarch and milk together until the cornstarch is completely dissolved.  Add it to the skillet, along with the tuna, the spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms (if using).  Turn heat down to medium low and allow to simmer, stirring frequently until the sauce is thick and smooth.  Add the sour cream and the cheese and stir to combine.  Toss the pasta with the sauce and serve with extra cheese if desired!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Ooh...Sockeye!

I am really excited tonight because I FINALLY managed to find some quality Sockeye here in the Midwest.  I think Sockeye is one of the things I  miss most about Northwest summers.  Salmon is so important in the Northwest that the Sockeye season commences every year with a Salmon Days festival.  Oh how I miss Sockeye.  Oh how I miss eating salmon that is red and not light pink or white.  Oh how I miss walking outside and peering down into a creek and seeing hundreds of thousands of salmon spawning.  Oh how I miss salmon.  But I digress, I was at Sam's Club of all places and they had a special fish guy there (who knew!) who told me that the Sockeye was shipped fresh every Friday from Seattle.  Oh how excited that made me!  Even more exciting was that this past weekend it was only $8.99 a pound!  Oh yes, I had to buy some.  I was a little skeptical, especially after my Sockeye incident from last week, but it didn't have any odor and it seemed fresh, so that was encouraging.  So tonight I prepared the Sockeye, and oh boy was it yummy!  I have to tell you, I am a salmon snob, and even though it wasn't as good as if I had purchased it at Pike Place in downtown Seattle, it was still very worth it! Back home there are two ways I would prepare the Sockeye, the first is with lemon juice, rock salt, and brown sugar.  Marinate that overnight, remove the rock salt, and grill (this is the best way).  The second way would be very simply with lemon juice, garlic and dill, and the Cedar Plank it on the grill.  Tonight, I made a soy ginger glaze and I served this up with a nice rice pilaf and some broccoli that came from Abbe Hills Farm.  What a beautiful summer meal!


Tonight's Sockeye with a Soy Ginger Glaze

 

This is the color salmon should be!  RED!  BEAUTIFUL!

• 1-2 lbs fresh Sockeye fillets
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 tbsp. fresh ginger root, micro-planed
• 1/4 cup soy sauce or Tamari
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
• 1/8 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 stick of butter, cut into cubes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray generously with cooking spray.  Place the salmon on the foil.  In a bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together and pour over the salmon.  Place butter cubes over the top of the salmon.  Fold the foil into a little packet to tent the salmon.  

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the salmon flakes when a fork is inserted into the middle.  Enjoy!

The leftover fish is quite delicious served cold the next day on a salad, with crackers, or just by itself!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

Crispy Oven Fried Fishwiches and My Mommy's Broccoli Salad

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Happy Tuesday Everyone!
Welcome to all my new followers from the Monday and Tuesday Blog Hops!  I am so glad you stopped by!
I have been craving fish, which is very hard to come by here in the Midwest.  I am a fish snob from the beautiful Pacific Northwest so when it comes to fresh fish I don't buy anything that comes from a fish farm.  I only spend my money on wild fish, preferably from the Pacific Ocean but in this part of the country I am lucky to get fresh fish from the Atlantic side, so I usually take what I can get.  Last week I was really excited to find some wild Sockeye at the store, something that is VERY hard to find here.  Unfortunately, when I got it home, it had such a terrible fish odor that I nearly vomited and had to throw it away.  Some of you who are not from my neck of the woods might be saying to yourself "but Elizabeth, it is SALMON and salmon is a FISH so it should smell like fish!"  No...no.  Good salmon, especially Wild Pacific Sockeye should NEVER have a fishy odor.  In fact, it should have no odor whatsoever.  If it smells like fish, then it has gone bad and you should not eat it. So there you have it, since moving to the Midwest my diet has gone from eating fish once or twice a week to barely even being able to eat anything but canned tuna more than once a month, if that.   This is the plight of a poor Northwestern girl who got uprooted to the Midwest.  So, I thought I would try again, seeing as my craving for fish keeps getting worse and worse and it was not satisfied, sadly, with the stinky salmon.  I was trying to decide what I could make that did not involve canned tuna, because lets face it, there is only so much you can do with canned tuna and when that is the only fish you have available to you it gets tiring pretty fast.  The store had wild Atlantic Cod on sale today, so I decided maybe that would be a little safer.  I happen to make this recipe a lot as fish sticks, but today I decided to fancy it up by making it into sandwiches.   Back home I used to make the fish sticks out of Halibut - oh how I miss Halibut.  Halibut is my favorite fish.  Second only to Salmon.  Fresh, wild Pacific Salmon - not Atlantic Salmon which is TOTALLY different.  Anyway, if you want to make this into fish sticks, just follow all of the instructions, except when you get to the part where you form them into patties, form them into long sticks instead, or nuggets.  Easy Peasy!  They can be frozen too!  I served these sandwiches up with my mom's broccoli salad which is SOOOOOOOO good!  Try it, you will LOVE it!  We are a broccoli loving family so it is no surprise that this is one of our favorite summer sides!  My mom puts chopped raw red onion in it.  I leave the onion out because raw onion literally makes me sick, but feel free to add it if you like!  During nap time I also threw together some buns in the bread machine and baked them off right before dinner.  I topped the sandwiches with cheddar cheese and homemade tartar sauce.  So yummy!

Crispy Oven Fried Fishwiches

• 1 lb fresh cod fillets (or other firm white fish- if you are in the PACNW and you have access to Halibut, I HIGHLY recommend using that instead of Cod)
• 1 egg
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots finely chopped
• 2 tsp. dill, divided
• 2 tbsp. dill pickle relish
• 1-2 cups bread crumbs 
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 1-2 cups cornmeal
• 2 tbsp. butter, melted or olive oil
• sliced mild cheddar cheese (if desired)

Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray generously with cooking spray, set aside.  Place the cod in your food processor and process about 1 minute.  Scrape fish into a bowl and mix with the egg, green onions, carrots, 1 tsp. dill, the relish, and the mayonnaise.  Add the bread crumbs a little at a time until the mixture is "dry" and holds together.  In a shallow dish, mix together the sour cream, lemon juice, the rest of the dill and the ground pepper.  In a second shallow dish, add the cornmeal.  With slightly wet hands, form the fish mixture into patties and coat with the cornmeal.  Place each patty on the cookie sheet.  Cover the patties with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour (I make these during nap time usually).  Preheat your oven to 450 degrees (yes, your oven needs to be screaming hot).  Remove the patties from the fridge and discard the plastic wrap.  Pour the melted butter or olive oil evenly over the patties- this will help them crisp up in the oven.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the edges start to brown.  Turn your broiler on high and broil for about 2 minutes or until the tops are brown and crispy.  BE SURE TO WATCH THEM CLOSELY, they can easily burn.  Add the cheese and broil until melted, if you are using it.  Serve on a crusty roll and top with tartar sauce.  Yummy!

My Mommy's Broccoli Salad

• 1 large head broccoli, cut into florets
• 1/2 cup smokehouse almonds
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 cup raisins 
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped (I leave this out but Mommy always puts it in)
• 1/4 cup coleslaw dressing (when I don't make it myself, I use Bolthouse Farms Yogurt dressing, love it, love it, LOVE IT!)

Steam the broccoli until it is just blanched, do not fully cook it. Cool the broccoli in the fridge (or I do it in the freezer, it's faster) Add the rest of the ingredients and stir together.  This is SO yummy, you will be going back for more!

Before I sign off for today, here is a picture of two very lazy dogs.  Very cute, but very lazy.  


Well that's all for now!  Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

The Best Fish Cakes You Will EVER Eat!

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Welcome to everyone visiting from Welcome Wednesday!  I hope you enjoy your visit here and will return again soon!  Tonight's recipe is one that I have been making for AGES!  I have already posted this recipe once on The Foodie Mommie.  Click here to see the original recipe.   Today I made a few alterations, just because I like to change things up a bit, especially with things I make all the time.  I used tuna tonight, but sometimes I use salmon or halibut.  In addition, this is one of Daniel's FAVORITE dinners!

Fish Cakes

3 (6 oz.) cans tuna, salmon or crab or 1.5 lbs cooked firm fish, flaked (tuna, salmon, crab, cod, halibut, for example)
1 (6 oz) package stuffing mix (I buy organic mix, or I use leftover stuffing after a holiday meal)
2 heaping tbsp. relish
1 cup grated cheese (I like to use cheddar with tuna,and parmesan or mozzarella with salmon)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup water
1 tsp. dill
1/4 cup broccoli slaw
1 egg, slightly beaten
I tbsp. dijon mustard
2 tbsp. butter, melted




In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients until moist. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. I use a 1/2 cup measuring cup to form the cakes. Place each formed fish cake on the cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge for at least one hour. These can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time and kept in the fridge. Remove from fridge after one hour (or longer) and drizzle cakes with melted butter (this helps the cakes brown up in the oven. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until brown and crispy on the outside.

Tonight I served these cakes with some homemade tartar sauce and a simple tossed green salad.  Yummy!

Before I sign off, I am proud to announce that very soon I will be offering my video demonstrations in a collection on DVD. I am also working on a cookbook that will be available on my site very shortly.  I am also currently planning my next web class.  I am still working on a topic, and would LOVE suggestions so please leave me a comment and let me know if you have any suggestions!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking and EATING!

What's for Lunch?

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I have been meaning to write this post for awhile, but something else always came up.  So  here we go, a post on lunch!


More often than not, we have leftover dinner for lunch.  There are times, though, when I either don't have enough leftovers, or I don't feel like eating what I made the night before. Here are some of my favorite lunch ideas:

• Sandwiches - don't discount good old peanut butter and jelly.  Peanut butter is rich in nutrients and very high in fiber and protein.  Many people think that it is unhealthy because of the fat content.  The truth is, peanut butter actually is high in monounsaturated fat, which actually helps keep bad cholesterol at bay, it is a good fat.  Just be careful of commercial peanut butters that have added ingredients.  The peanut butter you buy should have AT MOST 3 ingredients- peanuts, sugar, and oil.  You can also make peanut butter at home, as well as other types of nut butters, by simply putting peanuts, oil and a little sugar in your food processor and processing until smooth!  Other sandwiches that we like are tuna, grilled cheese, and egg salad.  I stay away from deli meats because, well, frankly they scare me, but sandwiches are a great option.  Oh and one more thought on sandwiches - be sure to serve them on whole grain bread!
• Cheesy quesadillas - We love quesadillas and I make them very simply.  I cover a small tortilla with pureed squash, sweet potato, or cauliflower, and then top with cheese.  I top that with a second small tortilla and microwave for about a minute and a half, and voila...cheesy quesadillas!

• Lunch Packets- In my large deep freezer in the garage I keep what I call "lunch packets."  These are small Foodsaver bags filled with one serving of macaroni and cheese (will post my mac and cheese recipe soon, I promise!), a homemade "pocket" (like a chicken pocket or a pizza pocket), chicken or fish nuggets, etc.  These are great because they are individual servings so I can just pop them out of the freezer, reheat them in the microwave, or in the case of the nuggets, the oven, and serve!  So convenient, and healthier than the processed freezer meals that come from the grocery store!
• Veggies, veggies, veggies-  I always serve lunch with two servings of vegetables.  The possibilities are endless, peas, carrots, broccoli, kohlrabi, etc.  I also try to sneak pureed veggies into the main dish wherever I can.

• Tuna Noodles-  This one is my personal favorite.  I have been making this FOREVER.  I came up with it in college.  It is so fast to make, it takes me about 5 minutes.  I just use whatever noodles I have in the pantry, and lately that  has been Wacky Mac!  Cook the noodles, I usually cook half the package, then I have a little leftover for the next day.  To the cooked noodles, add 2 cans of tuna, a tbsp. of olive oil, about a tsp. of each: lemon pepper, dill, and minced onion.   Add 1 cup of pureed cauliflower and 1 cup of peas and cook on the stove until heated through.  I top it with a little parmesan cheese, but that is totally up to you!

These are just a few of my lunch ideas.  I would love to hear your ideas too!  Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking!

Salad Bar

Sometimes during the summer we have salads on Sunday evenings for dinner. Tonight I put together a salad bar, that way, everyone could assemble his or her own salad. Set the different items out on the counter in small bowls so everyone can see the choices. Here are some ideas for a salad bar:

• Beans (kidney beans, garbanzo beans, etc.)
• green beans
• cucumbers
• shredded carrots
• chopped bell peppers
• chopped hard boiled egg
• bacon bits (real bacon cooked and chopped up, not the fake stuff in the jar)
• grilled chicken
• tuna, salmon, shrimp, or crab
• diced ham
• diced tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and/or grape tomatoes
• sunflower seeds, croutons, sliced almonds, chopped nuts, and/or crunchy noodles
• cooked pasta
• Cheese, shredded or cubed (of course I would have this on my salad bar).
• An assortment of greens
• An assortment of dressings

The possibilities are endless and kids especially love having a choice of what to eat. Daniel points to all the different toppings he wants on his salad, he loves it!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking!

Celebrate Mom with Tuna Burgers

Hello Loyal Readers!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies out there! I hope you all enjoyed your day! This post is dedicated to my mommy who is very special in every way! So before I get onto tonight's recipe, I have to apologize for not posting yesterday, and also for the pictures (or lack thereof) in this post. We have had a stressful couple of days in the Porter house! Little Daniel has not been a happy camper this weekend. In addition, my Mother's Day started out really well. David got up with Daniel while I slept in. Then, I went to let the dogs out, the ONE TIME I let them out without a leash and they decide to go after a neighbor's dog. Ugh! So fortunately the neighbor was really nice about it but I ended up spending most of my day knitting a dish cloth and baking chocolate chip muffins that turned out more like chocolate chip scones as an "I'm sorry" gift. Speaking of the dish cloth, I am currently knitting a set which will be my first giveaway. I should be done in the next week or so, so stay tuned!

Now...onto tonight's recipe. As you all know, I am a fan of tuna. Tonight, I made a really easy tuna burger. I served it with my oven fries. Again, I am sorry for the lack of a good picture, I got distracted, and I promise I will do better next time...so to make up for it, here is a gratuitous Boonie picture eating a lemon filled with adorableness (Boonie is what we call Daniel).








Tuna Burgers

• 3 (6 oz) cans tuna
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs (you may need more than this so be sure to have a little extra)
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1/4 cup minced celery
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. dill
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp. hot sauce
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• salt and pepper to taste
• sliced cheese (optional - I used white cheddar but you can use any kind you like)
• hamburger buns (I used whole wheat)
• sliced tomatoes, lettuce, tartar sauce for serving (optional)

Combine the first 11 ingredients together in a bowl. Mix well, if the mixture is too wet and falling apart, add more breadcrumbs. Shape into 6 patties and place in the fridge for 30 minutes (this helps them hold together better when cooking). Cook on a grill pan, indoor or outdoor grill on medium heat for 3-5 minutes on each side or until well browned. Add cheese, if using and cover to allow to melt. Serve on a bun with tomato slices, lettuce, and tartar sauce (if desired).

I made my own tartar sauce by mixing some mayonnaise, dill pickle relish, juice of half a lemon, and dill in a bowl and placing it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Easy peasy!

Until next time, happy and HEALTHY cooking!

Tuna Souffle Casserole

I am always looking for new and interesting ways to jazz up a can of tuna. I happen to love canned tuna and I love even more that you can change it up several different ways to make a really inexpensive and tasty meal. I came across a similar recipe to this one awhile back but after trying it, felt it lacked flavor and depth. I started thinking of ways to change it a bit to add and enhance the flavor and this is what I came up with. Since then, every time I serve this, it is gobbled up and I rarely have leftovers - so I usually double the recipe and freeze one of the casseroles. Don't let the "souffle" in the name discourage you, it is not souffle, so you don't have to worry about it sinking! Sometimes, I make this same casserole but replace the tuna with leftover roasted chicken or ham.


Tuna Souffle Casserole

• 2 cups cooked long grain rice (I use brown rice)
• 2 egg whites
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/4 cup flour (I use Wondra because it makes a smoother sauce but all purpose would work just fine)
• 1-2 cups milk (you may not need all the milk)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• zest of one lemon
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 (12 oz) cans of tuna
• 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup pureed cauliflower (optional)
• 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 cup peas
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Separate egg yolks from egg whites. Using a kitchen aid with a whisk attachment, or an electric mixer beat egg whites about 10 minutes or until they form stiff peaks that hold their shape (you want the egg whites as stiff as possible) and set aside. If you are using a Kitchen Aid, you can set it to beat the eggs while you prepare the rest of the dish. In a large saucepan add the butter and melt. To the melted butter add the onions and the garlic and cook until onions are translucent. Add the flour and whisk until the mixture becomes the consistency of paste and starts to brown a bit. Slowly whisk in the milk until the mixture forms into a thick sauce that would coat the back of a spoon. Make sure to whisk constantly to avoid lumps. Add the salt and pepper and nutmeg. Congratulations, you have just made a classic béchamel sauce! To this béchamel sauce add the dijon mustard, the lemon zest, the lemon juice and the pureed cauliflower. To the egg yolks, add about a tablespoon of the sauce and stir it, then add the eggs mixture to the sauce. This is called tempering the eggs, it keeps them from scrambling and causing lumps. Once the eggs are added, remove the sauce from the heat and add 1/2 cup of the parmesan, the tuna, the rice, and the peas. Taste and adjust seasoning. Gently fold in the egg whites, do not stir, you don't want the egg whites to soften. Once the egg whites are completely incorporated and evenly blended, pour the mixture into a casserole dish and top with remaining parmesan cheese. Bake until the casserole has puffed up slightly, the center has set, and the top is golden brown - about 45 minutes.

This casserole is definitely a Daniel favorite! Tonight he ate three heaping helpings of it!

Well anyway, that's all for now! Until next time, Happy Cooking! (Tomorrow's topic will be "Roasted Chicken and all the things you can do with it!"

You Win Some, You Lose Some

Fish cakes are one of my favorite easy meals to make. Served with some homemade tartar sauce (which isn't hard to make at all), they are absolutely to die for. I have a fish cake recipe that I call my "go to" recipe, but last week when preparing the menu for this week, I came across a salmon cake recipe from Melissa d'Arabian. I have made some of her other recipes before and thought they were quite good, but I have to say, this one, I probably will not make it again. On paper it looked really good, and when she was making it on her show it, of course, looked divine, but then when I tried to replicate it, not so much. So as I was contemplating what to write about tonight, I thought about if I should write about the recipe or if I should provide my "go to " recipe. I decided I would do both. I also thought I would touch on mayonnaise and tartar sauce tonight, seeing as this topic pairs well with the topic of fish cakes.
Melissa d'Arabian's salmon cakes looked really good. They paired yummy salmon with bacon and onions. What I found was that they lacked flavor and they really didn't stay together all that well. In fact, they downright fell apart. I only managed to get one to stick together and barely at that. These salmon cakes were pan fried, that may have been part of the issue. I usually cook my fish cakes in the oven, they stay together better. The recipe reviews on Food Network gave this recipe 5 stars, however I don't think I would even give it one star. I do take part of the blame though, I might have done something wrong. There are times when I cook that I just don't get it right. Nevertheless, I am attaching a link to this salmon cake recipe, in case you want to try it. Please let me know if you do and how it turns out for you. I would be interested to hear some other opinions.
Melissa d'Arabian's salmon cakes
I served this meal with creamy orzo and green beans. Here is a picture of the finished product:

So, since I was not happy with the salmon cakes that I made tonight, let me share with you my "go to" fish recipe. This can be made with any firm fish, canned or fresh. I make these with canned tuna a lot because it is cheap. I also make it with salmon. If you use fresh fish, just poach it first on the stove, then flake it with a fork. These are REALLY good and very easy. I like them even better the next day.

Fish Cakes
3 (6 oz.) cans tuna, salmon or crab or 1.5 lbs cooked firm fish, flaked (tuna, salmon, crab, cod, halibut, for example)
1 (6 oz) package stuffing mix (I buy organic mix, or I use leftover stuffing after a holiday meal)
2 heaping tbsp. relish
1 cup grated cheese (I like to use cheddar with tuna,and parmesan or mozzarella with salmon)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup water
1 tsp. dill
1/4 cup shredded or pureed carrots
2 tbsp. chopped green onions or chives
2 tbsp. butter, melted

In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients until moist. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. I use a 1/2 cup measuring cup to form the cakes. Place each formed fish cake on the cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge for at least one hour. These can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time and kept in the fridge. Remove from fridge after one hour (or longer) and drizzle cakes with melted butter. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until brown and crispy on the outside.
These are really good served with a simple green salad, or with the creamy orzo that I served tonight.

I love to serve my fish cakes with homemade tartar sauce. Tartar sauce is simply mayonnaise, lemon juice, and dill pickle relish. I usually mix equal parts of mayo and relish (typically 1 cup mayo to 1 cup relish), then add 2 tbsp. of fresh lemon juice, and I also tend to add a little dill, just because I LOVE the flavor of dill. Today I was out of mayo and didn't want to go to the store. I have made my own mayo many times but the problem is, homemade mayonnaise is not very kid friendly. Homemade mayo is typically made from oil, vinegar and raw egg yolks. This poses a problem when you have small children because raw eggs carry the risk of salmonella, even if they are super fresh. Fortunately, Julia Child has offered those of us who have kids, or who have an aversion to raw eggs, a solution. She has a wonderful cooked egg mayonnaise that tastes just as good as the real thing. I found this recipe in my Jacques and Julia cookbook, but I have also found it on the web - here is the link: Julia Child's cooked egg mayo.
It was very easy to make and very quick as well. Tonight, I used my homemade mayo in both the salmon cakes and to make the tartar sauce.
Please note that as in all of my recipes, things that I make from scratch can be easily substituted for store bought items.
Anyway, that is all for tonight. I enjoy hearing your feedback so please keep letting me know what you think! Until next time, happy cooking!