Salmon Patties with Spicy Remoulade and Spinach Salad

Spring is in the air and I’ve switched over the cooking from the heavier winter foods to springtime veggies and light dishes.  My husband thinks I’m crazy to let the season affect my cooking and what I like to eat but I was raised on a produce farm where we ate what was in season.  It’s a habit that doesn’t seem to die even though I’ve been away from the farm for a long time.   Plus veggies in season always taste better than ones that aren’t!

Easter is also coming up this Sunday and this recipe will work for that as well, if you’re looking for something outside the traditional Easter ham.  This recipe is easy, healthy, bright, low-fat and full of wonderful flavors.  It’s my Salmon Patties with a spicy rémoulade (fancy word for sauce) with a spinach and cherry tomato salad dressed with a fresh citrus dressing.  I hope your mouth just started watering because this recipe is yummy.

My husband calls it a sexy plate because when you plate it all up, the plate looks like you spent hours on it and a professional chef made it.  But the secret is that you didn’t and this entire dish takes about thirty minutes to make from start to finish!  I love dishes that work out to be so easy but look and taste awesome.

On the dressing and the rémoulade I switch out the citrus with what I have on hand, so don’t think you have to run out and buy oranges if you don’t have them.  I have used lemon and lime as well and it’s great each time I make it.

One thing to remember when making the salmon patties is to very lightly packed them together just until they hold.  If you pack them too tight or over mix you’ll make them dense.  Instead, handle very carefully and work them gently until they form.  They are easy to break apart while you’re cooking them, just handle gently and you’ll be glad you took the extra care because they are light and yummy.

I suppose you could switch out the greens as well with whatever you have on hand, but I’ve only tried this with the baby spinach because I love the flavor combination with the salmon patties and the sauces.

The flavors are balanced with spicy and sweet, perfect accompaniment for salmon.  Have fun making these for Easter, a special occasion or anytime and have everyone thinking you spent hours on the meal, even your taste buds will be fooled.  Only you will know the secret of how easy it is to make such a sexy dish.

Salmon Patties

2 6 oz. cans salmon

2 large eggs

1/2 cup sweet onions, finely chopped

1/2 cup dill pickles, finely chopped

1/2 to 3/4 cup of Panko breadcrumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

4 Tbsp. olive oil

Heat a little olive oil in a small pan over medium-high heat and cook the onions until soft and slightly browned.

Add the salmon, eggs, cooked onions and pickles to a large mixing bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Start with 1/2 cup of Panko, adding more as needed until getting a nice slightly sticky for holding the patties together.  Mix gently and don’t over mix.

Shape into 8 patties.

Heat half of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook half at a time.  Place the patties gently in the pan to avoid falling apart.  Cook until golden brown on each side.

Makes 8.

Spicy Remoulade

3/4 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt

3 tsp. Sriracha or to taste

1 tsp. orange zest (or lemon)

2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice (or lemon)

1/2 tsp. smoked sweet paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and place in the fridge until ready to use.  Make the rémoulade ahead to give flavors time to meld together for best results.

Place a dollop on top of each salmon patty to serve.

Citrus Dressing

2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice (or lemon)

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 1/2 Tbsp. honey

3 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard

Mix all ingredients together and place in the fridge until ready to use.  Make the dressing ahead to give flavors time to meld together.

Lightly drizzle on salad to serve.

Salad

4 cups Baby Spinach

40 Cherry Tomatoes

Place 1/2 cup of baby spinach on each plate.  Cut 5 cherry tomatoes in half and place on top of spinach in each dish.

To make the complete dish, layer the salad on the plate and drizzle with citrus dressing.  Lay a salmon patty on the dressed salad and top with a dollop of the spicy rémoulade.  Serve immediately.

More yummy seafood patties and salads:

• Lobster salad, celeriac remoulade serve with piquillo salsa
• Salmon Cakes
• Tanzee’s Shrimp Po’Boy with Remoulade Sauce
• Remoulade Sauce and Crab Cakes
• Benefits of Salmon, in a Patty