Salmon Patties

Nana B. would be proud. In fact, she is proud because I called her and told her I made salmon patties. Actually, any patty would make her happy. Nana B. loves to make patties - salmon patties, cauliflower patties, zucchini patties, meat patties.

I, too, love patties of all kinds. They are easy to make and you can make a big batch at one time and freeze for convenience later. Food from the freezer should be just as homemade as the food you make and eat immediately. Plus, patties encourage experimentation and creativity. Admittedly, my salmon patties, veggie patties, etc., are rarely the same patty twice. So let's get started so I can stop saying patty. I topped these with a yogurt-cilantro sauce and that recipe is here too.

2 cans of salmon (The cans I have are an odd size, about 7.85 oz. I used two - drained - with the little bones removed. The bones, however, are perfectly edible and mash up like butter. The cat got a nice helping of salmon and I gave the mashed bones to her.)
1 heavy tbsp light mayo
1 heavy tsp dijon mustard
1 rib celery, diced
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2-3 tbsp slivered almonds
3 heavy tbsp Salmon Rub
dash of coarse salt
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped (use those stems, lots of flavor!) **
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (more for dusting)
1 egg, lightly beaten

Combine everything except the egg. Taste for seasoning then add the egg and re-combine. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes so the mix is easy to work with later. I formed medium sized patties then lightly dusted each side with additional breadcrumbs. In a non-stick pan on medium heat I fried these in just enough olive oil to keep the pan form getting dry. Kinda slow, kinda low is the way I do these. You need to get things hot enough to cook the egg and warm the ingredients through, but they will quickly darken if the heat is too high.

Yogurt-Cilantro Sauce

**I realize that people either love or hate cilantro. You can easily replace the cilantro with any fresh herb - parsley, basil, mint, tarragon, etc.

1 cup non-fat, plain yogurt
1/4 cup cilantro, finely diced
1 green onion, finley sliced
1 small garlic clove, smashed then minced
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
juice of 1/2 tiny lime
2 level tbsp natural peanut butter, softened in just enough hot water to smooth into a paste
pinch salt

Simply combine all ingredients then use to top the patties. Or eat with a spoon!

Salmon Rub

Spice rubs and spice mixes are only limited by your imagination and sense of adventure. Both items can be pricey in the stores. Yesterday I spotted two brands that were over $20 lb. Would you buy a pound? Probably not but the individual jars for sale were $7. Why spend it when you probably already have the ingredients? Pick up a tin of one of these celebrity rubs and read the back. Every day, normal ingredients that a food enthusiast probably already has and a food newbie can easily get.

Most rubs, especially salmon rubs, include brown sugar to give it that nice carmelization taste and feel. Next, people want salt - especially on meat and fish and especially with sweet. I also vote for the heat as the third component to any rub but many people would veto that. The rest, I think is up to you.

I created this rub based on a past rub I made but didn't record. It's a little different but very tasty. Surprisingly, a very little bit of salt was sufficient and a very tiny bit of the right heat satisfied the heat tolerance of all the diners. We used it on salmon that we cooked on a cedar plank on the grill. We also dusted sweet potatoes with this mix before roasting them. Really, really tasty.

3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp + 1 tsp sambar powder
2 tbsp unsweetened, grated coconut
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ancho chili podwer
1/4 tsp salt

Mix everything in a bowl. Apply generously to the flesh side of a nice piece of salmon before you grill it.