Salmon Cakes

When I was out recovering from my surgery (which was almost a year ago now!) I discovered that all the good, new shows on Food Network run on Sunday morning! Since I'm always at church, I had no idea. I started recording 10 Dollar Dinners with Melissa d'Arabian after watching a few episodes while I was recovering. I voted for her on The Next Food Network Star and really like her personality on screen. Since I hadn't ever made one of her recipes, I decided to try two of her meals this week.

The salmon cakes were different than others that I've made because they use baked potato instead of bread crumbs. I loved them! The potato is much softer and has a nice flavor to it. We just threw the potato into the amazing potato bag and it made the recipe go that much faster. I also used microwave bacon and skipped the onion to save on time.

Because my oven is broken, I couldn't roast the asparagus so I just blanched it instead and then drizzled the vinaigrette over top. It was very bright, tangy, and tasty. The orzo was really good and creamy. Her original recipe calls for an entire cup of water more than what I used; the reviews online said it was too watery with all the liquid added so I cut it down and just kept an eye on it. It was perfectly creamy with the amount I used.

Salmon Cakes
2 strips bacon, cooked until crispy, crumbled, bacon fat reserved (next time, I'd use more!)

1/4 cup chopped onion
1 egg
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 lemon, zested
1 (14-ounce) can wild salmon, checked for large bones
1 baked or boiled russet potato, peeled, and fluffed with a fork
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon fat in a small saute pan over low heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Cool the onions for a bit.

Mix the bacon, onion, egg, mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, and lemon zest in a bowl. Add the salmon and potato, mixing gently after each addition. Form the mixture into 12 small patties. In a shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and pepper, to taste. Coat the patties in the bread crumb topping. Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat, and cook the salmon cakes in batches until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add more oil, as necessary. Arrange on a serving platter and serve.