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Salmon cakes full of flavor and easy to make | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper

Posted on: Wednesday, May 18, 2005

RECIPE DOCTOR
Salmon cakes full of flavor and easy to make

By Elaine Magee

A popular appetizer at the Elephant Bar (a western chain restaurant) is the sesame-crusted salmon cakes served with ginger sesame soy dressing. They are moist on the inside and full of flavor.

Don't be scared off by the list of ingredients. These are easier to make than they look, because you just throw everything in the food processor.

My goal here was to replicate as much of the awesome flavor in these cakes as possible with the least possible fat and fewest calories. (Since the original recipe is unknown, it is not possible to directly compare calories or fat with this version.)

I used a hint of sesame oil, a couple of tablespoons of egg substitute, and breadcrumbs in the cakes — along with the cooked salmon, of course. The rest of the ingredients, such as cilantro, light soy sauce, sugar, ginger, lime juice, garlic and green onions, added flavor without fat.

The formed cakes were dusted with sesame seeds and then pan-fried in a nonstick frying pan with a light coating of canola or olive oil.

Serve these cakes with Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger bottled salad dressing for an easy dipping sauce.

SESAME CRUSTED SALMON CAKES

For the cakes:

  • 2 1/2 cups cooked flaked salmon (or 2 pouches, 7.1 ounces each, of pink salmon from Chicken of the Sea)
  • 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 green onions, white and part of green, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons egg substitute (add 1 tablespoon more if needed)
  • 3 teaspoons lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • A sprinkling of salt (optional)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons light soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs or reduced-fat cracker crumbs (crumbs made with reduced-fat club crackers for example)

For the coating:

  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon unbleached white flour
  • 4 teaspoons canola oil

Add all the cake ingredients to a food processor bowl and pulse briefly to blend ingredients well. Scrape sides of bowl and pulse again to blend.

Use a 1/4-cup measure to form the mixture into about 10 cakes. Add flour and sesame seeds to a small bowl and toss to blend.

Press both sides of each salmon cake into the flour and sesame seed mixture to coat lightly.

Heat the canola oil in a large, nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the salmon cakes and cook until both sides are nicely browned and crisp (about 2 minutes per side).

Makes 10 cakes.

• Per serving (2 cakes): 235 calories, 24 g protein, 10 g carbohydrates, 11 g fat (1.7 g saturated fat, 5 g monounsaturated fat, 3.5 g polyunsaturated fat), 45 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 188 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 41 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids, 2 g. Omega-6 fatty acids, 1.5 g. Weight Watchers points, 5.

Elaine Magee is author of "The Recipe Doctor Cookbook" and "The Flax Cookbook." Reach her through www.recipedoctor.com. Personal responses cannot be provided. Distributed by Knight Ridder News Service.
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