Salmon Cakes with Lemon Caper Yogurt Sauce

This dish was created when I modified a salmon cake recipe from a Giada De Laurentiis cookbook. I had cans of salmon I wanted to use but not all the ingredients for her recipe. I also prefer to use oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs when making meatballs, meatloaf, etc. I almost never have breadcrumbs on hand and prefer the use of whole grains when possible. You can add the dry oatmeal as is or pulse it for a few seconds in a food processor for a finer texture. Another option is to use cooked quinoa instead of the oats which will also increase the protein content of the dish.

Ingredients:

Salmon Cakes:

• 1/3 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1 cup old fashioned oats, pulsed slightly in food processor (or 1 cup instant plain oats)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 Tbsp whole grain dijon mustard
• 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp capers, rinsed and drained, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup minced parsley
• 2 – 6 oz. cans boneless, skinless salmon
• 2 Tbsp Canola or olive oil
• 2 Tbsp Smart Balance or unsalted butter (optional)

Yogurt Sauce:

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. For the salmon cakes, combine all ingredients except for salmon in a large bowl. Drain salmon and crumble into bowl. Incorporate into mixture, preferably with hands. Do not overmix. Form patties to desired size (I made ones about 3 inches in diameter).
2. Add 1 Tbsp olive or canola oil to pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches (I did two batches), cook salmon cakes for 5 minutes (uncovered), flip, then add 1 Tbsp Smart Balance or unsalted butter and cook another 5 minutes (covered).
3. While salmon cakes are cooking, combine all ingredients for yogurt sauce. Refrigerate until ready to use.
4. Serve salmon cakes immediately and top with yogurt sauce.