Salmon Cakes with Steamed Broccoli

How much grilled/pan seared salmon can one person really eat?  I swear to the food gods, that my husband and I ate salmon fillets every week, once a week, for two months straight.  We pan seared it with seasonings, we grilled it with seasoning and agave nectar, we put it on salads.  I mean seriously, at some point, you look at that salmon fillet and you actually passionately hate it's existence, even if you love the flavor.  

So, in not wanting to hate my salmon anymore, I started brain storming how I could turn salmon into a "cake" and pan sear it that way.  I work in a restaurant that makes crab cakes, so I started here, and talked to the prep-cook Katie (the poor thing has probably hand made a few thousand crab cakes), about what ingredients I should put in.  I then researched other recipes online to see how other people were cleaning up their own salmon cakes.  What came to be MY salmon cake was a combination of ideas.

I start with a 3/4 lb. piece of raw salmon that has been skinned and cubed.  I puree it in a food processor to a consistency that I like.  In a bowl I whisk together two egg whites, 1 tbsp. of Fat Free Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp. of Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and fresh cut parsley.  I then add the salmon to the bowl, as well as 1/4 c. of Panko bread crumbs (do some serious label reading on the Panko that you pick out.  So many of them have enriched products and added sugar.  Avoid these at all cost!).  

I hand mix all the ingredients together, and decide at this point whether or not the consistency is dry enough to form cakes, or if I should add more Panko.  It may take more depending on the moisture in your piece of salmon, however, you don't want it to be over dry, just firm enough to form a patty out of the mix. Use non-stick spray in a pan heated to medium, and sear the cake on each side for about 4-5 minutes.  I like my salmon a little under-cooked, so you may want to keep it on a bit longer.  

For the sauce on top of the salmon cakes, I mix together 1/4 c. of Fat Free Greek yogurt with 1 tbsp. of fresh squeezed lemon, and salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder to taste.  I change the seasoning whenever I like, sometimes adding cumin, and other spices depending on what I'm in the mood for.  Definitely try different combinations and find the ones that you love!