Salmon Cakes and Roasted Asparagus

Looks amazing, right?

This morning, I've got two delicious, mostly healthy, super easy recipes to offer!  (We're gonna pretend that that couscous there in the top never happened, mmk?)

First up are the Salmon Cakes.  This recipe is modified from one featured on Ten Dollar Dinners by Melissa d'Arabian.
You will need:

• 2 strips of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled, bacon fat reserved
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 lemon, zested
• 1 pound tinned salmon, skin and bones removed
• 1 cup mashed potatoes (leftovers work fine!)
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 2 tbs grated Parmesan cheese
• pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

1. Heat the reserved bacon fat in a small skillet over low heat.  Add the onion and cook until translucent.  Allow to cool slightly.
2. Mix the bacon, onions, egg, ranch dressing, mustard, sugar, and lemon zest in a large bowl.  Add the salmon and mashed potatoes, mixing gently.  Form the mixture into about 8 patties.
3. In a shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and pepper.  Coat the patties in the bread crumb mixture.
4. Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook the patties in batches until golden, roughly 3 to 4 minute per side.  Add more oil as needed.
5. Remove the cooked patties to a plate lined with paper towels to help absorb some of the oil.  Serve hot.

The skinny (per Salmon Cake):

• 223 calories
• 9g carbs
• 13g fat
• 16g protein
• 396mg sodium
• 4g sugar

All in all, it's really not too bad for you.  You can eat 2 decent sized cakes and not feel guilty!


On to the Roasted Asparagus - again, super easy, and very healthy!
You'll need:

• 1 pound fresh asparagus, woody stems removed
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Vinaigrtte:

• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1 tbsp olive oil

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, toss the asparagus in the olive oil and liberally season with salt and pepper.
3. Spread the stalks out on a baking sheet, in a single layer.   Roast until tender but still firm and moist, about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette.  In a small bowl, vigorously whisk together the mustard and lemon juice.  Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking quickly to emulsify the olive oil into the juice mixture.
5. Transfer the cooked asparagus to a serving plate, then drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve.  These asparagus are tasty served warm or cold.

And the skinny on these veggies?  (Roughly 6 spears)

• 115 calories
• 5g carbs
• 11g fat
• 3g protein
• 56mg sodium
• 2g sugar

So, this is a fairly easy dinner to make, and it's fairly healthy, too!  And even my 5 year old loved it!