Ginger Cilantro Salmon Cakes

Lobby Day for the Child Nutrition Reauthorization act (see next post) ended with a food tasting - my favorite kind of event. Celebrity chefs from around the country kindly cooked up mouthwatering dishes such as Seared Tuna and Asian Slaw and Potato Belinis with Smoked Trout. The lobbyists said it was the best event that they had ever attended!

I have a recipe for one of the dishes which was superb. Salmon cakes are very inexpensive (you can used canned salmon) and extremely easy to prepare. Enjoy!

Ginger Cilantro Salmon Cakes

1/2 cup celery, minced
1/2 cup yellow onion, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, plus 1 pinch (optional)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (you can make your own in a food processor with stale bread)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lb (2 cans) canned salmon (you can substitute tuna, chopped chicken or sardines)

2 tablespoons olive oil

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the celery, onion, cilantro, ginger, garlic, mustard, cayenne, and sea salt. Add egg and breadcrumbs to mixture.

Fold in the salmon and mix well. Form small 2-inch patties for appetizer size salmon cakes or 4-inch patties for entree size cakes. Set aside on a platter.

Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan and fry the patties for roughly 3 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown. You will know when the bottom is nicely browned because the patty will slide easily across the pan when you try to flip it. Allow to cool and top with yogurt dill sauce or salsa.

Recipe adapted from Operation Frontline - Share Our Strength Chef Ana Villalobos

I know that a lot of people feel our country has been down more than it’s been up lately. But walking on the Hill reminded me that this is still a democratic country. And that means that we can all make a difference. Look at how much money we raised for Haiti in a matter of days! If we work together on these issues, we can turn it around. I believe that. Click here to make a difference.

I took this shot at the end of Lobby Day on my walk to the metro.

To see more photos from Lobby Day, visit my Facebook page.

A big THANK YOU to the chefs who flew in from around the country to lobby for kids and feed us!

CHRISTOPHER ALBRECHT, Eno Terra, Princeton, NJ

CATHAL ARMSTRONG, Restaurant Eve, Washington DC

ZACH BELL, Cafe Boulud, Palm Beach

BILL BRADY, Sonoma Restaurant, Worcester, MA

RJ COOPER, Vidalia, Washington DC

MICHELLE GAYER, The Salty Tart, Minneapolis

DAVID GUAS, Damgoodsweet, McClean, VA

LINTON HOPKINS, Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta

MARY SUE MILLIKEN, Border Grill, Santa Monica, CA

WILL MOONEY, The Brothers Moon, Princeton, NJ

BILL TELEPAN, Telepan Restaurant, NYC

ANA VILLALOBOS

JONATHAN WAXMAN, Barbuto, NYC