Salmon Cakes

These salmon cakes are delicious all alone or pair up perfectly with a large mixed green salad tossed with a zingy vinaigrette. You can make these cakes as big or small as you like. I prefer a bit of heft to my cakes, so I use a 1/2 cup measuring cup to form.
V's Salmon Cakes
Makes 12-4oz Cakes

2 1/4 lbs Salmon fillets
scant 1/4 cup evoo, plus extra for drizzling
1 t ground coriander
1 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
small handful of chopped chives
handful of chopped cilantro
1/2 C lemon juice
1/2 C lemon evoo
1/2 C bread crumbs
3 eggs
sea salt & black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place salmon fillets in a baking dish, drizzle with a bit of evoo, sprinkle with salt & pepper, cover with aluminum foil and bake until just cooked through, approximately 20 minutes.
Remove foil, and cool to room temperature.

In a large saute pan over medium-flame heat scant 1/4 cup of evoo and 1 teaspoon of ground coriander, let cook for about 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Add chopped onion and saute until it becomes soft and transparent, add the bell pepper and saute for another 7 minutes. Cool.

In a large bowl, flake the cooled salmon fillets, making sure to get all of the meat and leaving behind the bones and skin.
Add all of the ingredients to the flaked salmon, except for the eggs and lemon evoo.
Taste the mixture and season with salt and pepper to liking.

In a small bowl whisk together the eggs and the lemon evoo.
Add to the mixture and stir together until all ingredients are well coated, you may want to drizzle in a little extra lemon evoo if the mixture seems too dry.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Form into cakes using a 1/2 Cup measuring cup (if you find the cake difficult to pop out, coat the inside of the measuring cup with a bit of olive oil). Heat a saute pan with a little olive oil over medium-high flame, saute each side of the cake until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Place on a half-sheet baking pan and pop in the oven until heated through, about 5-7 minutes.

Serve with a dollop of Lemon Yogurt Sauce and buon appetito!

Note on lemon extra virgin olive oil: Regular extra virgin olive oil with a pinch or two of fresh lemon zest will do the trick if you don't have lemon evoo on hand.

Lemon Yogurt Sauce
**These measurements are approximate, please play to create your own version. Add a little more lemon juice, your favorite mustard, a touch of honey &/or any number of fresh herbs. For more of a traditional tartar sauce, add minced onion, sweet relish, minced dill pickles, capers and maybe a touch of Tabasco sauce for heat!

1 C Greek Yogurt (at least 2%)
2 t Dijon mustard
1/8 C mayonnaise
1 T lemon zest
2 T chives, minced
1 T lemon juice
1/2 t granulated garlic powder
pinch or 2 of sea salt

Whisk all ingredients together and serve with Salmon Cakes.