Important tip: read labels.
I’m new to this seafood thing. It still makes me a little squeamish to touch it.
When I finally located low-sodium canned salmon I was so excited that I neglected to check the label to ensure it was de-boned with the skin removed. It most certainly was not.
WHY would anyone want canned salmon with the skin and bones?! They DO NOT. I’ll gladly pay an extra dollar or two for that task to be done.
Stubbornness trumped squeamishness, and I dug through the damn can of salmon removing all the icky bits.
It paid off. These cakes were the best seafood creation I’ve made yet!
I first worried I was adding too much lemon, but discovered that it only makes salmon more delicious. The fresh thyme goes well with lemon, and adds a light slightly sweet accent.
These cakes are kept moist by the grated zucchini. I loved its creamy and faintly nutty flavor made the salmon that much richer.
A bit of coriander goes well here, as it also has a bit of a nutty, citrus-y flavor that is well-balanced with the lemon and thyme.
I paired my cakes with a simple salad of raw asparagus, roasted beets, and chopped broccoli. A quick toss is rice vinegar and pepper kept it light and refreshing. Asparagus is surprisingly high in protein; that and the fiber from the broccoli make this a pleasantly filling salad.
The earthy beets against the crunch of the sweet, raw greens is fantastic. Not to mention the colors – I’ve said it before, but colorful food just tastes better. I made it several times this past week!
Recipes at bottom of post.
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Workout Recap
Plantar fasciitis is a weird thing. It hurt all week, and I decided to resume regular leg-day workouts as long as it didn’t make it worse. Lo and behold, after 2 hard leg days it finally QUIT hurting. Sunday was supposed to be a rest day, but I was so exited to be pain-free that I ran some sprints (my only trainer-approved cardio, as sprinting is good for the glutes). “Sprint” is used loosely… I was so sore from leg day that they were more like sprints in slow motion. 🙂
I also found the secret to watching football without cable TV. Rather than going to the bar like I would have in the past, I went to the gym and took a leisurely walk on the treadmill while I happily watched GA Tech play on ESPN… happily until the very end when we lost the game. *sigh*
Even more exciting was a new bicep curl PR. After a couple of years trying to get over the 15 lb hump, I was finally able to curl 20s!!! I was grinning like the Cheshire Cat, looking around to see if anyone noticed how much of a beast I was. LOL! Of course, so one was tracking my curl weight, but whatever. This is me trying to play it cool in the locker room:
Workout Recap (8/27 – 9/3):
- Monday – Chest/Biceps, Calf raises, 2 mile walk
- Tuesday – Legs (w/ trainer), 1 mile walk
- Wednesday – Back/Triceps, Calf raises
- Thursday – Shoulders/Butt, 2 mile walk
- Friday – Chest/Bis, 2 mile walk, Calf raises
- Saturday – Legs (w/ trainer)
- Sunday – Rest, Sprints
- Monday – Back/Bis, Calf raises, 5.5 mile football walk
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Beet, Asparagus, and Broccoli Salad
- 1 small beet, roasted
- 1/2 C asparagus, chopped
- 1/2 C broccoli, chopped
- 1 T red onion, diced
- 1 T rice vinegar
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
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Lemon-Thyme Zucchini Salmon Cakes
- 1 7oz canned salmon (no salt added), deboned with skin removed
- 1/2 C grated zucchini, pressed to remove water
- 3 T egg whites
- 2 T red onion, chopped
- 2 T fresh thyme
- 1 T fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- S&P, to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease muffin tin.
Place drained salmon in medium bowl and break into small piece with fork (or fingers). Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
Spoon into muffin tin, lightly packing down to remove air spaces. Bake for 20 – 25 mins, or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let cool for a minute. Gently loosen with a knife and lift from the muffin tin.
Makes 4 cakes.
Approximate Nutritionals (per cake): 82 calories, 3.2g fat, 56mg sodium, 0.9g carbohydrates, 0.2g fiber, 0.6g sugar, 10.2g protein
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These cakes are great to make ahead for an portable, protein-filled lunch!
How was your long weekend? Any new dishes (or pumpkin beers) to report?
Does touching seafood/meat make you at all squeamish?
I always add quite a bit of lemon to my salmon. The grated zucchini is something I’ve not tried before. Great idea, I’ll be making this today. Thanks for the tip!
Thank you – let me know how it turned out!!
The salad looks terrific – a salad without actual salad leaves in it! Great idea and combines some of my favorite vegies. Bet this was a great side for the salmon cakes.
Eating canned salmon, & actually consuming the bones & skin was advised to me by my doc. Those parts are loaded with calcium, vits & healthy fats. When they’re mushed up I barely notice them at all! Maybe you could give them a shot? Make a deal- you try the bones/skin, ill make your cakes?
Anywayz. These,( like every single recipe you post), look absolutely delicious to me :), I’m definitely going to make them. Canned salmon is cheapo & I love the stuff + I’m always looking for new , fabulous ways to use it.
Way to go on the sprints. And the curls! 20 lb? Ooft, that’s heavy, I suck at bicep curls:/.
Xxx
I dunno… there were some massive chunks. Like backbone pieces. I’ll work on the little pieces maybe… 😉
Nice guns, lady! I have never been able to even try canned salmon. Canned tuna has put me off for life!
yuum! i love salmon cakes. love the thyme addition!
You are making serious progress, Laura! For the sake of comparison, could you put up some pics of your guns at the start of contest prep?? As much as I love fish, I can’t get on board with the canned stuff….something about the smell (yet I am so fine with the smell of salmon fillets) makes me want to gag!
Thanks! I was actually looking for a good shot to use but couldn’t find one… I’ll keep looking. I wish I’d been better about pics in the same “pose.”
Oddly enough, these weren’t fishy at all. They sort of tasted like chicken!
woah! I’m a little intimated after seeing that picture! lol.
The salmon cakes look delish. Lemon and thyme is just the perfect combination.
I always love hearing about a new salmon cake recipe.. so thanks for sharing girl!
those look awesome!
Nice guns.
Yeah, I have no idea why someone would want the canned salmon with the bones. Bleh. Canned salmon kind of freaks me out for some reason, although I liked canned tuna.
Like, not liked. I still like it!
I LOVE the sound of those salmon cakes! I’m so making these at some point for sure! A point on the salmon bones, you can eat them as they’re fairly soft and they’re a great source of calcium apparently 🙂
Thank you! Please let me know if you do try them.
I heard that about the bones… I’m just too new to seafood I think…
bones in a can?!!? I’m disturbed too.
(holy biceps!)
oh i LOVE that you used coriander! i freaking never ever know when to use it! or really what to use it with..but this looks divine and i haven’t had salmon/tuna cakes in forever! they are totes on my must-make this week at least after we go through all the leftovers from this weekend blahhh i’ll never want to eat chicken again with all of the BBQ chicken we have that needs to get consumed asap haha
KILL IT WITH THOSE 20S!
I’m starting to use it more and more. It’s such a delicious, mild spice! Let me know if you try it out! 🙂
The first time I ever bought fish to cook at home I ended up crying. I bought the wrong kind (it still had the bones in it). It smelled horrible. And I just felt so bad dissecting it! Vishnu laughed at me. Story of my life!
Oh no! I would have cried too.
I too occasionally watch college football from the comfort of a gym treadmill. I like it for those noon away games. 🙂
As for the salmon, you’re a better woman than I. When I opened a can and found skin n’ bones, I threw it in the trash. It was either gag and toss the contents of my stomach or just toss the can. I just couldn’t handle it. haha
Can you believe in college we were already a few beers in before a noon game?!
Haha, I am completely unsqueamish about touching things, so my omni friend often makes me touch the meat she buys to portion it out/freeze servings. Otherwise, she has to wear rubber gloves and look away to do it. I think I’m getting ever closer to convincing her to go veg 😉 I was also the kid in bio class that would just grab the scalpel and dig in to the frogs/rats/pigs/etc., much to the relief of the guys who could stop pretending they weren’t turning green and feeling nauseous…
Anyhoo, sexy sexy biceps! Way to go with the PR!
Haha! I was the one running out of the room from the measly little worm we dissected.
You already know we worked at Tony’s booth at Dragon Con this weekend. I need a vacation after that! The salmon cakes look perfect. Tony and the boys love salmon cakes with mashed potatoes and peas. That meal totally grosses me out. I have to agree with the skin and bones…I’m always the one that has to pick through them if we mistakenly buy the wrong can. No fun at all, but I’m so darn cheap!
Nice arms! You are doing so great!
I bet you do need a vacation after all that craziness!
I’m the same way being cheap about food – nothing goes to waste.
Haha! Touching seafood doesn’t make me gag (I still cook it for my fam), but the worst food poisoning I’ve ever gotten was after eating seafood, so I don’t touch the stuff. Now, beets, salad, and pumpkin beer?!?!??! I’m all over it! 😀
Knock on wood, I’ve never gotten food poisoning… though I’m certain it would ruin me for life!
I’m not a salmon fan, but I bet these would be good with chicken:)
I’m happy to hear that your foot pain is gone now! That’s super exciting!!
Your arms are looking all kinds of fabulous!
For sure! They sort of tasted like chicken. Not fishy at all.
Thank you so much! 🙂
Mmm, I’m pinning those salmon cakes. And so glad the pf is better!!
I’ve been waiting for this salmon cake recipe!!! Yummy!! Glad to hear your foot is feeling better my friend! I think you’re a genius for going to the gym to watch the game 🙂
Thanks Carol! We should have a game-watching treadmill party one day. LOL!
I’m down!
I made that same mistake with the canned salmon. Disgusting!
Way to nail the weight increase! BTW – nice biceps! 😉
I have done that with canned salmon too. I about threw up! I want your biceps. 🙂
Bones and skin in the can is gross. You should write the company and let them know that there is NO reason those things should be included.
High Five to the 20 lbs curls…you are indeed a beast (at least from where I sit).
LOL! I should!
Thank you, Rachel! 🙂
I didn’t even know they sold salmon like that!! I hate picking out the bones…but lie salmon cakes and salad. Totally lookin for the boneless kind next time!! Ps your muscles look great!
Thank you!
Its hard to find no salt added and boneless. I may resort to ordering online.
WAIT. I’m confused. How do “sprints” and “rest day” go together? 🙂
I get restless too sometimes. 😛
I know, I know… 😉
Lookin HOT HOT HOT lady!!! Oww!
I had my first Southern Tier Pumking of the season yesterday. Holy crap – have you had it? By far, the most delicious of the pumpkin beers- but it’s very sweet. Like dessert. I still love Schlafly and Dogfish the best.
I love making salmon cakes with canned salmon, it’s so dang easy! The bones really aren’t that bad. You don’t even notice them when the salmon is cooked. Plus… wouldn’t they add calcium?
The skin though? ICK. No.
Noooo, I have no had it. I’m not a big sweet drinker, but I will trust you. My drinking is very limited these days – can you just make me a must-try list? 🙂
Great job on moving up to the 20s! Looking awesome!
My friend you are looking and cooking fabulous 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Must make those salmon cakes ASAP!
Woahhh woman, look at you, looking fabulous darlin! The salmon cakes seem like a success as well, your recipes always are 🙂
Thank you so much, pretty girl! 🙂
Those cakes look delish! It took me awhile to try Salmon from a can as well…..
2 things: 1) your ‘ceps are killer! 2) I want this meal right now. Can you be my neighbor so I can just conveniently drop in whenever you’ve made an awesome dinner?
I wish we all lived close by. Can you imagine the dinner parties?! 🙂
Your arms are looking amazing! And curling 20s – be proud, lady!
I’m ok with raw seafood, I get a bit squeamish with raw chicken though. Both for the ickiness factor, and the “please-god-no-salmonella” factor. 🙂
Thank you! I’m kinda pumped. 🙂
Chicken grosses me out too… I had to cook 50 lbs of it when I catered a party last winter and nearly died.
Way to go on the 20s! My biceps never seem to improve… but yours look impressive, too! Way to go! I hope you post a summary with all the tips you’ve learned on your journey to awesomeness! 🙂
You can do it! You just have to keep pushing every week. I was just doing one rep with a 20lb dumb bell trying to work my way up.
Do you know what? I’m the opposite. If I’m going to eat canned fish, then I purposely search out the salmon and sardines with bones because I figure that if I’m doing it, I might as well do it right and get the insane calcium burst from the bones. Mash it up and you’ll never know!
You Aussies are so hard core. Maybe if they make it into chocolate…
These cakes sound yummmmm. I had no idea canned fish like this would still come skinned and with bones… Like really? Come on now, no one wants to do the or else we would just buy the real thing. Sigh.
I am loving your arms btw! Work it!
Thank you!!! Crazy, isn’t it? I’m going to have to find another low-salt brand. De-boning es no bueno.
you speak my language with easy recipes!
Your arms look AMAZING! good work!! so inspiring 🙂
Omg, the first time I ever bought canned salmon, I opened up the can and was like “WTF?!” My stomach was turning as I started to pick tiny little vertebras from the mush, but I’ll admit, I wasn’t as brave as you and ended up caving after a few minutes and totally tossed the can! What’s funny is that I’ve bought it again since then, this time KNOWING what to expect, and it didn’t bother me as much…guess I just don’t like the “surprise” of having to dig through fish flesh before my meal! Lol That being said, most meat doesn’t bother me to touch, but the last time I bought a whole chicken and then decided to skin it? Yeah, I felt like a monster! It took me forever because I kept having to take breaks to jump up and down and shake my arms in the air! You only THINK I’m kidding!
So MAYBE I’ll try this recipe…it sounds amazing (never would have thought to add the coriander!), but I’ve actually never seen the boned versions at my store…sounds like I’ve got a foodie mission this weekend! 😉
Congrats on the PR girl! I did the same thing the other day when I realized I could do 20’s on my dumbbell chest flyes! Hell yeah! And I’ve totally stayed at the gym longer than I originally planned JUST so I could finish watching a show…How I Met Your Mother or King of Queens gets me EVERY time!
I was thisclose to throwing it out. Thankfully, I’m also incredibly cheap. LOL!
Way to go one the chest weights!!! That’s my fav to work. For today at least. I love the biceps too. And shoulders.
BEAST! You are amazing. I’m glad I’m not the only person who takes not-so-secret pics of myself in the gym.
I think I’m dealing with some plantar issues as well. Weirdly, sometimes running on it actually makes it feel better.
Have you tried massing the bottom of your foot with a frozen water bottle? It helps! So does stretching it first thing in the morning and last thing at night.