Salmon Cakes

This is a great way to use leftover cooked salmon. In fact, it’s a reason to cook enough salmon to have leftovers.

7-8 oz. salmon
2 slices of bread, diced small
1 egg, slightly beaten with a fork
1 tsp Worchestershire sauce -OR- lemon juice
1/4 cup minced onion
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbs oil (for frying)

Flake salmon into a mixing bowl, making sure to remove bones and skin. Add the diced bread and stir to distribute evenly, then add the egg and stir again. Mix in the Worcestershire sauce, onion, mustard powder and salt. Mash with fork or hands (surgical gloves recommended) to further mix the ingredients and break up the bread, then form into patties.

Fry the patties over medium heat until they are golden brown on each side. Drain and serve.

Spring Rolls with Chili Dipping Sauce

Chili Dipping Sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c. rice vinegar
1 T. sesame oil
1-2 t. sweet chili sauce (e.g. Mae Ploy)

Mix together all the ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Spring Rolls

8 spring roll wrappers
24 fresh cilantro leaves
16 large mint leaves
1 medium avocado, thinly sliced
1 green onion, cut into 2″ sections and then thinly sliced lengthwise
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin 2″ strips
1/8 cucumber (seeds removed) cut into thin 2″ strips
1/2 medium carrot, cut into thin 2″ strips
32 cooked small shrimp (~2 oz.)
1 T. chopped peanuts

Prepare one roll at a time as follows: Soak one wrapper in warm water (e.g. in a round cake pan or pie plate) until flexible and transparent (about 2-3 minutes). Place wrapper on working surface. Arrange 3 cilantro leaves and 2 mint leaves on half the wrapper, leaving a 1″ border around the edges. Layer on strips of avocado, green onion, bell pepper, cucumber, and carrot. Top with 4 shrimp. Fold the sides of the wrapper over the filling, then roll tightly to enclose the filling completely. Rolls can be kept refrigerated in plastic wrap for up to 2 days.

After all the rolls have been prepared, cut then in half and serve with the dipping sauce and chopped nuts. You can also put out plum sauce and Siracha sauce as additional condiments.

Plum Conserve

I first made this conserve with Satsuma plums. These have a dark, solid red skin and a dark red flesh, giving a rich color to the jam. Other dark fleshed plums (e.g. Elephant Heart, Black Beauty) also work well with this recipe.

3 lbs plums (dark fleshed plums preferred)
3 lbs sugar
1/2 lb raisins
1/2 lb broken walnuts (less is OK)
2-3 oranges, relatively thin-skinned (i.e. not Naval oranges)

Wash and mince, grate or grind oranges, reserving juice and discarding seeds.
Remove stones from plums and cut into quarters.
Combine oranges, plums, sugar, and raisins.
Simmer approx 90 minutes, stirring to avoid scorching.
Add walnuts and cook another 45 minutes or so until “thick” (i.e. 222-225 degrees).
Pour into sterile jars and process 10 minutes in boiling water bath.

For a custom touch, try adding a bit of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamon.

Blender Hummus

1 can (10.5 oz) garbanzo beans
1 lemon, zest and juice
1/3 c. olive oil
1 T. sesame oil
1/2 t. garlic paste
1/8 t. cayenne
1/8 t. salt
chicken stock ( as needed)

Drain the garbanzo beans and place in the blender container. Process, adding chicken stock in small amounts, as needed, to get a smooth mixture. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, sesame oi, garlic paste, salt, and cayenne. Process to combine. While blending, add the olive oil in a slow stream, and continue blending until you have a smooth, even mixture. Serve immediately. Also can be kept in the refrigerator for several days.

Cheese Rounds

A savory cheese-flavored cracker with the texture of shortbread.

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, warmed to room temperature
6 oz. shredded hard cheese (e.g. cheddar, parmesan)
1 c. flour
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. cayenne

Combine the dry ingredients and set aside. Place the butter and cheese in a mixing bowl. Mix at medium speed until well-blended. Add the dry ingredients gradually and mix until blended. Wrap the dough, forming it into a cylinder, and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Unwrap the dough and slice into rounds. Place these about 1″ apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and, if desired, sprinkle the tops with chopped nuts, sesame seeds or freshly ground pepper. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned, then cool on a rack. Enjoy!