Salmon cakes — Melinda Lamarche

These salmon cakes are a great way to serve fish to kids. Fish can be one of those tricky foods for kids to warm up to. It could be the smell, taste or texture that throws them off. Offering fish in creative ways, like in these salmon cakes might be more enticing for a little one who isn’t too keen on eating fish straight up. Two of my kids ate salmon, baked, just with a little olive oil from 6 months on but my little guy was always more skeptical. So I put a spin on plain old salmon to see if that would do the trick. And it did! While I still serve baked salmon, sometimes with a marinade or just olive oil, salt and pepper and a spritz of lemon when serving, I like to switch things up once in a while by offering these salmon cakes as a part of lunch or dinner.

I love this recipe because its also a great way to get some omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fats are an essential fatty acid, which means, its not something our bodies can produce on its own and we rely on food to meet our requirements for it. Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in both animal and plant foods. Animal sources of omega 3 include fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines. Plant sources of omega 3 include nuts and seeds such as walnuts, flaxseeds and chia seeds, in addition to some oils such as flaxseed oil, soybean oil and canola oil. Omega 3 fatty acids help promote heart health, fight inflammation, feed the brain and also play a role in eye health. So finding ways to get more into your kids diet is a great idea.

I like to serve up these salmon cakes with a side of veggies and roasted sweet potatoes making a delicious and nutritious meal. And did I mention it takes only minutes to whip these up?

Check out my article on Omega 3 and kids in the Blog section!

Salmon Cakes

Makes 8

Ingredients:

2 cans (150g each) salmon, skinless and boneless

4 tbsp mayonnaise

2 tsp lemon juice

2 eggs

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1 small clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp chives, finely chopped

1 tbsp vegetable oil (for cooking)

Directions:

Drain liquid from canned salmon.
Place salmon and all ingredients, except oil in a bowl. Mix together until all ingredients are combined
Form into 8 patties
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook salmon cakes in batches. Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.