When it comes to fish, leftovers are a bit tricky. Scrumptious pan-seared salmon from last night’s dinner can turn into hardened, fishy fish after a night in the refrigerator. Faced exactly with this dilemma, I decided to treat these leftovers instead as a head start to some healthy salmon veggie cakes. Although I loved this particular combination of vegetables and seasonings, this recipe is very adaptable! You can substitute with whatever you have in your fridge, making for an ideal solution to leftovers.

Salmon Veggie Cakes with

a Spicy Avocado Spread

Makes 9 cakes (3 in diameter) 

Ingredients:

For the salmon cakes:

• 1/2 pound salmon, cooked and shredded
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 red onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 4 mini peppers, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp Kraft sandwich spread (alternatively you could use mayo but I didn’t have any around)
• 1 tsp honey mustard
• 2 large eggs
• Sprig of rosemary
• 3 basil leaves
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

For the spicy avocado spread:

• 1/2 jalapeño, seeds removed
• 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro
• 1 stalk of scallion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 lime, juiced
• A dash of cumin
• 1 medium haas avocado, diced

Directions:

1. Heat pan with olive oil. Cook diced red onion and peppers for about 5 minutes or until onion is translucent. In the last minute, add the frozen corn. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, flake salmon and mix together with the rest of the ingredients from bread crumbs down. Add in sautéed vegetables and mix till combined.  Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes so the cakes will be easier to shape.

Leftovers transformed!

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Mold cakes by filling and packing a circular cookie cutter and place on an oiled baking sheet.
2. Bake for 10 minutes on each side.
3. To make the avocado spread, lightly chop the jalapeño, cilantro, scallion, and garlic and put into a blender/bullet. Add lime juice and blend until smooth.
4. Add blended herbs and cumin powder to avocado and mash together with a fork until combined.
5. Enjoy salmon cakes with bread lathered with spicy avocado spread!