Healthy Wasabi Salmon Cake and Asian Slaw

I've gotten a couple requests to make a couple of healthier meals. Sometimes the things that make food so delicious are usually not good for you. But tonight I made a healthy meal that is still SO good, maybe one of my favorite recipes! I was literally eating it from the pan as I cooked.

Healthy Wasabi Salmon Cakes

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbl reduced-sodium soy sauce (which is healthier than regular)
• 1 1/2 tsp wasabi powder
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1 pound salmon fillet, skinned
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 Tbl minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Directions:

Whisk soy sauce, wasabi powder and honey in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.

With a large knife, chop salmon using quick, even, straight-up-and-down motions (do not rock the knife through the fish or it will turn mushy). Continue chopping, rotating the knife, until you have a mass of roughly 1/4-inch pieces.(The smaller the chunks the better the cake stays together.)

Transfer to a large bowl. Add scallions, egg, ginger and oil; stir to combine. Form the mixture into 4 patties. The mixture will be moist and loose, but holds together nicely once the first side is cooked.

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the patties and cook for 4 minutes. Turn and continue to cook until firm and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Spoon the reserved wasabi glaze evenly over the burgers and cook for 15 seconds more. Serve immediately.

I topped the salmon cakes with a tomato, a great asian slaw (recipe below), and chives, but my dad suggested to add a bun to make a healthy salmon burger!

This meal could not have been complete without this Asian-slaw! I could have eaten this alone (which I did), but it's perfect on top of this salmon.

Asian Slaw

Ingredients:

• 2 packages chicken-flavored Ramen noodles (if you don't have any, my roommate Ryan always has some in her pantry)
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1/3 cup vinegar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 lb cabbage slaw, shredded
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Directions:

Mix dressing in a jar the night before: vinegar, oil, sugar and seasoning packets from noodles.

Crush noodles and toss remaining dry ingredients. Pour dressing over slaw 30 minutes before serving. Mix well to coat all the noodles.

Broiled Parmesan Tilapia and Green&Red Salad

I'm an official graduate of Baylor University! I just moved out of my house in Waco, and into my parent's house in Oklahoma for the summer.

My family made dinner tonight, it was really beautiful outside, so we ate outside. One of the best parts of being home is having a full stocked kitchen, very different from my home in Waco.

 Broiled Spicy Parmesan Tilapia

One of the best parts about this dish is you can add whatever spice you want. I like it a little spicy so i added red paper flakes. I used a lot a spices I had on hand.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 Tbl low fat mayonnaise
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp onion powder
• 1/8 tsp salt (or celery salt if you have any on hand)
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• Old Bay Seasoning, enough to cover fillets
• 2 pounds tilapia fillets

Directions:

Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.

In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, and light mayonnaise. Add all the seasonings (except the old bay). Mix well and set aside.

Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Lightly cover both sides of the fillets with the Old Bay Seasoning. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. 

Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 1-2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork, make sure you watch them carefully, they brown quickly. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

G

Green and Red Salad

We made this yesterday with chicken and had it as our main dish. Tonight we added extra tomatoes to the left overs and had it for our side to the tilapia. I think this dish, if used as the main dish would be great with chicken (which is what we used) and salmon or shrimp.  

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup pesto
• 2 Tbl white wine vinegar
• 1/4 tap plus 2 Tbl salt
• Pinch of freshly gound pepper
• 3 Tbl olive oil
• 3/4 lb orzo pasta
• 2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1/2 lb cherry tomatoes, halved 
• 6 oz baby spinach

Directions:

Make the vinaigrette: In a large bowl, whisk together the pesto, vinegar, the 1/4 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until smooth.

Cook the Orzo: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the 2 tablespoons salt and the orzo. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the pasta is al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain, rinse under cold running water and drain again. Add the orzo to the vinaigrette and toss to coat evenly.

Assemble: Add the chicken, tomatoes and spinach to the orzo and toss gently to combine, then serve!