Dinner on Deadline: Salmon Cakes

I patted together some salmon cakes, which always make me think of Mom. Their core component, cooked salmon, appeals to her enduring campaign to repurpose leftovers. Their supplemental components, lemon, dill, and red onion, appeal to my enduring campaign for spring.

Makes 8 cakes

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh dill

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 3/4 pounds cooked salmon, skin, bones, and gray strip of flesh discarded

1 1/4 cups fresh breadcrumbs

Mild oil, such as canola, for crisping

1. In a large bowl mix mayo, dill, onion, zest, salt, and pepper. Add salmon. Mix gently with a soft spatula.

2. Pat into 8 cakes, each about 3 inches across and 1 inch thick. Roll cakes in breadcrumbs. Set cakes on a baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and chill. Chilling is optional, but makes the cakes easier to handle.

3. Heat a thin film of oil in a heavy cast iron pan set over medium heat. Cook salmon cakes in batches until crisp outside and hot inside, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Per serving: 227 calories, 9 g fat, 46 mg cholestrol, 510 mg sodium, 416 mg potassium, 14 g carbohydrates, trace dietary fiber, 1 g sugar, 22 g protein.