Broiled Shrimp and Tomatoes are Good for the Waistline

I was so tired from the week and getting back in the swing of things, that I wanted to cook something good without it being too elaborate.  And since I haven't really had seafood in a while (there's not much in the way of shellfish in Slovakia), I thought shrimp would be perfect.  

Being a bit of a hit or miss for me, I don't always succeed in making shrimp, but this time around was different.  I followed the cooking directions of this recipe to a t, which produced really delicious and not overdone shrimp.  The simple pairing of cherry tomatoes and a spicy paprika rub gave the shrimp a lot of flavor, which then further rested on a bed of whole wheat cous-cous.  Dressed with sliced apricots, pistachios and dill, all the flavors were fresh and vibrant and didn't weigh you down.  As you'll see in the recipe, it says you can do it in about 20 minutes and I can personally vouch this is true.  Hope you love it as much as we did.

Broiled shrimp with whole wheat cous-cous and a side of yogurt-hummus sauce, as seen on foodnetwork.com 

Homemade Salmon Cakes - A Leftover Wonder

Because I baked some gorgeous salmon last night and ate it with truffled green beans, I had leftovers.  Wanting to make good use out of them, I didn't mind eating salmon again tonight, but wanted to keep it fresh and interesting.  Enter these homemade salmon cakes, which I cooked up with all ingredients I already had on hand.  The cous-sous with cranberries and red onions was a left over dish too, and together it really felt totally new and interesting when thinking back on last night's baked version.

The trick with the salmon cakes was to to mix them with soaked bread that helped bind everything together, along with some mayo and mustard too.  I used spicy dijon mustard that gave the salmon a sharp bite, and that kept you coming back for more.  Here's how I made them:

Foodista's Homemade Salmon Cakes (serves 2)

Ingredients:
(1) 1/2 lb filet of baked salmon, with the skin separated and shredded with a fork into a tuna fish-like texture
1 1/2 tsp of mayo - you may need more based on how sticky your salmon mixture is.  You may have to eyeball this.
1 tsp of dijon mustard
1 small white or wheat roll, softened in water
2 tbs of red onion, diced
Breadcrumbs for coating
Olive oil

Directions:
Mix the salmon with the mayo, mustard, bread and onions until well incorporated.  You can mix it with a fork or your hands.  Then take a handful of the salmon and roll into an oval shape and pat it down with your hands.  Gently roll in the breadcrumbs.

Heat olive oil in a medium sized sautee pan and place prepared salmon cakes into the hot oil.  Fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

Serve immediately over cous-cous, a salad, pasta or the side of your choice.  Enjoy them on their own or with a scoop of tartar sauce.