Salmon Cakes with Aioli dip

We recently went to the REI members event where they had a few finger foods and one of them were these yummy looking tiny crab cakes that were out of the world..So I came back home totally wanting to make something similar..I dint have crab at home but had some left over salmon from making fish puttu the other day. So I decided to make salmon cakes instead..
This is a healthy and utterly delicious recipe that just will make your taste buds very happy!!

Ingredients:
Salmon, cooked, shredded - 1 lb
Onion, large, finely chopped - 1/2 no
Bell Pepper, finely chopped - 1/2 no
Eggs, slightly beaten - 2
Garlic powder - 1tsp
Worcestershire sauce - 1Tbsp
Hot sauce - 1/2 Tbsp (or to taste)
Old bay seasoning - 1/2 Tbsp
All purpose seasoning - 2 tsp (opt)
Bread crumbs - 1/2 cup
Pepper - 2-3tsp
Mayo - 2 Tbsp
Butter - 1/2 Tbsp
Olive oil -
Salt, to taste

For Garlic Lemon Aioli Dip:
Garlic pods, crushed - 2
Mayo - 1/2 cup
Lemon juice - 1 Tbsp
Salt - 1 pinch
Pepper - 1 pinch
Capers - 1 Tbsp (optional)

 

Method:

1. Roast salmon in very little oil in a flat pan until completely cooked and slightly golden on both sides. Remove from pan, cool and shred into small pieces once cooled.
2. In the same pan, add butter, 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and add the onions and bell peppers, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, garlic powder and all the seasonings, salt, pepper and let it cook until soft and slightly golden. Once done, remove from heat and let cool.
3. In a mixing bowl, mix together salmon, onion mixture, beaten eggs, bread crumbs and Mayo. Adjust seasonings per taste if need be. 
4. Heat in low flame about a tbsp of olive oil in a flat pan or griddle.
5. Take equal amounts of the mixture (I used an ice cream scoop for this) and make them into balls and then flatten them out a little like biscuits about 3-4 inches in diameter and place them in the oil one by one. 
6. Slowly brown both sides of the cake until completely firm and well done. 
7. Remove from heat and serve hot with garlic lemon aioli dip or tartar sauce. 
8. For the dip, mix all the ingredients together and adjust seasoning.

P.S : I used leftover salmon in this case. You can precook and refrigerate the fish for more than a week and use it when you need it. You can prepare the mixture and store it for a few days ahead before making the cakes as well.
Breadcrumbs substitute:  If you dont have breadcrumbs, you can use ritz crackers or any salt crackers or toasted bread to bind the ingredients together.

Tons of Veggies Pasta

Finally after a long time I'm back!..with the pregnancy and the moving to Seattle, things have been really busy...I never got time to post anything..I always feel cooking is just a small part...writing up and posting the recipe is most of the part.. :)
Anyways, here's a simple pasta recipe I put together with a lot of veggies and mascarpone cheese..Its rich and yummy!

Ingredients:
Wheat penne pasta - 1/2 lb
Onion, diced - 1 medium
Zucchini, cut into thin small pieces - 2
Squash, cut into thin small pieces - 2
Green Peas & carrots, diced - 1/2 cup
Green Pepper, diced - 1/2 no
Garlic, crushed - 2 medium cloves
Mascarpone Cheese - 4oz
Parmesan cheese - 1/4 cup
Lemon juice - 1 Tbsp
Parsley, chopped - 1-2 Tbsp
Italian seasoning - 1 tsp
Chives (Fresh/dried) - 1/4 tsp
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Olive oil

Method:

1. Cook pasta in enough boiling water and salt for about 8-10 minutes until cooked.
2. Heat olive oil in a pan and add the onions and sauté until soft. Add the crushed garlic and sauté for a minute. Now, add all the remaining veggies and sauté until cooked and soft. 
3. Add all the seasonings: salt, pepper, lemon juice, chives and italian seasoning. 
4. Now add the mascarpone, parmesan cheeses and parsley and mix. 
5. Toss the pasta and cook for a minute until everything gets coated evenly. 

Chicken Jalfrezi

This is a delicious tomato based curry with bell peppers and chicken.

Ingredients:
Chicken breast - 2 nos
Onions - 2 medium
Bell pepper - 1
Ginger, grated - 2 tsp
Garlic, minced - 6 cloves
Green Chillies, cut long - 2 nos
Tomatoes, diced - 1 medium
Tomato puree - 1/2 can
Milk - 1 cup
Chilli Powder -
Curry Powder -
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder -
Salt, to taste

Chicken Marinade:

Chilli Powder - 2 tsp

Tumeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Curry powder - 1/2 Tbsp

Corriander powder - 1 tsp

Ginger garlic paste - 1 Tbsp

Vinegar - 1Tbsp

Worcestershire sauce - 1 Tbsp 

Salt - 1/2 Tbsp

Method:

1. Cut chicken into 1/2 inch thick long strips. Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients from the "Chicken Marinade" list for at least 20 minutes.
2. Cut onions and bell peppers into 1 inch squares.
3. Heat olive oil in a pan and add minced garlic and when slightly browned add onions, bell peppers, ginger and sautee until the veggies are slightly browned and soft.
4. Add the marinated chicken and sauté until cooked through and slightly browned.
5. Now add the tomatoes, tomato puree and milk and let it cook for at least 10-15 minutes until the gravy thickens.
6. Add garam masala and adjust chilli and curry powders to taste and bring to boil and remove from heat.

Worcestershire sauce is a combination of tamarind, garlic, vinegar and some other stuff that makes it a little tangy and can be used in indian cooking for sauces or marinade..and I've started using them a lot now and find it pretty interesting..