Healthier Salmon Croquettes Anytime

A strange thing happened.  I had left over salmon and a left over baked potato in my fridge on the same day.  These are two items that I don't usually have as left overs, let alone at the same time.  I got an idea!  Generally I would feed the left over salmon to the dog.  I know- really expensive meat to feed to a dog, but it usually tastes and smells too 'fishy' for me after the initial meal.  But this fillet was really fresh and it didn't smell or taste funny and there was a lot of it left.  So I decided to make croquettes.

Croquettes are little fish patties that are breaded and fried and greasy and wonderful.  They are not diet friendly, even if it is fish. Additionally, they are usually made with mayonnaise and and cracker or bread crumbs.  I thought I could do a bit better, so I nixed the mayo, opting for Greek yogurt instead.  I ground up a nice big carrot and cut up my left over potato and added a smidgen of panko.  I also added green onion, and celery.  Then I decided to bake them instead of fry them.

Yummy- and my house doesn't smell like grease.  Bonus! Anyway, you try them and tell me what you think.  I'd love to hear how it turns out for you. :)

Patties:
1 Salmon fillet, cooked. or (I would guess) 2 cans of canned salmon - but fresh will give better texture.
1 potato baked, peeled and cubed
1 large carrot, run through a food processor to get a very fine dice
1 celery 
2 green onions
2-3 tbl. of Panko, or bread crumbs, or smashed crackers
1 egg
1 Tbl. Old Bay (I love this stuff. I put it on everything.)
2 Tbl fresh parsley or 1/2 to 1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp white pepper
2 shakes of cayenne (If you like it hot, go ahead and add more. I was looking for flavor, not heat.)
1 container of plain Greek yogurt (6 oz) 
1 Tbl. lemon juice
(Breading will follow)

Put all ingredients in a gallon sized zip sealed bag and mush it up. You can put it in your mixer and use a paddle attachment to get a very fine texture, but I like my meat chunky.  Mush it until incorporated and it will form a ball.  If it is too loose add some more lemon juice and yogurt.  If it's too wet, you can add more Panko.

Form the mixture into 1/8 cup sized balls, (a little bigger than a walnut).  Flatten but don't smash. Place on a cookie sheet and freeze.

Breading:

2 eggs
1 cup water
1/2 package of  panko crumbs
either 1/2 package of a commercially produced fry mix
or
1 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper and cayenne ( you can also add a little cornmeal)

Combine the eggs and water and whisk. In a separate bowl combine your flour and panko.
Take each salmon patty and dip first in the egg wash and then in the flour.  I like to use one hand to do the wet, and one to do the dry, so that I don't end up with a gummy flour mess.  Return the patties to the cookie sheet as you go.

I froze most of the patties at this point, so I could have some quick meals in the future.  But even if you don't plan on doing that, put them back in the freezer for another 20 min. You don't have to do this step, but it is easier.

When you are ready, spray some cooking oil on a baking sheet and place your patties on the sheet.  Then spray the patties with some of the cooking oil. 

Bake at 425 for 20-24 min., turning once at about 16 minutes.

If You Keep Modifying, You Are No Longer on the Diet

I love Pinterest, don't you?  I find the most delicious looking desserts there. Seriously, I could drool all day.  But I have noticed something that at first made me raise an eyebrow and now makes me laugh out loud every time I see it.  You've seen it too.  It's raw cookie or raw brownie recipes.  I've clicked on these recipes, read them and even thought about making some. (Because they look good, not because they are raw.)  Now there is nothing wrong with raw eating, in fact I think more people should eat more raw foods. But lets be real, most people think they can make these treats and eat all the dessert they want and still lose weight.  It's not true.  Sugar is sugar.  Honey, Agave nectar, raw sugar, they all still raise your glucose levels.  Like anything, even "raw" treats must be treated as what they are; treats. 

This happens with every fad diet that comes along.  If the fad is no gluten, then a bevy of gluten free snacks and desserts appear on the internet.  Then people adhering to that diet wonder why their weight loss has stalled.  If the trend is low or no fat, snacks and cookies made fat-free appear all over, and people adhering to that diet start to wonder why their weight loss has stagnated.  Do you see a pattern?  Once the modifications starts- once you start looking for ways to have your favorite treats guilt free, you have altered the diet and it doesn't work anymore. 

In eating like a diabetic, you do make some changes.  Sugar substitutes become your friend.  However, if you just make all your favorite treats, with sugar substitutes you will find that it becomes difficult once again to control your weight.  Controlling weight is critical for diabetics.  Diabetics and dieters alike will probably find that they will be more successful and happier if they can learn to eat treats in moderation.  Learn to plan for them. Learn that if you eat a few cookies, you should probably add some time to your daily exercise, or you should plan to forgo the dinner roll if you are going to opt for some cake.  Learn that one dessert is enough and seconds are no longer an option.  Learn that sugar-free pudding is a better option than ice cream, but it still is not an every day occurrence. 

The hardest part of changing a diet is that we don't want to give up our favorite foods.  If you can find a way to make those foods healthier, great! You should.  However, part of a successful diet is changing your mindset, and your taste.  Healthy, yummy fruits and veggies should start becoming what you WANT not what you have to have.  If a mindset takes place, you will stay on the diet permanently, which is what you want to have happen.  You want to change your diet- not go on a diet. 

So keep pinning yummy looking treats on your Pinterest board.  Once in a while, make one of those yummy looking treats.  Then eat one helping and give the rest away.  Raw or chemical, a treat is a treat.  One is better for you, but both will stop weight loss, and both will raise sugar levels.