Easy Spring Meal that You Can Use for Entertaining

I was inspired by my Timber Creek Farms organic produce box and made this meal. Remember my mysterious root that I got the box that I discovered was celeraic? Turns out, I also got a butternut squash and I found a recipe on Cooking Light that was perfect - Curry Ginger Butternut Squash Soup. The soup was both spicy (from the ginger and hot sauce) and sweet (from the veggies). You can also add carrot to the mix. Only 1 cup of this soup has almost 5 grams of fiber! Just before serving you stir in plain yogurt and garnish with fresh parsley and chives.


To pair with the soup, I made Mini Salmon Cakes and was again inspired by the fresh spinach from my box. I tossed the spinach leaves with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Like in my previous post about making meatballs under the broiler, I decided to try these salmon cakes under the broiler. It was a snap! They didn't fall apart and held their shape!


Mini Salmon Cakes over Spinach and Cherry Tomato Salad (serves 4-5)

Ingredients:

• 1 (7 1/2-ounce) can red salmon Trader Joe's
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped green bell peppers
• 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked spanish paprika
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 5 cupss fresh spinach
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 5 wedges lemons
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  

Preparation:

• Drain salmon. In a mixing bowl, combine salmon with veggies and seasonings through panko. Coat cookie sheet with cooking spray. Preheat broiler.
• Form salmon cakes to about 10 cakes and place on the cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Spray cakes with cooking spray and cook under the broiler for 5 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl, toss spinach leaves with cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Toss. Serve 1 1/4 cup on a plate and set aside.
• Turn salmon cakes over and spray again with cooking spray. Return under the broiler for 2 minutes. Serve on top of spinach salad with a lemon wedge.

For information on Timber Creek Farms to get organic produce delivered to your front door, call Marilyn Dollar 773-279-9585. She will help you decide on what to order!