Salmon Patties with Tzatziki Sauce

Salmon is one of my favorite protein choices because it is packed with vitamin A, D, E, B-12, and easily bioavailable omega-3, namely eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that are beneficial in lowering inflammatory processes and potentially delaying the onset of aging. Omega-3 cannot be synthesized by human cells and therefore has to be consumed through food for optimal health.

Marine animals and algae are the primary sources of omega-3. Although omega-3 is also found in some seeds and nuts (chia seeds,flax seeds, walnuts), the compound of it in these products is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). ALA has different metabolic pathways and its conversion to EPA and then to DHA  is limited (less than 15%) by the human body. If you don’t consume fish, make sure your omega-3 supplement comes from algae.  

Unfortunately, omega-3 can be easily oxidized (lose all the benefits) especially if introduced to high temperature during food preparation and therefore watch how it is cooked. However, some studies show that polyphenols in extra virgin oil and antioxidants in herbs such as carnosic acid in rosemary may retard this oxidation. 
The bottom line is use minimum heat and, if necessary, high quality olive oil with herbs to cook salmon.  

Alright, let’s leave science behind and start finally cooking!

Yield: 8 (4.5 oz) patties

Salmon Patties with Tzatziki Sauce

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Packed with omega-3 and protein, these salmon patties are a great choice for any lunch or dinner meals!

Prep Time 7 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 32 minutes

Ingredients

Salmon Patties

• 2 lbs Coho salmon
• 4 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 small shallot onion, chopped
• 1/2 red/yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1-2 tbsp ginger, fresh & grated
• 1-2 tbsp extra virgin oil, for frying (optional)
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2-1 tsp salt

Tzatziki Sauce (Fage original recipe)

• 1 cup whole milk plain Fage Greek yogurt
• 2 Persian cucumbers, grated
• 2-4 fresh mint leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1-2 tbsp fresh dill
• 1/2 lemon, juice & zest
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Remove skin from the salmon. The best way to do it is to scrub the flesh with small strokes from the tail part down using a knife. Once the fillet is ready, prep the veggies.
2. Finely chop dill, parsley, bell pepper, shallot and grate ginger.
3. Add salt, ground black pepper. Mix all the ingredients and form small patties. I usually measure the flesh first and use 4 oz as a serving size (2 pounds yield 8 servings). Then I add all the additional ingredients and measure it all together. The final weight is divided by the number of total servings (8). Now you know the exact weight of each patty. This way the patties will have the same size and nutrition value.
4. Heat up a frying pan, add olive oil (optional) and put the salmon patties. Using a small Ramekin cup, apply light pressure to each of the patty until a nice shape forms. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side.
5. While cooking the patties, prepare tzatziki sauce. First, grate cucumbers.
6. In a kitchen combiner, mix yogurt, dill, mint, garlic, lemon juice & zest, ground pepper, salt. 
7. Mix cucumber with the yogurt mixture. Done! Serve it with the salmon patties.
   

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

4.5 oz patty
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 140Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 70mgProtein: 23g

Nutrition information was calculated based on the ingredients' nutrition labels and MyFitnessPal, and therefore it has 10-15% of inaccuracy.