Paleo meals

FISH CAKES

I’m always looking for new ways to serve fish, and these fish cakes are perfect. They’re pretty easy to make and cook really fast, so you don’t have to do a ton of prep work or spend a ton of time at the stove to make it happen. They’re low-maintenance and really delicious. These work well as an appetizer, too—they’re delicious with homemade spicy Paleo mayo, which I’ve included in the recipe below. SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 15 minutes

COOK TIME: 10 minutes

FOR THE FISH CAKES

2 (6-ounce) fillets white fish

2 tablespoons almond flour

1 large shallot, minced

¼ cup Homemade Mayo (here)

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of ½ lemon

¼ cup minced fresh parsley

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 large egg, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon ground paprika

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

FOR THE CHILI SAUCE

2 tablespoons hot chili oil

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

TO SERVE

½ cup mizuna (or other lettuce)

½ cup arugula

1 carrot, julienned

1 small red chile, sliced

1. Chop the fish into a fine mince, and place in a large bowl.
2. Add the almond flour, shallot, Homemade Mayo, lemon zest and juice, parsley, mustard, egg, paprika, salt, and pepper, and mix well. Shape the mixture into four large cakes or eight smaller ones (smaller will be easier to turn over when cooking).
3. In a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the fish cakes, and allow them to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Gently flip each one, reshaping as needed, and brown the other side, 4 to 5 minutes more.
4. For the chili sauce, combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
5. To serve, layer greens, carrot, and chiles on serving plates, and top with fish cakes and chili sauce as desired.

VARIATION 1 CRAB CAKES: Replace the fish with crab, and follow the recipe as written. Crab is less flaky and has a stronger seafood flavor than milder white fish.

VARIATION 2 SALMON CAKES: Replace the white fish with 2 (6-ounce) cans salmon. Drain the salmon, follow the original recipe as written, and enjoy the hit of heart-healthy fats.