Gone missing

 

“I just lost my husband”…

This is the phrase I said time and time again when I was notifying various companies and organizations to cancel my husband’s accounts after he died.  Every time I said that phrase, my mind filled in the rest of what I wanted to say, which was…

“Actually, I did not lose my husband.  I know exactly where he is.  He is at the Maine Veteran’s Cemetery in Augusta, section G, row 6, plot 9.”  Saying that I lost him sounds more like losing my car keys.  As if I can find him if I keep looking.  And I did not lose my husband, really.  I had him with me for thirty years and still have all the memories for which I am very grateful.

It is rather overwhelming when you realize how many notifications you will need to send out to close out so many things!  Think about it!  Car insurance and registration, every credit card, retirement accounts with past employers, investment accounts, and I could go on.  I purchased a file folder and set it up so that I could file and trace all kinds of paperwork. I made notes as to when I notified companies, and whom I spoke with and when I sent them required documents, and made copies of forms I had to send in. All these transactions blurred together and without those records, I’d never recall what I had done already.  By the way, you can’t have too many copies of a death certificate.  I sent out at least five over time. 

I am also filing lots of recipes right now, looking forward to sharing them in future blog entries.  Today I am sharing my recipe for salmon cakes. 

Salmon is my go-to choice for fish and it ends up on my table about twice a month. It’s a great way to get that Omega 3 oil that is so good for you!   We are fortunate to have locally sourced salmon in Maine, and it still one of the most affordable fish at the seafood market.  For this recipe, I added the corn because I had a leftover ear of corn, which I saved from the last batch of corn of the season, sold at my favorite farm stand, Beth’s, in Warren, Maine.  The corn adds a nice, crunchy texture and pop of sweetness.

I found that I often ended up with larger pieces of salmon than I needed when grilling salmon for dinner.  Now I always make sure to ask for a larger piece than I need so that I can make this salmon cake recipe.  I like these better than crab cakes and they are less expensive to make too.  This will make four cakes, enough for an appetizer for four or a lunch for two!  I have a one-cup food chopper which I use all the time and that makes putting this together a snap!  Chilling the mix well before forming the cakes is essential to keep the cakes from crumbling, and the good news is that you can even make the mix up a day before serving and chill overnight.  See my note about toppings for the salmon cakes, lots of toppings taste great!  These also freeze very nicely and can be frozen before or after frying.  If you add a piece of parchment paper between each salmon cake when freezing, they will come apart easier and you can take one at a time if you wish, and leave the rest frozen.

Salmon Cake Recipe

1 cup of fresh grilled salmon, shredded

1/8 cup finely chopped red or green pepper

1/8 cup finely chopped red onion

1/8 cup corn kernels

2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno pepper (optional if you don’t like “hot”)

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro or parsley

1 slice stale bread, chopped in food processer

½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1 egg beaten

 

Mix all ingredients and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Set out a bowl with panko breadcrumbs and pre-heat a frying pan with corn or canola cooking oil.

Form four patties from the salmon mix and coat both sides of salmon cakes with panko bread crumbs.  Place in hot pan and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side.  Remove from pan and drain on paper towels before serving.

Toppings for the salmon cakes:  remoulade sauce, tartar sauce, lemon dill sauce which you can make from mayo with lemon juice and fresh dill or my favorite, a salsa verde taco sauce.