Dijon Salmon Cakes with Minty Millet

Let me preface this recipe by saying that I’m a hard-core hiker. Or I was. I once spent 6 months hiking the entire Appalachian Trail–walking through the woods for hours on end, carrying everything that mattered on my back for thousands of miles.

“Why does this matter and why do I care?” you ask.

Tunafish–the easiest lunch on the planet besides PB&J–has forever been ruined for me. I ate so much Starkist, I had olfactory dreams of the scent of it. Packaged tuna–the only form of protein that can survive 3 days in the heat unscathed–may have a special place in my hiker heart, but never, ever again a place in my stomach.

Which brings me to these salmon cakes. Salmon is like the first class to tuna’s coach. It’s more…luxurious. Taking out a salmon cake at school or work is like pulling out a dish of caviar. It’s gourmet and unexpected, and people will glance over and be like, “Whoa, that person is classy.” Others will pull out their tuna salad, PB&J’s, turkey sandwiches or leftover meatloaf, and you’ll take out your tiny fork and nibble away at your salmon cake and millet like a gourmet boss.

But the best part is, they’re EASY to make! And they pack well. Fish on its own doesn’t generally keep, but the “cake” form makes all the difference here. They can be reheated, but it’s not necessary–they’re good cold. The texture keeps, and it makes a great seafood alternative to the dreaded tunafish sandwich.

PREP TIME 30 MINUTES     TOTAL TIME 45 MINUTES     SERVES 4

• 1 cup millet
• 2 cups organic vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives
• 1/4 cup torn fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• sea salt and black pepper
• 1 pound wild Alaskan sock-eye salmon, skinned
• 2 scallions, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, plus more for serving

COMBINE the millet and broth in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Fold in the olives, mint, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

MEANWHILE, “hug” the salmon with a paper towel to squeeze the excess water out. Pulse together the salmon, scallions, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a blender or food processor until finely chopped.

TRANSFER salmon to a bowl, and mix in 1/2 cup of the cooked millet and the Dijon mustard. Form 8 patties.

HEAT 1 tablespoon of oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties until opaque throughout, about 2 minutes per side. Serve warm with the rest of the millet and some steamed greens, or store in the fridge for snacks and lunches for up to 3 days.