Salmon Cakes over Quinoa Tabouli topped with a Greek Yogurt Vinaigrette

The last few weeks we've had a few of our girls missing as they have taken on a new 7 week workout routine. We're all trying in different ways to get ready for our trip to Mexico next month for Tiff's wedding. Eventhough we miss having everyone there each week, we also realize that it's nice every once in a while for our Thursday evening to be a little less crowded, loud and crazy seeing that our days are usually that way anyway dealing with our own kids or classrooms full of others. You have got to imagine how loud it can get...most of us have pretty loud personalities and/or are used to speaking in front of groups (students) all day so it's in our nature to take over a conversation. Getting caught up on 10+ different lives isn't always easy but we make it work and love every second of it. For dinner Lauren F made us a super healthy dinner OH MY AMAZINGNESS were these good! Proof that even though it's good for you, doesn't mean it needs to taste like crap :) Here's her recipe:


Mascarpone and Chive Salmon Cakes with a Quinoa Tabouli Salad topped with a Greek Yogurt Vinaigrette.

Quinoa Salad (makes at least 8-12 servings and will store in the fridge and can eat during the week for lunch)
1 small box organic quinoa (trader joes)
1 English cucumber cut into small pieces
1 small container grape tomatoes quartered
½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley2 large lemons (juiced)
½ cup of EVOO
Salt and Pepper to taste

Quinoa- cooks similar to rice in a 2/1 ratio form.  I also added 1 lemon cut in half and some olive oil to give it flavor while cooking.  Cool the quinoa and add the other ingredients.  Feel free to add more or less lemon juice or olive oil depending on your taste.

Greek Yogurt Vinaigrette
8oz container fat free Greek yogurt
1 large lemon juiced
2 TBPS of apple cider vinegar
1 TBPS Honey
1 clove of garlic
SNP to taste

Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. This makes enough sauce to top the cakes and the tabouli for lunches.

Salmon Cakes
2 pounds of fresh salmon (your choice) cubed into about ½ inch pieces
4 oz of mascarpone cheese
1 big handful grated Parmesan
2 eggs
¼ cup of minced fresh chives
2 tbps of lemon juice
SNP to taste
1/2 cup (or so) of panko bread crumbs.

Mix all ingredients together until come together almost like a meatball consistency- you can make the cakes any size you’d like but I grabbed a small handful for each and flattened to about 3 inches in diameter.  In a large non-stick pan (for best results do not use cast iron pan), coat the bottom with EVOO and cook each cake on med-high heat for about 5 min on each side.  Make sure you get a good golden color on them

Plate with salad on the bottom, 1-2 cakes on top of the salad and then top with the yogurt sauce.

Enjoy! I promise you will...