Is there an alternative to the greasy fast food fish sandwich with french fries? The answer is yes and it can even be heart healthy.

The canned salmon in this recipe is good for the heart and has the added benefit of contributing calcium to the diet. The technique of “oven frying” greatly reduces the fat content and the calories so everyone can enjoy this meal without guilt.

This dinner is easy on the budget and quick to prepare so Lent isn’t the only time of the year that we serve this family favorite.

Everything has a story behind it and this recipe is no exception. Several years ago, I was trying to reproduce Great Aunt Anna’s recipe for fish cakes. I never managed to recreate her dish but I came up with a salmon cake recipe that we all liked quite a bit and I also spent some time remembering a wonderful old, German lady who was one of the finest people I ever knew.

Great Aunt Anna was very old, and generous (read fat) and she had eyes that sparkled and a smile that you couldn’t help returning. She taught me that cooking is a worthwhile endeavor.

Her formal education stopped after the eighth grade but her natural intelligence was never satisfied. She loved to read and she loved to cook for everyone.

Great Aunt Anna had a hard life but you’d never know it since she always had a smile on her face. She loved life and was one of those people who really knew how to live. Cooking allowed her to share her gifts with others.

She enjoyed telling stories and made her childhood in a New York City tenement without indoor plumbing sound like fun.

When you ate one of her meals you slowed down to savor the food and her company. You felt comfortable and cared for and she always made you laugh. I think every dish needs a sprinkling of laughter.

Salmon Cakes

1 14oz can salmon

1 cup Italian flavored bread crumbs

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp onion flakes

1 tsp parsley flakes

¾ cup skim milk

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp prepared horseradish (optional)

Heat the oven to 375 F. Use canola or olive oil cooking spray to coat a large cookie sheet. Set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, mash the salmon, removing and discarding any skin and the larger bones. Crush the smaller bones into the mixture. Add ¾ cup of bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, onion flakes, parsley flakes, salt and pepper, milk, and if you want some zing add the horseradish.

When this is well mixed, form four or five patties. Place the remaining ¼ cup of bread crumbs on a plate and press each salmon cake into the crumbs to coat on all sides.

Place the fish cakes on the prepared baking sheet and spray lightly with cooking spray then set aside.

Oven Fries

3 large baking potatoes

salt and pepper to taste

garlic powder to taste

Thoroughly scrub and the dry the potatoes. Do not peel. Cut in half lengthwise then cut into ¼ inch slices lengthwise. Place the potato slices on the prepared baking sheet with the salmon cakes and spray lightly with the cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.

Bake the salmon cakes and the oven fries in a 375 degree oven for 35 minutes or until golden brown, turning half way through the baking time.

Serve with lemon wedges, cole slaw, and rolls for sandwiches.

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Here is a quick recipe from colleague Ruth O’Neill, who works on graphics at The Monitor:

Tomatoes, Cheese and Pasta

1 large can crushed tomatoes

10 oz or more cheddar cheese

1 lb ziti

Boil pasta in soup pot. Heat tomatoes in smaller pot (add Italian spices if desired). Grate cheese. When the pasta is done, drain, rinse lightly put back into pot and add cheese. Pour hot tomatoes over cheese, stir lightly. Cover pot and let sit for 2 or 3 minutes; serve.

As an alternative, you might use whole wheat pasta.

Let us pray:

Lord, our God, with fatherly love you come to the aid of your children. Bless us and these your gifts which we are about to receive from your goodness. Grant that all peoples may be gladdened by the favors of your providence. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.