Carole Schaeffer, JLA’s Vice President of Business Development (Wisconsin), found the Ketogenic Diet when researching healthier options during the height of Covid in 2020. Read on for one of her favorite recipes and her Keto journey.
Tell us the story behind the recipe.
Carol: Carole’s Keto Kitchen started in 2020, when I realized that during the shutdown I was subsiding on frozen cheese pizza and a bottle of wine as dinner. I started researching different diets and found Keto, which allowed me to still eat cheese, salmon, steak, bacon, avocados, eggs, healthy veggies, berries, and scotch. I closely monitored my macros (macronutrients) with an app on my phone, gave up sugar, and have maintained a low carbohydrate/low sugar lifestyle ever since. I’m always happy to share my tips, tricks, and recipes for the Keto curious. For example, you may have been one of the many folks I’ve gone to lunch with, who watched me pull a low-carb bun out of my purse for my cheeseburger…I have no shame.
I discovered this salmon recipe because I was missing my shellfish days (that allergy is a story for another day). I usually cook a big batch of fresh salmon for a meal and use the leftovers to create these salmon cakes.
Easy Keto Salmon Cakes
Ingredients:
- 12 oz of salmon (I used leftover fresh cooked salmon)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1-2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup pork rinds, crushed to bits
- 3 tablespoons butter
- Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Combine the bell pepper, onion, mayonnaise, lemon juice, cayenne, egg, salmon, and about one-half of the pork rinds in a bowl. Mix well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour so the mixture is easier to work with.
Scoop the salmon mixture into balls about the size of a large egg (I use an old-school ice cream scooper). Roll the salmon balls in the remaining pork rinds to add a little crunch on the outside. Place the coated salmon balls on a sheet of waxed paper. Gently flatten each ball to about 1/2-inch thick.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and coat the bottom of the pan with the butter as it melts. Add the salmon cakes (in batches if needed) and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes.
How have you made the recipe your own?
Carole: As with all my Keto/low-carb meals, I google what I’m craving and merge several different recipes until I get the right mix for my tastes! This is based on several Keto Salmon cake/patty recipes from various websites.
You can make this as a stand-alone meal or as a side dish. Sometimes I throw them on a salad or make them into a crunchy sandwich. They can also be frozen for later use but they are best enjoyed fresh.
Final question, is there a favorite dish or recipe you have enjoyed from another JLA team member (or one you are hoping to try)?
Carole: I’m fairly new to JLA, so I haven’t had the chance to try a lot of them, but I did give myself a ‘carb pass’ to try Rafeeq [Asad]’s mac & cheese, and it was worth it!
About Architects with an Appetite
Food is a universal language that connects us. It can tell a story, evoke a memory, or simply comfort us. The Architects with an Appetite blog series is designed to showcase our team and share our recipes and the stories behind them. Chili Competitions, Dip Offs, and potlucks are commonplace in the JLA offices, and it’s no secret around the ‘halls’ that our team members love to share and swap recipes— we’ve even toyed with the idea of a JLA Cookbook. So we thought, why not share some of our favorite recipes with you? We hope you enjoy them!
