In the kitchen with Kelley: Salmon lettuce wrap

I must confess that my favorite way to eat salmon used to be as patties, made with eggs and cracker crumbs and deep-fried. They take me back to my childhood, since salmon patties were something my mother cooked often.

I think the reason I liked salmon patties so much as a kid was because the eggs and crackers masked the fish taste. But as an adult I embrace all the great health benefits that salmon offers and I’ve grown to enjoy the taste of it quite a bit.

Cold-water fish, like salmon, are high in Omega-3 fatty acids. Our bodies can’t make these fats, and getting more of them reduces the risk of heart disease, depression, dementia and arthritis. Salmon is also a great source of B12 and B6. A typical serving can provide almost 100 percent of your daily requirement of B12 and more than 50 percent of your B6 requirement.

B6 is important to me because it may be breast-cancer protective. Researchers found that women in the top 25 percent of vitamin B6 levels showed a 30 percent lower rate of invasive breast cancer. They also noted that vitamin B6 was more protective for non-estrogen-related breast cancer.

Brain-boosting B vitamins have also been shown to be effective against Parkinson’s disease.

In this recipe I suggest canned salmon, just because it’s easy. If the can says ‘Atlantic’ salmon, it’s a safe bet it contains farmed salmon. I prefer wild-caught Alaskan salmon. You may pay a little more for it, but you’ll avoid the antibiotics and other junk fed to farm-raised fish, and you can feel good about it being sustainable.

If you haven’t eaten canned salmon (which is fully cooked by the way), you might be surprised to find a little fish skin and some bones. I separate and throw away the fish skin, but the bones are like soft, little gold mines of calcium. It may sound gross, but I promise you this, the celery bits in this recipe will have more of a crunch than the salmon bones–and no flavor.

If you can’t find it in a can, just purchase fillets and after cooking them, follow the same directions below.

Note: If you want, you may add a bit of yogurt or mayonnaise in step 2.