Super easy tilapia fish cakes served with zucchini.
What started out to be a simple task of following a few recipes I’d found online, turned out to be an exercise in creativity.
If you’re reading this blog post, you’re a cook, and I’m sure you get into that same zone. Cooks start out with a recipe they’ve found somewhere online or in a book, and they quickly morph it into a creation beyond their wildest imagination. Dramatic, but true.
In this case, I didn’t have salmon for the fish cakes, but I had tilapia. I love tilapia’s light and flaky texture, so I used my tilapia and pressed my fish cakes into crunchy panko, so I could bake them instead of frying them.
Then I had inadvertently cut the recipe for the dill sauce from the page, so I had to make up my own. I had fresh dill, chives, and light sour cream, so how easy was that!
Golden, crunchy fish cakes made with light and flaky Tilapia and crunchy Panko bread crumbs, served up with a creamy dill sauce. Not such a bad creative effort.
Add a few zucchini bites on the side with an herby dipping sauce, and now I’m really in the zone.
Happy cooking!

Ingredients
- Golden Crunchy Fish Cakes with Dill Dipping Sauce
- Serves 4
- 1 ½ cups Tilapia, cooked and flaked
- 1 small onion, finely minced
- 1 stalk celery, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 slices whole wheat bread, processed into bread crumbs
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 large egg white
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1. Heat oven to 400.
- 2. In a small non-stick skillet over medium heat, heat oil and add onion and celery. Cook for 3 minutes until softened.
- 3. Mix remaining ingredients EXCEPT Panko bread crumbs in a bowl.
- 4. Spray non-stick cookie sheet with cooking spray.
- 5. Form fish mixture into 8 patties and press each side of the patty into the panko crumbs.
- 6. Place on cookie sheet and spray tops with cooking spray.
- 7. Bake for 15 minutes until browned on the bottom, the flip. Bake another 15 minutes until lightly browned.
- 8. Serve with dill dipping sauce.
- Dill Dipping Sauce
- Serves 4
- 4 tablespoons light sour cream
- 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons non-fat milk
- 2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons dill, finely chopped
- Combine ingredients and chill for 15 minutes.
- Zucchini Bites
- Serves 4
- 4 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4" rounds
- 2 cups panko bread crumbs
- 1 large egg white
- 2 tablespoons fat free milk
- 1. Preheat oven to 400.
- 2. Spray non-stick cookie sheet with cooking spray.
- 3. Whip eggs and milk in a small bowl and put Panko in another small bowl.
- 4. Dip zucchini in egg mixture and then press into Panko crumbs.
- 5. Bake for 10 minutes and then flip over. Bake additional 5 - 10 minutes until lightly browned.
- 6. Serve with Tarragon Herb Dipping Sauce.
- Tarragon Herb Dipping Sauce
- Serves 4
- 4 tablespoons light sour cream
- 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
- 4 tablespoons fat free milk
- 2 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons tarragon, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- Combine ingredients and chill for 15 minutes.
What’s good for me in this dish?
Tilapia contains phosphorus, and a good source of protein, niacin, vitamin B12 and selenium. It’s also a good source of omega 3 fatty acids known to contribute to heart health.
Zucchini squash is high in vitamin C, manganese and magnesium. Helpful for prostate health. It’s also good for cardiovascular health.
Golden Crunchy Fish Cakes
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 157
Total Fat: 3.41g
Cholesterol: 43mg
Sodium: 198mg
Total Carbs: 11.35g
Dietary Fiber: 1.78g
Sugars: 2.24g
Protein: 20.91g
Weight Watchers Points 3
Dill Sauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 42
Total Fat: 2.09g
Cholesterol: 5mg
Sodium: 95mg
Total Carbs: 5.28g
Dietary Fiber: 0.94g
Sugars: 1.73g
Protein: 1.68g
Weight Watchers Points 1
Zucchini Bites
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 97
Total Fat: 0.88g
Cholesterol: —
Sodium: 190mg
Total Carbs: 18.39g
Dietary Fiber: 2.70g
Sugars: 4.79g
Protein: 5.25g
Weight Watchers Points 2
Tarragon Herb Dipping Sauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 33
Total Fat: 1.74g
Cholesterol: 5mg
Sodium: 168mg
Total Carbs: 3.63g
Dietary Fiber: 0.33g
Sugars: 1.75g
Protein: 1.22g
Weight Watchers Points 1
Nutrition details obtained from whfoods.org, nutritiondata.com, about.com, and abouthomecooking.com.
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