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Bubala included cauliflower puree to make use of leftovers, but you can just as easily substitute cooked mashed potatoes or do without it altogether.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

LENTILS

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil

1 tablespoon each diced carrot, onion, celery

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

5 tablespoons cauliflower puree

1 hot dog, diced

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 cup lentils

SALMON CAKES

3 (6-ounce) cans salmon

1 tablespoon each diced celery, onion, parsley

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons Italian bread crumbs, plus 1/2 cup to coat

2 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided

Make the lentils: Heat butter or olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic and parsley and sweat over low heat.

Spoon cauliflower puree into another pot and place it on top of the pot with the vegetables. This will allow the cauliflower puree to gently heat up.

Add diced hot dog to the sauteed vegetables and stir. Deglaze the pan by adding stock and scraping up the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add lentils and cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated (about 20 minutes), adding more stock if necessary to keep the lentils from drying out.

Make salmon cakes: Drain the salmon. Combine it and the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, mixing well. Form into 8 or 9 cakes about 3/4-inch thick. Lightly coat cakes in the 1/2 cup of bread crumbs.

Heat nonstick saute pan on med-high. Coat bottom of pan with olive oil. Add the cakes, then add 1/2 tablespoon of butter to the pan.

Cook salmon cakes about 2 minutes on the first side until lightly browned, then flip and cook other side.

Stir 2 tablespoons of butter into the warm lentils. To serve, spoon some cauliflower puree onto a plate, top with salmon cake and spoon lentils on the side.

John Bubala

Nutrition facts per serving: 644 calories, 32 g fat, 12 g saturated fat, 94 mg cholesterol, 42 g carbohydrates, 44 g protein, 1,281 mg sodium, 16 g fiber