Martha Stewart's Tip For Using Day-Old Salmon Won't Feel Like Leftovers

Whether you prefer to buy individual fillets or cut a whole salmon yourself, it can be tough to figure out how to repurpose leftover fish, especially if you don't want to heat it up. Thankfully, Martha Stewart has a tip that makes it easy to make the most of your leftover salmon — no one will be the wiser that they're actually eating leftovers. Creating a salmon salad is the perfect way to use up the rest of the fish you had for dinner last night, while also using up any veggies you have hanging around your fridge.

To create a Stewart-style salmon salad, you don't need to do anything too fancy. Place your leftover fish in the middle of a plate and flake it a bit with a fork. Surround it with whatever vegetables or other seafood you have on hand. Arrange it neatly around the fish, making the salmon the star of the show. Since this meal is delicious when served cold, this is an almost-zero-prep meal that helps you stretch your leftovers. If you want to heat it before serving, don't pop it in the microwave — try re-roasting salmon in the oven instead. Drizzle your salad with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little lemon juice for an instantly flavorful lunch.

Salmon salad isn't the only way to create a leftover salmon dish that will keep you coming back for more. Much like crab cakes, salmon cakes are simple and just as delicious on their own as they are on a bun. They can usually be made with whatever you have in your pantry or fridge. Flake your salmon and use a binder, such as eggs or mayonnaise, to help the meat adhere to the breadcrumbs (bonus points if you make them yourself). Toss the breaded salmon cakes into a pan with a bit of oil and fry them to perfection. Just avoid the salmon cake mistake of letting them get too dry — you may need to add an extra egg.

Day-old salmon also fares well with acidic ingredients, and nobody will know that you're serving leftovers from the day before. For a twist on Martha Stewart's salad idea, you can try incorporating flaked salmon into a pasta salad with pickle juice. You can also reheat salmon with a squeeze of lime juice to make taco salad, or you can try serving it over a cold noodle salad with a citrusy Japanese ponzu sauce. Salmon is too flavorful to let go to waste, so treat your fish right with any of these creative meal concepts.