It has happened to everyone: you’ve cooked more fish than you can eat. What a waste to throw it away, you say. Never fear. There are a few ways you can get another good meal out of your leftovers.

For the busy cook, it is helpful to note that both of the following recipes can benefit from cooked fish hanging out overnight in the fridge. Being firm and slightly drier can help with cakes or salad.

Fish Cakes

Fish cakes are a great way to use leftover fish that you may not have loved the first time around. Maybe you tried Mullet, Mackerel, or Bluefish and you weren’t really a fan. Most fish lose their strong flavors when cooked as a cake. You get the nutrients of the fish and your money’s worth. Fish cakes make an easy lunch or weeknight meal.

This simple recipe calls for Salmon, but you can use any fish.

The gist is this: crumble the cooked fish in a bowl, add green onions, garlic or shallots, spices and and egg to bind. You can go with European spices like thyme, sage, and rosemary; or you can go Eastern with curry or other spices. A key step is to refrigerate the cakes for at least 30 minutes so they get firm. Take them out and roll in flour to coat. Fry until golden and eat!

Fish Salad

After a lovely fish dinner, pop your leftovers in the fridge and rest easy knowing a delicious fish salad is coming your way. You’ll use a Tuna salad recipe, like this one, to get started.

There are a couple of key ingredients required for a great fish salad: celery salt, lemon, and a combination of half mayonnaise and half Greek yogurt. Celery salt adds a subtle flavor while mixing in half yogurt adds a light zip.

From here on, you can add whatever your heart desires. Cilantro or curry adds a fresh pop. BBQ or sweet relish adds a subtly sweet flavor.

So next time you’re at our markets, don’t worry about getting too much fish. There are lots of easy, fast ways to turn leftovers into lunch.