Fish Cakes for Mental Energy + Successful Studies 🐟✨️📖
As a Canadian witch with East Coast roots, I am especially fond of fish cakes! The crispy salty goodness of fresh fried fish evokes a nostalgic longing for days spent wandering the seaside and collecting stones on the beach. This recipe also kept me fed through University, as it incorporates affordable and delicious ingredients that are nutritious and easily accessible. This is also a quick meal to whip up when pressed for time, making it a delicious and convenient treat that delivers a high protein energy boost for long nights of studying, and seemingly never ending mid-summer days. I apologize for the lack of precise measurements, as much like my grandmother, I tend to measure foods in subjective handfuls and pinches, based on “the vibes” of the dish or the day.
✨️ Magickal Associations ✨️
It was once thought that fish cooked with dill would help to boost brain power, as it would energize the mind. This makes sense considering the high vitamin B12 content of fish, which is important for brain health, as well as the magickal associations of dill with the planet Mercury, which corresponds with intelligence. Many of the ingredients in this recipe also correspond with grounding, love, and joy, making this a helpful dish for finding focus and promoting passion and joy in one's studies! The protection + fertility-inducing ingredients may also help to prompt the development of creative ideas and the completion of projects, hence why this recipe was a key indulgence for me during finals season.
Note: For this particular batch, I ran out of crackers, so I supplemented the recipe with a small handful of oats. Sounds weird but it worked!
Ingredients
1 can tuna: Love + energy
1 large egg: Protection, fertility, grounding
1-2 tbsp mayo: Same associations as egg
½ cup bread crumbs or crushed crackers (I use GF Breton Crackers that I crush in a plastic bag, although you could also use a large mortar and pestle if you’re feeling fancy): Grounding
2 pinches of cumin seeds: Peace + joy
1 tbsp cornstarch: For binding/thickening the cakes
1 finely chopped green onion: Protection
Finely chopped dill: Love, intelligence, mental energy
A dash of lemon pepper salt: Love + Protection
Black pepper: Protection
Grated aged white cheese - as much as your heart desires, or in my case, as much as my stomach will tollerate: Love
Directions:
1. Cleanse your space (literally/spiritually) and light a candle while cooking to bring in some invigorating solar energy into your cooking!
2. Crack an egg into a medium sized bowl, stirring clockwise (to stir in your intentions for mental energy + successful studies) until the whites and yolk are well combined.
3. Add mayo and continue to stir clockwise.
4. Add well drained tuna (to avoid soggy fish cakes) and stir in the remaining ingredients.
5. Heat a pan on medium heat and grease well with canola/any high temp cooking oil.
6. Form the mix into balls (I usually make 3) and place them on the pan, flattening them with a spatula.
7. Cook until well browned and both sides, flipping them halfway to ensure optimal crispiness.
Enjoy with a summer salad of choice or roasted veggies if made in the winter months!
PS:
I made my summer salad with leftover ingredients from my fridge. I included greens from a local garden plot (for money/prosperity), Ontario-grown carrots (love) + blueberries (protection), and a garlic/caesar vinaigrette (protection + health). Sorry for the out of focus pic, I was too hungry to perfect my food photography lol
Sources:
Made this recipe in Uni but it’s definitely inspired by east coast dishes and my grandmother's cooking!
Scott Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen - Used for food associations + lore
