Tilapia Fish Cakes with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

These fish cakes are delicious and fresh tasting, with a light fish flavor from the tilapia, and plenty of veggies!  Serve with your favorite crab cake toppings, such as flavored mayo.  In this case we made a cucumber yogurt sauce - "cacik" in Turkish - to accompany the cakes.
Serves about 3.
Ingredients for Fish Cakes:
4 Tilapia fillets, medium sized
1 Tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper for fish
1 leek, white part only, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
1/3 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black or cayenne pepper
zest from 1 lemon
juice from 1/2 lemon
2 Tbsp mayo
water for patty forming, if necessary
Veggie oil for frying, about 4 Tbsp

For Cacik topping:
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 medium size cucumber pealed and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt

Heat the oven to 375F.  Drizzle tilapia with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Bake on baking sheet about 10 minutes until cooked but not browning (you want the fish to stay moist or patty forming will be difficult).  Remove from oven and cool.  Mix the remaining ingredients well (except veggie oil) then crumble in the cooled tilapia and mix well.  Form into patties, if patties crumble add a little water to each patty.  Place patties in fridge for about 1 hour to firm up.  Meanwhile make the cacik (if using) and place in fridge for flavors to mingle. Heat the veggie oil over medium heat in pan or electric griddle. Cook each patty about 4 minutes on each side, until browning.  Add more oil to pan as needed.  Serve with cacik or favorite toppings and lemon wedge.  Enjoy!