Spring Salmon Burgers Made with Canned Salmon

I loooove salmon burgers but pre-cooking a fillet and using that to make burgers -- or mincing up raw fish - is too much to ask of me on a weeknight. So, this recipe uses canned salmon instead. If you make them I think you’ll be amazed at how fancy a simple can of salmon can become with just a few extra ingredients!

Mix in fresh herbs for a burst of flavor: these burgers use parsley and fresh baby dill, which gives each bite a pop or flavor. Onion, garlic and cayenne help too!

Use something that will give the burgers a crispy crust. You can use almond flour or bread crumbs, but my favorite is cornmeal. It toasts up on the edges, giving the burgers a nice crispy finish. Plus, I pretty much always have a quarter cup of cornmeal laying around.

Keep it all together: Because this recipe uses canned salmon, you need something to glue everything together. For this recipe, you need to add an egg into the mix. If you were using raw salmon, you might be able to skip this, but here you need it.

Stir, but not too much: This is more of a personal preference. I mash the mixture with a fork, but only just enough to get the egg, cornmeal, and herbs mixed in. I try to leave some of the salmon in small chunks because it gives the final burgers a flakey texture. If you mash the fish too much, the burgers will still taste fine, they’ll just be lacking some flakiness.

Serve with a creamy, tart sauce. These are served with a lemon-yogurt and dill sauce, which brightens up the dish and compliments the herbs in the burger. Tradition tartar sauce would work too.

In these pictures, I served the burgers over baby greens with radishes and sprouts, but they'd also be fantastic over Green Machine Slaw, or Roasted Asparagus and Raw Radish Salad. Plus, a glass of rosé, which really made my canned salmon meal feel extra fancy 😉

Spring Salmon Burgers Made with Canned Salmon

Published April 17, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 3   |    Total Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

For the Salmon Burgers:
• 1 six ounce can of salmon, juices drained
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup cornmeal or almond meal
• 1 tablespoon minced parsley
• 1 teaspoon minced dill or 1/4 teaspoon dried dill 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoon minced onion
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

For the Yougurt Sauce:
• 3 tablespoons greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh dill, minced, OR 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/16 teaspoon each salt & ground cayenne

Directions:

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine salmon, egg, cornmeal, parsley, dill, salt, cayenne, and minced garlic & onion. Using a fork, mash just enough to incorporate the ingredients, leaving the fish flakey still.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. When the oil glistens, shape salmon mixture into three equally-sized patties, about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch thick, and place in skillet. Cook on the first side for about 7 minutes, then, use a spatula to flip to second side. Outside should be crispy and golden.
3. While the salmon burgers cook, make the yogurt sauce: combine ingredients in small bowl and stir until smooth.
4. Serve salmon burgers as desired — on buns, over greens, etc - with a smear of yogurt sauce on top, and extra dill or cayenne if desired.

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon, Garlic & Parmesan

"Love at first bite" is not how I would describe my relationship with asparagus. It was on my list of least favorite foods for years on years. Despite childhood my complaints, my dad put it on the dinner table it relentlessly. Maybe he was on to something, because I'll load my plate with seconds and thirds when it comes to asparagus now. 

Then again, way back then, I hadn't tried asparagus like this: drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkled with fresh lemon zest, and dusted with shredded cheese. Oh no -- back then it was always steamed. But steamed asparagus and oven-roasted asparagus can not be compared. They are a world apart. 

Use thinner asparagus for this recipe. It cooks quickly and gets crispy (the crispy bits are the best). Plus, the cheese to asparagus ratio is ideal on the skinnier stalks! 

Speaking of cheese, let's talk about the cheese: you could really use what ever type of hard cheese you want for this recipe. Parmesan would work great. I used a 3-year Gouda I splurged on at Whole Foods that is equally as hard as parmesan for these photos. Robusto would probably also be great! 

Roasted asparagus is the perfect side to grilled fish or this Walnut & Herb Crusted Salmon.

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon, Garlic & Parmesan

Published April 12, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1 pound asparagus (I prefer the skinnier ones for this recipe)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
• 1-2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest, plus lemon slices for garnish
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Fit a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.
2. Cut the last inch from each stalk of asparagus and discard. Spread stalks out on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, using a pastry brush to coat each stalk, or simply turning the stalks over with a fork until they are well coated. Sprinkle with garlic, cheese and lemon zest, and then season with salt & pepper.
3. Bake for 10-13 minutes, until tops of the asparagus start to turn crisp and stalks are bright green. They should be tender through. Serve hot, with lemon slices for garnish.

Brussels Sprout & Mushroom Stir Fry

Part of me hates going to Costco: to lines, the people, the hustle and bustle. But part of me loves it: the fridge full of organic veggies when we get home, frozen wild fish fillets that I can cook into fish tacos all month long, and giant jars of peanut butter (always). 

Brussels sprouts and mushrooms are two things I almost never leave Costco without. As far as vegetables go, they stay good in the fridge for a while, and we always go through them all. Costco trips mean recipes like this: Brussels Sprouts and Mushroom Sesame Stir Fry.

Toasted sesame oil is one of my favorite condiments because it’s depth of flavor adds so much to any Asian-style dish! Along with a drizzle of soy sauce and a spoonful of maple syrup? That’s where the magic happens. It’s a sweet, savory, nutty combination that goes with just about anything.

I use shiitake mushrooms in this recipe because they work well in recipes that have Asian flavors (like soy and sesame). If you can’t find shiitake mushrooms, baby portobellos will work just fine!

After you’ve made this recipe with brussels sprouts, you might find that the sauce is extremely adaptable — you could do this same exact thing with broccoli or zucchini.

Brussels Sprout & Mushroom Sesame Stir Fry

Published March 15, 2018 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 2 cups brussels sprouts, halved
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced (I used shiitake but cremini mushrooms also work well)
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil 
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce 
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1-2 tablespoon sesame seeds 

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat until it glistens. Add mushrooms and brussels sprouts to the pan, stirring briefly.
2. Allow veggies to cook for 10 minutes, stirring ocassionally. Mushrooms should begin to soften and brussels should start to brown just on the edges. Add minced garlic to the pan, and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring every minute or so.
3. Drizzle soy sauce, maple syrup, and sesame oil into pan and stir. Cook for 3 more minutes. Add sesame seeds to taste, and remove from heat. Serve hot!