Salmon Patties

Ok class, who likes salmon?  

Oh, Oh me! Me!  (Picture me, hand raised, jumping up and down out of my desk!!)

I mean, what's not to like?  Delicious pink salmon, eggs, veggies, lemon, bread crumbs, seasoning?  Sounds like a perfect combination to me.

There's a couple ways you could make these.  You could use leftover salmon, or canned salmon.  

Canned salmon is such an awesome thing.  It's super cheap (a couple bucks), and crazy amounts of healthy! Think protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and others.

I try to eat fish once a week, but that only happens like once every 3 weeks.  So I guess I technically eat fish a couple times per month.  I wish it were more, but it's pretty freaking expensive.  Canned salmon is the solution!!

Other cool things, besides the price, about canned salmon:

*You can buy "wild" canned salmon, which is the best when it comes to nutrients.  I've read research that has shown farmed salmon to have 90%+ less vitamin D than wild fish!!!  That's just plain silly, especially since fish is one of our few dietary sources of vitamin D.  

*Canned salmon still has the bones in it, but since they are "canned," or cooked, the bones just melt in your mouth.  Occasionally you get a bigger bone and they make a pop in your mouth like Pop Rocks!  That's why Greg likes canned salmon.  He thinks the bones are cool.  Well not only are the bones cool, but they are a great source of calcium, too!

*It's a great source of omega-3's.  Dietitians and physicians all agree that we need more of these healthy fats in our diet!

OK, I have seriously mastered the salmon patty, it's one of my specialties.  Are you ready?

1 can salmon, drained

2 green onions, chopped

1/4 c. sweet onion, chopped (you could saute these a bit to take the edge off)

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 egg, beaten

2-4 TB lemon juice

1/3 c. bread crumbs (add more if necessary)

2 tsp. dried dill (or fresh!)

Salt & Pepper, to taste

canola oil, for pan frying

Make sure you chop your veggies up really fine.

Combine everything (except oil) in a large mixing bowl.  Stir together with a fork, breaking up the salmon, mixing until well combined.

This next step is the big secret!  Ready?
Coat the bottom of your frying pan with canola oil.  You want it to cover the whole pan.  You may be tempted to use less, but this really perfects the patty and keeps it from falling apart.  Now heat the oil over med-high heat until it's hot!
PS. Definitely use canola or vegetable oil here, because it's ideal for high heat frying.  Using olive oil would not be good for this recipe because it has a lower smoke point.

While your oil is heating up, use your hands to form patties.  Your oil should be good and hot by now.  You want to hear a major sizzle when you place the patties in the pan.

Now cook a few minutes on each side, until beautifully golden brown.

Place on a paper towel lined plate to remove excess oil.

Serve with some healthy sides like brown rice and green beans.  Can you also see what is hiding in the picture?

The WINE!!!  

It always seems to slip into my photos.  

Maybe because the WINE is always hanging out with me when I cook.... 

When I eat.

When I blog. 

The hidden wine makes me think that I should hide some wine in each of my blog posts and see who the first person is to find it.  Instead of "Where's Waldo", we'll call it "Where's the Wino?"

Sounds fun.  We'll see if I remember!

Bon Appétit!

D