The Best Ever...Salmon Burgers

Notice the Louisiana hot sauce in the background? What a coincidence. I was just mentioning on some replies on my previous post that tropical storm Isaac is in Louisiana now. Since about 1 week now, we've been having heavy winds and rain here in South Florida, but nothing compares to the windy heavy storm we had last weekend, finally ending last night with several huge BANGS of thunder that shook all the windows.

When you're stuck inside all day on Sunday and half the day on Monday, due to the storm, you better have a plan while you have electricity, to make the best of the situation. As for me, I yearn for comfort food...not necessary junk food but something satisfying...yet, healthy! I had a brilliant idea to make burgers on my little George Foreman grill...better yet, a juicy salmon burger, with robust flavor, not too spicy, but intense in flavor.

How could you not have a burger without sides?...not me! Either fries, or onion rings, but I must confess I do love onion rings...good onion rings, and I am not going to wast any time making them from scratch just for me alone when I can get the Alexia onion rings in my local supermarkets freezer section.

I even made the dipping sauce that was sweet, and spicy (recipe on the side of the bag) I adapted it my way by adding the Louisiana hot sauce to kick it up a bit. No frying with these onion rings. Just bake it for 10 minutes on 400 degrees F. for a crisp perfect, crunchy onion rings that were dipped in Panko crumbs.

You must have tartar sauce with a delicious salmon burger...if not a tartar sauce, but then a special sauce. Now I have both, a ketchup based sweet and spicy dipping sauce, and a homemade tartar sauce that is way better than the store bought!

I was so inspired to make the tartar sauce that I have been making for years, which is really a simple method. Just have a good brand mayonnaise, and to make sure you add sweet pickle relish, or make your own pickle relish by chopping the pickles in your food processor.

So let's get started. For 2 salmon burgers, I used a piece of salmon fillet that was just under 1/2 lb.

2 scallions, trimmed and chopped coarsely.
2 or three pieces of fresh dill, stems cut
1 teaspoon lemon zest
juice of half of a lemon
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
freshly ground pepper, and sea salt to taste
(I used coarse sea salt ground fine)

Cut the salmon into 1 inch cubes, and add it to a food processor, adding all the listed ingredients.


Being careful not to process; just give it no more than 2 pulses, to keep it coarse, and not make it like ground meat. The Panko will help it hold together.

Have your grill set up, or your favorite grill pan or electric grill heating up.

This is the ideal consistency you should have. (my only problem was, I should have chopped the scallion into smaller pieces) food processor does not seem to chop it up in 2 pulses.

Now you are ready to pat them gently into patties.

On a large plate, add 1/4 cup more of the Panko crumbs and roll the salmon burgers in them. Gently pat some extra on each side.

Spray with PAM or other brand cooking spray on both sides. At this time, you can refrigerate them while you prepare the other easy sides to go with it!

Grill the salmon burgers on the George Foreman Grill, which of course has two sides for grilling which takes half the time than grilling in a grill pan, or on an outdoor grill.
Spray extra cooking spray while you're grilling,

Total time on George Foreman is 4-5 minutes. On a one sided grill you have to flip over to the other side. (4-5 minutes on each side)

Dipping Sauce for the onion rings and for the salmon burger (optional)

1 cup good quality ketchup
(I use Heinz)
1 teaspoon taco seasoning
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
few dashes of Louisiana hot sauce
Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl and serve for dipping, or spreading
.



Linking to:Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage
               Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop @ KatherinesCorner

I happen to snap this photo on Sunday. right in front of my T.V. surprised that the photo actually came out!
You can see the danger warning in red, and check out W. Palm Beach. On the right side of the line...next to the blue color, is where I reside, right smack in the way of the tropical storm. This is the first time I've experienced such strong tremendous winds and rain in all the years I've lived here...of course in another location, way west, but that area had the bad flooding this time.

Some beach "gawkers" viewing the rough waves. (I took this photo from my balcony, just in time before we had a huge rain downpour. Never fails to have thundering and several lightnings here. The thunder is so loud it shakes your doors and windows...no kidding. The main thing is we got through it without harm or damage other than objects flying around, and tree branches torn.

Lastly, I need to get your attention to something really important! The most annoying Word Verification! I borrowed this helpful widget from my friend Brad, @  Here to Ann Arbor, to make a point. Question:
Has any of you bloggers noticed the new type of word verification that is next to impossible to read the mumble jumble words?...or is it just me!

For the last 2 weeks the word verification has not let me send my comment through to your blog. I have a list of at least a dozen now...some of you I have notified, and you fixed the problem, and some of you promised to fix the problem, Jo, Kathy and Zsuzsa... so that I can comment but I'm still finding more with the same issues!

For some reason Google is doing this to me...blocking me, or maybe the Word Verification people; whoever they are! I've even replied back to Lena, and Zsuzsa on my blog, sent an e-mail letter to Michael, and tried to leave a comment today on Cucina 49. So, if any of you bloggers has this word verification, now you will know why you are not getting comments from me, and in some cases I have no way of contacting you to let you know.
So that's all from my ramblings.

Farfalle Pasta with Cream, Salmon, and Peas

I've been making this delicious pasta since the nineties but cannot remember the original source...I just know that it's absolutely divine! The only difference is, that I cut down on the butter and the heavy cream used in this dish to lighten it up a bit. There are other similar pasta dishes out there but with the smoked salmon, instead of the fresh and they don't use the petite frozen peas, or garnish it with dill. The fresh salmon gives it a lighter taste where you don't get that "smoky" aftertaste from the smoked salmon.

This beautiful dish represent Spring, it is also linked to #greenslove @ Mis Pensamientos and will be honoring St. Patrick's Day...although it's far from being an Irish dish, but at least it's green!

Farfalle Pasta with Cream, Salmon, and Peas
my own creation

12 ounces  (1 1/2 pound) Farfalle Pasta
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
juice of one fresh lemon
1/2 pound fresh salmon with skin on
2 Tbsp. sliced thin scallions (green part only)
2 Tbsp. fresh dill snipped with kitchen shears
sea salt, and freshly ground pepper

Boil pasta in a large pot, less than al-dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup. In a large wok or skillet, saute shallots till soft and wilted. Add the wine and cook down until almost evaporated. Add cream, and bring to a boil.Add the peas, and just let it cook for a minute or two in the cream. In the meantime bake, or cook in a skillet the salmon piece adding the 1 Tbsp olive oil and sprinkle a little sea salt, and freshly ground pepper.Cook for about 8 minutes (will be cooking for an addition 2 minutes combined in the pasta)

Add pasta to cream mixture, along with the lemon juice, lemon zest. With a fork flake the salmon in small pieces off from the skin, and add to the pasta mixture. Add the scallions, 1 Tbsp. of the fresh dill, and add the reserved pasta water, if needed. Adjust the seasoning with sea salt and pepper.You can also drizzle a little bit of the extra virgin olive oil on top.
Serves 4

May you always have walls for the winds,
a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire,
laughter to cheer you, those you love near you,
and all your heart might desire.

`Irish Blessing

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Brown Sugar-Glazed Salmon

Is there anyone that does not like salmon?...Salmon is low in calories and fat, and high in protein. It is a power food.. It's  high in Omega 3 fats. High consumption of Omega 3's are associated with lower cholesterol and lower blood pressure....but this does not apply to your little ones, who only enjoy the salmon, as in this one, if it has a nice sweet brown sugar glaze. My daughter loves to buy all sorts of foods at Whole Foods, which I really love, as well. They carry the best of the best health foods, organic foods, and all kinds of fresh sea foods, as in fresh Alaskan wild sockeye salmon.

Brown Sugar-Glazed Salmon
my own recipe


1 1/2 lb. Whole Salmon
salt and pepper to taste
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

Place salmon in aluminum lined foil line baking pan. Make sure you spray, or grease the pan, before placing the salmon. Set oven temperature to 425 degrees F. You can
spread half of the glaze on the salmon, and bake for about
7 minutes covered, with the glaze mixture. Uncover, spread
the remaining glaze, and bake for an additional 5 minutes, until
top gets a nice, and shiny glaze. Serves 4.

note: after salmon is done, you can easily portion it out!

Sauteed Organic Kale

1 large bunch of Kale,
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion chopped
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon

No brainer, for this vegetable. All you have to do, is to wash it and chop the coarse stem, and the leaves into bit size pieces. Boil it in water for about 10 minutes...afterwards. saute in extra virgin olive oil, and chopped garlic. Serve over rice.