Salmon Burgers

First of all, if you haven't checked out LaDonna Gunderson's tome on cooking everything with salmon, you should do it! 

http://www.amazon.com/Salmon-Desserts-Friends-Ladonna-Gundersen/dp/157833523X

Mom picked up a copy for each of us, and we find it an incredibly useful resource for new recipes using canned salmon (though it contains recipes for fresh and smoked salmon as well).

I don't want to give away the recipe here because I really do want you to buy the book, but it should be no surprise to our Alaskan friends and family that the main ingredients in salmon burgers are:

• canned salmon
• eggs
• panko crumbs (regular bread crumbs will do if you don't have panko crumbs)
• onion
• garlic
• basil (or dill, depending on your preference)

The sauce includes:

• mayonnaise
• lemon juice
• basil (or dill, depending on your preference)

S. and I made these on Saturday AND Sunday. One 32-oz jar of salmon yields 4 medium-sized patties. Be sure to drain the salmon well, and don't make the patties too large or they will fall apart.


-Marie

Salmon Dilly Pie

Every once in a while I try a new recipe that just doesn't quite cut it, literally.  I'm open to trying new things, and I love the ingredients of this recipe, but it didn't turn out like I expected it to.  I might make it again, using the suggested changes.  The flavor was quite good even if the texture was not.

Salmon Dilly Pie
2 cups salmon, cooked                            2 Tb butter
1 9" deep dish pie shell                           1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup cheddar cheese                              2 eggs
3/4 cup sour cream                                 1 tsp. cornstarch
1 bunch green onions
1 Tb dill weed

Place 1/2 c. cheddar cheese in bottom of pie shell.  Add cooked salmon over the top of the cheese.  In pan, saute chopped green onions and dill weed in butter. Add cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, beaten eggs, and cornstarch.  Simmer for 10 min.  Pour cream mixture over salmon, sprinkling the top with the other 1/2 c. cheese.  Bake 375 for 40 min.

Helpful Hints
The most disappointing result of this recipe was the gelatinous texture of the filling.  I think it probably could have been cooked another 20 minutes and been just fine.  My favorite quiche recipe calls for a cooking time of 50 minutes, but I know it really takes about 75.  The leftovers are separated, ready to take to work next week.  Once I microwave them I'll know if a longer cooking time would have made a difference.

~Julie

It certainly looks tasty.  Notice the salmon chunks on the bottom.

The finished pie, all nice and brown.

Before going into the preheated oven.  Add tinfoil to the crust edges to prevent burning.

Creamy filling.

Sauteed dill weed and green onions.

And another easy meal....

We went wine tasting up to Amador county with good friends yesterday.  On the way back we stopped at a (large) local farmers stand and bought fresh produce.  The eggplants are gorgeous this year, and for only a buck you can't go wrong. We also bought a huge bag of green beans for 2.50 and a basket of cherry tomatoes for 1.00.  Great finds!

Ingredients
1 eggplant
1 beaten egg
2 cups Panko, seasoned with Italian seasoning
Parmesan cheese (added to the Panko)
Olive oil
Jarred spaghetti sauce
Mozzarella or provolone cheese

Eggplant Parmesan
Slice eggplant in 1/2 inch thick pieces.  Lay on a baking pan in single slices.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and let set for 1 hour.  Wipe salt and excess moisture off.  Assemble the egg and panko in separate bowls near the stove.  Lightly coat a saute pan with olive oil and heat on med until hot.  Dip the eggplant in the egg, turning to coat.  Dip in panko, turning to coat.  Add to the hot saute pan and let cook until browned on both sides.  Place in a 9x13 baking dish that's been sprayed with baking spray. Once all the pieces are browned and in the baking dish (may have to use more than one baking pan), cover each piece with approximately 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce.  Grate mozzarella cheese cheese, or use sliced provolone, and sprinkle on top of each piece.  Cook on 375 for about 25 minutes, or until the cheese is nicely browned.  Let cool for 10 minutes.

Sauteed Green Beans
Wash and cut green beans to desired length.  Heat olive oil in pan, add green beans, and cook on medium until the green beans are no longer hard.  Cover the pan for a few minutes, just to soften the green beans.  When the Eggplant comes out of the oven, uncover the green beans and turn the heat up high, sauteing until the green beans have a nice, light brown color on them.  Add roasted cherry tomatoes if desired.  To roast tomatoes, stir them with a little bit of olive oil, add salt and pepper, and cook on low heat (300) for 30 minutes or until they break open and are sizzling.

Helpful Hints
The green beans don't have to be started until the eggplant goes into the oven.
More or less cheese can be added, depending on how much you like.  I happened to have some sliced provolone that needed to be used so each piece in my pan had a round slice on top.
This dish is great with a nice red from Dobra Zemlja winery ( or any red for that matter )

~Julie

What We've Been Eating...

In the spirit of our (almost) fall-like weather, I made a chicken pot pie.  Super delicious and fairly easy to  make.

Ingredients
1 Pillsbury rolled crust
1 whole chicken
2 carrots, 2 stalks celery, 2 small potatoes, 2 mushrooms
3 Tb butter
2 to 3 Tb flour
1/2 block of cream cheese
broth from the chicken

Boil the chicken and save the broth.  Refrigerate overnight and skim the fat off the next day.  Chop vegetables and saute in butter until just soft (including potatoes).  Add flour, stir, and let cook for about 3 minutes.  Slowly add the chicken broth (2 or 3 cups worth) , stir to get rid of lumps. Once the chicken broth is incorporated add the cream cheese and cook on low heat until the mixture is thick and the cream cheese is melted.  Add more chicken broth if needed.  Add about 1/3 of the cooked chicken.  Season with pepper, sage, and thyme.  Cool completely.  Let the crust sit out for about 30 minutes, until it's easy to unroll.  Layer the bottom of a pie pan with one crust, add cooled mixture, then layer the top crust on and crimp edges.  Put small pieces of tin foil around the edges so it won't burn.  Cook at 375 for at least one hour.  If the top isn't nicely browned then cook for another 10 minutes.

Helpful Hints
The most important step in this recipe is to cool the filling before adding it to the crust.  If the filling is even warm it will make the crust gummy.
~Julie