Salmon Patties

Here in the Conley household, we love us some salmon!  Jake and I have always eaten a lot of salmon, and when we introduced it to Luke a few months ago, he loved it too.  I try to fix salmon at least once a week so we can all get our omega-3 fix. :)

Of course living in land-locked Tennesee makes serving good quality, yet affordable salmon a bit of a challenge.  We LOVE the fresh salmon at Publix (they have some in a bourbon marinade that is do die for!), but it's a little too pricey for us to buy every week.  I've found some frozen salmon at Sam's Club that isn't half bad, so we eat that quite a bit. But I'm always on the lookout for new and creative ways to work salmon into our weeknight dinners.

Several months ago, I came across this recipe on Pinterest for Goat Cheese and Spinach Salmon Burgers.  Goat cheese, spinach, and salmon happen to be three of my favorite foods, so I was intrigued. When I looked at the recipe, I was surprised to see that it called for canned salmon.  I don't know why, but I've always avoided canned salmon.  Something about the bones and the skin and the smell have always grossed me out.  However, I must admit that it is very affordable.  And these burgers looked super yummy, so I decided to give them a try.

I am so glad I did!  Jake and I were both amazed by how good they were.  I think we were both expecting something kind of mediocre-edible but not outstanding.  I mean, it was canned salmon after all.  But we were blown away!  These burgers were moist, flavorful, and absolutely delicious.  They have now become one of our favorite ways to eat salmon. 

I've tweaked the recipe a bit and made it a little easier (and less gross!) by using pouches of salmon instead of cans.  No bones, skin, or draining required and still very affordable. The first time we ate these, we ate them without buns because I didn't have any. 

Since then we have tried them both ways, but we actually prefer them bunless (is that a word??).  So we call them salmon patties instead of burgers.  It just doesn't seem right to call something a burger if you don't eat it with a bun, ya know? 

Here's the recipe with my adaptations:

You'll need fresh spinach, pouches of salmon (or cans), goat cheese (feta also works), bread crumbs, eggs, garlic powder, and onion powder.  And salt and olive oil.  Forgot to put those in the photo.  Oops!

Start by chopping your spinach.  I like to just throw it in a large bowl and use these awesome Pampered Chef Salad Choppers.  I use them all the time!  They're great for chopping chicken, veggies, pasta, and obviously salad.  Definitely recommend them!

If you don't have salad choppers, you can also just use a knife and cutting board.

Next add the salmon (drained with bones and skin removed if using canned), eggs, bread crumbs, lemon juice, and seasonings.

Now the original recipe calls for a chopped onion.  I am not a big fan of crunchy pieces of onion in things, so the first time I made this, I sauteed the onions on olive oil and that worked well.  The second time I was in a hurry and didn't have time to chop an onion, so I used onion powder.  Definitely a lot easier, and I think it still tasted great.  If you have the time and desire to chop an onion (something I always hate doing!), feel free.  Otherwise, I recommend the powder.

 
Stir all of these ingredients together well.  Feel free to use your hands.  You'll be getting them messy later anyway. :) 

Then add your goat or feta cheese and stir until just combined.

Now shape the mixture into patties.  This makes four large patties, but I like to separate out the last into two little ones for Luke. These freeze really well, so I usually freeze one of the extra big and little patties for us to have for lunch on another day.

Chill these in the fridge for 30 minutes.  I confess, I don't always have time to do this, but they do stick together better when you do.

When you're ready to cook them, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook the patties about 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

And there you have it!  An easy, healthy, and delicious week night meal.  We like to eat them with a salad and bread or sometimes roasted sweet potatoes.

Luke loves them and so do we!

Salmon Patties with Goat Cheese & Spinach

Adapted from Hummusapien

2 small pouches of salmon (or a 14.5 oz can)
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 egg + 1 egg white
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp onion powder (or 1/2 cup chopped & sauteed onion)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 oz crumbled goat or feta cheese
Olive oil

Combine chopped spinach, salmon, egg, breadcrumbs, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt in a large bowl and stir until well combined. Gently stir in cheese.

Shape into patties and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat about 1 Tbs of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook patties about 5 minutes per side or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

~Rachel