Salmon and Feta Burgers
All this talk of fish is making me hungry. Eat it for its excellent health benefits; just be careful of the kind and source you choose. Wild salmon is a good choice – not too big to have built up toxins but full of omega 3 fats.
Ingredients
1 ½ lbs salmon filet, boneless, skinless, and cut into chunks
1 cup fresh whole grain bread crumbs
½ cup goat’s feta, crumbled
¼ cup shallots or green onions, minced
1 tbsp honey or dijon mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 egg
1 tbsp fresh dill, minced
1 tsp lemon zest, grated
¼ tsp Celtic sea salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
To make fresh bread crumbs – put 2 slices of whole grain bread into food processor and pulse into fluffy soft crumbs. (If using dry or cracker crumbs, cut amount in half). Place salmon chunks in a food processor. Pulse on and off until salmon is chopped into very small pieces. (Or use a knife if mincing salmon by hand.) Transfer salmon to a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well using your hands. Form mixture into 6 patties – about ¾ inch thick. Place patties on a large plate, cover, and refrigerated for 1 hour (to help hold their shape during cooking). Spray a large skillet or grill with olive oil and heat to medium-high heat. Add patties and cook for about 4 minutes per side, until salmon is cooked through. Be careful not to overcook and flip with caution. Serve on whole grain bun like a burger or on brown rice for a more formal meal. Makes 6.
Adapted from Janet and Greta Podleski, Eat, Shrink, and Be Merry!; 2005.
Nutritional Value of Select Ingredients
Salmon – This cold-water fish is high in omega 3 fatty acids, shown to be very beneficial in protecting against heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cancers (breast, prostate, colon, and lung), asthma, depression, diabetes, macular degeneration, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Choose wild over farmed for the highest benefit.
Goat Cheese – A great substitute for dairy cheeses, goat cheese less allergenic and is much easier for most people to digest. Cow’s have four stomachs whereas goats and humans both have only one. We digest in more of a similar manner, allowing for better tolerance and digestion of goat milk products.
Dill – This herb is a carminative – helping eliminate gas. It is also useful in supporting the liver in its detoxification duties, and has anticancer and antimicrobial effects.
Shallots – Because they are high in sulfur, shallots (a member of the onion family) help lower cholesterol, inhibit cancerous tumor growth, help manage diabetes, and are an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal food that are also a blood tonic. Eat them daily – raw or cooked.
