This is one of those recipes that you don’t think about until it’s 6 pm on a weeknight and you realize you didn’t defrost anything for dinner. It’s fast and easy, and it’s healthier and less expensive than grabbing take out. I know this recipe sounds pedestrian and just ok, but I assure you that it’s very tasty. Having choices like this in your dinner arsenal will also help keep your waistline and pocketbook in check.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 cans salmon
2 eggs
1 clove garlic
1 small shallot
1-2 green onions
dill weed, to taste
salt, to taste
1/2. c. panko breadcrumbs
1 lemon

Preparation:

Dice the shallot and green onion, and mince the garlic. Set aside. If you don’t have shallots laying around the house, you can use about 1/2 of a regular onion instead.

Slice lemon into quarters. Set aside.

Open the cans of salmon and dump them into a large mixing bowl.

Pick through the salmon meat, removing visible bones and larger pieces of skin. Be sure to get the backbones out. Technically you can eat them, but no one wants to. They’re gross.

In a small bowl, beat eggs.

Add shallots, onion, garlic, and eggs to salmon. Gently stir to incorporate.

Add breadcrumbs and fold in until well incorporated. You might have to add more than the recipe calls for. Just eyeball it. You want the mixture to be the consistency of meatloaf. You don’t want wet patties.

Add salt and dill weed. Season to taste.

Assembly:

Heat olive oil or coconut oil in a skillet on the stove. Medium heat is fine.

Form hamburger-sized patties with the salmon mixture.

When the oil is hot, add the patties to the pan. When they are firm, golden brown, and crispy, flip with a spatula and do the same on the other side.

Place finished patties on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Squeeze a wedge of lemon over your patty for extra flavor. Salmon and citrus pair very well together.

Note: I like to serve this meal with a quick salad. You can also serve the salmon patties hamburger-style on a bun with tomato and lettuce.

Substitution Alert: You can also make these patties with fresh salmon. Broil, bake, or pan-sear the salmon ahead of time, remove skin, and flake into a bowl. Let the salmon cool before you continue with the next steps of the recipe.

We’ve been trying to be more health conscious in our home, and in case you are too, I’ve included some basic nutrition information for this recipe. Please keep in mind that these numbers are specific to the brands I use. Your mileage may vary. Also, my math might be wrong, so just take these with a grain of salt…

Serving: one patty
Calories per serving: 130
Carbohydrates per serving: 8 g
Protein per serving: 17 g