Would you believe that a regular ol’ salmon burger is one of the first dishes I made from the first cookbook I ever bought, where I actually thought ‘oh wow, I can totally do this cooking thing!’ It seems like a lifetime ago, and I know I have come so far from those first few fumbles in the kitchen, but I still love to turn back time and indulge in a salmon burger from time to time.
Tonight was one of those nights. I had planned on making this super fresh, zesty, seasonal salad that was all about spring. No sooner had I decided on what to cook, the clouds rolled in and we had a full-blown storm blowing, complete with thunder and lightning. I know for a lot of you that is nothing exciting, but here in Northern California, it is such a rarity. In fact, I think this is the first proper storm I have witnessed in the two and a half years we have lived here!
The kids were super excited (I don’t think either of them have ever actually witnessed a storm – how weird is that!), so we let dinner plans slide and bundled up in a blankie knitted by nana to sit on the front porch and watch the rain pounding down. It was magical, even if it sounds cliché to say so.
Well it was magical until some huge man who had clearly just stolen someone’s bicycle ran past and threw a helmet into the bushes next door….at which point we retreated to the safety of the house 🙂 Ah, suburban crime.
In a roundabout way, sitting watching the rain made me think of Newcastle (Australia), where I witnessed a lot of beautiful storms, which made me think of our wee house there and in turn led to me craving a salmon burger….and here we are. Sometimes the mind is a funny thing.
So, what is so special about these little burgers? Well they are loaded with quinoa instead of breadcrumbs, the salmon is poached in milk which makes them retain a bucket-load of moisture, and they can be done and on your table in twenty minutes from start to finish. Unless you are like me, and get side-tracked multiple times by fighting children throughout the process, in which case all bets are off on how long it will take 🙂
What was one of the first things you remember cooking and being really happy with? I would love to hear from you, so be sure to leave a comment below. Happy eating.
- 1 cup milk
- 1 lb . fresh salmon
- 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa completely cooled
- 2 green onion white and light green part only, sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- cooking oil for cooking I use avocado oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- lemon wedges to serve
In a small saucepan with a lid, bring the milk to a boil. Remove from the heat, pop the salmon into the milk and put the lid on. Leave for about 3-4 minutes before removing the salmon and flaking it with a fork and setting aside to cool (if you have a thicker cut, you may need to turn the filet over halfway through). Throw the milk away.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, green onion, parsley, mayonnaise, mustard, egg, lemon juice, lemon zest and paprika. Stir to combine. Once cooled, add in the flaked salmon and season with salt and pepper to taste.Give it a mix until everything is combined
- Heat a little oil in a medium sized pan. Once hot, add heaped tablespoons full of the salmon mixture to the pan and cook for about 4 minutes on each side
- Once cooked, remove from the pan and serve with squeeze of lemon
Jennifer says
I’mpretty sure my dog would appreciate that milk.
Donna1 says
Ha my dog LOVES it too 🙂
Morgan says
I couldn’t get these patties to stay together without crumbling apart? I hope I didn’t miss something but I don’t think the egg was enough to bind all these ingredients?
Donna1 says
Oh no, I am so sorry they didn’t work out for you Morgan, I have made these so many times and never had that problem. You didn’t by any chance add the milk that the salmon was cooked in did you? I just realized I may not have made it clear enough that the milk should be thrown away afterwards. You can always try popping the mixture into the fridge for about 20 minutes which will help them bind together more.
swayam says
Wow Donna! This sounds and looks perfect. I have seen so many quinoa recipes but this is something else!! Brilliant!
Donna1 says
Oh thank you so much Swayam 🙂 We are big fans around here!
Kate @ Veggie Desserts says
These burgers look great – especially with the quinoa. I’m glad you weathered the storm!
Donna1 says
Yes we may be a little bit addicted to adding quinoa to everything, but it works so well in these burgers I couldn’t pass it up!
Ronda Eagle says
I love salmon but, like Brian Jones, also have not yet tried Quinoa. These scrumptious-looking Salmon Burgers give me a good excuse to try it and maybe even sneak it in past my husband. 🙂
Donna1 says
Haha I remember trying to sneak it past my husband when we first started eating it 🙂 Now he requests it instead of rice, so it worked!
Sarah says
This sounds like a filling, satisfying and {most importantly} absolutely delicious meal! Love the quinoa and salmon combo! Yum! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Donna1 says
Oh thanks so much for the lovely words Sarah!
Brian Jones says
These sound wonderful and really unusual, although I have to say I am probably one of the last food fanatics to have never tried Quinoa, it just hasn’t made it’s way to Rural Hungary yet 😉
Loving the storm story, we get fabulous storms here and I race outside with my camera to capture the lightning strikes, not exactly sensible but something I love to do!
Donna1 says
Oh wow, I cant believe you haven’t tried Quinoa yet! But I am sure you are trying lots of other delicious foods in rural Hungary 🙂 Oh I know, as soon as it started and the kids and I ran outside, and my next door neighbour immediately popped over to tell me how dangerous it was 🙂
Bethany @ athletic avocado says
Im starting to crave salmon more and more now, due to that fact that its seafood season! I NEED these salmon burgers in my life asap!
Donna1 says
I know right! How good is the fresh seafood around right now!!