I Love My New Grill: Salmon Burgers

Last weekend while my dad was here, he treated me to a new grill. I have a George Foreman, but it is not the same. You don’t get that “real grill taste” if you know what I mean.

Ever since I got my new grill, I have been wanting to make some burgers. I had a bison burger over the weekend, so I was in the mood for something different. I saw a recipe for salmon burgers that caught my eye. Salmon is actually my favorite fish, so I knew I was in for a treat.

After surfing around the internet some more, I settled on this recipe. I didn’t make the “green goddess sauce”.

• 1 pound wild salmon fillet, skinned
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion, or scallion
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, or canola oil

1. With a large chef’s knife, chop salmon using quick, even, straight-up-and-down motions (do not rock the knife through the fish or it will turn mushy) until you have a mass of roughly 1/4-inch pieces. Transfer to large bowl and gently stir in onion (or scallion), cilantro, ginger, salt and pepper, being careful not to overmix. Divide the mixture into 4 patties, about 1 inch thick. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes (or up to 2 hours) before cooking.

2. Preheat grill for a few minutes, then cook the burgers for 3-5 minutes on each side, but be sure not to overcook. The last thing you want in overcooked salmon. YUCK!

3. Serve them on whole wheat buns with plenty of ketchup!

I also made some delicious sweet potato fries to go with them. They are very simple to make. I basically just cut up a sweet potato, toss it with olive oil, paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper and bake them for 300 minutes at 400 degrees, flipping halfway through. Sometimes I will change up the spices and use cinnamon, ect… The sky is the limit.

Enjoy!

Read Full Post »

Pre Race Pasta: Pasta with Scallops, Zucchini, and Tomato

Since I have a race tomorrow, I decided to whip up a quick pasta dish tonight for dinner for me and my parents. I always eat pasta before a race or long run; it is pretty much a ritual. I can’t vouch that pasta actually helps, but it hasn’t failed me yet. Why mess with a good thing?

I was also craving some scallops (my all time favorite seafood). I haven’t had them in awhile and I might as get the expensive stuff while I am home and not paying for food right? I rarely buy them at school because they cost an arm and a leg, but they are awesome every once and awhile.

A quick Google search led me to an interesting recipe from All Recipes (one of my favorite recipe sites): Pasta with Scallops, Zucchini, and Tomato. Sounds tasty right? It was, I can vouch for it!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound dry fettuccine pasta
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 zucchinis, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil
• 4 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
• 1 pound bay scallops
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

• DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot with boiling salted water cook pasta until al dente. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat oil, add garlic and cook until tender. Add the zucchini, salt, red pepper flakes, dried basil (if using) and saute for 10 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, bay scallops, and fresh basil (if using) and simmer for 5 minutes, or until scallops are opaque.

1. Pour sauce over cooked pasta and serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

 

I served it over freshly made whole wheat pasta from Central Market. My parents don’t have a pasta machine like I do at school, but this pasta was still pretty good. Of course it is not as good as mine, but good in a pinch. Fresh pasta is so much better than dried and it is so much easy to make. I will never go back to dried pasta!

The perfect meal to help me run fast tomorrow. Hopefully it helps!

Read Full Post »