San Francisco Inspired Green Goddess Salmon Sliders

With the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl this weekend, I wanted to make something San Francisco-inspired to cheer them on.  I've never been to California (though it's definitely on my list of places to visit), but I when I think of the Bay area, two things that come to mind are seafood and avocados.  After a little research into foods that represent the area, I found out that Green Goddess dressing (named for its green colour that comes from the addition of lots of herbs) was apparently created in San Francisco. 

So I decided to combine all of this together into salmon burgers with an avocado green goddess sauce.  And since I associate the Super Bowl with snacking on appetizer-sized food, I made them into mini sliders instead of full sized burgers (which also happen to be much cuter!)

I only had frozen salmon to work with, so these didn't turn out as great as they would be with fresh salmon, but they were still delicious - I loved the combination of flavours and all the green goodness going on!

If you have some nice salmon and don't like the idea of pulsing it up into a burger, feel free to just broil it and serve it like these salmon sliders from How Sweet It Is.  I wanted to make burgers to infuse some of the green goddess flavours into them, but leaving the salmon as is would be a lot easier!

If you don't like salmon at all, you could just make the sauce and serve it as a dip for veggies (leave out the worcestershire or use vegetarian worcestershire for a vegetarian dip).  Or if you want something a little thicker to serve with chips, try this green goddess guacamole from The Fig Tree!

And if you want something 49ers-inspired to wash things down with, try a beer from Anchor Brewing (if it's available where you live), or check out these gorgeous Kaepernick Sparklers from Daydreamer Desserts!

Go Niners! :)

Avocado Green Goddess Salmon Sliders

Adapted from Eating Well and Food & Wine

Makes 10 mini sliders

Ingredients:

For the Green Goddess Sauce:

1 ripe avocado, chopped

1/2 cup light sour cream

2 tablespoons chopped tarragon

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons chopped dill

1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons capers, drained

Dash worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoons each salt and pepper

For the Burgers:

1 pound fresh salmon fillets, skin and bones removed*

2 tablespoons minced shallots

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped dill

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

For Assembling:

Mini slider buns (I used mini ciabatta buns)

Lettuce

Sliced avocado

Tomato (optional)

Directions:

First prepare the sauce.  Add all ingredients for the green goddess sauce to the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth.  Taste and adjust any amounts to your liking if needed.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Next prepare the salmon patties.  Cut salmon into chunks, and add to food processor along with shallots, parsley, dill, lemon zest, salt, and pepper.  Pulse just until combined.  If you prefer to have some larger chunks of salmon in your burger, then leave half to three quarters of the salmon out of the mixture, chop into ¼” pieces, and add to the mixture after processing.   Add panko breadcrumbs so that mixture will form patties.  Gently form patties 3/4-inch thick and wide enough to match the size of your slider buns.  Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Finally, cook the burgers.  You can either heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, lightly grease, and cook the burgers for 3-4 minutes per side, until cooked through, if you want a crispier browned exterior.  I baked mine just because it was easier.  To bake the patties, bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes, until cooked through.  Note that pan-frying them is the ideal method.

Assemble burgers by topping buns and patties with the green goddess sauce, along with lettuce, tomato, and sliced avocado.

*Note: my grocery store only had very expensive and not very fresh looking salmon, so I used frozen wild salmon fillets instead and thawed them.  I find that frozen salmon doesn’t taste as good as fresh and has a fishier smell and taste, so fresh salmon is preferable.

Cauliflower Linguine with Lemon & Capers

This past weekend, the temperature went up to 12°C (about 54°F for my American friends!) and it was glorious.  The snow had all melted, I didn't need my winter jacket, and something about the spring-like air just made me so happy!  Of course it was just a big tease and it's now back to being even colder than it was before, but that glimpse of Spring got me in the mood for lighter meals than the stews and chilis I've been enjoying lately.

This almost sauce-less pasta dish with lemon juice felt like a Spring-like dish, but the addition of cauliflower reminded me I still have a ways to go before I can add things like asparagus and peas in there!

Because there's not much of a sauce on this pasta, the mix-ins are really important!  And this has plenty of mix-ins: along with the cauliflower and lemon juice, there are sauteed onions and garlic, capers, fresh parsley, parmesan cheese, and a toasted breadcrumb and walnut mixture that gets mixed throughout for a little added crunch. 

I was in a hurry to photograph this before the day's light disappeared so I hadn't tasted it yet when I took pictures.  It definitely didn't disappoint - it was just what I was in the mood for and I loved how all the flavours combined, but as I ate, I thought of two extra add-ins that would have made it even better.  Sliced kalamata olives would complement the salted, pickled flavour of the capers well, and golden raisins would add a nice burst of sweetness throughout.  I added a handful of raisins to my leftovers today and loved it, and tomorrow I'm going to add olives!  As always, taste and customize to your liking!

(Update: I didn't have kalamata olives in my fridge so I added green olives today and it was delicious!)

Cauliflower Linguine with Lemon and Capers

Adapted by combining recipes from William Sonoma and Clean Eating Magazine

Serves 4

Ingredients:

10 oz linguine pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup chopped walnut pieces

1 yellow onion, diced

1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets

3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons capers

1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus more for topping

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice (or to taste)

Freshly ground pepper

Optional add-ins: Sliced Kalamata olives and/or golden raisins

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook according to package directions to bring it to al dente.  Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add garlic, bread crumbs, and walnuts.  Cook, stirring often, for 2-4 minutes, until bread crumbs are golden brown and toasted.  Remove and transfer to a small bowl.  Add remaining tablespoon of oil to the saucepan and heat over medium heat.  Add onion and sautee until golden brown, stirring occasionally, 5-6 minutes.  Add cauliflower, red pepper flakes, and salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5-6 minutes.  At this point, the pasta should be ready.  Add 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water and cook until cauliflower is tender, 5 to 7 minutes, adding more cooking water if needed.  Add the pasta to the saucepan, and stir in the capers, parsley, parmesan, toasted breadcrumb mixture, and lemon juice.  Taste and season with more salt if needed, along with freshly ground pepper. You can also add more lemon juice or throw in more capers if you like!

Serve immediately, topping each portion with additional parmesan cheese and parsley if desired.

Note: As I was eating this I thought that either golden raisins would have been a nice addition for a hint of sweetness, or Kalamata olives to complement the flavour of the capers.  Either ingredient would boost the overall flavour of the dish, and could be stirred in at the end along with the capers, etc., but it was also fine without them!

Pumpkin Mac & Cheese with Apples and Caramelized Onions

Now that I’ve seen my first official snowfall of the season and have broken out my winter hat and gloves, all I can think about are warm and cozy meals, and when it comes to comfort food, it doesn’t get much better than mac and cheese!

But as you’ve probably guessed from the title, this is no ordinary mac and cheese! And even though it might sound a little weird, I promise that it works!

This mac and cheese has a ton of flavour going on – there’s pumpkin puree, pumpkin beer, sautéed apples, caramelized onions, and smoked applewood cheddar cheese – and it all works together so well!

I can never decide if I prefer stovetop or baked mac and cheese, so I tried this both ways. I stopped after cooking it on the stovetop and dug in to test it out. You'll probably want to do the same thing because it’s so hard to resist at this point, and I certainly wouldn't blame you!

Or you could keep going; sprinkle some breadcrumbs on top and throw it in the oven so you get a crunchy topping with cheesy goodness underneath - it really just depends on how you like your mac and cheese. I loved it both ways!

I loved that the dash of maple syrup and addition of apples added a touch of sweetness to cut the richness of the cheese, but there wasn’t an apple in every bite so it was like a fun surprise every time you ate one! I also like the smokiness that the applewood smoked cheddar added, but if you don’t like smoky cheeses (my sister complained about the smell every time I heated it up), you could just use a regular sharp cheddar cheese, or I think gruyere would work well too!

You’re probably wondering why there are strange green things in my pasta, but that’s just because I used this tri-colour vegetable pasta:



I realize this isn’t exactly a healthy meal, but with the vegetable pasta instead of regular pasta, the addition of pumpkin, apples, and onions, and using low fat milk, I like to think that it’s at least better for you than a lot of other mac and cheese recipes.

And I certainly had no problem finishing this whole dish by myself (though not all at once, of course!)

Pumpkin Mac & Cheese with Apples and Caramelized Onions

Adapted from Her Campus, who adapted from Rachel Ray

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

8oz dry macaroni pasta (I used tri-colour vegetable pasta)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 apple, diced (I used Red Delicious)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1-1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup pumpkin beer

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

1/2 cup evaporated 2% milk (regular 2% milk would work too)

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Salt and pepper

1 cup pumpkin puree

1-1/4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (I used applewood smoked cheddar and I used 1-1/2 cups to use it up)

~1/4 cup panko bread crumbs, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water, according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions, stir to coat with oil, and let cook, stirring occasionally, about ten minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Let cook another 5 minutes or so and then add the chopped apples.  Continue to cook apples and onions, stirring occasionally, for an additional 15 minutes or so, until onions are caramelized and apples are softened and golden brown.  Set aside.

About ten minutes before your onions and apples are done cooking, you can start the roux.  Add butter to a medium saucepan and let melt over medium heat.  Add flour to the melted butter and whisk continuously for about a minute. Raise heat a bit and add the beer.  Reduce until almost evaporated and mixture is quite thick, then whisk in the maple syrup and milk.  Season with mustard powder, nutmeg, and salt and pepper.  Let cook until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Whisk in the pumpkin then whisk in the grated cheese until incorporated.

Stir together the pasta, cheese sauce, onions, and apples.  At this point, you can serve the mac and cheese as is for a stovetop version, or you can bake it.  If you choose to bake it, spread it into an 8x8 glass baking dish and sprinkle breadcrumbs on top.  Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, let cool slightly, then serve.

Mediterranean Quinoa Veggie Burgers

I always associate summertime with the five B's: beaches, backyards, barbeques, beer, and burgers.  There's nothing better than being able to eat dinner in the backyard and biting into a freshly cooked burger that's just oozing with flavourful toppings.  I actually just returned from a delicious lunch at The Works, a burger chain in Canada with a pretty crazy list of burger toppings.  I had a turkey burger with avocados, roasted red peppers, havarti, and a vegetable mayo sauce, and it was messy but one of the tastiest burgers I've had in a while!

While I'm not much of a beef burger eater, I absolutely love chicken burgers, turkey burgers, and pretty much every type of veggie burger.  I know some people are super picky about their veggie burgers and I'm not sure why; maybe it's because they're looking for a veggie burger that tastes just like a meat burger?  What I like about veggie burgers is that they don't remind me of meat burgers, and there are so many different kinds to try - black bean, chickpea, sweet potato, lentil, portobello mushroom, and even quinoa burgers!

I've tried many of the veggie burger varieties I just listed, except for a quinoa burger, which is surprising because I love quinoa!  So I decided to remedy that last week and kick off the start to burger season with these Mediterranean quinoa feta burgers.

These are a great healthy and tasty alternative to traditional meat burgers.  They're full of Mediterranean flavours both in the quinoa patties, which include red pepper, garlic, parsley, and feta, and in the burger toppings, for which I used lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and a storebought Greek feta yogurt dressing.  If you can't find a similar dressing, you could easily just use crumbled feta or make your own feta yogurt dressing with a recipe like this one.  You can also change up the toppings however you like - I think roasted red peppers would work really well with these!

I loved the way the quinoa added an extra texture to the burger so it wasn't completely mushy like some bean burgers can be, and that it added lots of protein to the dish so I still felt full afterwards.  I served mine with a side of cucumbers drizzled in the feta yogurt dressing to keep my meal light and healthy, but the fact that the burgers are healthy could easily justify eating them with a big side of fries!

These probably won't satisfy someone looking for a veggie burger that tastes like a meat burger, but they're a great option for anyone looking for a healthy alternative to a traditional burger.

Mediterranean Quinoa Burgers

Adapted from Whole Living

Makes 6-7 quinoa patties

Ingredients:

For the patties:

1 cup dry quinoa

1 (540mL) can kidney beans or chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 a red pepper, finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/3 cup crumbled light feta

2 egg whites, lightly whisked

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1/2 cup to 1 cup panko bread crumbs

Non-stick cooking spray

For the Burgers:

6-7 multigrain thin hamburger buns

Lettuce, tomato, cucumber for topping
Feta cheese (optional)
Feta yogurt sauce (storebought or homemade)

Directions:

Cook quinoa as per package directions and let cool slightly.

Mash the kidney beans in a large bowl.  Add the cooked quinoa, shallot, garlic, red pepper, parsley, feta, egg whites, salt, and pepper, and mix well.  Add 1/2 cup bread crumbs and attempt to form a patty.  If the mixture is too wet to hold together well, continue adding more bread crumbs (up to an additional 1/2 cup) to reach a texture where the patty will hold its shape when you pick it up gently with your hand.  Shape mixture into 6 or 7 round patties.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Cook patties in batches, about 5 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through.

Serve quinoa patties on hamburger buns, topped with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and feta yogurt salad dressing or feta cheese.

Broiled Pesto Tomatoes

I know everyone’s sick of hearing people say this, but seriously, where has the summer gone?? I’ve been seeing back to school ads everywhere lately and it’s freaking me out. So far this summer I’ve only had two beach days, zero pool days, less than a handful of bbqs, and my tan is pretty much gone. But what I’m most concerned about is how little cooking and baking I’ve done with summer produce before it all disappears! I totally missed strawberry season this year, and I’m determined not to let peach, corn, or tomato season disappear as quickly.

I’ve already professed my love for tomatoes, which I don’t think I could ever tire of eating, but with tomatoes popping up everywhere right now, you might get bored of the usual caprese salads and tomato sandwiches. This side dish is a simple way to highlight the flavour of summer tomatoes in a new and interesting way. It’s also super quick and easy – all you have to do is whip together a pesto then broil the tomatoes for a few minutes (or you can use a pre-made pesto to save you even more time!).

The recipe calls for nutritional yeast, which up until recently was completely foreign to me. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s a strand of deactivated yeast (not to be confused with the active yeast you use in bread) that’s popular with a lot of vegetarians and vegans because it adds a boost of nutrients to meals and has a nutty, cheesy flavour that makes it great as a cheese substitute. In this recipe it’s used as a parmesan cheese substitute to top the tomatoes. You should be able to find it in the bulk section of health food stores, but if you can’t find it and have no problem with cheese, then just use parmesan cheese instead. I ended up using a mix of both, and also used Italian breadcrumbs (the storebought kind that has a mix of cheeses blended in) in place of the panko to add even more cheesy flavour. I also used walnuts instead of pine nuts simply because pine nuts are ridiculously expensive! Feel free to use the original ingredients though, or make your own substitutions – I bet mozzarella would be good on there too!

Broiled Pesto Tomatoes

Adapted from Vegetarian Times

Serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups basil leaves

1 clove garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons pine nuts (or walnuts)

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (or parmesan cheese)

1/4 cup olive oil

2 medium tomatoes, cored and halved crosswise

About 3 tablespoons panko (or Italian) breadcrumbs

Directions:

Pesto:

Place basil and garlic in food processor, and process until finely chopped. Add nuts and nutritional yeast (or parmesan), and process 1 minute, or until nuts are finely chopped and mixture is paste-like. With motor running, add olive oil in steady stream. Process one minute more, or until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Broiled Tomatoes:

Preheat oven to broil. Place tomatoes cut-side up on a baking sheet. Spread each tomato half with about 2 teaspoons of the pesto, and sprinkle the tops with about 2 teaspoons of breadcrumbs. Add additional parmesan cheese on top if desired. Broil 3 to 5 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are browned and pesto is bubbly. Serve warm as a side dish.