Grilled salmon burgers with creamy basil spread

The American Heart Association recommends eating two servings of fish per week. This week, get one of your two servings in burger form with these family-friendly and heart-healthy salmon burgers. No grill? No problem. The salmon patties can easily be cooked in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When choosing hamburger buns, pay close attention to sodium levels. Bread and rolls can be surprisingly high in salt. Alternatively, serve burgers open-faced or over a bed of greens to keep the meal even lower in sodium.

Ingredients

Directions

1. Cut salmon into large chunks. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the garlic clove until very finely minced.

2. Add ⅓ of the salmon chunks, lemon zest, egg white and a few grinds of black pepper to the bowl. Pulse until very finely chopped and almost paste-like.

3. Add remaining salmon chunks to the food processor and pulse 3-5 more times or until the large chunks have been chopped into bite-sized pieces. Be sure not to over process. Dump salmon mixture into a bowl and gently mix in the minced parsley.
4. Divide mixture into 4 portions and form 4 equal patties. Chill patties in the freezer for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before cooking.

5. Prepare grill for direct cooking and preheat over medium heat. Lightly oil cooking grates and grill salmon burgers with the lid closed for 3-4 minutes or until burgers are firm enough to be flipped.

6. Flip and continue to grill for another 2-3 minutes or until burgers are cooked through and reach 145 °. Take care not to overcook.

7. During the last minute of grilling, place hamburger buns cut side down on the grill. Grill briefly until lightly browned and remove.

8. To serve, top browned buns with salmon burger, creamy basil spread, red onion and greens. Serve hot.

Serves 4.

Nutrition

Creamy Basil Spread

Ingredients

Directions

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine all ingredients. Run the processor until Spread is smooth, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed.

2. Scrape the spread into a bowl and if desired, season with pepper and salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Any leftover spread is delicious on a variety of sandwiches.

Serves 4.

Nutrition