Salmon burgers with lemon-chipotle mayo

I love to make salmon patties with canned salmon. I think they are delicious and salmon is so healthy for you (and canned salmon is an economical seafood choice). I was inspired by those patties to make them into something like a burger. 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Also, I'm so very excited to report that both of my kids ate them (I put ranch on theirs instead of the chipotle mayo). I made the burgers mild because we were feeding two toddlers as well, but otherwise I would have added more chiptole to the burgers themselves (feel free to add a pepper if you like). 

Making burgers from canned salmon is also a time-saver! They salmon is already cooked and there are no bones - all you need to do is add flavor, form the patties, and give them a quick fry in a skillet. 

This recipe will make four burgers. I topped ours with lettuce and tomato and served them on a kaiser roll with a side of sliced pickles and roasted local asparagus.

Salmon patties with lemon-dill sauce

Some people hear the words "salmon patties" and immediately cringe, but I promise, these salmon patties are light, flavorful, and very tasty! 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

I really love these little patties. Just throw together a salad for the side and you have a really nice and easy summer dinner or lunch. You can change-up the flavorings, but I like the lemon and dill the best. It really compliments the fish and also the sauce doubles and a dressing for your salad.

Smoked white fish chowder

Spring has been slow to get started here this year. In fact, it's still be rather chilly most days. I've yet to retire my jackets and sweaters and heavier jammies and it's almost May. 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

On a chilly and damp day, a thick, creamy, and hearty chowder with a side of buttery bread is a perfect meal to me. This chowder uses a firm smoked white fish for the protein and it's paired with lots of vegetables and a creamy broth. Capers and a dash of hot sauce help add that extra something to really bring this chowder together.

This soup will serve about four people, especially with a side of crusty bread. I made a spelt sourdough to go with our chowder and it was a perfect companion for sopping up all the leftover broth. I'm working on perfecting my sourdough skills and will probably begin sharing more recipes using sourdough starter in the near future. 

You should be able to find smoked white fish in most larger grocery stores near the meat and deli section (probably near the smoked salmon).

Seared scallops over pearl couscous with peas and garlic scape sauce

This dish is a lovely early summer dinner full of fresh sweet peas and slightly spicy garlic scapes. 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Garlic scapes are something I look forward to now that I've discovered their tastiness. If you haven't tried them yet, keep your eyes open at the farmers' market. You'll love them if you are a fan of garlic and they make delicious pesto and sauces, or can just be sauteed with some vegetables. 

Checkout this article from Backyard Boss for more information and ideas for eating garlic scapes. They aren't around long, so grab some soon! 

This dish was inspired by the garlic scapes and fresh peas I bought at the market last weekend. I knew I wanted to pair the peas with pearl (or Israeli) couscous to match the size and shape of the peas. After a search at the grocery store, I finally found some. 

The scallops were a treat too - a delicious and elegant way to top off this dish. This recipe will make a nice dinner for two. Perfectly romantic, except for all the garlic breath....

Pad (Pat) Thai

It is starting to warm up nicely here. Over the weekend we went hiking and saw a ton of beautiful spring wildflowers.  The park was a new place for us and the ground was covered in a blanket of wildflowers and ramps. The forest smelled slightly like garlic from all the ramps. 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

After a long walk in the warm weather, I crave lighter foods and sometimes spicier foods. Pad (or sometimes called Pat or Phat) Thai definitely fits the bill. I ate Pad Thai once in Thailand. It was good, but it certainly wasn't my favorite dish I had there. But, it remains one of the most popular Thai dishes in the U.S. 

This was the first time I made this myself and we enjoyed it a lot. I used the recipe from Thai Food as a guide. I love this cookbook, but sometimes I take shortcuts or make substitutions because even with all the Asian markets around me, I can't always find every ingredient. Below is my adapted recipe which will serve two very hungry people.

Stir-fried squid and baby bok choy

Here's yet another Asian inspired recipe and another new protein for me to be cooking at home: squid. 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

While I've certainly eaten fried calamari at restaurants, I've never cooked squid at home and I've rarely eaten it without a breading. I have to admit, I was a little nervous, but I was inspired by the beautiful recipe at one of my favorite blogs, Wild Greens & Sardines. I love her blog with its amazing photography and also her use of less common ingredients. If you haven't visited it before, I highly recommend doing so. 

Squid is something that gets tough very easily, so you have to either stew it for a long time, or cook it super quickly. I was afraid of making little rubber bands my first time around, but the squid turned out great - slightly chewy, yet tender and soft. 

I liked the idea of using some Thai flavors with the squid. Indeed, the two times I've tried squid without breading were in Thailand and at a Thai restaurant, so it was fitting. 

I thought the flavors were delicious with the slightly sweet squid and the slightly bitter bok choy. I served this dish over jasmine rice, which was certainly the longest part of this meal. The stir-fry itself is quick and easy - perfect for a weeknight meal. This dish serves two.

Baked shrimp with tomatoes and feta

I pinned this recipe (originally from Ellie Krieger) and have been looking forward to making it since. At first I thought that shrimp + feta was a weird combination, but when I thought about it some more, it sounded good combined with all the other ingredients. 

 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

I'm glad I tried it because this dish is light, simple, and very flavorful. I love almost anything that contains olives, and this was no exception. It was really easy to make this sauce, but it also felt pretty elegant and special in a way - it was probably the shrimp, which is a treat for us.

 

 

Salmon and asparagus with a creamy tarragon sauce

Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables and tarragon is swiftly becoming one of my favorite herbs. 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Tarragon was pretty unfamiliar to me until a few years ago when I first had it in a chicken salad. From then on, I was hooked on this herb and it is a perfect match with asparagus and salmon. 

This sauce was something I threw together with some items I had on hand and it turned out very nicely. I also served a simple pasta salad with this meal that was just cooked orzo tossed with extra virgin olive oil, halved baby tomatoes, lemon zest, and some salt and pepper. 

It was really fresh and bright and accompanied the rich salmon and creamy sauce quite well (plus the lemon juice goes in the sauce). I made this dish for two, but you can cook up more fish and asparagus as needed.