Better Burgers

By Brianne Harrison

I’m a big fan of fish, particularly salmon, but I inevitably buy a little too much—just a little, not enough to make another meal out of the leftovers on their own. Fortunately, salmon makes a great burger when mixed with some mashed potato. Plus, since the protein’s already cooked, these are great to make when you’re a little strapped for time.

Salmon Burgers
Makes 6 burgers

1 ½-2 cups cooked salmon, flaked, skinless, and deboned (watch out for those little pin bones!)
2 medium-sized or 1 large potato, cubed
1 T. Dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 tsp. lemon juice (optional)

Procedure
Put a small pot of water on to boil; boil the potatoes until they’re fork tender. Drain and mash by hand or using a ricer.

Mix the salmon and mustard into the potatoes and stir thoroughly to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. If you want to brighten up the flavor a bit, add a squeeze of lemon juice.

Shape the salmon mixture into 6 small cakes, about 3- 4” in diameter and ½” thick. Warm some olive oil in a non-stick pan and fry the cakes until they’re browned on each side (about 2 minutes per side). Serve on their own or on whole-grain rolls.

The nice thing is, these are just as good cold as they are warm, so they’re great to take along for lunch the following day. They pair wonderfully with a salad or steamed green veg (we opted for snow peas).

Healthy Roundup: Salmon has long been touted for its health benefits. It’s high in protein, low in calories and saturated fat, and loaded with omega 3 fatty acids, which, among other things, are highly beneficial to the cardiovascular system. Nutrients in salmon have been shown to reduce the risk of unwanted inflammation and support the immune and circulatory systems. Salmon is also a good source of Niacin, which has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels in adults with elevated cholesterol levels, and vitamins B12 and D.

Mustard seeds are also a good source of omega 3’s, and there’s been some talk that mustard aids the digestion and speeds up the metabolism