Who Says Burgers Have To Be Beef?

BTW, these are oval because that's the shape of the rolls I had!

I don't know about you, but reading all the recent press about nasty ingredients being put into some ground beef really turns me off! And studies have been reported that link excessive red meat consumption with higher mortality rates. One way to avoid the additives is to buy good quality beef cuts and grind the meat yourself (if you don't have a meat grinder, you can pulse grind a small amount of meat at a time in a food processor--just don't purée it!). That way you can control the amount of fat in the meat, and are certain what's in it. If you want to reduce your red meat consumption, another route is to think outside the (burger) box, and go in a completely different direction. One of my favorite non-beef burgers is a Salmon Burger. They are extremely nutritious, satisfying (in that wrap your hands around a big hunk-o-burger and chow down kind of way), delicious, and are even inexpensive! A 14 to 16 ounce can of salmon runs about 3 to 4 bucks or so in my local supermarket, and feeds a family of 4 heartily. The eggs act as binder and add nutrition of their own. Because of the eggs, these do need to be cooked all the way through; I sauté them on low heat so that by the time the outside is beautifully brown the inside will be completely cooked. You can always check them with an instant read thermometer....interior temp should be 160 degrees. Also, they can be kind of fragile, so use two spatulas or a spatula and a fork when turning them to ease them over to the second side. Serve on your favorite rolls with some reduced calorie tartar sauce, maybe some oven fries and you'll be in heaven (but not prematurely!).

Salmon Burgers
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
14 to 16 oz. can salmon, drained
2/3 cup celery, chopped
1/3 cup green onions, chopped
3/4 cup bread crumbs
3 eggs
1 Tbs. olive oil

Instructions:
Remove large bones from salmon (the small waxy bones can be left in and will actually add some calcium) and blend with other ingredients in mixer bowl using flat beater or with a fork in a large bowl. Divide into 4 even patties. Fry over low heat in oil for about 4 to 5 minutes per side until brown and cooked through. Serve on burger rolls with tartar sauce.

Notes & Pointers:
For an easy, lower calorie version of tartar sauce, stir about 3 Tbs. sweet pickle relish together with 1 to 2 Tbs. reduced calorie mayonnaise.