NuM NuM

Today, the NuM NuM became my nemesis. Well, not really, I'm the &%@#*& moron who tried to re-arrange things on my blog and deleted fifteen of my ALL TIME FAVORITE recipes...ALL TIME!!! I was seriously on the verge of tears until I somehow found a "feed" which archived my old blog entries. I've just spent the last hour and a half recovering my old posts. Maybe I wouldn't have been that depressed if I'd lost some recipes that weren't classified as "favorites," but we're taking about THE BEST of the best of the best of the NuM NuM. Thank the LORD the NuM NuM is back and running...I know your lives wouldn't have been the same either. If only I worked and cared about my full-time job as I do my blog :)

Anyway, on a happier note tonight's recipe was NUM! I've never made any type of burger aside from a meat burger so tonight was a nice change. It was healthy, light, and most of all it didn't have that strong fishy taste salmon can sometimes have. The aioli, which is basically a fancy word for any type of seasonings added to a mayo, gave a nice clean flavor to the burger as well. I improvised with the recipe a bit b/c after I made my "tester" patty, I found the fish a little bland so I added more soy sauce, lemon juice, pepper, and Tony's Creole Seasoning. The Creole Seasoning added the final POP to the dish and it wouldn't have been the same without it. After the fish finished grilling I squirted a bit of lemon juice for freshness. This meal came together fast and was the perfect meal for a weeknight.

Salmon Burgers
Adapted from Paula Deen
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
6 tbsp. panko bread crumbs
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 lb. salmon fillets, skinned, boned and finely chopped
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1-2 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil

For the cilantro mayo:
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup cilantro minced
Dash of cayenne pepper
Squeeze of lemon juice

For serving:
Burger buns OR english muffins
Green lettuce
Sliced red onion
Sliced tomatoes

Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the diced bell pepper, panko, garlic and salmon. In a small bowl combine the egg white, soy sauce, lemon juice and salt. Add the liquid mixture to the bowl with the salmon and toss gently until well incorporated. Form the mixture into four equal patties.
To make the cilantro mayo, combine all the ingredients in bowl until well combined and smooth. (I just mixed it by hand)
Lightly coat a grill pan or skillet with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Cook the patties about 3-5 minutes per side, until cooked through.
Place the burgers on the buns, spreading one side of the bun with the cilantro mayo. Top as desired with lettuce, onion and tomato.