Salmon burger

Ingredients: 1 lb fresh salmon, 1/2 yellow onion (minced), 2 cloves garlic (minced), 1 tablespoon ginger (minced), 1 teaspoon dill, 1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce, 1 egg, 1/2 cup 0% fat yogurt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, zest of 1/2 a lemon, 2 green onions (finely chopped), 4 pita pockets, spinach and bell peppers.

I absolutely love, love, LOVE seafood. One of my favorite catches is salmon. It's loaded with DHA (food for the brain) and omega-3 fatty acids (food for the rest of the body). In my opinion the best way to eat salmon is raw, on a bed of rice and garnished with soy sauce and wasabi. Unfortunately, I live in a desert that happens to be landlocked so the availability of sashimi-grade salmon is scarce at best. As a result of my limited selection, I have been more creative with my approach towards seafood. Turning fresh salmon into burgers is a great way to enjoy the wonderful health benefits of the sea. This is also a good recipe if you have kids who are picky with their food. Kids eat with their eyes even more so than adults. Parents might find more luck in getting their kids to try healthy foods deemed unappetizing by kids (ie. fish) by converting them into something they are more accustomed to like burgers.

Tzatziki sauce: 1 cup 0% fat Greek yogurt (strained to remove excess liquid), juice of 1 lemon, fresh dill, 2 cloves garlic (finely minced), 1 cucumber (de-seeded , sprinkle a pinch of salt over the cucumber to draw out extra moisture, wipe off extra moisture with a paper towel and finely chop) and salt & pepper to taste. Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Allow the ingredients of the sauce to get to know each other and have a party in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours prior to serving.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk 1 egg with 1/2 cup of 0% yogurt until smooth. Cut the salmon into 1/2 inch cubes and add to bowl. Add the minced onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, dill, bread crumbs, lemon zest and green onions. Allow the mixture to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Lightly coat a large pan with olive oil and put over medium-high heat. Divide the salmon mixture into four equal portions. Form each portion into a ball and place in the heated pan. Use a spatula to push down on the ball-shaped salmon mixture to form patties. Allow the salmon patties to cook for 5-6 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Careful not to break apart the patties while flipping. Once they are on the pan, just let them cook without messing with it until they are ready to be flipped. When they are done cooking, remove them from the pan and let them rest on a plate with a paper towel on top to soak up the extra grease. The salmon burgers can also be cooked on a grill.

Lastly, assemble the salmon burger! For the burger shown in the picture I sauteed roughly chopped mini-bell peppers in olive oil with some garlic and salt & pepper to taste. I also topped the burger with some spinach to pack some iron to this loaded masterpiece.