Holidays in my family aren’t always traditional.
My family isn’t exactly normal…
We don’t have a set “meal” every year. Each of us enjoys food and trying new things, so we take the opportunity to get creative in the kitchen while we’re all in one place.
Last year we had a Taiwanese dinner. I made this Sweet Potato and Toasted Marshmallow Cake and Hot Buttered Rum.
The year before we had spaghetti and meatballs.
I also made this Gingerbread Martini:
This year… I have no idea what we’re doing. All I know is that I’m infusing bourbon with cranberries and cinnamon for a funky take on a Manhattan.
My point? I don’t have one other than to justify the fact that less than a week until Christmas and I’m about to share a recipe for Salmon Burgers. Not a traditional holiday food… but I decorated them in holiday colors!
When I made these Lemon-Thyme Zucchini Salmon Cakes, I discovered that it’s hard (impossible?) to find canned salmon that is de-boned AND has no salt added. I made a mental note to attempt making salmon patties with fresh salmon. I promptly lost that mental note.
Months later, I finally remembered to try it out.
Lemon, rosemary, and dill were made for each other. Particularly when paired with seafood. We all know how well citrus and salmon compliment each other, but that extra herb-y punch takes this from hot bar to restaurant-worthy.
Not that there’s anything wrong with the hot bar – I adore it – but you know what I mean.
These were the perfect thing to thrown together and have for lunch during the week. If you prep your food at the beginning to the week, you already have cooked salmon and can whip this up in no-time mid-week. If not, add 10 mins to the cook time so you can broil the salmon first.
To make it festive, top them with pomegranate arils and edamame tossed in a quick nooch sauce (nutritional yeast mixed with vinegar and/or water). This may sound like a strange topping… but it was good!!!
Speaking of Strange But Good… Don’t forget to link up tomorrow! It’s the second week of the new link up here. thanks to everyone who participated last week! I’m continually inspired by you all!!!
Click here for the details, and grab the graphic below to share in your Strange But Good post tomorrow.
Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instragrams of your creations. 🙂
Mediterranean Salmon Burger
- 1/2 tsp olive oil
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 pound fresh salmon filet, cooked
- 2 T chopped dill
- 2 T chopped rosemary
- 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp paprika
Heat the olive oil in a small pan and sauté shallots until soft. Add garlic and continue cooking until fragrant.
Add salmon to a blender and blend until smooth. Stir in dill, rosemary, lemon juice, pepper, paprika, garlic, and shallots.
Shape into 4 patties. Place on a medium hot pan and cook until outside are browned (~3 mins each side).
Makes 4 burgers.
***
I spent all last night baking… one item in particular I can’t WAIT to share for #strangebutgood tomorrow!
Does your family cook together for the holidays?
Do you like to do a traditional Christmas dinner and/or brunch? What do you have?
OMG I love this recipe! All too often I see “burger” recipes full of wheat or bread crumbs or something, but they can be SIMPLY made without those “fillers” and still keep shape and taste delicious! This is a perfect example 🙂
Exactly! I hate all unnecessary the add-ins.
Intriguing! I like how your family totally doesn’t celebrate “normally”. That’s actually pretty awesome! My family just kind of sticks to the same old thing, unless someone happens to bring something different. I think I shall do that this year. That gingerbread martini needs to be on my to drink list!
Good for you! What are you going to bring? Martinis? 😉
I’m torn! On the one hand, I love the idea of trying new meals every year, but on the other… I kind of love our traditions (even if I’m not too keen on the food). My parents usually go the traditional route, so it’s pretty much the same old thing every year… that’s part of what makes it feel like Christmas to me, though 🙂
Both the salmon burger and the gingerbread martini sound delicious. I’m going to see if I can find that ginger liquor here.
I don’t think we have any traditions of any kind in my family. Granted I grew up Jewish, but even for Thanksgiving and Channukah any tradition we tried to put into place never lasted for more than a few years… Chinese food on Christmas is a good stereotype tradition though. 🙂
I bet you can – it’s call Canton.
Do you have a good matzo ball soup recipe?!
Love this recipe. Must remember to add salmon to the grocery list =)
YAY I LOVE THIS as Id live on salmon if I could!
Your holiday meals may not be traditional, but sure do sound good! Yum! I love your creative idea of topping salmon burgers with pom and edamame. What a great flavor combo.
MMMM I LOVE salmon burgers. These sound delish! Last year my family did a ‘feast of seven fishes’ which is an Italian Catholic tradition I think… we are not Italian or Catholic. But we made 7 amazing seafood dishes and it was awesome. I think we’re going to do that again.
Fun! A local restaurant is hosting a fest this year – I wish I could go!
Your family sounds like fun! Although we might have dal for Christmas Day lunch which would be AWESOME! The traditional meal will be for dinner. 😉
thats how james’ family is, love them! My mother is quite opposite though. Dang her silly tradition. I wanted brisket or lamb for christmas. ugh, she wants turkey again. Can i come to your house?
I always want lamb! My sister won’t eat it though… I’m thinking chicken meatball this year?
PLEASE come to my house. That can be my Christmas gift. 🙂
Mmmm, looks good to me! My family is super traditional. I made stuffing this year in the crock pot for Thanksgiving (with French baguettes, diced apple, onion, and celery, along with spices, broth, butter… the good stuff), and my Dad still complained that it wasn’t the box kind you put in the turkey. Ugh….
Your stuffing sounds awesome! And your dad sounds like he’s nuts. 😉
I like the idea of trying new foods for Christmas dinner! I get at least two turkey dinners every year…not bad, but it’d be nice to change it up.
And oh goodness, I really, really want that gingerbread martini. That sounds amazing.
You have the best recipes!
Awww… thank you! xo
It sounds good to me. My traditional Christmas meal is Chinese food.
My mom actually suggested that…
Oh I’m thinking those flavors would work perfect with my tofu white bean steaks/patties just omitting the liquid smoke. My dad’s side is Italian so our traditional is spaghetti and baseball sized meatballs (now he makes my own sauce with no meatballs though).
Great idea!!! I was trying to think of how I would make these vegan… beans may work too!
canned salmon that is de-boned AND has no salt added — seriously!! i feel ya!
just saw a salmon dish on another blog this morning, so now I am craving salmon, luckily I had it planned for tonights dinner 😉
xoxo
I know! It seems like such an obvious thing for someone to produce.
I love a good salmon patty – and I think seafood (or lakefood) is always a holiday food!
Perfect perfect! Love the Christmassy colours of the pomegranate and edamame, and this recipe makes me think of my family, because we ate salmon at least once a week when I lived at home 🙂
oh man that looks good!
Your family sounds awesome…just saying being traditional is all it is cracked up to be…wicked!
My mom used to host a Christmas Eve party with lots of food, but everyone (including her) has moved since then and they are coming to Colorado this year! I’m thinking of doing a big Christmas dinner, but only because we have never done that before. 🙂
After experiencing your Thanksgiving brilliance, I cannot wait to see what you do for Christmas!
My family does brunch where everyone should be there (meaning they cannot ditch us for in-laws) and depending on plans some of us end up eating Christmas dinner together as well.
I love that you “require” brunch! It has to happen once everyone grows up and has their own family branch to deal with!
I’ll swap you that Gingerbread martini for some of my apple cinnamon infused bourbon.
I’m infusing some bourbon with cinnamon and cranberries right now…
I know I know…but that doesn’t mean mine doesn’t have value!! 🙂
HI YUMMAAAAY
Wow, that sounds so good! We really don’t have a traditional meal for Christmas. I’m going to Tony’s parent’s place and apparently there will be fried chicken and ham with mac and cheese…I will be eating a salad (since that’s all vegetarian’s eat). Oh well, I’m gonna play in the kitchen next week when we get back!
Awwww… maybe you can BYO protein? there is so much more to meat-free life than salads. Silly carnivores.
Salmon burger?! YUM! Those are some of my favorite for sure!
WHY would they sell canned salmon with bones?!?!??!!!! WHY
Well, now I know why you are such a creative & good cook – the family does it too! 🙂 I am so NOT a cook but I am OK with that. Lots of help on social media IF it is simple. I don’t like complicated! 😉
Man, I was drooling at the beginning f this post for sure! I love that you do different things!
Me – sort of a traditional household but I don’t mind different either… 🙂
i do have to thank my mom – she is amazing int he kitchen! Oddly, I never had an interest (beyond cookie-making) until my 20s.
I love that your family does such creative things!!! What is “normal” anyway?? Normal is boring. 😉 These salmon burgers look awesome!!!
That reminds me of Forrest Gump – If God wanted us to be the same he would have given us watermelons for heads. 🙂
Oh wow! First of all, I’m impressed that you were able to get the burgs to stay together without any egg, flax, or anything…actually, HOW did u do that?! Haha! Secondly, LOVE the edamame/pom topping! Never would’ve thought to add the nooch, but now you have me intrigued. I’ll have to give it a try…you know how much I trust your taste buds! 😉
I wish my family was more adventurous…seriously, if the offer of adoption is still on the table, consider me planted under the tree with a bow in my hair! 😉 We usually stick to finger foods for the day we get together with the family for Christmas…but usually, on Christmas morning, we have a good breakfast like cinnamon rolls or last year, I made pancakes! Unfortunately, I have to work on Christmas Eve and day this year, so I’ll miss out on that, but the finger food feast is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon…I’m just praying there are deviled eggs! Lol
It’s the salmon – it just sticks together after you blend it!
Seriously, please com join my family. We all love pancakes. 😉
BOOOOO for working. I’ll text you all night to be sure you are entertained.
Can I eat at your house for Christmas?! My family is fairly normal with holiday eats… Turkey on Thanksgiving.. blah blah blah. I told them we should have had CURRIED turkey! Everyone wanted to slap me 😉
And again with the beautiful colors. I love it.
My family does a Christmas Eve dinner which consists of all finger foods, including fresh salmons, fruit, a million and one dips and vehicles in which to eat them, and if course sweets. Christmas Day we do a traditional brunch.
I love your family’s idea of mixing it up every year and your idea for a cocktail.
Have a great holiday.