Summer Salmon Burgers

Earlier this summer I was hearing a lot of hype on Gwyneth Paltrow’s latest cookbook It’s All Good. I was reluctant to make the purchase. I don’t know, maybe it’s pure jealousy, like how she is ridiculously gorgeous, has a killer body, an awesome blog, and traveled around Spain for a television show that basically is just her smiling and eating, or that she’s kissed a lot of hot celebs. But with all of this aside, I trusted Kelsey and Makena's recommendation, and bit the bullet.

When the book arrived, I quickly read it cover to cover. I even read about her magical doctor and lost count of the multiple times the phrase “it’s all good” appeared throughout. There is definitely some shameless self aggrandizing  (ahem, understatement), but you can skim over that.  

The recipes are definitely healthy and the photos are gorgeous (even the ones of you, Gwyneth). Some recipes I certainly won’t follow to the t (but I barely do). For example, she doesn’t use cheese. So what would I do? Add cheese—throw feta on that dish and don’t be shy! Most recipes are gluten free. So what would I do? Eat gluten—make pasta! Also, what is up with vegenaise. I will NOT buy that. But I will buy the millet and lovely exotic spices she recommends. I also like how in the back  of the book, she has a whole section dedicated to daily meal plans so you can plan out your week. Thanks, Gwyneth!

One of the first recipes I was drawn to was her Salmon Burgers with Pickled Ginger (although there is an editorial error in the title—let me know if you can uncover it). I was inspired so I made my own rendition of salmon burgers, mainly adding scallions and more cruciferous vegetables.  Let me know what you think.

Summer Salmon Burgers (Marisa Style)

Serves Two

½ pound of salmon cut into 1-inch cubes

1 tablespoon of pickled ginger roughly chopped

¼ cup of cilantro

3 radishes

2 scallions

1 sliver of red onion

1 slice of red cabbage (totally optional-I had some in my fridge)

1 teaspoon of soy sauce

1 teaspoon of sesame oil

1 tablespoon of olive oil

salt and pepper (Aleppo pepper works great here)

Once your salmon is chopped, place the salmon and your food processor blade in the freezer for a few minutes to chill (it makes it easier to food process).

Add the salmon to a mixing bowl and set aside.

Add the pickled ginger, cilantro, radishes, scallions, red onions, cabbage, soy sauce, and sesame oil to the food processor. Chop the herbs until they are fine.  Add to the salmon, mix, and form patties.

Set your oven to broil.

Place the patties on an oiled tray, sprinkle with salt, and broil for about 5 minutes on each side.

Feel free to top with sriracha and/or any other dipping sauce (I added a creamy horseradish sauce). This dish pairs well with an Asian sauté preparation of Bok Choy. Enjoy!