salmon burgers with lemon dill mayo

the other week we were heading over to my in-laws for dinner. my dear mother-in-law and is so thoughtful and always asks us exactly what we want...and every time we give her the same answer - i want salmon, and scofield wants a burger. of course, i can't blame him. as a vegetarian red meant is never served in our house. one, because i don't eat it. two, because i have no idea how to cook it and it kind of gives me the creeps. so scofield has to count on eating out or back yard barbecues with friends to get his fill. this time, though, i thought it would be a great idea to 'combine' the two, so i suggested salmon burgers! debbie whipped up the best dinner, so i was inspired to try to make my own version of salmon burgers at home. these are a new favorite in our house, and so easy!

i will warn you, though...if you don't like bones in your fish then be sure to make sure you are buying the right kind of canned salmon. it was my first time buying canned salmon, so i had no idea to check. then i opened the can at home, all ready to cook, and was welcomed by a full set of bones! i mean, spinal chord, ribs...it was all there. i nearly had a heart attack. blood, cuts, bones...can.not.handle.it. it took everything in me to pull them out of the fish [although, apparently they are totally edible!?]. as my mom always says, 'gotta put on your big girl panties.' so i did, but not until after almost giving up on the whole meal, but....i'm glad i didn't! because seriously, these salmon burgers are delicious!

so here's to overcoming fears in the form of salmon burgers!

salmon burgers with lemon dill mayo

ingredients:

• 2 cans of boneless, wild alaskan salmon (14.75 oz), drained and rinsed
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• juice of half a lemon
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• dash of red pepper flakes
• extra virgin olive oil
• pretzel buns

for the mayo:

• 1/2 cup light mayo made with olive oil
• juice of half a lemon
• 2 tbsp. fresh chopped dill
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• salt and pepper, to taste

heat a tablespoon of olive oil on a large, nonstick pan on medium heat. in a food processor, combine the salmon, eggs, onion, bell pepper, garlic cloves, and lemon juice. pulse until smooth and combined. next, add the bread crumbs, parmesan, and red pepper flakes. pulse until just combined because you still want it a little choppy. divide the mixture into five equal parts and form in 1/2 inch thick patties. cook patties for 5 minutes on each side.

for the mayo, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, mixing well until fully combined. serve the salmon patties on a pretzel bun with provolone cheese and mayo.

enjoy!