(ALMOST) SUMMERTIME MEAL

After dealing with some on and off rain for the last couple of weeks, it makes a warm sunny day feel that much sweeter! It was 70 degrees yesterday in Los Angeles and it’s supposed to get up to 76 degrees today. Days like this make me feel like a kid again; stupidly giddy at the thought of summertime. Which is why, last night, I decided I was going to pretend like it was summer and eat dinner outside on my balcony. (Unfortunately, we have a few more days until daylight savings so it was a little darker out than I would have liked). Fresh salmon burgers and an arugula salad, paired with one of my favorite Sauvignon Blancs made for an excellent (almost) summertime meal.

Fresh Salmon Burgers
Serves 4

1 pound skinless salmon fillet, cut into ¼ inch pieces
4 green onions, chopped
2 teaspoons jarred jalapenos, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 ½ teaspoon prepared horseradish
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 ½ tablespoons of mayonnaise

½ cup dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoons of olive oil

4 whole wheat buns, lightly toasted
4 large tomato slices
4 rings of sliced red onion
8 small romaine leaves (I love the added crunch romaine gives the burger!)

Lemon Aioli
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, minced
dash of salt

Combine first set of ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or depending on how much time you have, place in freezer for 8 minutes.

Combine breadcrumbs and 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a small bowl and then add to large bowl of salmon mixture. Mix well. Form salmon mixture into 4 patties. It’s important to make sure that each patty is as tightly packed together and as flat as possible on both sides so they do not break apart when cooking.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add patties and cook about 3 minutes per side until brown and crispy on the outside.

To make lemon aioli, mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, and salt in a small dish until thoroughly combined.

To assemble burgers, spread lemon aioli generously on top and bottom buns. Place salmon patties on bottom bun, top with tomato slice, red onion, and two romaine leaves. Place top bun on top of romaine leaves and go to town!

Arugula Salad with Lemon and Shaved Parmesan
Serves 4

3 ½ oz of arugula (I used about half of a 7oz bag)
20 shavings of parmesan cheese (I use a vegetable peeler that works great on cheese …I count about 20 shavings, then break them up into smaller pieces)

Lemon Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
dash of salt

Place arugula in large mixing bowl, add parmesan shavings. Mix lemon vinaigrette in a small dish, then add to arugula and parmesan. Toss to coat, and serve!

  

I paired my meal with this wonderful and wallet-friendly Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. At $12.99 a bottle, it delivers everything a Sauvignon Blanc should, and more!

Dinner is served!

R