My husband and I made a pact in early January that we would halt our grocery spending for one month and cook solely from what's in our pantry, fridge, and freezers (the latter of which we have four. Yep, four!). We have three huge shelving units of food in our basement and foods are often overlooked and repurchased before checking the supplies already on-hand. I can't tell you how many times we've bought another case of organic chicken stock at Costco only to find we still have plenty at home. So aside from fresh produce, dairy, and eggs, the supermarket was off limits! The result: we totally saved money (like hundreds of dollars!), we got super creative with our meals, and we used up a ton of food we already had. One month is over and we've decided to extend another month, or until there's no more protein in the freezer or in cans, we've eaten all the Rancho Gordo beans and used up the grains and gluten-free pasta.
Last night I began my regular "basement shopping," as we call it. I found a couple of cans of salmon and decided on salmon patties (or cakes if you prefer). From the fridge, I pulled out the little bit of steamed broccoli from the night before, some kelp noodles (also called sea tangle), a 1/4 of a red onion, avocado mayonnaise, and an egg. From the pantry, I grabbed some gluten-free saltine crackers (I didn't have any gluten-free breadcrumbs) and dill pollen (this is some seriously good stuff if you've never had it, almost as good as fennel pollen. Both of which are more floral and pack a bigger punch than regular dried versions). Some garlic and a lemon and I was all set to make my Salmon and Broccoli Patties with Lemon-Dill Aioli. This a fast, easy recipe that is also super inexpensive and delicious!
Salmon and Broccoli Patties with Lemon-Dill Aioli
Makes 5 patties
Note: You can also use tuna if you don't have salmon.
For the salmon patties, combine the following and form into patties:
2 cans wild salmon
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon mayo (I used avocado mayo)
1/4 of a small red onion, finely diced
Fresh or dried dill, as much as you want! Or get some dill pollen on the 'Zon.
Breadcrumbs or plain crackers (crushed), about 1/2 cup
1 cup steamed broccoli, chopped
For the aioli, combine the following:
2/3 cup mayo
The zest and juice of a lemon
1 small garlic clove mashed into a paste
Dill and salt to taste
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook salmon for about 3 minutes on each side or until nice and golden.
Garnish patties with the aioli and serve atop wilted spinach, kelp noodles (some better supermarkets will have this near the miso), or alongside steamed or roasted veggies. They're also great as a burger nestled between your favorite bun!
Enjoy!
P.S. This post contains a few Amazon Associates links which might earn me a couple cents.
