low carb seafood burgers with yogurt-sriracha remoulade

Grilled Seafood Burgers with yogurt-Sriracha remoulade

I love salmon burgers, but at the moment, salmon is very expensive. When I saw this recipe on the New York Times Cooking app I decided to try it. I substituted tilapia for cod as that was what I had on hand, so I think any white fish will do. I did not grill these patties. Instead I fried them on a lightly oiled griddle on the stove top. The patties came out fresh and tasty; the yogurt-sriracha remoulade brought out the seafood flavors and added a little zing. And best of all, it was uncomplicated. Dinner was ready in 20 minutes.

Grilled Seafood Burgers (adapted from New York Times Cooking)

Yield: 4-5 patties

Seafood Burgers

1/2 pound/250g large shrimp, cleaned and tails removed

12 ounces/340g white fish fillet (e.g. cod, tilapia, etc.)

2 scallions, chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon fine salt)

1/2 rounded teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Oil for spraying (recommend neutral oil such as rice bran or canola)

Yogurt-Sriracha Remoulade

1 cup low fat Greek yogurt

1/2 teaspoon Jerk or Cajun Seasoning

1/2 teaspoon grain mustard

1 teaspoon Sriracha Sauce, or to taste

Juice of half a lime

Salt to taste

Honey to taste

Make the remoulade. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Season to taste. Refrigerate while you make the burgers. Can be made ahead and refrigerated until ready to serve.

Make the seafood burgers. In a food processor, place the shrimp and pulse several times until finely chopped and pasty. Transfer shrimp to a large bowl. Chop the white fish into 1/2-inch cubes and add these to the fresh shrimp paste, 1/4 cup of the scallions, salt and pepper. Reserve two tablespoons of the scallions. Cut a 10-inch sheet of parchment and lay it out on the counter top.

Wet your hand and mix together the ingredients in the bowl. Take a one-third measure and dip it in water; this will make it easier to remove the batter. Shake out the excess water. Now scoop up some of the mixture and remove the excess back into the bowl of batter. Lightly press down on the batter in the scoop. Smartly tap the scoop onto the parchment. The batter should fall out easily onto the parchment. Place patties two inches apart on the parchment. Press down lightly on the patty until it’s about 1/2-inch thick. Repeat until you use up all the batter. Lightly spray the patties with oil.

Lightly oil a nonstick griddle and heat it over medium high heat until hot, and a drop of water dances on the surface. Cut around each patty and invert it on the hot griddle. Remove the parchment and discard. Repeat. Spray more oil on the tops of the patties. Cook on one side 4-5 minutes. Do not peek or attempt to remove the patty until it is done. Use a spatula to flip the patty. The top should be golden brown. Cook on the second side an additional 4-5 minutes.

Serve on toasted hamburger buns or for a low carb option, on a round of iceberg lettuce.

ginger-salmon patties with wasabi-yogurt aioli and quinoa burger buns

Ginger-salmon patty with wasabi-yogurt aioli on top of a quinoa patty “bun”

Salmon patties are delicious on a bun, but I served them instead on a quinoa patty (recipe follows), which could be a meal itself in its own right. I like to switch things up in search of healthy choices and alternatives to wheat flour. A sticky rice cake would be another good choice, and one that I have used many times before. This recipe is adapted from Betty Crocker’s Simply Delicious Diabetic Cookbook via the Washington Post. It has an Asian twist–fresh ginger, scallions, and soy sauce–and is served with a cool yet spicy wasabi-yogurt aioli.

Ginger-Salmon Patty with Wasabi-Yogurt Aioli

Yield: 4 patties

2 salmon steaks, approximately 250g, cut into 3-inch chunks

1 tilapia fillet, approximately, 250g, cut into 3-inch chunks

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated

4 scallions, thinly sliced

2/3-cup/40g panko breadcrumbs

4 teaspoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

Lime wedges, for serving

Chopped Lettuce, for serving

Sliced onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers, for serving

Place the fish chunks, ginger and scallions in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is chunky in uniform pieces.

Scrape mixture into a large bowl. Add panko and soy sauce and stir until combined. Shape mixture into 4 patties, each half-inch thick.

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook until browned on one side, 2-3 minutes. Turn over each patty to brown the second side, 2-3 minutes. Remove to a plate and keep warm.

Make the aioli

1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek style yogurt

1 -2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon honey, or to taste

1/2-1 teaspoon wasabi powder or prepared wasabi, or to taste

1/4-teaspoon salt, or to taste

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and combine with a fork. Taste and add more honey, wasabi, or salt, if needed.

Quinoa Patty Buns

2 1/2-cups cooked quinoa

2-3 large eggs, beaten

1/2-teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated carrot

1/4 cup grated zucchini

1-2 tablespoons tapioca starch/flour, optional

1 tablespoon olive oil

In a large bowl, combine quinoa, 2 eggs, salt, and pepper. Add the cilantro, onion, cheese, and garlic. Add the bread crumbs, carrot, and zucchini. Let the mixture rest 10 minutes to absorb flavors. If the mixture is dry, add the third egg. If the mixture is loose and watery, add 1-2 tablespoons tapioca starch. Mix thoroughly. Shape mixture into 4-5 patties, each about 1/2-inch thick.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook patties 7-10 minutes until the bottoms are browned. Flip the patties and cook the second sides 5 minutes more. Remove from the skillet to a plate.

Serve with the ginger-salmon patties or by themselves tucked inside a pita pocket, a sandwich, or a salad.

ruammit burger with cucumber drizzled with sesame-soy sauce

Make this without a recipe.

I call it “ruammit burger” because ruammit in Thai means “mixed up together.”  my husband corrects me, “together with friends.” I suppose the ingredients are friendly, because they certainly complement one another! Just combine lean ground pork with lean ground chicken. The pork adds a little fat to the chicken and makes it tender rather than dry. Because I wanted to clean out my fridge, I added chopped cooked vegetables that were a bit soggy. Then, because they were soggy, I added a half cup of cooked red-and-brown rice to soak up the extra liquid. Then I added seasonings: a bit of ginger and garlic, some chopped Chinese celery (คื่นฉ่าย), chopped cilantro, a squirt of Sriracha, a dash of black pepper, salt, sesame oil, and fish sauce. Mix it all together and make into patties as wide as the palm of your hand. I grilled the patties in a skillet with a little rice bran oil, about 4 minutes per side on medium heat. For the vegetable side, I chopped up some fresh Holland cucumbers and drizzled a sesame-soy dressing on top. That’s it! No recipe necessary.

salmon burger with three kings

The three kings! My fanciful name for three delicious dressings for this salmon burger: Sriracha mayo, Thai basil-cilantro sauce, and guacamole.They are a kingly taste indeed; spicy, sour, sweet, salty, and savory.

Salmon Burger (adapted from Skinnytaste)

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes

1 pound salmon steak, cut off the skin and bones
1/2 small red onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons Panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Juice of 1/2 fresh lime
2 teaspoons oil

Mince the salmon after it has been deskinned and deboned. Add the onion, garlic, bread crumbs and milk. In a small bowl, add the egg and beat lightly with a fork. Add the soy sauce and the fresh lime juice. Pour on the salmon mixture and combine. Pat gently into four patties.

Heat the oil in a skillet. Fry each patty for 4 minutes on one side, flip them over, and fry again for another 4 minutes. Serve on a bed of fresh arugula lettuce. The peppery leaves make a nice contrast with the salmon, which needs no spices, except for the following accompaniments:

Cilantro Mayo
3 tablespoons mayonnaise (I prefer full fat for the taste; low fat is very sweet)
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce (more or less, to taste)
1 scallion, minced

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Thai Basil-Cilantro Sauce (adapted from The High Heel Gourmet)
1 cup mint leaves, loosely packed, chopped fine
1 cup cilantro, loosely packed, chopped fine
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 red chili with or without the seeds, or more to taste
1 scallion, chopped fine
1/4 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
2 -4 tablespoons sugar (1/4 cup in original recipe)
Water 1/4 cup
Juice of 1 lime

Boil vinegar, sugar and salt together until dissolved. Let it rest until cool.

Add the cooled syrup to the vegetables, salt, 2 tablespoons sugar, water, and lime juice. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning. Add a little more sugar if too sour, or a little more salt or vinegar if too sweet. The taste should be tart. Refrigerate leftovers.

Guacamole
2 ripe avocados, mashed
1/3 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1 red chile pepper, seeded and chopped, optional
Juice of 1-2 limes or to taste
Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings. Refrigerate leftovers.