- Salmon:
A Canny Choice
- BY DANA JACOBI FOR THE AMERICAN
INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH
Salmon is now the third most
popular seafood in the U.S., with an annual consumption that
ranks below only shrimp and canned tuna. Because it is an excellent
source of essential omega-3 fatty acids, salmon has developed
a reputation as a particularly healthy option. But much of salmon’s
popularity is due to other factors -- its appealing, mild flavor,
its ease of preparation, and its increasingly reasonable price.
Fresh salmon is best when it
is just that - impeccably fresh, which means buying it carefully
and serving it promptly. Canned salmon, on the other hand, is
more convenient and costs even less: if you wait to buy it when
it’s on sale, you can sometimes get hold of a 14.5-ounce
can for about a dollar. But while canned tuna can be found in
most everyone’s pantry, and recipes for novel things to
do with canned salmon abound, fresh salmon has become so commonly
available that many people now unfairly shun its canned form.
This is a significant change
from fifty years ago, when people often reached for canned salmon
to make a quick casserole, salmon loaf, or salmon cakes to serve
with baked spaghetti -- a dish I remember fondly. Why this shift
in attitudes? Well, some people think a newly opened can of salmon,
complete with skin and bones, is a less than appetizing sight.
They probably never watched their mothers quickly and efficiently
discard the skin and remove the bones - although the bones are
a good source of calcium - and don’t realize how easy it
is.
Sodium is the other issue when
serving canned salmon. The fish alone may taste salty, but in
the finished dish, I find it to be just right. Used in a recipe
like these salmon burgers, the final sodium content per serving
is reasonable.
If you enjoy old-fashioned
fish cakes, I promise you will love these burgers.
Salmon and Brown Rice Burgers
- Makes 4 servings.
- 1 can (14.5 oz.) pink salmon
- 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
- 1 tsp. dry basil
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 Tbsp. canola oil
Clean salmon, discarding the
skin and bones. There will be about 1 1/4 cups fish. Place fish
in mixing bowl.
Coat small skillet generously
with cooking spray. Sauté onion until soft, 4 minutes.
Add to salmon. Add rice, bread crumbs, basil, egg, lemon juice,
black pepper, and cayenne. Using fork, mix until ingredients
are well combined. Divide salmon mixture into four parts, forming
each into 3-inch by 3/4-inch burger. Salmon Burgers can be made
ahead up to this point and refrigerated, covered with plastic
wrap on plate, for up to 4 hours.
Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in medium, non-stick skillet. Cook
burgers until well-browned, about 4 minutes. Turn and add remaining
oil, lifting burgers gently so it can coat pan. Cook until burgers
are well-browned, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately.
Per serving: 279 calories,
12 g. total fat (2 g. saturated fat), 17 g. carbohydrate, 24
g. protein, 1 g. dietary fiber, 646 mg. sodium.
_______________________________________
“Something Different”
is written for the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR)
by Dana Jacobi, author of The Joy of Soy and recipe creator for
AICR’s Stopping Cancer Before It Starts.
AICR offers a Nutrition Hotline (1-800-843-8114) 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. ET Monday-Friday. This free service allows you to ask a
registered dietitian questions about diet, nutrition and cancer.
AICR is the only major cancer charity focused exclusively on
the link between diet, nutrition and cancer. It provides a range
of education programs that help Americans learn to make changes
for lower cancer risk. AICR also supports innovative research
in cancer prevention and treatment at universities, hospitals
and research centers across the U.S. It has provided more than
$65 million for research in diet, nutrition and cancer. AICR’s
Web address is www.aicr.org.
AICR is a member of the World Cancer Research Fund International.
_______________________________________
RECIPE POSTED
OCTOBER 05, 2003
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