White Bean and Salmon Salad

Do you ever arrive home from work so hungry that your brain can't even begin to plan dinner? I do. In cases like this, I need food fast! And I need something with lots of protein, but that's not too heavy. Last night, this salad did the trick. Using just a couple of ingredients I found in the pantry, and some fresh herbs from the garden, dinner was delicious and on the plate in mere minutes.

White Bean and Salmon Salad
Serves 2

1 (540 ml) can of white kidney beans
1 (170 g) can of wild salmon
2 cups of baby spinach
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh chives
1 1/2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Drain and rinse beans and place them in a large bowl. If using regular salmon, drain the water, then remove the skin and bones and flake into the bowl with the beans. (I used tuna style flaked salmon, which was ready to use.) Add the spinach. In a small bowl or glass jar, add the herbs, the oil and vinegar and salt and pepper. Mix well and then pour over the bean mixture and toss well. Serve with a slice of dark rye bread.

Kitchen Improv:

This is one of those recipes that you could easily adapt based on what you have available. Try a different kind of beans, or use tuna instead of salmon, or swap out the vinegar or herbs for your favorites! Let me know if you come up with a winning combination.

Here's another really delicious example of this type of salad using lentils and tuna. I've made this recipe several times.

Herbed Salmon Turmeric

Turmeric is a favourite spice in my house. Can you tell from the beat up old label on the spice jar?

A member of the ginger family, turmeric has been recognised for its health benefits for generations in South Asia. And its power as an anti-oxidant has been investigated in medical studies in the United States in recent years. Read more about turmeric…

I use it in all sorts of things - from curry to salad dressing to scrambled eggs. It gives them a bright orange colour and an earthy, peppery flavour. Mr. PL even sprinkles it on popcorn.

Herbed Salmon Turmeric was a recipe I made up to make use of some leftover potatoes. It was even better than I thought it would be, given that it had so few ingredients and was so easy to make.

I had some nice fresh baby bok choy.

And I was lucky that a generous gardener had just shared a huge bunch of fresh herbs.

Herbed Salmon Turmeric
Serves 2

2 boneless, skinless salmon fillets, chopped into large chunks
4 medium potatoes
2 cups mixed fresh herbs, chopped (chives, oregano, basil, green onions and radish greens)
1 cup baby bok choy, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon of turmeric
a few shakes of garlic salt
fresh ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil + more as needed

Cook potatoes - bake them, boil them - however you choose. I started with leftovers. Cut potatoes into cubes and set aside. In a large frying pan heat the olive oil and add the onions, stirring often and cooking until soft and translucent. Add the salmon and potatoes and turmeric, cooking on medium heat until the salmon is cooked through. Add more oil if needed and add the baby bok choy and herbs. Sautée until greens are wilted and salmon and potatoes are browned. Season with garlic salt and black pepper.

In the pan...

And on the plate...

Salmon Cakes

Here...fishy, fishy, fishy.

This is one of my favorite "I don't know what to make for dinner!" recipes. Keep a can of salmon in the pantry and you can have a delicious and somewhat elegant meal in a matter of minutes.

For this and many other recipes, I like to cook with grapeseed oil. I learned about it a couple of years ago after my mom told me she uses it for salad dressings. And, I've noticed it popping up more on supermarket shelves in the last few years. It is less likely to burn than olive oil, and has a mild, neutral flavour. 

Salmon Cakes

Serves 2

1 can of wild pacific salmon
1 chopped green onion
1/3 cup of whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tablespoon of Miracle Whip*
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1 egg white
sea salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon of parsley (use fresh herbs if you have them)
grapeseed oil

Blend first 8 ingredients in a bowl and form into 4 patties. Heat grapeseed oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Cook patties for about 5 minutes until lightly browned and patty feels firm. Flip and brown the other side, about another 5 minutes.



I served the salmon cakes over quinoa with roasted asparagus on the side.

*For better or for worse, Miracle Whip is a prairie staple. If you know of a prairie cookbook that doesn't use it in at least one recipe, I'd like to hear about it! Substitute mayonnaise or another type of salad dressing if you prefer.