Salmon Burgers with Avocado Aioli

Holy. Moly.

I cannot believe that so few ingredients can come together so deliciously. There's really not much to either the burger or the aioli - the burger is just fresh salmon, salt, pepper, and chives. But there is so much flavor in every. Single. Bite.

The original recipe called for a serrano pepper, but our grocery store didn't have any. So Brian picked up some  habaneros. I started with half of one, seeded, and ended up using one and a half, seeded, total. I would likely go with two next time, but we like a lot of spice.

Full disclosure: You're going to need both a food processor and a meat grinder. That may not seem like the best choice for a Monday night dinner, but trust me - it's worth. I'll never buy a frozen salmon burger again!

Salmon Burgers

• 1.5 lb. boneless, skinless salmon filet
• 3 T chives, minced
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 burger buns, toasted
• Avocado aioli, recipe below
• Canola oil, for grill pan

1. Cut the salmon into pieces and freeze for about 20 minutes. Pass the chilled salmon through the coarse setting of a meat grinder.
2. Season the ground salmon with salt, pepper and chives, then mix to combine. Form the salmon into 4 equal-sized patties.
3. Add a teaspoon or two of canola oil to cast iron skillet and preheat to high. Grill the patties for 3 - 4 minutes; flip and cook another 2 - 3 minutes.
4. To assemble the burgers, spread some of the aioli on the bottom bun, top with a burger, a few slices of onion, a few leaves of cilantro, spread some of the aioli on the top bun, then place on burger.

Avocado Aioli

• 1 very ripe avocado
• 1 1/2 habanero peppers, seeded and minced
• 1/4 scant C mayonnaise
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 T fresh cilantro
• 1/2 lime, juiced

1. Scoop the flesh of the avocado and add it, along with all remaining ingredients, into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
2. Check for seasoning. 

Source: Food52

You might also like: Lamb Gyro Burgers

Homemade French Onion Dip

There is absolutely a time and place for onion dip made with an envelope or two of onion soup mix and a tub of sour cream. Throw in a bag of Ruffle potato chips and you've got yourself a hell of a party.

But with just a handful of common ingredients and less than an hour's time, you can take onion dip to an entirely new level. Cream cheese adds richness while the freshly caramelized onions bring a sweetness and complexity that you just can't get from an envelope of dehydrated onions and some dry seasoning.

We had plenty of leftovers (since I made it for just the two of us), but the dip held up well in the refrigerator for several days. It was best if left at room temperature for a few minutes, though, to loosen up a bit.

Ingredients

• 2 large red onions
• 1 T olive oil
• Salt
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 C white wine or dry vermouth
• 12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 C sour cream

Method

1. First, make the onion jam. Peel and slice the onions into fine half-moons. Place them into a wide heavy-based pan, along with the olive oil, and sweat over a medium-low heat until they begin to caramelize and brown, about 15 minutes.
2. Add the thyme leaves and granulated sugar to the pan, and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the sugar is melted and the onions are well caramelized.
3. Pour the white wine or vermouth into the pan, and working quickly, stir and scrape any sticky, browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring and scraping until the pan is basically clean, and the liquid has completely evaporated. Turn off the heat, and set aside to cool.
4. To make the dip, beat the cream cheese (either with a wooden spoon or with an electric mixer) until it is completely smooth. Add the sour cream and beat again until smooth, thick and combined.
5. Add the cooled onion jam and mix the two together, reserving about a tablespoon of the onions, diced, for garnish. 
6. Try not to eat the entire dish of dip in one serving.

Source: Food 52

And, if you like caramelized onions as much as I do, check out this Caramelized Onion and White Bean dip. 

Coconut Banana Bread

While traditional banana bread says to me cool mornings and hot tea, Thanksgiving, and crunchy leaves, this more tropical version sings summertime. The flavors of coconut, bananas, rum and lime reminded me of breakfast in Key West...and there's nothing wrong with that!

Ingredients

•  2 C all-purpose flour 
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 C granulated sugar
• 1/4 C butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 C mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
• 1/4 C plain low-fat yogurt
• 3 T dark rum
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Zest of half a lime
• 1/2 C flaked sweetened coconut
• 1/2 C nuts (I used up some chopped walnuts and pecans I had on hand), optional
• Cooking spray
• 1 T flaked sweetened coconut

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
3. Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, rum, vanilla, and lime zest; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut and nuts, if using. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon coconut. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. 
4. Optional: The original recipe also called for a glaze, but I suspected the bread would be sweet enough without it - and for our taste, it was. Instead, I mixed some lime zest into the batter for the citrusy kick. But if you'd like to try it, just combine 1/2 C powdered sugar and 
   

   1 1/2 T fresh lime or lemon juice, stirring with a whisk; drizzle over warm bread. 
5. Cool completely on wire rack.

Source: My Recipes

Lamb Gyro Burgers

After fighting with the interwebs with no success, I've given in and just started a new blog. All the recipes on the original Thyme Well Spent are accessible through the blog list over there to the right - it's the link at the top of the list. It was time for a refresh, anyway, and I hope you enjoy More Thyme Well Spent!

After a couple of summer months of traditional hamburgers on the grill, this lamb burger was a really nice change. There is a ton of flavor from a relatively short list of ingredients - most of which I had on hand. The cool tang of the sauce, the briny saltiness of the feta and the freshness of the veggies all go perfectly with the hot-off-the grill juicy burger. It might be my new favorite cook-out dinner!

Ingredients

Burgers:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 lb. ground lamb
• dash cumin and lemon zest

Tzatziki Sauce

• 1/2 C plain Greek yogurt
• 2 T sour cream
• 2 T cucumber, peeled and minced
• 2 T lemon juice
• dash cumin and coriander

Topping

• 2 hamburger buns
• 2 oz. feta cheese (2 slices from block of feta)
• 2 large tomato slices
• 2 large red onion slices

Method

1. Mix garlic, shallot, lamb, cumin and lemon zest in a bowl. Form into two patties. Cover and place in the fridge while preparing tzatziki sauce.
2. Mix tzatziki sauce ingredients in a bowl.
3. Heat grill and cook the burger to desired doneness. Build burgers with buns and toppings.

Source: Men's Fitness