Salmon Patties

• 1 can of salmon, drained
• 1T chopped parsley (fresh or dried)
• 2t herbs de provence (or other spices)
• 1t onion powder
• 3T mayonnaise
• 2 eggs
• salt and pepper
• oil

Mix everything together.  It’s going to seem a little too wet.  Just let it sit for 15 minutes to thicken up.  I measured these out and dropped into a nonstick skillet using a standard ice cream scoop.  It made 7 patties.  I bought the salmon on sale for under $3 for the can.  That probably made these about 50 cents each.  Yikes!  What a bargain!

Variations on the salmon patties

Now, there’s a ton you could do with this recipe.  I’d keep the salmon and eggs but you could go crazy with the rest.  For a more traditional, crab cake-style recipe you could go with Old Bay instead of the herbs de provence.  If you don’t have Old Bay, it’s mainly celery salt with a few other minor seasonings.  I bet a Jamaican jerk seasoning would also be really tasty in this.

Salmon patty sauces

I served this with a sauce that didn’t really go that well, but was super tasty.  It was kind of like a chipotle mayo but with a more subtle and refined flavor from the use of Spanish smoked paprika instead of chipotle.  It would probably be better with a remoulade or tartar sauce, though. 

Pimenton dip

• 3T mayo
• 2T sour cream
• 2T cream
• 1t Spanish smoked paprika
• 1t onion powder
• salt and pepper

Mix it up and let sit for 30 minutes for flavors to mingle.  Add more or less cream to change the thickness.

You could make this with ground or canned chipotle and it would be really tasty.  Adjusting ratios of mayo, sour cream and cream to suit the purpose.  More or less cream will make it thicker or thinner.  You could actually use water too.  I just used cream because I had it handy.  This would be awesome with some plain potato chips.

Quick Tartar Sauce

• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp sweet pickle relish

This is as easy as it gets. Mix and enjoy.

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Sesame seeds are found in recipes from all over the world.  You’ll find them used in Mexican moles, Middle Eastern desserts, Asian dishes and topping American hamburger buns.  It’s no wonder considering how tasty and healthy they are.  Here are some good reasons to get more sesame seeds into your diet and a tasty Korean BBQ recipe that will help you sneak them past the most finicky eaters.

I’m not going to try to get into all the details of why they’re so good for you, but here are a few of the good things packed into these tiny seeds:

• Copper, which support antiinflammatory and antioxidant enzyme systems to reduce pain and swelling and prevent cancer
• Magnesium, which supports cardiovascular and circulatory systems to reduce asthma symptoms and lower blood pressure
• Calcium and zinc, which supports bone strength and prevents colon cancer
• Phytosterols, which lower cholesterol and blood pressure

Check out this page and this page for more detailed information.

So it’s not like you can just have a big bowl of sesame seeds for dinner.  My two favorite ways to sneak in some sesame seeds are hummus and this Korean BBQ recipe:

Korean BBQ

Almost any kind of meat (or tofu) will do in this recipe.  My favorites are beef short ribs, chicken thighs, tri tip, pork loin and firm tofu.  Make the marinade as much as a week in advance and marinade the meet for at least and hour and as long as 24 hours.  The most important part of this recipe is the toasted and then crushed sesame seeds.  Don’t skip that part!

• Meat
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 4-8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 green onions, finely chopped
• 2T ginger, finely chopped
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2T agave or sugar

Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until they turn a light brown and are fragrant.  Put them in a blender or food processor and pulse until mostly crushed.  Smell that flavor!!!  Combine the rest of the ingredients and either keep in the fridge until ready to use or pour on your meat to marinade.  Wait as long as you can stand it and then fire up the grill and cook over high heat to get a good char.  Cook until finished and serve with kimchi and rice or whatever else your family likes.  Leftovers are possibly even better!

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I used to avoid buying fresh herbs because even though they were cheap, I still felt bad about throwing away half a bunch.   To fix this, I came up with lots of ways to use up fresh herbs so I can enjoy them regularly without feeling guilty.  Below are some of my favorite ways to use up fresh curly or flat-leaf parsley.

• Sprinkle on everything! Parsley has a strong flavor that holds it’s own against heavy meats and strong spices.  I love parsley chopped and added to meaty soups and stews.  I sprinkle it on everything from chicken and dumplings to sauted squash.  I usually chop about 1/3 of the bunch and store it in a container in the fridge (for up to a week) so it’s ready to use at a moments notice.
• Add to leafy salads! Fresh parsley goes great in salads.  You can chop it and add it directly with the lettuce or try blending it with your salad dressing.  Either way it adds a very nice flavor.
• Add to picnic salads! Add fresh parsley to tuna, chicken, potato and macaroni salads to turn them into something amazing.  Use your regular recipe but add just enough at the end to leave some small bits of green.  It’s also delicious in cole slaw.
• Pesto! Fresh parsley can be added to traditional pesto along with, or instead of, basil.  You can also make your own pesto variations.  Instead of the traditional basil and pine nuts with olive oil, try parsley and walnuts with walnut oil.
• Parsleyed vegetables! Fried potatoes are made even better with some fresh parsley added near the end.  This works for many kinds of sauteed and fried vegetables.
• Blend with olive oil! Try blending fresh parsley with olive oil and then drizzling over grilled or sauted vegetables.
• Chimichurri! This traditional Argentinian marinade and sauce for grilled meat is full of flavor.  Serve this on the side with your next barbeque.  For a real South American barbeque, baste the meat with nothing but salt water while grilling.  You won’t believe the flavor!
• Freeze it! If there’s any left after all the above, chop it and freeze it.  It won’t be as good for sprinkling on just before serving, but will still add great flavor when added near the end and stirred into a dish.

I hope these ideas inspire you to pick up a bunch of fresh parsley on your next trip to the market.  Let us know if you have an idea of your own to share!

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If you’ve never heard of a flatiron steak, sometimes called top blade steak, don’t be surprised.  Up until the last few years, the flatiron cut was often ground into hamburger!  The flatiron steak is the outcome of a 2002 University of Florida research study that analyzed hundreds of different pieces of beef looking for underappreciated parts.  The researchers discovered the tender flatiron cut near the shoulder from where the chuck roast is cut.  It’s fairly lean but has a rich flavor similar to sirloin or skirt steak.

Restaurants started serving flatiron cuts first and it’s become more popular than t-bone and porterhouse steaks combined.  The increased demand for flatiron steaks is helping them find their way into supermarket meat departments everywhere.  While you’re not going to find a flatiron cheaper than chuck or hamburger, at around $5-$6/lb it’s definitely well under the high end steaks that could go for well above $10/lb at the local market.

I recently picked up a couple of flatirons at my local market for $5.99/lb.  Their very uniform shape and even thickness make them incredibly easy to grill.  I created a smokey, peppery rub and grilled them to a nice medium rare and served them with sauteed brussels sprouts.  Here’s the recipe:

Smokey, peppery flatiron steak

• 1 – 1lb flatiron steak
• 1T liquid smoke, mesquite or hickory
• 1-2T black pepper, already ground
• 1T paprika
• 1T soy sauce
• 1T olive oil

I first marinated the steak in the liquid smoke (for smokiness) and soy sauce (for saltiness).  I sometimes like to use the preground black pepper because it has a different flavor than fresh ground that sometimes just works (like for making homemade jerky).  After shaking off the excess liquid, I laid a hefty coating of pepper and paprika.  I think coated with olive oil to keep it sticking on the grill.  WIth the grill fired up to high, the flatiron spent about 5-7 min on each side until the largest end started to firm up when poked with a finger.  Let rest for a few minutes and then slice at an angle to make the slices look larger.  YUM!

Sauteed brussels sprouts

Brussels sprouts have a bad reputation for tasting icky.  Well, that’s because they do taste icky when boiled until dead as do other vegetables.  The problem is they are fairly tough and take a while to cook.  They’re too thick to sautee from raw, so I steam them first until just tender.  I then sautee them in some olive oil until they pick up a little color on the outside.  A little salt and pepper and they’re finished.  A little drizzle of truffle oil also goes incredibly well.

You could also cut them in half before sauteeing to add some extra surface area.  Another nice treatment would be to take them out of the steamer, cut in half lengthwise, toss in olive oil, salt and pepper and then roast in the oven face down on a nonstick baking sheet or some nonstick foil.

If you have any additional ideas for what to do with a flatiron steak, post a comment!

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I consider this a frugal ingredients because it is fairly inexpensive and a little goes a long way.  I don’t think I paid more than $4.00 for a pretty large tin.  I’ve had the same tin in my pantry for at least a year and feel like I use it regularly.  That’s what I call frugal!

I don’t think there are any major health benefits to adding this into a recipe, but there is no salt, sugar, saturated fat, cholesterol or anything else bad for you in there.  The interesting flavor might enable you to cut back on some of the salt and fat in your recipe.

You can find this at many markets.  I’ve also seen it at Cost Plus World Market.  It’s also available online from many sources.

I love this paprika as part of a rub for meats.  It goes great with chicken and pork, but also fish and beef.  I mix it with garlic, black pepper and salt and then rub liberally on to whatever I’m about to grill, broil or bake.

I also use this in vegetable and grain side dishes.  It’s wonderful in a gratin of potatoes.  It also goes well with rice and couscous.  Try adding this to the rice cooker or pot before cooking the rice to end up with a great fragrant side.  Rub ears of corn with lemon or lime and then sprinkle with the paprika and grill.

A little of this paprika can turn a sauce into something really interesting.  Try adding some to mayo or hollandaise to serve with artichokes or fish.  It also pairs especially well with cream sauces, although I hope you don’t eat those too often.   Just adding a bit to softened butter would make a nice spread for homemade bread or hot vegetables.

For more inspiration, I came across this page of tasty-sounding recipes.

The possibilities are endless.  I hope you come up with some good ideas of your own.  If you do come up with a good idea, please post a comment to share with everyone.

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