I’ll Have My Salmon Burger Pink

Want to take your weeknight dinners a step further? Supermarkets carry an ever-increasing variety of quality prepared foods that can elevate a typical meal to something memorable.

Black olive tapenade, found in the condiment aisle of well-stocked stores, is a great topping for these quick salmon burgers. Serve them with an easy salad of slightly bitter winter lettuces with walnuts and sliced persimmons.

Salmon Burgers With Olive Tapenade

Active Work Time: 15 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 25 minutes

1 pound salmon filets, bones removed

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Grated zest of 1 orange

1 shallot, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs

4 crusty sandwich rolls

1/2 cup black olive tapenade

* Cut salmon into 1-inch pieces and place in bowl of food processor with mayonnaise, mustard, zest, shallot, tarragon, salt and pepper. Pulse to combine, stopping when you have small chunks that resemble a ground-meat mixture. Place in bowl and stir in bread crumbs. Divide mixture into 4 balls and compress tightly to form into patties.

* Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat and cook burgers until lightly browned but cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

* Use vegetable peeler to shave thin slices of fennel. Top burgers with fennel slices and serve open faced or sandwich-style on rolls spread with a few tablespoons of olive tapenade.

4 servings. Each serving: 535 calories; 1,603 mg sodium; 53 mg cholesterol; 21 grams fat; 57 grams carbohydrates; 25 grams protein; 2.50 gram fiber.

Winter Green Salad With Walnuts and Persimmons

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 10 minutes

1/2 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and roughly chopped

2 tablespoons orange juice

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons walnut oil or light olive oil

12 ounces assorted greens, such as arugula, baby spinach and radicchio

2 small Hachiya persimmons, sliced

* Toast walnuts on baking sheet in 350-degree oven until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

* Combine orange juice, zest, vinegar and salt in small bowl. Whisk in oil. Toss vinaigrette with greens, walnut pieces and persimmon slices.

4 servings. Each serving: 336 calories; 212 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 32 grams fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams protein; 4.13 grams fiber.

MENU

Salmon Burgers With Olive Tapenade

Winter Green Salad With Walnuts and Persimmons

GAME PLAN

30 minutes before: Toast walnuts for salad.

25 minutes before: Zest orange, mince shallot.

20 minutes before: Combine salmon with other ingredients in food processor

15 minutes before: Begin cooking burgers.

10 minutes before: Prepare salad.

Just before serving: Toss salad. Shave fennel and spread tapenade on rolls.

INGREDIENTS

SHOPPING LIST

Bread

Fennel

Oranges

Persimmons

Olive tapenade

Fresh tarragon

Salad greens

1 pound salmon filets

Sandwich rolls

Shallots

Walnuts

STAPLES

Mayonnaise

Dijon mustard

Olive oil

Walnut oil

White wine vinegar