I started eating canned salmon a few years ago when I wanted to increase my consumption of fish, but I didn’t enjoy eating sardines all of the time. I found that wild, canned salmon is a great alternative. I love it with the bones and skin included if available, but otherwise a good, wild caught canned salmon can be delicious.
Why bother eating it in the first place? I eat it primarily for the Omega 3 fatty acids but I love the other vitamins and minerals as well (some examples include: selenium, astaxanthin, niacin, B12, phosphorus, vitamin D.) I find that by increasing my Omega 3’s I have less inflammation in my body. It seems to improve my eyes, skin and joints. There is excessive Omega 6 fatty acids in our current diets, and I like that by increasing my fatty fish intake, I can get a better hold on this balance.
I eat wild salmon right out of the can if I am in a rush, or I dump a can of it on top of greens to make a salad. But if you want to dress it up and make it delicious, there are numerous recipes you might enjoy. One of my favorite ways to love it and the way that I convince others to enjoy it… is this salmon cake recipe:
Combine the following in a bowl: 1 can of salmon, 1 egg, 1 slice of gluten free bread diced, shake of onion powder, shake of garlic powder, 1 tsp chopped chives, 1 tsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce).
Next, heat up a sauté pan, add 1-2 tablespoons of butter.
Next, scoop out some of your salmon cake mixture, shape it into a loose, small pancake shapes and place in pan. Repeat with all of your mixture.
The next trick is not to touch the cakes in the pan until you think they have a crust formed along the bottom side. This takes a few minutes and it is tempting to try to flip them early, but resist the temptation if you want a nice, crust on your cakes. Once crusted, flip your cake and let cook on the other sides as well. Once crusted on both sides, remove from pan and enjoy!
Quick tip, if you do flip too early or have cakes break… don’t worry. Just finish cooking, even if it looks like a crumble, and it will still taste great! I drizzle lemon juice and olive oil over the top if really want to jazz things up!