Baked Spinach Salmon Burgers

This is a great meal because the main ingredients are powerful SUPERFOODS packed with nutrients!  And personally, I love spinach and I love salmon, so why not mix them together and make a delicious recipe out of it? :)

But first, I'd like to provide you with a few facts about our two key ingredients:

Salmon -
As you may already know, salmon is a highly nutritious food. Of course, it is high in protein, and Omega-3 healthy fats. But did you know that a serving salmon provides a full day’s requirement of vitamin D, which is essential for the maintenance of bone density?  Salmon also contains over half of the necessary B12, niacin, and selenium, and is an excellent source of B6 and magnesium.

Spinach -
Low in calories and high in vitamins, spinach is one of the most nutrient-dense foods in existence.  One cup of the leafy green vegetable contains far more than your daily requirements of vitamin K and vitamin A, almost all the manganese and folate your body needs and nearly 40 percent of your magnesium requirement. It is an excellent source of more than 20 different measurable nutrients, including dietary fiber, calcium and protein.  And yet, 1 cup has only 40 calories!

So, here is another amazingly healthy, high protein (18.5g protein), low calorie (only 143 calories per patty!) recipe that is easy to make and only takes a few ingredients!

Baked Spinach Salmon Burgers

Serves 4

 

 Ingredients:
- 15oz of canned salmon, drained
   (I used 3 5oz cans)
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup chopped baby spinach
- 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
- 1/3 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1/3 cup egg whites
- Fresh black ground pepper to taste
- Lemon juice to taste





Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine ingredients and mix well.
*Tip* If mixture is too dry, add more egg whites, if mixture is too wet, add more oats.
- Spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
- Form mixture into 4 patties (should be about 1/2 inch thick) and place on baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes in the oven (mine took only 10 minutes).
 

Now, I was making this meal for not just myself, but hungry boys as well, so I had to beef it up a bit!  I used a 5 Grain Flax Artisan Foldit Flatbread in place of a bun (one flatbread is 90 calories).  On the flatbread I spread all natural, no salt added, Stoneground Mustard.  Then I put a slice of Swiss cheese, added some fresh baby spinach, and chopped up a large tomato and red onion and placed slices on top.

Some suggestions if you are trying to reduce your caloric/carbohydrate intake:
* In place of a bun, use romaine lettuce leaves.
* Skip the cheese, or use low fat mozzarella instead.

Side Dish: Steamed Squash
As a side dish, I seasoned and steamed squash.  I washed and sliced 4 zucchinis then put them in a large Ziploc bag with a tablespoon of Mrs. Dash Original seasoning and shook the bag up real good to make sure all the slices were coated.  I let the zucchini sit in the seasoning while I was preparing the patties then popped em in my steamer for 7 minutes.  Voila!

Nutritional Facts: (per patty only)
143 calories, 3.6g fat, 304.4mg sodium, 76.4mg potassium, 9.2g carbs (1.8g fiber, 0.8g sugar), 18.5g protein

ENJOY!

References:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/408658-what-are-the-benefits-of-canned-pink-salmon/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/2700-facts-health-benefits-spinach/