Wild Salmon Sweet Potato Sliders with Garlic Chive Mayo

Salmon Sweet Potato SliderThe Meatless Nine

The 9 days before Tisha B’av are among us, and we Jews have a custom of not eating meat during this time period.  Well, luckily for me, this what I do all year long, so I have a few recipes up my sleeve to help you out – including this “Wild Salmon Sweet Potato Slider, with Garlic Chive Mayo” recipe!

I, like most Ashkenazi Jews are somewhat lactose-intolerant, so LOTS of dairy scares me a bit. Granted, for clean-eating health reasons, I sometimes “try” and stay away from as much dairy as possible. And to be honest, who wants NINE days of heavy cheese dishes anyway? Okay, maybe most of you are raising your hand saying, “seriously, Rachel, why wouldn’t anyone not want to eat a boat-load of cheesy deliciousness??” But, in the case that you may want a tiny break from that, try this recipe!

I got the inspiration for these salmon burgers from the Whole30 cookbook (Whole30 is a clean-eating program that I did a few years ago). It called for canned wild salmon and using the sweet potatoes helps bind it and keep them from drying out – and makes this recipe egg-free! This is my little spin on it, but feel free to use canned tuna if that’s what you have on hand.

Let’s Get Cookin’!

When I first made these, I used 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes that I roasted at 400F for about 30 minutes and waited until cool enough to handle.  Usually, I would use the organic pureed canned sweet potatoes (if they’re on sale at Whole Foods), but apparently I had run out (also, it makes this recipe a gazillion times easier and faster). I love time savers, so I definitely recommend getting the canned – it’s just as good!

If you’re into making larger burgers, you’ll get about 9 burgers out of this recipe.  And if you’re going for sliders, this will make about 12.

To Top It Off…

FYI – the gluten-free bun recipe (though I topped mine with everything seasoning) is from Danielle Walker’s cookbook and blog, “Against All Grain” and they’re awesome! Get her recipe here.

But wait, there’s MORE! There are plenty of recipes for gluten-free buns out there, but you can also use my recent recipe for low-carb rolls (made into burger buns), or just use some bib lettuce instead!

The mayo is also one of my favorites – I love making a basic mayo and then kicking it up with bright bursts of flavor, like lemon, garlic and chives. Plus, the mayo turns out bright green, so that’s fun, haha!

Check out more Whole30 recipes here.

I hope you try these sliders – whether it’s for the 9 days, or for anytime of year, it’s a great alternative to meat burgers,  so hope you enjoy!

0 from 0 votes
Garlic Chive Mayo
Prep Time
5 mins
 
Course: Condiment
Servings: 1 cup
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 1 Egg Preferably pasture-raised, since you're using raw eggs, but keep in mind for people who are sensitive to raw eggs
  • 1/2 Garlic clove
  • 2 tbsp. Lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup Fresh chives, roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp. Light olive oil, or Avocado oil, plus 1/2 cup more
Instructions
  1. In a tall glass container, crack the egg; add the salt, garlic, chives, and 2 tbsp. of oil

  2. With an immersion blender, blend ingredients until emulsified, about 20 seconds

  3. Slowly drip in the oil for another 30 seconds or so, until the mayo gets thick and creamy

  4. Alternatively, you can add everything except the 1/2 cup oil, in a blender, and with the motor running, slowly stream in the 1/2 cup of oil until emulsified, about 20-30 seconds

0 from 0 votes
Wild Salmon Sweet Potato Sliders
Prep Time
15 mins
 
Course: Fish, Main Course
Servings: 12 sliders
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 2 Medium sweet potatoes OR 1 15 oz. can of organic pureed sweet potatoes
  • 1 15 oz. can Wild salmon
  • 4 tbsp. Mustard You can use any kind - I like either Dijon or grainy mustard!
  • 1 Garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 cup Almond flour (if using baked sweet potatoes) Add 1 cup of almond flour, if using canned sweet potatoes
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Dried dill
  • 1/4 tsp Mrs. Dash seasoning blend
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 400F

  2. If baking sweet potatoes, pierce with a fork and bake at 400F for 30 minutes until soft. Let cool before mixing the flesh with the rest of the ingredients

  3. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl

  4. Place sliders on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 400F for 25 minutes until golden brown and slightly crispy on the outside (this is how I like mine, if you don’t like yours too browned, lower the heat to 375. The ingredients are all cooked, so it doesn’t take too long, as this recipe is egg-free)

  5. Serve the sliders on gluten-free hamburger buns, or butter lettuce leaves and top with the garlic chive mayo. Add other fixings too – sliced red onion, tomato, or sun-dried tomatoes, avocado and pickles!

Smoked Salmon and Avocado Stacks

Smoked Salmon and Avocado StacksSmoked Salmon and Avocado Stacks

Appetizers are my favorite. If I could eat a meal that consisted only of apps, just a few bits of different salads, dips and finger foods, that would be a perfect meal.  So here is an ode to a fabulous appetizer that is so easy to put together – no cooking required!  Just a few chopping here, and some simple, but fancy assembling required and you’ll definitely be impressing your guests.

When I first moved to Chicago (14 years ago this month!!), I was all about having people over for Shabbat meals.  It was a great way to meet young college kids my age and this way I was able to show off my cooking skills!  One of my specialties was a tortilla soup (more of a black bean soup with lots of spices, aromatics and topped with crunchy tortilla chips).  It was always a crowd-pleaser.  And then, there was this app that I served often. The inspiration is from one of Sandra Lee’s recipes from her “Semi-Homemade Cooking” show on Food Network, way back in the day.  She added some croutons for a crunchy textural element, so if that’s your jam, go for it!  I just keep this super simple, and that way it’s gluten-free, keto-friendly, pescatarian and just delicious all-around.

The Updated Version

For this go-around, I decided to add a cucumber, sun-dried tomato, caper relish.  As pretty as the smoked salmon (or lox, whatever you want to use) and avocado stack is on its own, this accompaniment gives it a nice tang and acidity and brightens up the salmon and avocado.  Or, this would be delicious with a lemon caper dressing drizzled over the top as well. Served with crackers or fresh, warm challah and you have a tasty, modern twist on a gefilte fish starter! Oh, and a squeeze of lemon over the top of the plate never hurts. 🙂

Try making this at your next Shabbat meal or maybe for your New Years’ Eve fancy shmancy dinner party!

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and safe New Year – catch ya’ll in 2019!

(oh…and in case you’re wondering…yes, there is a penguin pattern on the plate.  Isn’t it just so cute and whimsical?) 🙂

Recipe: Smoked Salmon and Avocado Stacks

0 from 0 votes
Smoked Salmon & Avocado Stacks
Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
10 mins
 
Servings: 4 people
Author: Rachel Katzman
Ingredients
  • 6 oz. smoked salmon
  • 2 avocados, peeled and cubed
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 cup cucumber, diced
  • 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp capers, drained
  • 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 small handful of fresh dill, minced
  • 1/2 lemon, cut into wedges
Instructions
To make the tapenade:
  1. Mix the diced cucumbers, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, fresh dill and sliced scallions in a bowl.

  2. Add the rice wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Mix well, set to the side.

To make the stacks:
  1. Mix the avocado cubes in a small bowl with salt and pepper. 

  2. Take the lid of a mason jar and spoon some avocado mixture in the bottom, about 1/2 an avocado per person.

  3. Take the smoked salmon and roughly chop and place it on top of the avocado. 

  4. Spoon some of the tapenade on the side, or on top.  Garnish with sliced green onions and serve with a lemon wedge to squirt over the top of the tapenade and the smoked salmon stacks. 

Check out some of our other appetizers:

Deviled Eggs

Fried Pickles

Barbecue Chicken Hamantaschen