What to make on a beautiful weeknight for a quick yet healthy dinner? I had frozen salmon burgers on hand. They don’t have to be thawed first, and they’re pretty good. When I serve it as a simple burger however, it wants more, not to mention the carbs!
For veggies I had some fresh spinach, garlic scallions, the last large parsnip of the season, and green lentils from our CSA. I also had some homemade vinaigrette salad dressing. (Any bottled vinaigrette would work just fine).
I put a cup of lentils in a pot with four cups of water and a teaspoon of salt. Lentils actually require salt to cook, unlike most legumes in which salt retards the cooking.
While that simmered (about 25 minutes) I peeled and chopped the parsnip, the garlic scallions, and the spinach, then heated up the grill.
When the lentils were almost ready, I put the salmon burgers on the grill, and sautéed the scallions and parsnips.
After 4 or 5 minutes I flipped the burgers, and drained and added the lentils to the scallions. As those got mixed and heated through I added a large handful of chopped spinach at the last minute and a good drizzle of the homemade salad dressing.
The mixture looked so green and spring-like, and the vinegar and Dijon mustard in the salad dressing gave it a bright sharp note that contrasted nicely with the earthy lentils.
I spread a serving on a plate and topped it with the grilled burger. Here I could easily dress this dish up by using a more impressive and fresher fish, such as a fresh salmon filet, or a nice white piece of halibut, etc.
The lentil mixture would have been delicious on its own, or as a side dish, but this was a quick meal of what was on hand, and healthy at the same time. The combination when you got a bite of both the grilled salmon and the lentil mixture was pretty good for a casual weeknight dinner eaten out on the deck!
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