I recently wrote about all the amazing health benefits of eating wild salmon, as well as the trouble I have in eating enough fish in general. I just don't feel very confident about my ability to cook fish without overcooking it, which takes a $10 slab of fish and turns it into a chunk of leathery woe. Cooking fish requires a light touch, and that is something that I frankly just do not have when it comes to cooking.
In addition to wanting all those great omega 3s, I am also constantly on the hunt for easy, cheap sources of protein. The low carb lifestyle has been working really well for me, but one does grow tired of eating eggs, eggs, eggs for lunch. I finally found some unsweetened mayonnaise (at Trader Joe's), and I thought about making tuna salad, but the thing is that canned tuna makes me gag. Yuck.
Plus, salmon has more healthy omega 3 fatty acids, less mercury, and more calcium than canned salmon. And it isn't that revolting shade of gray, nor does it have that gross fishy taste and smell. It's giving me the willies just thinking about it!
And then, epiphany! I discovered that you can buy wild Alaska salmon in canned form, and it isn't even that expensive. Pink salmon (typically considered one of the least desirable salmon species, but whatevs, it's just canned fish) is being sold by Bumblebee and other canned tuna producers for around $2.50 for a five ounce can. Given that fresh salmon costs around $10-$15/lb, this is a great money saver too.
You can use canned salmon in croquettes (a.k.a. fish cakes) or of course in salmon salad. I like to mix canned salmon with a dollop of unsweetened mayonnaise plus a scoop of dill relish, then serve it atop a bed of greens. Delicious, high in proteins and zero carbs!
Image courtesy Flickr/Alaskan Dude
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