A healthy and balanced diet is very important to my lifestyle and the wellbeing of my family. I cook and eat fresh foods as much as possible. I live with my sister, her husband, and their four children and with the everyone’s busy schedule, meals are one of the times of day we can all get together. As part of our living arrangement, I excitedly decided to be the chef for majority of the meals we eat and I help to pack their lunches. “National Pack Your Own Lunch Day” on March 10th is a great time to be creative and Pink Up Your Lunch. I want them to eat fresh and delicious foods that are unique in flavor, texture and color. I love to create new and fun meals for everyone and Chicken of the Sea offers great products to make that possible.
Recently I have noticed that salmon is being largely talked about as one of the “super foods.” Hearing this made me art thinking about new recipes using salmon as the main ingredient. Chicken of the Sea offers salmon in a couple of different ways like traditional tins and now convenient pouches.
They also offer new and delicious flavored Salmon pouches to add some bold flavor to an already delicious food. I have come up with a few new recipes that are easy to make and great for the entire family. They are great for packed lunches as well. March 10th is “National Pack Your Own Lunch Day” and time to find fun ways to pack a lunch for your kids and for yourself. With these recipes, it is easy to make a lunch that will catch the eyes of everyone and definitely please your palate. Give them a try!
1.) Salmon and Green Chile Sliders
These small mini burgers are great to pack in the kid’s lunch for school or for a play date sleep over. Just make some delicious salmon patties, about 2 inches across. Mix the salmon (canned or pouches) with some onions, parsley, oregano, cumin and an egg. Form into patties and coat them in your choose of bread crumbs. Allow them to dry for about 15 minutes. Heat oil in a skillet and cook patties until crispy on each side. On a bread roll of your choosing spread some mayo, chili powder, and green chile.
I roast my own chile, but canned chile is just as delicious and you are able to choose the level of heat. Place the cooked salmon on the bottom roll, top with your choice of cheese and, if you like, lettuce, tomato and avocado. These are tasty, healthy, and easy sliders to make and definitely fun for the kids because they can build their own sliders at school. Keep all the prepared ingredients separate and stored properly for you children and when lunch time rolls around they can break out their own lunch kit.
2.) Hawaiian Salmon Burgers
This salmon recipe is a bit like the sliders, but BIGGER! Using Chicken of the Sea Sweet& & Spicy Pink Salmon, create large salmon patties, about 3.5 inches across. No seasoning is needed with the delicious Sweet & Spicy Flavored Pouches. Just add an egg to the salmon and 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese and build into patties. Again, coat them with your favorite bread crumbs and cook until crispy.
I make my own sweet mustard to top these burgers, using the juice from canned pineapples. Just mix about 3 tbsp of the syrup with 1 cup mayo, add cayenne powder, ginger powder, garlic powder and salt & pepper to taste. On split Hawaiian rolls, spread your mayo, add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, some pineapple, tomato, black olives and then your patty. I toast my rolls with a coating of some melted garlic butter before I top my burger. Also, bake up some sweet potato fries for a yummy side.
3.) Salmon Avocado Wrap
Sandwich wraps are always popular and incorporating salmon into them is really easy. This recipe is super delicious and very simple. I really liked the Lemon Pepper Pink Salmon, but you can use any of the Chicken of the Sea Salmon products. Now get ready because I’m not kidding when I say this is easy. Take one avocado, cut it open, core it, and, with a fork, work into a pulp. Stir together the Lemon Pepper Salmon, avocado, 1/4 cup sour cream or mayo, 1 tsp cumin, 1tsp parsley, 1tsp garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.
Warm up some wheat tortillas in some foil in an oven set to 250 degrees. Don’t forger your favorite cheese, extra sharp cheddar works the best. Spoon salmon on the tortilla, add cheese, (optional: lettuce, tomato, onion) and roll up into a wrap and enjoy!. Another thing that I like to do is grill them for a couple of minutes on each side after they’re assembled.
If you want your kids to have another great lunch to brag about, just slice the wraps into sushi-like bite size rolls and send them with a spicy ranch or honey mustard. They’ll be a hit!
There are tons of ways to put salmon into your meal plan. With the nutritional benefits and great flavor salmon has to offer, it is easy to add it to the menu once or twice a week. It is still school seas and we have to keep the children’s lunch in mind also.
These recipes are great to “Pink Up Your Lunch” for the kids and yours. Remember March 10th is “National Pack Your Own Lunch Day,” which celebrates the imaginative ways to pack a lunch. I like to pack a DIY kind of lunch and let my nieces build their own. With the sliders and burger,s they can put whatever they want on them and I know it is healthy and full of vitamins, minerals and nutrition. How do you “Pink Up Your Lunch?”
This post is sponsored by Chicken of the Sea and written by me. All statements and opinions are 100% my own.
