Salmon scramble

I like to cook and I love to eat. I enjoy new recipes with new ingredients or creative ways of using old ones.

BUT–sometimes I have neither the time nor the money to fool around with “fancy.” Sometimes, I just have to get a meal on the table with what’s at hand. Like today, Good Friday, with its obligatory no-meat restriction, and a busy church schedule.

One of my favorite foods to reach for on a day like this is a can of salmon, to make what I call “salmon scramble.” It’s not particularly pretty, but it’s one-dish, it’s relatively inexpensive, and it’s made with ingredients I always have in the house. It doesn’t take too long to fix, either.

Using olive oil, I sauté some chopped onions until they’re clear and slightly tender, making sure at least a few of them get a bit brown. Then I remove them to a plate for later.

Next, I add thinly sliced potatoes, enough for a couple meals with George, and season them with garlic salt, dill, thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes. When they’re tender, browned and crisp, I put the onions back in, and add the salmon which has been drained and flaked.

Stir that up until the salmon is heated through, and that’s it. Add a veggie, maybe some bread if you have a big appetite,  a little applesauce on the side, and it’s dinner.

Salmon scramble, minus the eggs this time. Not terribly pretty, but awfully good!

Occasionally, after I’ve added the salmon, I’ll beat a couple eggs, add them to mixture, turn the heat up a bit, and stir and flip with a spatula. That might sound strange, but it’s really good, adds a bit more volume, lots of flavor, and extra protein.

The first time I served this to George, he looked at it for a minute, shrugged his shoulders, and said, “Anything you make is good so this should be, too.”

Now, when he sees the makings for this easy dish on the counter, he smiles and says, “Oh goody. My salmon honey.”

That’s the best reason of all for making this a repeat meal at our house!