Recipes: Asian Salmon Burgers with Lime, Cilantro and Edamame Spread

A couple nights ago I made Asian Salmon Burgers with Lime, Cilantro and Edamame Spread. It’s difficult to overstate how good this was. The burgers had wonderful flavor, despite having been made with fish that was frozen last July. The spread was nothing short of amazing. I know I’m laying it on thick, but this combination was really really good.

I also liked the tasty leftovers. I had two extra salmon burgers that I shaped into patties and refrigerated raw. I cooked them for lunch: one yesterday and one today. Admittedly, I wrapped the leftovers well and refrigerated them immediately, but what I ate today was just as good as what I ate the first day. In other words, these are recipes that will be reliably good even if you make them ahead.

Asian Salmon Burgers
Serves 4

Lime, Cilantro and Edamame Spread

Serves 4


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Recipe: Falafel (Φαλάφελ ή Ρεβυθοκεφτέδες)

Falafel almost whipped me, but I prevailed in the end.

My friend Salwa, a Christian Palestinian, gave me her recipe ages ago, when I first started working on the book that became Tastes Like Home: Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska (a fundraiser for Alaska’s only Greek Orthodox Church). She made the recipe sound simple. Initially, it wasn’t.

The first few times I made falafel were miserable failures. Because I couldn’t get them right before the book went to print, Tastes Like Home doesn’t include a falafel recipe.

After re-consulting Salwa and reviewing other recipes for this wonderful Middle Eastern treat, I finally had my Eureka moment and figured out how to make great tasting falafel every time. Trust me; if you follow the directions, falafel are simple.

For those who’ve never eaten them, falafels are crispy fried chickpea or bean croquettes, seasoned with herbs, cumin, and coriander seeds. Salwa serves hers with tahini sauce and tomato-onion salad. Falafels are delicious either on their own or in a pita sandwich.

Falafel (Φαλάφελ ή Ρεβυθοκεφτέδες)

Makes 25-30 small patties (serves 4 as a main course)
Adapted from Salwa Abuamsha’s recipe
To make good falafel there are four important rules: 1. Don't use canned chickpeas. 2.

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Recipe: Moroccan Chermoula and Carrot Soup (Μαροκινή Σούπα με Καρότα)

Something is happening in my vegetable drawer. I swear the carrots have been multiplying during the night. I can’t use them fast enough.

The real cause of the carrot explosion is their arrival in every CSA box we’ve received over the past few months. I love carrots, I’m glad they’re in the boxes, but I need to do better at keeping up with the inflow.

A new CSA box is arriving today, and yes, it will include another bunch of carrots. Last night, I took the carrot overflow problem in hand and made a wonderfully flavorful Moroccan Chermoula and Carrot Soup.

Although Carrot Soup is delicious on its own, the addition of Chermoula turns it into something special. I make the Chermoula while the soup is simmering, which means the entire recipe takes less than an hour from start to serving.

It’s hard for me to get enough Chermoula – I usually double or triple the recipe whenever I make it. I use the extra Chermoula to top grilled salmon, halibut, or chicken, or to add flavor to salads.

Moroccan Chermoula and Carrot Soup (Μαροκινή Σούπα με Καρότα)


Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska has moved as of March 2011. To read this post please go to


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