Meat-free Fridays Don't Have To Mean Fishsticks (or Suck It, Rachel Ray part III)

I love Costco.  I mean, what red-blooded American girl doesn't dream of lugging home 36 rolls of toilet paper at a steal of a price?  I think most of us shop at big box bulk stores like Costco or Sam's to stock up on necessities like paper towels, laundry detergent, and a 48-count convenience store box of Snickers, right?  Buying in bulk can mean great savings - pick up 6 steaks and freeze some for later, etc.  Planning a party is easier when you can grab 1lb of freshly cooked cocktail shrimp for $10, a tray of hye rollers, and a giant bag of salad greens to offset the huge bag of Doritos.

But then there's that whole food section - all sorts of possibly delicious concoctions like soup, cheese, breads, and frozen meals.  Unfortunately, you can't just buy one of something to try it.  That pack of 12 croissants looks and smells wonderful, but maybe they taste like poo.  It's a gamble, which means you might be wasting more money than it's worth.

I'm not a religious person - the only reasons I know we're in the middle of Lent is because Mardi Gras is over and McDonald's keeps advertising their Filet O' Fish.  But I know some of my readers do try to keep to the whole "fish on Friday" thing and others aren't big fans of red meat, so I decided to try something fishy.  Don't get me wrong, I still love the old childhood fish sticks and Kraft dinner Friday meals, but we could class it up a bit.

Blackened Salmon Burgers
All ingredients were found at Costco, save the alfafa sprouts and cajun seasoning.

Pre-made frozen Salmon patties (bulk bag of 12, keeps for a few months)
Bel Gioso fresh mozzarella (bulk pack of 2 logs, you need about an ounce for each burger, but it keeps for about a month - make a caprese salad in the future!)
Tzatziki sauce (tub of 16oz, but keeps for about a month. It's a great alternative for chip/veggie dips and can be used for kabobs or turkey burgers in the future)
roma tomatoes
English (hothouse) cucumbers (usually a pack of 3, keeps for about 2 weeks - slice some up for salads and dip the rest in the tzatziki!)
alfalfa sprouts
hamburger buns (freeze the ones you don't use for a grilling day later)

1. Spray a pan with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium-high flame

2. Remove how ever many salmon burgers you need (keep frozen until time to cook)

3. Place burgers on pan, sprinkle tops of burgers with cajun seasoning, which will blacken a little after you flip them.  Cook each side for 5 minutes, covered.

4. Flip burgers one last time and place slices of fresh mozzarella on top, cover, turn heat to low and let the cheese melt.

5. Slather buns with tzatziki, arrange tomatoes and cucumbers.

6. Place burgers on bun and instead of lettuce, try sprouts.

7. Enjoy!  Since salmon's a fairly delicate but distinct flavor, I chose fresh mozzarella instead of cheddar or American because of its mild taste but exceptional meltability.

Normally, I'm not a fan of fish - but I love these.  This is also a great recipe for turkey burgers.  Have a little salad or some chips on the side and you're set.  15 minutes from start to finish!