Fresh From the Can

Is it one more week till spring? A few more days? Who knows. But this time of year always finds me rooting through the pantry and the so-called crisper bin in the fridge, looking in vain for something to whip up, since there's nothing fresh and seasonal going on.

This week, may I present Salmon Soft Tacos? As in, canned Loki salmon and shredded cabbage in place of lettuce and tortillas from the depths of the freezer.

Now that's canned salmon!

I don't know about you, but my husband associates canned salmon with the infamous "Salmon Loaf" his mom would make in the '60s, far, far away from any coastline or fresh specimens. I thought maybe some taco seasoning would disguise any canned-fish overwhelmingness. (As the comedian Jim Gaffigan points out, there's something wrong with fish if the overall goal is to make it not taste like itself!)

To this end, I seasoned up the canned salmon with homemade taco seasoning.

I sautéed some onions.

I gathered some fixings.

Fresh cabbage, cilantro and avocado!

And I served them up, alongside Mexican Roasted Potatoes. (Oh, and I did open a can of refried beans, to stretch the salmon and further de-fishify for the kids.)

The result? Success! At least, for this season of the year. The husband still said he'd rather have fresh salmon. The boy still said he'd rather have a beef taco. The girls thought it was fine enough.

Anywho, it went over far better than last night's pantry meal, an egg-and-bean brunch casserole that the 11YO declared "disgusting" and the 15YO said, more diplomatically, "I didn't really like it." I'll spare you that recipe...

May fresh, local food come soon!

Canned Salmon Soft Tacos
3 cans Loki salmon (these cans are smaller than tuna cans)
taco seasoning (I went with homemade link above, adjusted to amount of salmon I had)
1 onion, sliced thin
1 small can refried beans
1 pkg small flour tortillas

shredded cabbage
chopped cilantro
sliced avocado
sour cream
shredded cheese
salsa

Mix canned salmon with taco seasoning. Check for bones.

Sauté onions in oil or bacon fat over medium-low heat until soft or of desired consistency.

Microwave the beans in a microwave-safe container.

Heat the tortillas according to pkg directions. (I just lay them, one at a time, straight on my gas burner, turning frequently.)

Assemble all ingredients and have people serve themselves.