My Daily Dollars

I made these the other night and decided that they satisfy my craving for a hamburger nicely.  They are easy to make, inexpensive, and delicious – a perfect fit for my frugal pantry.  I used the last of this season’s eggplant for the dip, so you might want to file this away for next year.  However, a white bean dip might make a nice substitution for the winter.

• 3-4 medium eggplants, peeled and sliced into thick rounds
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of walnuts (or other nuts), toasted if you like
• 1 tsp garlic
• a little lemon juice, salt, pepper, and 3-4 tbs fresh herbs (I used Thai basil and parsley)
• 1 can of salmon, rinsed
• fresh spinach
• flat bread or pita bread

Preheat the broiler and peel and slice the eggplant.  Once sliced, set the rounds out on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Brush each side generously with oil.  Roast on one side for 10 minutes or so, flip and roast for 5-6 minutes more until nicely browned.

While the eggplant is roasting, combine the garlic and nuts in a food processor until finely chopped.  Add the eggplant and pulse until the mixture reaches a creamy consistency.  Finish with a splash of lemon juice, about 1/2 tsp of salt, pepper, and herbs.  I heated the salmon in the microwave for about a minute.

Spread one half of the bread with the dip, squish in 1/4 of the salmon, and add a big stack of spinach.  Enjoy!  I wanted to serve these with sweet potato chips, but ran out of time.  Next time, I think it will be a great combo!

The dip and salmon combine for a really lovely flavor and a nice “veggie burger” texture.  You should also have leftover dip for crackers or chips; I like to serve it warm.  I was never much of an eggplant fan, but this is one of my new favorite things.  Hope you like it!