There comes a time in every woman’s life where they sort of just hit a wall. For me, it happened this week. The wall came in the form of: several bills from house projects completed over the summer, an unexpected brake replacement on my Jeep, a hot water heater on the fritz, and just for good measure, a boiler that decided to take a little break. As an Alaskan who enjoys the warmth of my cozy home, all I can say is THANK GOD IT’S NOT WINTER.
Since I’m hemorrhaging money these days, I feel like channeling the batty guy on that old PBS show “The Frugal Gourmet” and do my absolute very best this month to make delicious, healthy meals using only the contents of my pantry, fridge and freezer.
This sounds so totally noble and resourceful of me, right?! Riiiiiight. Well, those who know me best know that this is not an entirely difficult task for me. I won’t even post a picture of my pantry, my fridge, or my freezer (um…both my little freezer and my deep freeze. Yikes). Because they are all totally FULL. Like, I’m not kidding full. Like, I-had-to-put-a-can-of-paint-on-top-of-my-freezer-to-make-sure-it-closes-full. Yes, there is actually a can of Ralph Lauren paint on top of my deep freeze right now. Granted, I just got back from an epic fishing trip in Valdez with my Dad and friends Stephanie and Marika where we slayed the silver salmon like it was our job.
Still, I am 100% prepared for a nuclear holocaust.
In an effort to use up last year’s crop of canned salmon, I dug out this trusty recipe from my archives. The original recipe for this quiche came from my dear friend Shirley Jewett. She was the mom we all wanted to wake up to on Saturday morning for homemade cinnamon rolls and coffee cake. She is an incredible cook and baker! Shirley’s recipe includes steps for a homemade pie crust, but I already had a ready-made one on hand and was feeling rather lazy. So I skipped that step.
I had nearly everything on hand for this quiche: canned salmon, eggs, pie crust, herbs…it all came together in a pinch. I did substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream it typically calls for, but I was thrilled with the results. The quiche still came out perfectly rich and moist while trimming a little extra fat from the recipe.
I realize this calls for a lot of canned salmon. I think I used two large jars for it. Alaskans often have this in abundance in our pantries. But if you don’t have canned salmon, you could substitute baked or poached salmon and add a little water, extra sour cream/yogurt, or mayo to the quiche mix to make up for the reserved canned salmon juices.
See more recipes at chenagirlcooks.blogspot.com
Wild Alaska Salmon Quiche
(Serves 6 hearty Alaskan appetites, maybe 8 lower-48 appetites. Ha!)
1 pound of canned salmon, drained but reserve the liquid!
1 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (nonfat works too!)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used Tillamook Extra Sharp White)
1/2 teaspoon dried dill (or 1/2 tablespoon fresh dill if you have it)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon grated onion
3 drops (or more) of your favorite hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
several grinds of fresh pepper
1 ready-made pie crust(1) Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Drain the salmon, but reserve the liquid. Add enough water to the liquid to make 1/2 cup.
(2) Flake the salmon, and add to a bowl with all the rest of the ingredients except the crust.
(3) Place the pie crust on a cookie sheet. Then pour the quiche ingredients into the crust. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the center is firm.
Enjoy!
xo H
Heidi was born and raised in Fairbanks, and grew up in and around the waters of the Chena River. She graduated with a degree in History from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and received her law degree from Willamette University. A lawyer by day and self-taught home cook at night, she is passionate about cooking and creating tasty, uncomplicated food. She is also a firm believer in buying local produce and products whenever possible, and is an avid fisherwoman. She currently lives in Anchorage with her trusty terrier, Milo.
