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The Fish Ran Away With the Spoon Quick, affordable salmon dinners? You can do it  Image courtesy Jim Forst If you had to pick up a precooked, trimmed and ready-to-serve protein at the supermarket, you’d expect to pay a premium for the convenience. After all, someone else is doing the prep work, so you should be paying more. However, it’s nice to know that the opposite can also be true. With canned salmon you get wholesome, almost instant protein but at half the cost of a fresh salmon steak. If you still believe that canned salmon is the cheap alternative to fresh, it’s time to change your thinking. Canned salmon is your dinner lifeline and also happens to be economical. Food companies are marketing this advantage, as you’ll see when you shop the canned fish aisle. You’ll find salmon in cans or foil packets you can slip into a lunch bag. You can choose from plain salmon or versions flavored with lemon or other seasonings. Despite the variety, plain, canned salmon is still your best cost-per-ounce buy and gives you the most dinner options. Combine canned salmon with cold pasta. Add your favorite chopped raw vegetables and vinaigrette dressing and you have a filling entrée salad. Mix salmon with a raw egg and seasonings. You loved salmon patties as a child; now you can make a post-mom variation by adding a dash of wasabi paste to your recipe. Chowder tastes just as delicious when you use canned salmon instead of fresh. The intense and rich flavor of red sockeye salmon works well in this dish. Salmon Chowder 4 small red-skinned potatoes, cut into quarters (about 1 cup) Salt 1 tablespoon butter 1 celery rib, trimmed and thinly sliced 1 large shallot, chopped 2 tablespoons flour 3 cups milk 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables 1 (14.5-ounce) can sockeye salmon, drained and flaked 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon minced fresh dill weed Place the potatoes in a small pot with lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and set aside. Melt butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Add celery and shallot and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, or until celery is tender. Stir in flour. Stir constantly until butter absorbs flour. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Stir in frozen vegetables (don’t bother defrosting), salmon, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Add dill weed. Cook over low-medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, or until vegetables are hot and milk is slightly thickened. Do not boil. Makes 4 servings.
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Bev Bennett, a veteran food writer and editor, is the author of "Dinner for Two: A Cookbook for Couples" and "30-Minute Meals for Dummies"
