TOTALLY WILD SALMON DIP with Crunchy Almond Crackers

As the Superbowl rolled around this year, I was at a loss for food ideas. Visions of extremely filling 7-layer Dip, nachos, artichoke dip, and little football cookies (laces out!) danced in my head. I have a seriously weak spot for all of the above, but honestly...didn't feel like going out to the grocery store on Sunday morning. Not gonna lie. #lazy

The good news is that our freezer contained some awesome wild sockeye salmon, while a look into the pantry produced some preserved lemons, olive oil, rice vinegar, and a few fresh garlic cloves...and Bob was my Uncle, as they say. Also, in a desperate realization that I needed something to dip INTO this salmon creation, I spotted some almond flour, a couple of eggs, and that was that. Here are the recipes, which are so ridiculously simple, you might actually get a laugh of of them:

1 3/4 cups Almond Flour

1 egg

1 T. ground cumin

1 1/2 lbs. Wild Salmon, pin bones removed, and skin-off*

1 clove garlic, minced

2 T. olive oil

2 T. Preserved Lemon, chopped (find in the worldly section of the supermarket)

2 T. rice vinegar

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix together the almond flour, egg, cumin and a dash of S&P. (You can also add any other spices/herbs at this point).

2. Smoosh the ingredients into a ball and put the dough between 2 pieces of Parchment paper. Roll out into a thin dough (about 1/8") with a rolling pin or a wine bottle. Remove the top piece of parchment, and cut the dough into squares of desired size. Carefully lift the parchment paper and slide onto a baking sheet.

3. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Remove and let cool. Break into crackers.

4. In the mean time, place the salmon in a large sautee pan with the olive oil and chopped garlic. Turn the heat to medium and place a lid over the pan. (This can be done in any pan with a lid, we are just looking to lightly poach/steam the salmon and garlic.) Cook for about 5 minutes, until the salmon is just cooked through.

5. Remove from heat and pour ingredients directly into a food processor. Add the preserved lemon, rice vinegar, and pulse to blend. Blending more will result in more of a Salmon "pate" which will be spreadable, while only a few pulses will result in a chunkier texture. It's up to you! I like some texture, personally.

6. Taste and season with S&P. You may want to add a dash more rice vinegar for some extra flavor flave, or a touch of olive oil for some extra goodness. Serve with the Almond Crackers and enjoy!

*SALMON NOTE: To learn more about the amazing Wild Pacific Salmon, check out this article: http://authoritynutrition.com/wild-vs-farmed-salmon/ I do not recommend Farmed Salmon, due to it's environmental impacts, GMO feeds, and additive ingredients that are impossible to pronounce. Go for sustainable Wild Salmon! Also, be very nice to your fish monger and ask them to remove the pin bones and skin for you. Next time you see them, bring them some cookies or a treat, to help foster that relationship. ;-)