Grilled Salmon with Tomatoes & Basil

Tuesday after my workout I made a fantastic dinner. Michael and I eat a lot of salmon. I love it and could eat salmon several times a week. Since we like to eat fish so much I’ve been trying to compile a few fish recipes that we can rotate through. This recipe is one that is making that list. It’s a real winner!

I modified the recipe a little bit. It called for grilling it over open-flame but neither of us wanted to go outside and use the grill so we just used the Le Crueset grill pan.

Grilled Salmon with Tomatoes & Basil

Makes 4 servings | Active Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 whole wild salmon fillet (also called a “side of salmon,” about 1 1/2 pounds; see Tips)
• 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, divided
• 2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to medium.
2. Mash minced garlic and 3/4 teaspoon salt on a cutting board with the side of a chef’s knife or a spoon until a paste forms. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in oil.
3. Check the salmon for pin bones and remove if necessary (see Tips). Measure out a piece of heavy-duty foil (or use a double layer of regular foil) large enough for the salmon fillet. Coat the foil with cooking spray. Place the salmon skin-side down on the foil and spread the garlic mixture all over it. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup basil. Overlap tomato slices on top and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.
4. Transfer the salmon on the foil to the grill. Grill until the fish flakes easily, 10 to 12 minutes. Use two large spatulas to slide the salmon from the foil to a serving platter. Serve the salmon sprinkled with the remaining 1/4 cup basil.

Nutrition

Per serving : 248 Calories; 10 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 5 g Mono; 80 mg Cholesterol; 3 g Carbohydrates; 35 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 367 mg Sodium; 799 mg Potassium

I seasoned the salmon with sea salt and fresh pepper. I minced the garlic and mixed it with olive oil, then spread it on the salmon.

I chopped some fresh basil to it and then added the sliced tomatoes.

I wrapped it loosely in the foil and Michael took over cooking it in the skillet. I made us salads.

I did have a glass of chardonnay with dinner. I didn’t put wine on my “No-No List” in terms of breaking my candy habit.

The Verdict: This recipe was fantastic. The combination of the garlic, tomato and basil was delicious on the salmon! I loved every bite and was kinda bummed when it was gone.

Next time I will add a little more minced garlic and maybe a little more basil. Trust me: make this dinner! It’s low-calorie and delicious.

After dinner I wanted dessert. I went all day Tuesday without really craving candy and was feeling pretty confident about my Sugar Detox. Then after my great workout and yummy dinner all I wanted was a glass of milk and some chocolate. I realized that it was more about HABIT. Dinner was over and I should have left the kitchen and done something else, but I was standing there wanting to eat more. I wasn’t hungry, really, so why would I continue to eat?

Then I asked Michael if he thought having a glass of chocolate milk was considering “cheating” on my Sugar Detox. At first he said he couldn’t answer that because I’d made my own rules and it was up to me. I badgered him until he answered 🙂 and he said YES it IS cheating.

Dang it.

No chocolate milk. I skipped it, had half a glass of plain milk and then got ready for bed. I stayed strong and didn’t eat candy. I will have a small glass of chocolate milk with protein powder on Saturday after my workout, though.

It’s now Wednesday and I’ve gone three days with no candy. I honestly don’t feel any different not eating candy. The only difference is that I feel a bit better about myself for NOT mindlessly eating candy at work. I guess I was expecting to have a physical reaction to stopping the candy habit. Hmm.

The only thing that might be a physical reaction: I’ve been feeling hungrier this week. I don’t know if I can attribute that to no candy though because I’ve also been trying to eat less calories.

QUESTION: Are you going to try this recipe? And if you’ve ever detoxed from sugar, did you have a physical reaction at all?