Grilled Basil Salmon with Pineapple Jalapeño Salsa

I’m learning something about myself, and it’s that what comes out of my kitchen is often a barometer for the state of my heart.  If I’m cooking fresh and delicious food, it’s honestly becoming an indication of the amount of margin I’m creating in my life.  If we’re picking up dinner, then it probably means that I’m spent and don’t have much left to give.

Sadly, we’ve been picking up dinner a lot lately.

But I’m working to create more margin in my life… exiting extra facebook groups, making business calls and working on Allume during set office hours, plugging in my phone in another room for the afternoon.  I want more of my life back, and truthfully, something about the internet and all of the noise can easily just get in the way.

Cooking for me has always been a love.  And as my 8 year old went for seconds last night and kept exclaiming how much he was enjoying this yummy new dinner I made, I realized again how much my family feels love in what I serve up for them to eat.

Hospitality really begins with those who live in rooms just down the hall.  If I can’t give them my best, then I don’t need to be moving on beyond that to extend it elsewhere either.

So, give your family some love this week…and might I suggest that you can even begin by putting the following on their plates for dinner!

Grilled Basil Salmon with Pineapple Jalapeño Salsa

• 4 salmon fillets cut 1 inch thick (about 6 oz each), skin on
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp light soy sauce or tamari
• Juice of 1/2 orange
• 8 basil leaves cut into thin strips
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• I also added probably 2 tsp lime juice, and 1 Tbsp honey (but that was going off the reservation and adding my own stuff)

1. Rinse the salmon fillets under cool water, pat dry with paper towels, and place skin side down in a shallow dish. Rub the salmon fillets with the olive oil, drizzle with the soy sauce and orange juice (drizzle honey and lime now too if you want to add it), and sprinkle with the basil. Turn the fillets to coat with the marinade, press the basil into the flesh side of the fillet, and turn them skin side up.  Cover the dish with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight.

2.  Prepare a hot fire in the grill (or heat a grill pan over medium heat to hot, almost to the smoking point.)  Remove the salmon fillets from the marinade, season with salt and pepper, and lay the fillets, skin side down, on the grill for 4 minutes, brushing the flesh side with the reserved marinade.  Turn the fillets and grill for an additional 4 minutes, spooning the marinade over them as they cook, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Remove the fillets from the grill, peel off the skin, and place them, skinned side down, on a serving platter or individual plates.  Serve immediately topped with the grilled pineapple salsa (or any fresh salsa of your choice would actually be delish as well.)

Grilled Pineapple Jalapeño Salsa

• 1/2 ripe pineapple, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, cored, seeded, and minced (recipe called for 2, but that would have been too hot for my kids)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
• 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger (1 inch piece), and if you didn’t know, you can buy fresh ginger & store it in the freezer for whenever you need a piece
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp white vinegar
• juice of 1/2 orange
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Prepare a medium fire in the grill. (I grilled the pineapple before I did the fish, so while the fish was cooking, I was chopping the grilled pineapple.)  Place the pineapple rounds on the grill for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown on both sides.  Set aside to cool to room temperature.

2.  Cut the pineapple into 1/4 inch chunks and discard the cores.  Place the chunks in a large bowl.  Add the onion, jalapeños, bell pepper, ginger, honey, vinegar, orange juice, lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper and toss gently to combine.  Use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.  Serve over grilled salmon. (We also thought this would be great on my recipe for slow roasted pork tacos, or any grilled chicken or fish.)

Bon Apetít ya’ll!

This recipe was originally found in one of my favorite cookbooks, Fresh Every Day by Sara Foster