Grilled Salmon With Herbed Lime Butter

What an absolutely glorious day we had today with a perfect temperature of 75 degrees and a nice breeze blowing all day.  Wow, I will take a day like this any time!  It is just warm enough to be invigorating and not so hot that you feel exhausted working outside.  We are planting our garden and doing lots of yard work and soaking up lots of essential Vitamin D in the process.  I have to say, I love these beautiful spring days.

This was a day where I really didn't want to spend a lot of time slaving over a stove inside when I could be outside.  You know what that's like right?  So, I decided it would be a meal fixed on the grill and that means very few dishes to wash afterward.  Yes!

I had a craving for salmon - grilled salmon.  I had some fresh spring asparagus from the farmer's market and I always have potatoes that can be fixed in some way or the other.  So, I sliced some potatoes and onions and made what we call a veggie pack in aluminum foil.  I drizzled the potatoes with some olive oil, added about 10 pats of butter, salt and pepper and put them on the grill to cook until done.  Oh, there is nothing like the smell of onions grilling.   I cook the potatoes first because they take longer than the salmon or asparagus.  They will stay warm in the foil until the salmon and asparagus is done.

Next was the salmon, which was sustainable wild caught salmon, not farm raised.  Wild salmon is better for you and the environment.  Salmon is so good for you as it is very high in Omega 3 acids and is very low in calories.  Our bodies do not make Omega 3s, so salmon is an excellent source for us.  Salmon also contains a lot of good vitamins and nutrients like selenium.  It helps lower blood pressure and helps with the absorption of insulin.  The other thing is, it just tastes so good which is why we like to eat it and it is an outstanding source of protein.

To grill the salmon, put a piece of aluminum foil on the grill.  Salt and pepper the salmon and spray the foil with some cooking spray.  Start by cooking the skin side of the salmon first until the fish starts to get sort of white next to the skin.  You can see how it looks in the picture.  Cook for about 10 minutes or so, then turn.  Cook this side for about 10 minutes or so, depending on the thickness of the filet, until it gets sort of white on the outside, but still pink in the middle.  You don't want it too be too dry.  Remove from the grill.

Cut the woody ends off the asparagus, drizzle with some olive oil.  Place the asparagus directly on the grill.  Wait until the salmon has cooked about half way because it doesn't take very long for the asparagus to cook.  You just want some color/grill marks on it and remove it.  I like it nice and crisp, not soggy.

To make the herbed lime butter, simply melt a stick of butter and add the juice of one whole lime.  Mince one small clove of garlic and add to the butter along with 1/2 teaspoon of fresh dill, chopped and 1 to 1.5 tsps of fresh thyme, stripped from the stems.  Stir and pour a couple of tablespoons of the butter over the cooked salmon and asparagus.  Outstanding is all I have to say!

This is a perfect meal for a warm day (any day actually) and you have practically no clean up - just a couple of dishes and that is it.  Everything else was done on the grill except the herbed lime butter.  Now THAT is my kind of dinner.

Next time you need a quick and easy meal or want something different for dinner, this is a great one to try.  It is also nutritious AND delicious.   The herbed lime butter is just like "icing on the cake."  It takes the salmon and asparagus to a whole new level.   All I can say is yum, yum, yum.  Give it a try, it's delicious.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:


The discovery of a new dish does more for the happiness of mankind than the discovery of a star.
Anthelme Brillat-Savarin