Do you ever crave fish – like your day would be incomplete without it? Often we start Monday off (probably due to eating a bit heavier on the weekends) and we just need a nice grilled piece of salmon. I’m sure it’s that our bodies require something on the lighter side, and perhaps we’re needing that ultra dose of rich Omega 3’s and B12 vitamins. I also do my grocery shopping on Monday and I just look at that beautiful jewel-toned fish and even if it’s not on my menu, it somehow ends up in my cart. Then I spend all day waiting for Mr. T to grill it up! 

Typically we use soaked cedar planks for the fish, it imparts a smoky flavor that is irresistible! However we happened to run out so instead Mr. T used soaked apple wood chips in a smoker box. The result was still fantastic, although clean-up was not as easy as with the plank. 😉

It’s grillin’ time!

Salmon goes with so many great vegetables, but probably one of our favorites on the grill is zucchini. The slight char from the grill marks impart an earthy flavor, but if its properly cooked it still has some heartiness and give. For this recipe I top it with a quick and simple sauce you can put on right after you flip it. I think you’ll like the extra tang it gives. I actually use a similar mix when baking lighter flesh fish like tilapia.

This entire recipe is pretty easy – if I think about it, it could almost make an under 5 ingredient meal if you didn’t count the spices (some folks don’t)! This also would be a perfect dish during Lent. 🐟

Grilled Salmon and Parmesan Zucchini

Grilled Salmon
1 lb. salmon, cut into fillets or leave whole if serving a crew
1 Tbsp salmon rub, we like this one from Fire and Flavor
¼ cup smoking chops (we used Apple wood)
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Parmesan Zucchini
2 zucchini, sliced into long planks
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ c. Parmesan, shredded or grated
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt & Pepper

Soak chips in water for 5-10 minutes. Spray the grill with a grill spray like Weber. Heat grill to 400. If using chips, add them to a smoker box and place on grill.

While the grill is heating up, add olive oil on the fish (easier cleanup) and top with salmon rub and salt and pepper (NOTE: try the salmon rub first to make sure and not oversalt). Set the salmon aside to get to room temperature before grilling. In a side dish, combine mayonnaise, dijon, parmesan, garlic, thyme and salt and pepper. Set aside.

Once the grill is up to temp, add the zucchini and the salmon, skin side down. Lower the temp to 350. Flip zucchini in 5 minutes and top with the parmesan spread cook for 7 minutes. Leave the fish undisturbed, skin side down throughout all this. When you see the white fat start to ooze a bit out of the fish it is ready. We often put a fork in the top thick part and twist a little to see if it flakes. We prefer ours to be a little medium rare (still deep pink), so cook for a little longer until you achieve the cook you prefer.

Serves: 2

Estimated Nutrition Stats: For the salmon: Calories – 280 | Carbs 6g | Net carbs – 4g | Fat 9g | Protein 42g | Fiber 2g.
For the zucchini: Calories – 116 | Carbs 5g | Net carbs – 4g | Fat 8g | Protein 6g | Fiber 1g.

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