Is there anything better than fresh and flavor packed Mediterranean food? As part of my post cancer diet, I eat A LOT of it. It is naturally healthier, fresher, cooked in olive oil and anti-inflammatory. I could eat good quality salmon literally every meal if I had it my way. And this Greek salmon bowl I dreamt up recently really hits the spot every single time. My clients love it and you’re going to love it too. I load in a big Greek salad with some fluffy quinoa and creamy tzatziki which you can make dairy free or not. Also, fully support throwing a lot of hot sauce on top of that salmon and making it extra delicious!🔥
Recipe: Feeds 2
Greek salad -
2 small Persian cucumbers, diced
1 red bell pepper, cubed
1 cup baby heirloom tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 can chickpeas, drained and washed
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
1/4 cup pepperoncinis, finely diced
1 tbsp diced fresh parsely
A few slices of red onion, thinly cut
1/4 cup Crumbled organic aged feta (optional)
Lemon dressing -
Zest & juice of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp pepperoncini juice from the jar
Salt/pepper to taste
Crispy salmon -
2 wild or farmed (without antibiotics or hormones) salmon filets (0.5lbs each)
Salt/pepper
Drizzle of olive oil for pan frying
Quinoa -
1 cup quinoa
2 cups chicken broth (or water)
Tzatziki -
1 cup plain Greek yogurt (or unsweetened coconut yogurt)
1/2 an English cucumber (grated or thinly sliced and liquid squeezed out)
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 clove garlic (crushed)
2 tbsp dill finely chopped
1 tbsp mint finely chopped
1 tsp Maldon flakey sea salt
Toppings -
Fresh dill
Extra feta crumbles (optional)
Slice of lemon to squeeze on the salmon
Tabbouleh (optional)
Let’s start by making our quinoa. I like to cook it in organic chicken broth for extra flavor but you can use water if you prefer.
Always wash your quinoa first, like with any grain.
The rule is always 1 part quinoa to 2 parts liquid. I only need 1 cup so I use 2 cups of broth. The broth is salted so no need to add salt but if you use water I would salt it.
Once the broth is simmering and bubbling add in the quinoa, reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid for 10 minutes. Then open the lid, fluff with a fork, turn off the heat and let it sit with the lid back on for another 5 minutes to finish cooking.
Now let’s work on the salad. Dice up all the ingredients and toss together in a bowl.
In a smaller bowl, make your dressing with your lemon, garlic, salt, pepper, pepperoncini juice and then slowly whisk in your olive oil until emulsified.
Toss the dressing in to your Greek salad to combine.
Now mixed all the ingredients for the tzatziki in to a bowl together and set aside in the fridge until you are ready to serve. Make sure not to skip the step of pressing your cucumber to release excess water so the tzatziki isn’t runny. Use a paper towel and squeeze until dry.
Now let’s make our salmon!
Wash and pat dry your salmon fillets. The dryer the salmon, the crispier it will get.
Season with salt and pepper on both sides
Heat your frying pan or cast iron skillet over a medium high heat. Add in your big drizzle of olive oil.
Once the oil is hot, add in your salmon filets skin side down first.
Cook for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown and the fish easily lifts off the pan with a metal spatula. If it sticks, leave it for longer to cook until it doesn’t stick.
Flip and cook for another 5 minutes. You can also finish the salmon in the oven if you prefer and 400 F for another 5 minutes just to make sure it’s cooked all the way through.
Plate the quinoa, Greek salad, salmon in to a bowl. Dollop on a generous amount of tzatziki, add over some sprigs of fresh dill, and a wedge of lemon to squeeze over the salmon and serve hot immediately!