This Grilled Salmon and Zucchini with Red Pepper Sauce is fast, healthy, and bursting with flavor, making it the perfect weeknight meal!
I love naps. As a kid, I HATED them. I would do just about anything to avoid taking them. I vaguely remember when we lived in San Diego when I was 4 and my mom putting me down for a nap and I would crawl out of bed and try to play with my toys as quietly as possible so everyone would think I was sleeping. Even at my day care they would sometimes assign someone to me to make sure I didn’t try to get up from my nap on those little cots.
Things have certainly changed. Come 2pm, I’m ready for a cat nap on the couch. I’m not an afternoon person. I can be very productive and motivated from the time I wake up to lunch time and then again later in the evening but from lunch to late afternoon I just want to relax. Do you take naps?
Another thing that has changed since I was a kid is my relationship with salmon. I used to despise the fish and now I love eating it. I honestly don’t know how things can change so drastically. I’m happy they did, though, because there’s so much you can do with salmon and it’s so good for you!
I had to take a big break from all the cookie baking I’ve been doing lately to make something fresh, savory, and light. This Grilled Salmon and Zucchini with Red Pepper Sauce fit the bill perfectly. It takes about a half hour and uses fresh summer ingredients for a healthy yet gourmet but totally weeknight friendly dish.
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1/3
cup
sliced almonds, toasted
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1/4
cup
chopped jarred roasted red peppers
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1/4
cup
halved grape or cherry tomatoes
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1
small clove garlic
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3
tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil, divided
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1
tablespoon
red-wine vinegar
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1
teaspoon
smoked paprika
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3/4
teaspoon
salt, divided
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1/2
teaspoon
freshly ground pepper, divided
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4
wild-caught salmon fillets, skinned (1 1/4 pounds)
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2
medium zucchini, halved lengthwise
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1
tablespoon
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
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Preheat the grill to medium.
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In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the almonds, peppers, tomatoes, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, vinegar, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pulse until smooth.
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Lightly brush the salmon fillets and zucchini with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Grill about 3 minutes per side or until the salmon is just cooked through and the zucchini is soft and browned.
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Chop the zucchini into 1/2-inch pieces and toss with half of the red pepper sauce. Divide the zucchini among 4 plates. Place a salmon fillet on each place and top with the remaining sauce. Garnish with parsley before serving.
Typed in ingredients I had to hand & this recipe came up. Didn’t have peppers in a jar so did my own – otherwise, this would have been as quick as recipe states. Delicious, easy sauce which would go with any meat or fish & I’ll definitely add this to my repetoire of sauces for something different. Thanks Tessa. Oh, – and have always enjoyed a nap from about the age of 12!!!
This look incredibly tasty! I, too, despised naps when I was younger, now I can’t get enough of them!
Roasted red pepper sauce and salmon are two favourites of mine. Add zucchini as well and you get like the tastiest dish ever, I love this recipe!! And the pictures are gorgeous!
I hated naps too when I was a kid, and I still do haha 😉
This salmon dish looks amazing! I am always looking for new ways to squeeze salmon into our weeknight dinner rotation. It’s my favorite fish to eat. Yum!!
What a great dish! Love this red pepper sauce!
This is gorgeous, Tessa! I love roasted red pepper sauce and over salmon it sounds so good!
Oh and I wish I was a nap person. I want to be, but every time I go to nap, I can’t. I just lay thinking about all the stuff I could make. LOL!