Best Grilled Salmon With Smashed Cucumber Date Salad Recipes

PESTO-RUBBED BAKED SALMON WITH SMASHED CUCUMBER AND GREEN APPLE SALAD

Steps:

• For the salmon: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Brush a baking dish with a thin coat of softened butter and sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the surface. Set the salmon fillets upright (flat-side down) on the baking dish, brush a little soft butter over each fillet and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
• In a small bowl, whisk the pesto, mustard and lemon juice together and season it with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture evenly over the salmon, covering the top surface only. Bake until the desired doneness, about 14 minutes for medium rare for 1 1/2-inch-thick fillets (cook longer for thicker pieces).
• For the salad: Meanwhile, put the cucumber into a clean towel on a cutting board and smash it with the heel of your hand. Unwrap the cucumber and slice it crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces; transfer them to a mixing bowl and sprinkle a little salt over them. Add the dates and apples and stir to mix. Add the pine nuts, olive oil, mint and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper, and toss until evenly combined.
• Serve the salmon fillets on warm plates with the salad on the side.

DIJON-BAKED SALMON WITH DATE AND APPLE SALAD

Steps:

• For the salmon: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with a thin coating of butter and sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the surface. Set the salmon fillets in the baking dish skinned-side down and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Whisk together the 2 tablespoons butter, Dijon mustard, parsley, white wine, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Spoon the mixture evenly over the top of the salmon. Bake to the desired doneness, about 14 minutes for medium-rare (cook longer for thicker fillets).
• For the salad: Meanwhile, bring the white wine to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Immediately remove from the heat, stir in the dates and set aside. Whisk together the mint, Dijon mustard and lemon juice in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Wrap the cucumber in a clean kitchen towel, set on a cutting board and smash with the heel of your hand. Unwrap the cucumber and slice crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Add the cucumber to the bowl with the dressing and sprinkle with a little salt (don't toss with the dressing yet). Let the cucumbers sit for 5 minutes before adding the date mixture, apples and pine nuts. Toss to evenly combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the salmon.

GRILLED SALMON WITH MEYER LEMONS AND CREAMY CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• To prepare the salmon:
• To prepare the salmon: Brush the skin side of the salmon fillets with some olive oil. In a small bowl, combine the 1/2 cup olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, and salt. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish and place the fillets skin side up in the dish. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare the creamy cucumber salad: In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper. Fold in the cucumber until completely coated. Taste and adjust the lemon juice or salt. Cover and refrigerate until needed, up to 2 hours.
• Prepare a medium-hot grill. Lightly oil the grill grate.
• Place the fillets skin side down on the grill and brush them with the marinade. Cover the grill and cook without flipping until the salmon flakes, 10 to 12 minutes. Brush the lemon slices on both sides with oil and grill until marks appear, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
• Arrange the fish on individual plates or a serving platter. Place 1 or 2 grilled lemon slices on top of each fillet and dust with chives. Serve with the cucumber salad.
• Store leftover salmon and cucumber salad in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

SLOW-ROASTED SALMON WITH CUCUMBER DILL SALAD

Steps:

• For the salad: Quarter the cucumber, lengthwise, and remove the seeds, but leave on the skin. Thinly slice the cucumbers and mix with the salt in a colander. Set in the sink for about 1 hour to drain. Meanwhile, place the yogurt in a coffee filter-lined strainer and set over a bowl to drain, about 1 hour.
• Rinse the cucumbers with cold, running water. Press down on the cucumbers to extract as much liquid as possible and pat dry. Toss the cucumbers with the drained yogurt, dill, sugar, orange zest, cayenne, and season with pepper, to taste.
• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.
• Cut the salmon lengthwise and then crosswise to make 4 equal squares of fish. Lightly sprinkle the salmon all over with a pinch of turmeric and rub in slightly to coat evenly. Season salmon with salt and pepper and place on a very lightly oiled oven-proof nonstick pan. Roast the salmon, turning the pieces carefully with a spatula after about 10 minutes, until just cooked through, about 20 minutes in all. (Slow-roasted salmon looks bright orange when done, and will be luscious in the center.) To serve, divide the cucumbers between 4 plates, top with the salmon and garnish with dill fronds.