15-minute grilled salmon with fresh mint tzatziki

My doctor’s only real instruction for this pregnancy was to eat lots of salmon. Apparently the oily fish helps grow nice healthy babies and/or, she is skilled at giving patients something simple to worry about. It was never my favorite, but I’ve found all kinds of ways to prepare the fish. Especially as we head into the final few weeks now, I’ve been trying to eat extra healthy to keep my diabetic leanings under control and to steer this baby away from being 10+ pounds (like her father was).

This grilled version of salmon is freshened up with a cool cucumber tzatziki. We have it at least twice a week:

Grilled salmon with fresh mint tzatziki
15 minutes to prepare

1/2 lb filet of salmon, skin on
1/2 cup of greek yogurt (Wallaby plain whole milk yogurt has the lowest sugar of any brand I’ve found.)
1/2 a small cucumber, cut into small slices
1 clove of garlic, microplaned or minced finely
1 teaspoon of lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs including mint, green onion or cilantro
Salt and pepper

Season your piece of fish with salt, pepper and anything else you’d like. I usually add some dried dill and celery salt. On a hot griddle pan, cook the salmon over medium high heat one side at a time for about 3-5 minutes each. The high heat will help lock in the fish’s moisture and oils as it cooks. Remove it from the pan just as the very center is barely starting to cook.

While the salmon is grilling, make the quick tzatziki sauce by mixing plain greek yogurt with cucumbers, diced herbs, citrus juice, garlic, salt and pepper. I love using fresh mint in the sauce, but really any herb is delicious.

Depending on the meal, I either grill some other vegetables alongside the salmon or prepare a green salad with lots of tomatoes, avocados and other produce included. A couple of the delicious canned dolmas from Trader Joe’s or the middle eastern market go with it well too.