Grillin' and Chillin'

The grilling season has finally started for us…I think. We did it once before, earlier in the Spring, but that was a fluke warm day. We use charcoal so we can’t really grill unless it’s dry and (preferably) sunny. Yesterday was the perfect day for it. Hopefully we’ll have one nice weekend day every week from now until the summer (which starts in July here).

Everyone tells us we need to buy a gas grill, but I’m a die-hard charcoal fan. For me, it’s more than just the taste. I like to sit outside with a refreshing cocktail (which happened to be strawberry margaritas made by hubby) and “watch the fire burn” (as mindless and relaxing an activity as watching the paint dry). Oh, and I'm deathly scared of getting blown to smithereens.

We grilled a large salmon fillet (among other things). I simply squeezed lime juice on top followed by a sprinkling of Montreal Steak Seasoning and a dash of salt. Then I grilled it up, leaving it pink in the center. It was delicious, but even more delicious was the salad I made with the leftovers. It's so simple and healthy, yet packed with flavor.

Salmon Salad with Mint and Lime

• 1 lb cooked, cold salmon fillet (doesn’t matter how it’s prepared: grilled, poached, roasted)
• 1 tbs finely chopped fresh mint
• 1-2 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 tbs lime juice
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbs fish sauce
• ½ tsp sambal oelek

Remove the bones, if necessary, and crumble the salmon into chunks. Add the mint and green onions. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the sugar, fish sauce, lime juice and sambal oelek. Toss salmon with the dressing. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve with steamed rice, sticky rice or simply with lettuce or cabbage leaves for wrapping.

This recipe can easily be scaled up or down, depending on the amount of salmon you have. You can also add more of any of the ingredients to suit your taste. If you don’t have mint (or don’t like it), use cilantro. I also like to add sweet cherry tomatoes if I have them. There’s no reason you couldn’t add diced sweet mango or diced avocado. There's also no reason why chicken or steak or pork can't be substituted for the salmon.