Chile-Garlic Salmon with Pineapple-Peach Salsa

With the exception of my oldest daughter, we like spicy food in our house (the spicier the better, my husband would say). I’ve learned to find a good balance of spice in the food that I make at home – just the right amount of heat to satisfy us without going overboard. The balance in this dish comes from the fruit salsa. It provides a wonderfully sweet, cooling note to the spice of the salmon. Plus, my kids love fruit, so they were automatically excited to try it.

You’ll start by seasoning your salmon. Mix up some garlic powder, chili powder and a dash of salt.

Brush your salmon with olive oil, and sprinkle with the spice mixture. I rubbed mine in a bit.

Preheat your grill pan over medium-high heat. While the pan heats up, add the chopped avocado, diced red onion, cilantro and sliced jalapeno to a medium bowl. Grill the salmon over medium-high heat until the internal temperature registers 145 degrees (or to your desired doneness), about 12-14 minutes, or 6-7 minutes per side. Once the salmon is done, remove from pan and set aside. Add the chopped pineapple and peach to the pan and grill for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly charred.

Add the pineapple and peach to the avocado, red onion, cilantro and jalapeno. Add lime juice and a dash of salt, and mix gently to combine. Serve salmon with salsa spooned on top. You can serve with rice, or with zoodles like I did. I mixed 1 tbs olive oil with 1 tbs fresh lime juice and 2 tsp chopped cilantro, then tossed the zoodles in the mixture until well coated. They were a wonderful addition to the dish!

Give it a try, and let me know what you think!