Italian Salmon Panini

Italian salmon recipes represent some of the best ways to cook this popular, healthy fish.

For starters, salmon meat is very popular as a food source, and it’s really no wonder why. The rich oily flesh of the salmon is regularly described as some of the best-tasting fish meat available today. And not only is it tasty, but it’s really quite healthy as well. Like many other fish, salmon meat is high in protein and vitamin D, and in addition is also very high in Omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA. These are unsaturated fatty acids that help reduce inflammation, may help maintain a high level of brain health and immune-system function, and may also confer cancer-, arthritis- and cardiovascular-disease-fighting benefits.

Some of the best recipes for salmon involve the use of simple ingredients and short cooking time in order to accentuate and not overwhelm the basic flavor of the fish and not overcook the meat. The Italians excel at this sort of cooking.

Here is one sample Italian salmon recipe that involves grilling salmon steaks for a quick and easy meal.

You will need four fresh cleaned large-sized salmon steaks for this recipe. Place steaks in a deep non-reactive bowl. Mix 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 ½ tsp dried or 3 tsp fresh shredded basil leaves, 2 tsp rosemary, 1 1/3 tsp EACH salt, thyme and ground black pepper, 1 1/3 tsp minced garlic, 3 ½ tbsp white vinegar and 2 ½ tsp oregano in a separate bowl. Mix well; pour over salmon steaks. Marinate 45 minutes. Heat and very lightly oil grill. When grill is hot, place all four steaks on the grill. Baste constantly with marinade and grill for 5-7 minutes, or until steaks are done.

Now add the salmon to a thick bread of your choice such as ciabatta.  Add provolone or mozarella cheese.  Baste the outside of the bread with olive oil or butter and place in your grill.  Grill until the cheese is melted.

A green salad with vinaigrette dressing would make a very tasty yet extremely healthy side dish for your grilled salmon.

You’ll need well-washed salad greens (arugula or mizuna, romaine lettuce, and/or other greens of your choice, all torn into bite-size pieces), cubed cucumbers and sliced carrots. For your dressing, mix 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, ½ cup balsamic vinegar, 4 to 5 cloves minced garlic, 1 ½ tsp fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil, 1 ½ tsp oregano in a bowl. Pour over salad, or you can serve the salad and the dressing separately and allow diners to dress their salad to their liking. Offer freshly ground pepper to top this salad and salmon combination off nicely.