Salmon Pesto Skewers

Quick and simple to make, these Salmon Pesto Skewers can be cooked on the grill (grill pan or sauté pan) for a delicious summer time meal. Serve with a refreshing summer corn salad. The flavors can’t be beat!

The official start to summer is next week. Here in Miami the temps have been hot and humid for some time. But with school out and vacations starting, grilling season is here! Now for those that don’t have a grill, maybe find a friend, go to a get-together, or just invest in a grill pan to make you think you’re grilling. Over the years I’ve never mastered the grill, so I purchased a grill pan so I can make things and they looked grilled (even though they’re not). After making these salmon pesto skewers, I’m wondering if I need a real grill?

With the summer’s heat and humidity, cooking, baking, and turning on the oven are just not enjoyable at times. You definitely want to have a few go-to dishes that are simple to prepare and don’t require the oven all that much. Am I the only one? Pesto is one of my favorite condiments to use and have on hand. If you grab the big basil container at Trader Joe’s, you’ll use the whole package for making the pesto. It ends up making about an 8-ounce jar, which in pesto terms, that’s a lot. I freeze the extra in these containers to make salad pizza, pesto eggs, pesto pasta salad. Whether you make pesto homemade or use store-bought, pesto is a great condiment to always have on hand.

Ingredients: Salmon Pesto Skewers

1. Skewers – You can use metal skewers if you have them and if not, use the wood skewers. Just remember to soak the wood skewers for about 20 minutes in warm water. If you’re cooking at a high heat on the grill, this helps to prevent the skewer from cooking/burning.
2. Salmon: Wild or Farm salmon. Use what you prefer. Purchase the salmon without the skin if you’re able to! I’m picky at times with salmon and truth be told, some days I like salmon and other days I don’t. The key here is to include more seafood in our diet, so find the way you’re able to do so. Heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids is what we need more of!
3. Lemon: A few added lemon slices on the skewer help to marry the flavors in the pesto with the salmon. You could also add a few tomatoes or onions. This recipe is basic and there are so many ways to up the ante!
4. Olive Oil– Used here to coat the grill pan and help prevent sticking. No oil was used/needed to cover the salmon as salmon is already full of healthy fats (at least I didn’t use any extra).
5. Pepper– You can add some salt if you’d like, but I typically only use a dash of black pepper to season the salmon. The pesto or other dishes you might have could have higher sodium, so this is a great way to omit the salt when looking at the big picture.
6. Pesto – You’re grilling/cooking the salmon first and then adding a dollop of pesto after. This helps to preserve the color of the pesto and the pesto doesn’t need to be cooked. Simply set it out to bring to room temperature.

How To Make Salmon Pesto Skewers

Seafood dinners are great because they cook SO quick. With a quick assembly of your skewer sticks and hopefully some made ahead pesto, this main dish comes together in minutes! Add this to your next get-together/BBQ!

1. Soak: your wooden skewers for 20-30 minutes. If using metal, no need to soak.
2. Preheat: the grill pan and/or grill to medium high heat. Clean and oil the grates with the olive oil, if necessary. I used a brush to evenly coat the grill pan.
3. Prep: Cut the ends of 1-2 lemons and thinly slice. Cut your salmon into one-inch chunks.
4. Thread: The salmon and lemon slices (folded in half) onto the skewer sticks, alternating (see picture).
5. Grill: Place the salmon skewers onto the grill/grill pan. Grill until salmon is cooked through and opaque, 4 minutes per side.
6. Serve: Add a dollop of pesto to the plate and add your salmon skewer on top. Or drizzle the pesto on the top of your skewer stick. Served here with a corn, tomato, nectarine salad, these salmon skewer sticks would go well with a nice orzo combo!

OTHER SEAFOOD RECIPES

• Salmon in Parchment
• Shrimp Tacos with Slaw & Mango Salsa
• Parmesan Crusted Flounder
• Broiled Fish with Citrus Salsa

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