Creole Salmon Lettuce Wraps with Grilled Squasho de Gallo
A few weeks ago we started getting “burger lettuce” in our CSA box. Big, cool, crunchy leaves that are beautifully suited for a hamburger garnish. I had other ideas in mind — lettuce wraps. I’m a big fan of lettuce wraps. Mostly because they make a meal vegetable-centered instead of grain-centered.
A couple more of my favorites:
Shrimp & Cucumber Lettuce Wraps with Fresh Dill
Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Plus, you can eat about eight of them without feeling overly stuffed. I tend to take things I love to the extreme. Like kissing my children 28,387 times a day. (That probably won’t go over well in about 10 years.)
AND. You can make this entire meal without turning the oven on. Or the stove. (Unless you use a grill pan
I used my most favorite salmon recipe ever (thanks Mom & Dad!) and threw together a colorful mix of vegetables into a modified version of pico de gallo. Only I call it squasho de gallo because of the grilled pieces of squash. Oh, aren’t I witty?
Actually I’m not. I totally ripped that off of Pioneer Woman’s Shrimpo de Gallo. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, right? Actually that recipe might be great on these as well if you wanted to take the seafood theme further. Farther? Blast. I can never keep those straight.
Add a drizzle of cool creole-spiced cream and…. you’ve got a light dinner (or lunch) on the table in about 30-40 minutes!
[Insert obligatory plug to avoid buying farmed salmon. Not only do you get lots more Omega-3 benefits from wild salmon, it’s better for the environment than farmed. And fish weren’t meant to eat grain. The end.]
Creole Salmon Lettuce Wraps with Grilled Squash-o de Gallo
Ingredients:
1 pound foil-packet salmon
About a dozen large lettuce leaves
For the salsa:
1 medium summer squash (zucchini, crooked-neck, yellow, etc.)
2 T avocado oil
1/2 of a red bell pepper, diced
1 medium ripe tomato (or 2 Roma tomatoes), seeded and diced
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, juiced
generous pinch of salt and pepper, to taste
For the cream:
2/3 cup paleo-friendly mayo or plain, whole-milk yogurt
3 Tablespoons almond or coconut milk
1 green onion, sliced thinly
1/4 teaspoon creole or cajun seasoning
generous pinch of cumin, salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
To prepare the salsa:
Heat up your grill to medium-high heat. Slice the squash lengthwise into 1/2-inch pieces. Brush both sides of each piece with oil and place on the hot grill. (You can also do this on a sheet pan in a 425 degree oven.) Grill squash for about 3-4 minutes per side until dark grill marks form and squash is tender. Remove from the grill and set aside to cool slightly.
Dice squash and combine with the remaining salsa ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
To prepare the cream, combine all of the cream ingredients and adjust seasonings to suit your taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
To assemble lettuce wraps, places some cooked salmon chunks in a lettuce leaf. Top with salsa and cream.
Makes about 4 servings (about 3 wraps per person).
from Perry’s Plate
This salmon looks wonderful! A bright and happy dish.
And to think the lettuce from my CSA JUST stopped coming…now I'm actually wishing it would return!
Looks fantastic,Natalie! Korean lettuce wrap is much like this, which I love! :)
This looks fabulous! As you know, I'd have to use chicken….but wowza! I love the squasho de gallo!
Beautiful pictures, as always!
Girl, you just keep knocking it out if the ballpark with these outrageous recipes. This looks so, so wonderful. And yes, you are uber clever with that squasho de gallo; I got a good chuckle out of that one.
Marla – Thanks! I loved all of the colors. It DID make me happy :)
Joanne – Actually… mine's starting to dwindle as well. We got a tiny little bunch yesterday and I ate the whole thing with a couple of fried eggs for breakfast.
Kay – Thanks! I'd love to try a Korean version. Do you have one on your blog?
Ann – Thank you! Do you have a fish allergy, too?? I'm sure this would be great with chicken. Ohh… shredded chicken. *drool*
Terri – You're so nice – thank you! I think "squasho" was pretty clever, too, even if it wasn't completely original. :)
By "burger lettuce" I actually thought you meant lettuce that was perfect for holding burgers, instead of buns :) I'm all about the lettuce wraps in any way, shape or form – what a great way to enjoy salmon!
Gorgeous dish! So light and summery. I like the pico de gallo spin using squash :)
Gorgeous dish! So light and summery. I like the pico de gallo spin using squash :)
I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve had several wild-caught salmon filets in my freezer for several months because I freaked out at the sight of the skin. I think I might face my fears and make a baked version of these! I’m assuming the salmon’s still good… Any tips for dealing with salmon skin?
No worries! Salmon skin isn’t much of an issue. I don’t think i have ever bought salmon that didn’t have skin. Just thaw the fillets in the fridge and bake them in a foil packet. There’s a link in this post that says “my favorite way to cook salmon” that explains it. You can also put garlic, lemon slices, and dill, which we really like. Just make sure to salt it well. After you bake it, the fillets should slide off the skin easily. Good luck!!
Thanks! I think I will indeed take the salmon-skin plunge soon. :)
Made these tonight! A delicious recipe as always.
You were so right about the salmon skin. After I unwrapped my salmon filet, the fish just flaked right off from the skin on the bottom. I wish I’d faced my fears a little sooner—I think the fish got kind of tough from sitting in the freezer so long. Luckily the squasho de gallo and crema made everything better! ;)