Whole 30 Crispy Salmon with Zucchini Pancakes

I can’t describe a better feeling than putting together a delicious meal, all from leftovers you already have in your fridge. My grandpa used to make me Zucchini Pancakes growing up, and it’s one of my favorite ways to eat zucchini because it’s so flavorful, yet only has a few ingredients. Salmon is also my go to for quick meals because it’s always a crowd pleaser, and never takes longer than 20 minutes to cook :) It’s also a Whole 30 friendly meal that is way more flavorful than just regular protein and veggies. If you want to impress your friends and family with little effort, you gotta make these ASAP.

Ingredients:

For the Salmon:

• 2 fillets of salmon (I like the BBQ cut ones from Trader Joe’s)

• 2 tbsps avocado oil

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• Salt and pepper

For the Zucchini Pancakes (makes about 10-12 pancakes):

• 2 large zucchinis

• 2 eggs

• 1 tbsp arrowroot (you can use regular flour if not doing Whole 30)

• 1 tsp salt + 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp pepper

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• ¼ cup freshly cup chopped basil

• *if not doing Whole30, this is also really good with some Parmesan cheese added in

For the Dipping Sauce:

• ½ cup Greek yogurt

• Juice from 1 lemon

• 1 garlic clove minced

• A few sprigs of dill, roughly chopped

• Salt to taste

Directions:

For the Crispy Salmon:

• Take your salmon out of the fridge and bring to room temperature.

• Get a cast iron skillet nice and hot - you can test this by sprinkling some water in and listening for a sizzle.

• Add your oil to the pan.

• Season your salmon with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

• Once smoking, add in your salmon skin side up.

• Do not move! This is important to develop that crispy crust.

• Once the middle is almost pink and you see browning around the edges, flip the salmon (this usually takes 5-6 minutes).

• Sear skin side down for about 2 minutes.

• For thick salmon, you may need to reduce the heat down and cover to ensure the inside gets cooked.

For the Zucchini Pancakes:

• Cut the round ends of your zucchini and grate on the large hole part of a box grater.

• Transfer to a bowl lined with paper towels or cheese cloth.

• Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and let sit for 5 minutes.

• Wrap up the zucchini and squeeze out all the moisture into the sink.

• Place zucchini back into the bowl and add your eggs, arrowroot, salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and basil and stir to combine.

• Get a nonstick pan up to medium-high heat and spray with some olive oil spray.

• Scoop about 2 tbsps of the mixture into the pan once hot (I like to use a fork for this as it removes some of the moisture still left in the bowl)

• Flatten the mixture into a patty to help it cook faster.

• Cook for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until you see browning on the patty. They are pretty thin so once they’re brown on the outside they’re done!

For the Greek Yogurt Dipping Sauce:

• Mix Greek yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, dill, and salt in a bowl and chill until ready to serve.

• Serve the salmon with the patties and the sauce and enjoy!