The long Memorial Day weekend was officially the beginning of BBQ season!  The occasional hot dog and burger isn’t probably going to kill you, but if your looking for something a bit more healthier and much tastier try grilling WILD salmon.  The reason I emphasize “wild”  salmon is because even though farmed fish are usually much fatter,  they produce less beneficial omega 3 fats than wild fish. Farmed raised fish also contain more concentrated pesticides and contaminates due to feedlot conditions.  Not to mention, it’s just far better for the environment in general if you consume wild fish over fish from aquafarms for a number of good  reasons.

However, that doesn’t mean if you can’t find wild salmon you shouldn’t eat any salmon at all. The American Heart Association recommends consuming fish, particularly fatty fish such as salmon, at least two times per week to get a good amount of heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acids.  Farm raised and canned salmon are an alternative to wild salmon,  just far less superior and unhealthier in my opinion.  Additionally, you might want to limit your salmon intake to once weekly if you’re unable to find fresh, wild salmon to avoid over exposure to toxic PCB chemicals.  Make sure you trim the fat off as much as possible, since that is where the toxins are stored.

Another way of cutting down on the toxins is by broiling or grilling the salmon, which allows the fat to drip away.  Yet, if you have ever tried to grill salmon on a gas grill than you know the challenges of keeping it from sticking.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve lost a good piece of fish as the result of it having to be scraped off the grill and falling apart down through the rack.  Cooking the fish directly on tinfoil is usually just as bad or worse.  The best way I have found to cook fish on the grill is placing it on freshly sliced oranges and topping with delicious lemons. Check out this fantastic “Grilled Citrus Salmon Recipe” the next time you are planning on having a BBQ!

Grilled Citrus Wild Salmon Recipe

Ingredients:

4 wild salmon steaks

8 fresh orange slices

8 fresh lemon slices

2 Tbsp. white wine

1 teaspoon olive oil

Pepper for seasoning

Directions:

1. Lightly coat each fillet with pepper.
2. Arrange orange slices on grill and place the salmon steaks on top of the fruit.
3. Carefully brush each salmon steak with olive oil and white wine.
4. Place two lemon slices on top of each piece of fish
5. Grill salmon, covered, over medium-hot heat until fish flakes easily with a fork. There is no need to turn salmon.