There are few things I love more than salmon – I mean, food “things” that is. If I asked my husband what he thought my favorite foods are, I think he’d say Pineapple and Kale…and Ice Cream. In fact, let’s try and ask him!
Hang on, I have to wait until a commercial break. It’s the top of the 5th inning, Braves against the Rockies and the Rockies are up 2 to 0…
…Okay, commercial break. Let’s see what he says…
He literally said, “Ice cream, pizza, and kale.” To be fair, I love adding pineapple on my pizza! But I’d say he knows me pretty well! Lol That being said, salmon would probably be #4 on my list of favorite foods.
Before I jump into the recipe for this AWESOME Poached Salmon and Lemon Yogurt Dill Sauce, I wanted to share a life update. We keep it real on this blog and I feel like I share quite a bit, but this recent experience has left me feeling pretty down.
Life Update – March 2018
Growing up I was known for having braces. I got braces when I was just 8 years old and had them until I was 15! To say my teeth were messed up is an understatement. I don’t even remember how many teeth I’ve had pulled out. I thought it was 11 but then I thought that may be an overestimate. But I know I’ve had 4 instances where I had teeth pulled. Clearly my mouth was super crowded and I already had a fairly narrow mouth as it was.
I literally remember the day I had my braces taken off, I went to school afterwards and someone told me they thought I looked better WITH braces. Okay, that was probably just because they couldn’t remember me any other way. I had them on for so long! I made one of the biggest mistakes of my life by not wearing my retainer and after a year or so my retainer no longer fit. Ever since then my smile has become more narrow, my teeth are becoming crooked, and I have become more and more self-conscious.
It has gotten to the point I don’t want to smile in photos. Like, Kim Kardashian style but without the gorgeous white teeth underneath. Michael and I agreed I should look into Invisalign which I’ve wanted for the last few years. I found an AWESOME orthodontist nearby who did a thorough exam of my teeth and gently told me all of my options…which did not include Invisalign.
Not What I Was Expecting…
Basically my teeth have moved so much, and my desire to widen my smile would not be accomplished by Invisalign alone. His recommendation – BRACES…for 2 years! I literally started tearing up during our appointment. Having braces for 7 years was difficult, and having braces in my 20’s sounds traumatizing!
Don’t get me wrong – I know this is a trivial concern compared to real world problems, but if I wasn’t self-conscious before, I’m feeling even more self-conscious knowing what my future holds. I thought maybe I can learn to accept my teeth the way they are, but it turns out I have a cross-bite that is causing my upper back teeth to bite down on my lower teeth and that will slowly ware my teeth down. I figure that I might as well fix this before I’m 40 and I have no other choice!
My Happy Place
Since this appointment I’ve been a little “down in the dumps.” I have another appointment coming up to answer more questions and in the mean time I’m coming to terms with my future. Ugh. So that’s what has my mind preoccupied most days.
Something I used to do in the past when I would get anxious or depressed is play piano. Hearing music through the halls of my childhood home was a tell-tale sign that I was struggling mentally, but I couldn’t help but feel some peace at the end of each piano session. Since I don’t have my piano in our apartment, I’ve switched over to cooking. It’s my happy place. It’s where I go when I’m stressed, but also when I’m happy. And the best part of feeling anxious is the delicious eats that come out of my kitchen!
Poaching the Salmon
This poached salmon recipe is a result of said anxiety. And it was delicious! The one and only time I have poached salmon was for Valentine’s Day when Michael and I cooked some BOMB salmon and broccolini. I decided to put a Spring-like spin on this salmon dish and emphasize the bright flavors of lemon and fresh dill. I poached the salmon in Sauvignon Blanc which only added to the brightness of all of the flavors.
One thing I really like about poached salmon is how easy it is to make! It takes just one pan. Add your water, white wine (if you choose to), some herbs for seasoning, cover, and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Quick. Only one pan for clean-up. Awesome!
The Lemon Yogurt Dill Sauce
I know I mentioned how important ‘The Sauce’ is in my Kale Power Bowl recipe, but same goes for most recipes. It’s important to prepare your food in a way that adds flavor, such as poaching in white wine with lemon and dill, but the sauce can take your dish over the top! And that’s just what this Lemon Yogurt Dill Sauce does.
What I love about this sauce is that it can be used for so much more than just on top of salmon. Last night Michael used it as a dressing on his salad. You could definitely add a little water to thin out the sauce to give it a more ‘dressing’ consistency.
You could also use this sauce as a dip for veggies or crackers! As I was eating the salmon with the sauce, I kept thinking how good Wheat Thins would taste dipped in it. 😀
Okay, now that you have the low-down on my life right now and the ins and outs of this recipe, let’s jump in to the actual recipe!
Poached Salmon and Lemon Yogurt Dill Sauce
- 1 lb salmon
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup dry white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc by Horse Heaven Vineyard)
- ½ lemon, cut into thin rounds
- Dill sprigs, about 4
- Pinch of salt
- Yogurt Sauce:
- ⅔ cup plain Greek yogurt (I used Trader Joe's Whole Fat)
- ¼ lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh or dry dill
- ½ teaspoon garlic-infused olive oil (or minced garlic)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Place large saute pan on medium-high heat. Add water, wine, slices of lemon and dill sprigs to bottom of pan (If not using wine, replace with water).
- Bring liquid to a simmer. Once simmering add salmon filets, skin side down. Sprinkle salmon with salt.
- Cover pan and reduce heat to medium. Continue to simmer for 8-10 minutes or until salmon reaches internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
- While the salmon is simmering, mix the yogurt sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Add more salt as desired.
- Serve salmon with large dollop of yogurt sauce served on top.
What I Used To Make This Recipe:
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