Main Meals
Pan-Seared Salmon with Pesto Bruschetta Zoodles
By The KSW Team · August 25, 2020 · 3 min read
Let’s talk FATS!
One of my favourite macronutrients to be including throughout the day. Salmon happens to be chock-full of the incredibly anti-inflammatory essential fatty acids more commonly known as omega-3s.
Quick Nutrition Lesson: omega-3s are considered essential fatty acids because they cannot be produced by the body and must come from the diet.
And those omega-3s are a VERY important nutrient for acne sufferers. Every one of my clients in The Clear Skin Solution both eat and supplement with omega-3s.
Omega-3s & Your Skin
This is a two-parter: smooth skin & acne.
First up, smoothing.
While omega-3s are a smaller part of your skin’s lipid content, they are still vital to its overall health. They help create a barrier that keeps the hydration in and the bad guys out. You want to be increasing your omega-3s to help your skin retain its moisture. This is an important thing for acne-sufferers because a lack of moisture causes the skin to overproduce acne-triggering sebum.
Second, ACNE. That’s really why we’re all here.
Acne is an inflammatory disease. Its core cause is inflammation and oxidative stress. And acne-sufferers tend to have higher levels of both in their body. When this happens, a perfect storm for acne bacteria and clogged pores starts brewing. Hello, breakouts.
Luckily, omega-3s are a powerhouse in the anti-inflammatory department. Numerous studies have shown the benefits omega-3s have on reducing acne because of those anti-inflammatory properties.
Here’s another few fun facts about skin-loving omega-3s:
- May help speed up wound healing.
- Helps improve the gut lining (read why that’s important for acne here).
- Assist in lubricating the digestive tract to help ensure proper elimination of waste/toxins.
- Can help reduce damage to collagen (aka anti-aging).
- Helps protect against UV light.
Ingredients
For the zucchini:
- 2 zucchini spiralized
- Drizzle extra virgin olive oil for cooking
For the pesto:
- 2 cups fresh basil
- 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 ½ tsp lemon juice
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- Unrefined salt to taste
For the bruschetta:
- 1 roma tomato diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- Splash of apple cider vinegar
- Splash of extra virgin olive oil
For the fish:
- 3-4 ounces wild salmon
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- Unrefined salt to taste
Instructions
- Use a spiralizer to turn the zucchini into noodles. Set aside.
- Add all the ingredients for the pesto into a mini food processor. Pulse until pureed down. Set aside.
- Add all the ingredients for the bruschetta to a small bowl and mix until well combined. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a pan. Add zucchini noodles and saute for about 5-7 minutes or until al dente. During the last minute of cooking, add desired amount of pesto to the pan. Set aside and cover to keep warm.
- In the same pan, place salmon skin-side down. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with garlic, parsley, and salt. Sear on each side for about 3 minutes (or until cooked through).
- To assemble, place pesto zoodles on a plate and mix the tomatoes in. Plate with the cooked salmon and fresh avocado (if desired).