KETO RECIPE: Greek Braised Salmon

My go-to restaurant keto order is always a greek salad with Salmon! I love that I can customize what comes on it and easily avoid carbs. When I was recipe testing for the Keto In an Instant cookbook, I figured out that I can make a braised Salmon with all of my favorite Greek Salad toppings and flavors and it turns out beautifully. There is brininess from the olives, fat from the feta, and freshness from the bell pepper all on top of a perfectly cooked filet of salmon. I can get all of the flavors I love without having to deal with the lettuce. (There’s nothing wrong with lettuce, but honestly its just a vehicle for the toppings). This is my new favorite way to cook Salmon. This recipe serves 2 and has 8 g net carbs per serving.

Greek Braised Salmon

INGREDIENTS

1 small green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 6-ounce skin-on salmon fillets
¼ cup Kalamata olives
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
¼ cup feta cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon grass-fed butter

INSTANT POT DIRECTIONS

Select SAUTE on the Instant Pot. Add the olive oil, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook and stir until peppers are softened, 2 to 3 minutes or. Stir in the tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Season the salmon with the salt and black pepper; place on the mixture in the pot. Select CANCEL.
Select MANUAL and set the pot at HIGH pressure for 3 minutes. At the end of cooking time, use a quick release to depressurize.
Carefully remove salmon fillets from the Instant Pot. Stir butter, olives, lemon juice and zest into the sauce. Serve salmon with the sauce and sprinkle with feta cheese.

OVEN DIRECTIONS

The oven version doesn’t require the grass fed butter.

Preheat oven to 375°.
Marinate feta: In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Season with pepper and add feta, tossing to coat. Cover and refrigerate while preparing other ingredients and baking salmon.
Slice the lemon and bell pepper at the bottom of a large baking dish, you can also sliced red onions if you like them.
Add salmon fillets, skin side down, to baking dish. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and top with lemon zest.
Bake until opaque and flaky, 18 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make topping: Into the bowl with feta, add tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, chopped red onion, and dill. Fold gently to combine.
To serve: Plate salmon with lemon and red pepper slices. Add marinated feta mixture and olives. You can also add chopped cucumbers on top.