Beating high blood pressure with grilled salmon with pepper-corn relish

The rich flavour of salmon is a clue to its bountiful supply of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids — and just about everybody loves the taste. Here the spice-rubbed fish is served with a colourful confetti of diced vegetables. Here's a recipe that uses heart-healthy salmon with fresh inspiration.

Preparation time 10 minutes 

Cooking time 10 minutes

Serves 4

• 1 ml (1/4 tsp) plus 30 ml (2 tbsp) sugar
• 5 ml (1 tsp) ground coriander
• Salt to taste
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp) cinnamon
• 1 ml (1/4 tsp) cardamom1 ml (1/4 tsp) black pepper
• 4 salmon steaks, 175g (6 oz) each
• 2 ml (1/2 tsp) yellow mustard seeds
• 75 ml (1/3 c) distilled white vinegar
• 1 zucchini, cut into 0.5 cm (1/4 in) dice
• 1 orange or red pepper, cut into 0.5 cm (1/4 in) dice
• 250 g (1 c) corn kernels, fresh or thawed frozen

1. Spray grill rack with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat grill to medium. Combine 1 millilitre (1/4 teaspoon) sugar, coriander, salt, cinnamon, cardamom and black pepper in small pot. Measure out 6 millilitres (1 1/4 teaspoons) of spice mixture and rub into one side of each salmon steak.

2. For relish, add remaining 30 millilitres (2 tablespoons) sugar, mustard seeds and vinegar to spice mixture in pot, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add zucchini, pepper and corn, and cook until pepper is crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.

3. Place salmon, spice side down, on grill and cook, without turning, until just done, about 5 minutes. Serve salmon topped with relish.

• Use swordfish or tuna steaks in place of the salmon.
• Serve the pepper-corn relish as a side dish to grilled beef, chicken or pork.
• Serve this dish with grilled new potatoes and arugula salad, with fresh blueberries for dessert.

• Whether you use fresh or frozen corn, you will still get the same nutrients: fibre, folate, potassium and vitamin C. Yellow corn also provides the added nutritional benefit of carotenoids, which are important disease-fighting phytochemicals.
• Salmon is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat thought to help protect against coronary heart disease and strokes by making blood less "sticky" and therefore less likely to clot. A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids may also be helpful in preventing and treating arthritis.

Each serving provides:

Key nutrients: 300 Calories, 120 Calories from Fat, 13 g Fat, 3 g Saturated Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 25 g Protein, 18 g Carb, 2 g Fibre, 70 mg Sodium

Blood pressure nutrients: 86 mg Vitamin C, 39 mg Magnesium, 509 mg Potassium, 29 mg Calcium