Salmon is a tricky little fish to prepare. If it is overcooked, the rubbery consistency leaves you feeling bleh about your meal, and possibly the rest of the evening if you are the cook. I tend to avoid grilling fish for that reason. The best success I’ve had is typically when it is just done, baked in an oven, about 20 minutes. I usually make the same type of salmon too so I don’t mess it up: savory garlic and lemon. It’s my “go to”, and it is pretty darn good. One night I got a particularly great filet of wild sockeye salmon on sale. Feeling brave and adventurous, I wanted to make a special date night meal for me and the hubster, which meant I was going to take a step off the “go to” path and out of my salmon comfort zone. The first meal I tried during a visit to The Cheesecake Factory was miso salmon. It was spectacular! I looked up a few recipes to try and recreate the exact dish. You really can’t go wrong with anything miso in my book. Unfortunately, quite a bit more than miso that went into the recipe. It was LOADED with refined brown sugar amongst other things I don’t usually eat or cook with. I rolled with it that night, but resolved that one day I would conquer the healthy version of this fish dish.
I have arrived. And it is glorious.
Probably the best taste tester compliment came from my sister’s boyfriend Kory when I made it again for a fun game night dinner. Picky eaters that compliment your food leave you feeling like you just graduated with top honors from a prestigious culinary school. He even liked the veggies, a combination of seasonal bok choy, broccoli and spring onions. Top it all over a small portion of sushi rice drizzled with carmelized sweet miso sauce made with a nutrient dense form of sugar and….er-meh-gersh…so good! I want some right now just thinking about it! Maybe I’ll eat a spoonful of sesame seeds and try to recreate the memories for my tastebuds.
They say this is a dumb idea and to make more salmon. Now.
PRODUCE: NUTRITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS – FEBRUARY
Bok Choy is a white Chinese cabbage that works beautifully in a stir fry. It can be slightly bitter when cooked, but does well with a sweeter sauce to balance the flavor. It is typically found year round, but seems to be more available during the winter months when cabbages are grown in abundance. They are a great source of Vitamin A, folate, calcium, manganese and potassium.
Spring (knob) onions are typically best in season May- July, however, have been in abundance in my produce delivery this season so far. They have a taste similar to green onions, but get very sweet when cooked. These knobs contain flavenoids such as quercetin and allicin which help to prevent certain cancers as well as heart disease.
Broccoli is one of the great winter vegetables, with it’s peak season from October through April. It is an extremely nutrient dense vegetable, packed with fiber, folate, Vitamins A and K as well as certain antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxanthin. It also contains phytochemical to help prevent certain cancers. Broccoli is such an amazing source of Vitamin C as well, helping the body keep those immune defenses strong and healthy :) Don’t forget, you can peel off the outer tough layer on the stem and chop up the tender portion on the inside. It cooks up great in a stir fry and you get more for your money with less waste.
Woo-hoo for green stuff! Go getcha some and slather it with sweet miso sauce. Delish!
Green Asian Stir Fry with Miso Salmon
Ingredients
- Fish
- 2 lbs Wild Sockeye Salmon
- 2 tbsp miso
- 3/4 cup raw sugar
- 1 tbsp tamari or Non-gmo Soy Sauce
- 2 cups water
- Stir Fry
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 10 Bok Choy leaves chopped
- 3 large spring knob onions chopped
- 1 head broccoli chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup edamame thawed if frozen
- 2 tbsp miso paste
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt or more to taste
- 1 tbsp tamari or Non-gmo Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp raw honey
- 1 tsp Sriracha sauce optional
- 2 cups prepared sushi rice according to package directions
- Sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
-
Heat oven to 350. Bring water and sugar to a boil until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and add tamari and miso paste. Whisk until blended and pour over salmon. Bake for 18-25 min, basting ever 5 minutes with sauce. Fish is done when it flakes with a fork and pulls apart in the middle. Try not to overcook.
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While salmon is cooking, saute Bok Choy, onion, broccoli, and garlic in sesame oil for 5-7 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add edamame and remaining ingredients (except rice and sesame seeds) and mix well. Place rice on plate, top with veggies, fish and remaining marinade from pan. Garnish with sesame seeds.
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