Orange soy glazed salmon with ginger pepper salsa and black japonica rice with kale
Salmon can be boring, dry and flavorless and a lot of people feel inclined to eat it because of the widely advertised health benefits. Yes, salmon has a slew of healthy properties, but it does not have to be over cooked and bland. The gingery salsa, sweet and sour glaze, and crunchy kale with black rice created a nice flavorful and hearty balance that will leave you graving for your omega, protein, and anti-inflammatory fix.
This dish was inspired by a recipe that appears in the Canyon Ranch cookbook Nourish. For the salsa, I used a good amount of ginger, basil, red, green and yellow bell peppers, scallions, a little low sodium soy sauce, a splash of sesame oil, the juice of a lemon and lime, some fresh cracked pepper and some dashes of hot sauce. I made the salsa about an hour in advance to allow the flavors to meld together. The sauce, which was brushed on the salmon before pan searing, was composed of orange juice, low sodium soy sauce, agave nectar and minced garlic. The nutty japonica rice was cooked per the instructions and mixed with steamed kale. I mixed the rice with a little of the marinade and cracked pepper. I prefer my salmon on the rare side, so I only cooked the fish for about 3 minutes a side. The salmon was very moist and juicy, slightly crisp on the outside and bursting with flavor from the salsa and the marinade. This dish was very quick to make, especially with the advanced salsa prep. It was light, sweet, spicy and tart and was perfect for a hot summer night.
Ginger is an extremely beneficial root. It has anti-inflammatory properties as well as aids in GI discomfort, helps with nausea and is immune boosting. Salmon has a multitude of touted benefits. Not only is it an ideal source of omega 3 fatty acid, which decreases risk for cardiovascular problems, salmon possesses vitamin D, which lowers the risk for certain cancers, is integral for bone and teeth health, and aids with cognitive and certain organ function. Selenium is also present in salmon and aids in joint health, is cardio protective and helps convert the thyroid hormone to its active form.
Here fishy fishy……