Asian Salmon Noodle Salad

It's been one week since we returned to Seattle from a whirl-wind two week trip. And I think I'm finally setting back in to the swing of things. Well, at least I'm back to a new routine that involves pouring over BarBri materials 24/7. I'm done with law school. I graduated last Saturday. And it still hasn't completely sunk in. It doesn't seem so long ago that I was sitting at home on a Saturday night with my study group studying first-year contracts materials until midnight. It doesn't seem so long ago that I was sitting in my car on Summit Avenue crying to my parents about how I had absolutely no clue how I was going to finish. And they would reassure me "You'll look back at this time and think my goodness that time flew." I do think that now. It's hard to believe that 3.5 years have passed.

Last semester was a little untraditional. And I don't generally discuss my grades. But I'm still in amazement about how things turned out. Somehow, I managed to obtain a 4.0 in my fall semester. And after three and a half years of school, one of my exam responses was finally posted on Blackboard as a "model answer." Never-mind the fact that I rewrote the exam response at 3 a.m. after I had already spent weeks working on it. It made it there! My work! Then somehow, I managed to thrive off of coffee, 13 hours of sleep total and peanut butter sandwiches for an entire week so I could research, draft, and negotiate my butt off in my Deals and Disputes class. Woozers. I say somehow because I just don't know how I did it. But I'm done. All done.

I graduated law school with academic honors. Magna Cum Laude. For the first time in my life, I am proud of myself and didn't (and still don't) feel guilty for tooting my own horn. Not bad for a person who was waitlisted before entering law school. Yep, folks. Waitlisted. I just didn't have the numbers to show that I was a successful candidate for law school. But, I like to think of myself as inspiration to people who might not have the best numbers entering. If you are willing to put in the work, you can prove those statistics wrong. I'm happy to say that I worked my tail off and I'm even happier to say that my friends in similar situations were successful just as well. Hard work and determination does not go unnoticed.

A number of people expressed shock at graduation when they saw that I actually had a clue in law school. I found that funny. Just because I remained quiet in class most of the time did not mean that I was failing out! I loved my time at Mitchell. I just didn't love the way I reacted to the stress and pressures of school. But who does? I will eternally be grateful for the school that gave me a new life, new opportunities, and a new chance to smile. It's still hard to imagine that it's done. But that chapter has closed and a new one has started. Though, it's slightly boring to start. I sit here now with bar prep materials surrounding me, reciting things like "P.I.N.E. stands for Prescriptive, Implied, Necessity, and Express" and trying to jam as much material into my brain as possible. Enter brain food. This recipe was inspired by three separate recipes so I don't really have a source. Ron has started eating salmon so I've been able to cook it more often. Ron has also started eating octopus, which is just mind-boggling to me. But anyway, this recipe was really good. I had been craving something and couldn't put my finger on it. So, I pulled some asian ingredients together, opened the soba noodles I've had in the pantry, marinated the salmon and whipped up this noodle bowl. Enjoy!

Asian Salmon Noodle Salad
from a number of sources combined
Yield: 3-4 servings
Ingredients
For the Salmon

• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Pinch freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 1/4 lb salmon

For the Noodle Salad

• 1/2 lb soba noodles
• 3 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp freshly minced ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup fresh spinach, shredded
• 1 cup bean sprouts, chopped
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup crushed peanuts
• 3 Tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions
For the Salmon

1. Slash knife marks in the skinless side of the salmon. Place salmon skin side down in glass baking dish.
2. In a small bowl, whisk all of the other ingredients and pour over salmon. Cover dish and place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake salmon, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flakes. Meanwhile, prepare your noodle salad.
4. After noodle salad is prepared and salmon is cooked (and slightly cooled), scrap salmon off of skin with a fork. Chop salmon into several small pieces and mix in with noodle salad. 

For the Noodle Salad

1. While salmon is cooking, bring water to boil and cook soba noodles according to package directions (normally 4-5 minutes) then drain and spray with cold water to stop cooking.
2. Whisk the next 7 ingredients (sesame oil through sea salt) in a small bowl. 
3. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, carrots, bean sprouts, scallions, and cilantro. Add the cooled and cooked noodles to the bowl and toss to combine.
4. Once salmon is cooked and mixed in with noodle salad (see step #4 above), pour sesame dressing over the veggie-noodle-salmon mixture and toss to evenly distribute. 
5. Place noodle salad into bowl and sprinkle with peanuts and sesame seeds.

Hoisin Glazed Salmon

I often blog about my love for salmon. It is my go to meal when I am on the brink of starving and need something fast before I turn to handfuls of cereal! Salmon is such a versatile fish. It's own mild flavors tend to blend really well with sweet flavors. I had two jars of hoisin and was looking to use some, so I searched for a recipe that would add that asian flavor that I was craving.

This hoisin glazed salmon was very, very good. The preparation was simple. The meal was done in about 15 minutes. What more can you ask of a quick weeknight meal? I really enjoyed the flavors from this glaze, but I did decide that I needed something else. So, I cut some orange segments to pair with and added some sesame seeds. What a very healthy and quick dish! Serve the salmon with a hearty grain and some fresh vegetables for a complete and nutritious meal.
Hoisin Glazed Salmon
from the Meal Planner
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp fresh orange juice
• 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 tsp honey
• 4 salmon steaks (about 8-10 ounces and one inch thick) or 4 salmon fillets (totaling 1 lb)
• coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the broiler.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, hoisin sauce and honey to make the glaze.
3. Season both sides of the salmon with salt and pepper. Place the salmon on a rimmed baking sheet and brush both sides generously with the glaze.
4. Broil the salmon about 4 inches from the heat source. If cooking salmon steaks, baste once and cook until opaque in the center, 10-13 minutes. If using salmon fillets, cook only about 6-7 minutes until opaque in the center.

Pecan Ginger Salmon

When Ron and I choose to go 'on our own' for dinner, I must admit that I secretly breathe a sigh of relief.  Granted, I'm not happy that Ron is normally choosing to eat cookie crisp or frozen bagel bites, but I'm glad that I get a chance to mix up a meal that I know he would not eat otherwise.  I'm always on my own for lunch, but my lunch meals tend to be lighter, so I never make a hearty meal.  My choice always ends up being either a vegetarian meal or some sort of fish dish.   I bookmarked this recipe a while ago and I knew it would be my next salmon dish on the next evening that Ron requested a bowl of cookie crisp.  I did change up the recipe a bit.  I didn't have skinless and didn't feel like filleting the fish, so I just marinated the top part of the salmon and it worked just fine.  I also didn't feel like opening a bag of walnuts, so the original "walnut ginger salmon" became a "pecan ginger salmon" but it was still delicious.  It takes about 30 minutes to marinate, but the fish cooks up so fast with the broiler.  I put it in the fridge to marinate, ran a quick errand, turned on the broiler when I got back, and dinner was ready in less than 15 minutes!

Pecan Ginger Salmon
from Taste of Home
Yield:  4 servings
Time:  40 minutes (30 minutes prep, 10 minutes cook)
Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 4 skinless salmon fillets (4 ounces each)
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Instructions

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the brown sugar, mustard, soy sauce and ginger; add the salmon.  Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, turning occasionally.
2. Drain and discard marinade.  Place salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 7-9 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork, sprinkling with nuts during the last 2 minutes of cooking.

Maple Glazed Salmon

I love salmon.  It's such a versatile and healthy fish that takes virtually minutes to make.  For a while, I used to be the person who ordered salmon every single time we went to a restaurant.  All of my friends and family could practically predict what I would get, and sometimes ordered for me if I was running late, because I was so obvious about it.  I thought I had legitimate reasons for doing so.  Fish was smelly and my kitchen was small.  Smelly food + small kitchen = smelly house for a week!  Plus, I didn't know how to cook fish so I always opted for salmon so I could enjoy it without the negatives.  Then, I decided to bite the bullet and make my own salmon with this delicious recipe.  I was blown away by how easy it was.  To top it off, the fish didn't make a stench that permeated throughout the entire house and it was delicious restaurant-quality food!  Since then, I've been able to venture outside of my salmon box while dining out.  Thank goodness, because there are a lot of other wonderful options on a menu!

I posted the recipe for the butternut squash couscous a while ago, but I forgot to post the maple glazed salmon that I had with it!  This recipe comes from Cooking Light and I love the maple syrup that is used to glaze the fish after it has been cooked.  It took about 20 minutes to prepare the spice rub and cook the salmon, so it can easily be served as a quick weeknight meal with a side of couscous or rice and veggies.  The Cooking Light link even provides a suggested wine pairing, so check it out if you plan to make this for dinner!  The magazine itself provides a quick and easy side to prepare - tomato-dill couscous - so if you feel so inclined, mix this up as well.

Maple Glazed Salmon
Cooking Light
Ingredients

• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ancho chile powder (or regular)
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
• cooking spray
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Combine first 6 ingredients; rub spice mixture evenly over flesh side of fillets.
3. Place fish on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 6 minutes or until desired degree of doneness.
4. Brush fillets evenly with maple syrup; broil an additional 1 minute.

Agave Crusted Salmon with Strawberry Kiwi Salsa

So, I've realized that I have been slacking on adding recipes for actual food.  And, I have been cooking a lot recently so I have a lot of good recipes to add!  So, I promise to get a better balance going from here on out.

One of the many things that I love about our new place is the ability to grill again.  We have a charcoal grill and since finally learning how to use it, dinners have been turning out quite nicely on grill nights.  Ron is in charge of all things grilled in the house.  To me, the grill equals man territory.  Grilling is a "blue job" and I like to avoid blue jobs.  So, I am perfectly content with sitting back and watching his grilling expertise.

This salmon recipe was incredibly easy to make.  And, incredibly quick and easy for Ron to grill.  I was craving something savory sweet, so I mixed up a quick strawberry salsa (instead of Giada's citrus salsa) to pair with the agave on the salmon.  It worked really well, though I would have loved to incorporate some fresh mint if I had it on hand.  I mixed up what I thought would be a two serving recipe, but I ended up eating the entire bowl of salsa that I had mixed!  If you make the recipe, adjust as necessary (or use Giada's measurements).  The salsa should sit for about 30 minutes for the ingredients to mix, so plan accordingly!

Agave Salmon with Strawberry Kiwi Salsa
Salmon from Giada
Yield:  2 servings
Ingredients
For Salmon

• 2x5 ounce salmon portions, skinned
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar
• salt and pepper

For Salsa

• 1/2 c chopped strawberries
• 1/4 c chopped kiwi
• 1/4 c diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 Tbsp honey
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ginger

Instructions
For Salmon

1. Preheat grill and brush vegetable oil on racks to prevent from sticking.
2. Brush the salmon on both sides with agave and season with salt and pepper.
3. Grill until fish flakes easily and is cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side.
4. Serve with salsa!

For Salsa

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Asparagus and Salmon Salad w/ Blackberry Glaze

I was craving something summery.  I also wanted to use purchases from my recent Farmer's Market trip.  Enter this yummy recipe.


Overall, I was pretty satisfied with this meal.  It's amazing how a small amount of an ingredient can add so much flavor.  The sesame oil took over the other ingredients and turned this into an asian cuisine.  But, I was fine with that.  Just ate some more blackberries to add that summer flare I was looking for.

Asparagus and Salmon Salad w/ Blackberry Glaze
adapted from Clean Eating
Yield:  4 servings
Ingredients

• 12 oz. wild-caught salmon fillet, skin and bones removed
• cooking spray
• 2 cups asparagus tips
• 2 cups blackberries, divided
• 2 tsp honey
• 4 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsp dark sesame oil
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 6 cups arugula (or whatever greens you want)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Divide salmon into 8 equal sized portions.  Mist a baking sheet with cooking spray and place salmon on baking sheet.  Bake for about 18 minutes or until fish is cooked through and begins to flake.  Remove from oven and let cool.
2. Steam asparagus until crisp-tender.  Rinse with cool water and place in refrigerator.
3. Take 16 blackberries and place them in a small bowl.  Mash, then add honey, soy sauce, oil and orange juice.  Stir to combine (berries will remain chunky).
4. Arrange lettuce on plates and top with asparagus and 2 pieces of salmon.  Sprinkle reserved blackberries over salmon and drizzle blackberry-soy dressing evenly over plates.

Salmon with Maple-Lemon Glaze and Mango Sauce

This recipe was inspired from a few various sources.  I was craving something fruity and tropical.  I also wanted salmon because I haven't had it in a while.  Overall, it turned out pretty well.  I didn't prepare the salmon the way that the recipe originally intended (re-use glaze and broil) so I ended up baking it.  Accordingly, I don't think it picked up on the flavor as strong as it could have.  Fortunately, I had already intended to use the mango sauce on the salmon so there was plenty of flavor there.  It was a very quick and easy meal.  It took about 25 minutes total, but most of that was cook time so there was very minimal prep time.  I definitely think I'll try it again with the broil method.  You can see the original recipe by clicking the Cooking Light link below.  


I included the recipe for 4 servings, but I ended up making one serving for myself.  The measuring / timing worked out just fine and I was able to roast some asparagus spears at the same time my salmon was cooking.  The mango sauce yields about 1/2 cup, so if you think you want more, use another mango!  I used a medium-large mango.


Don't mind the giant piece of salmon I ate for dinner.  I had just got back from a 10 mile run and was starving!

Salmon with Maple-Lemon Glaze and Mango Sauce
salmon adapted from Cooking Light
Yield:  4 servings
Ingredients

• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 4 (6 ounce) skinless salmon fillets
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• cooking spray
• 1 mango
• 1/3 c water
• cinnamon-sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. For Salmon:  Combine lemon juice, maple syrup, cider vinegar and oil in large ziplock plastic bag.  Add fish to bag; seal.  Refrigerate 10 minutes, turning bag once.
3. Remove fish from bag.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  
4. Bake in baking pan for 10-12 minutes or until opaque and fish flakes easily.
5. Meanwhile, prepare mango sauce.
6. For Mango Sauce:  Dice mango, add water, and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.  Add cinnamon-sugar to taste.  Mash mango.  Serve warm or cold.

Brown Sugar Roasted Norwegian Salmon with Maple Mustard Dill Sauce

I have a confession.  Despite how easy it is, I have never cooked fish in the kitchen.  I used to blame it on the fact that "fish smells" but truthfully, it was because I could never tell if it was done.  In fact, I purchased the No Name brand because they had this little plastic thing stuck inside the fish and it would pop out when the salmon was cooked.  Gross?  Yes, kinda.  Pathetic?  Definitely.  But, this is what this blog is all about.  Getting away from those short-cuts.


However, plastic fish hook thingy no more!  This post indicates that I have successfully cooked salmon.  Each month, I browse through my Cooking Light magazine and mark recipes that I intend to make.  I always keep a notecard in the front of the magazine with the page number.  When I pulled out the notecard this week, I noticed that I had indicated that one of the recipes came from an advertisement.  I flipped to the page and saw the recipe for this salmon.  Brown sugar and maple syrup?  With salmon?  YUM!


I made this dinner the other night when Ron wasn't around for dinner.  I cut the recipe in half and purchased two 6 oz. salmon fillets.  Easy enough.  I wasn't eating both pieces of fish, so I only chose to make one serving of the mustard-dill sauce - it could easily be cut in half - and it worked out perfectly.


This dinner was absolutely incredible.  I cannot even describe how good it was.  The sweet, the salt, the spice, the tang!  All of the flavors mixed together so well.  The salmon is caramelized with the brown sugar mixture for about 15 minutes prior to baking.  I also made roasted some asparagus to go along with the meal and placed it in the oven at the same time I cooked the salmon.  The asparagus was so crisp.  It was done at the same exact time the salmon was done!  Perfect timing.


If you are a fish fan (or even if you are not a fish fan), I encourage you to make this recipe!  It is simple for a weeknight meal and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare and make.


Note:  I did not include a picture of the salmon with the sauce on top.  I mixed a bit too much dill in mine and it looked like green goo.  Although it looked somewhat unappetizing, the taste was amazing.

Brown Sugar Roasted Norwegian Salmon with Maple Mustard Dill Sauce
adapted from Norwegian Salmon ad in Cooking Light magazine
Yield:  The amount reflected below yields 2 servings.  Double as needed.

• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp black ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 salmon filets, about 6 oz each
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp dried dill
• Fresh Asparagus, if desired (to serve as side dish) 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Combine the brown sugar, pepper & salt in a bowl.  Rub on the flesh side of the salmon, using all the mix.  Place on a plate & let stand for 15 minutes in the refrigerator, covered lightly with plastic wrap.  
3. Coat a small baking dish with 1/2 tbsp olive oil.  Put the salmon on the oil, skin side down. 
4. Drizzle the remaining oil over the top. 
5. Bake for 12 - 14 minutes or until desired doneness.  (Mine took about 13:30)
6. Combine the maple syrup, mustard & dill together to create a sauce.
7. Serve the salmon with the sauce over the top.

Asparagus

1. With oven preheated to 400 degrees, place prepared (ends cut) asparagus spears on a baking tray.
2. Drizzle spears with olive oil and toss them to coat.
3. Spread spears out evenly on baking tray.
4. Sprinkle seasoning over asparagus (I used sea salt and black pepper).
5. If preferred, sprinkle chopped garlic over asparagus.
6. Place in oven and cook for 10-15 minutes.
7. Once removed, sprinkle additional seasoning over spears (lemon juice, parmesan cheese, balsamic, etc.)

Individual Salmon and Wild Rice Salad

Tonight was a leftover night.  Ron was eating the soup, so I decided to make myself up a salmon salad.  It's fantastic!

I'm a big fan of making hearty, but healthy, salads.  This flavor combination may not seem good to you, but I can assure you that it's the perfect mix of veggies and saltiness.  The rice, olives and salmon make the lettuce so flavorful that I don't even use dressing.

I always use the No-Name brand salmon fillets.  I fell in love with these a while back and I always have them on hand.  They can be a bit pricey ($17.99 for 4 fillets) but I always pick up a few boxes when they go on sale at our local stores (for $9.99).  I'll stock up and by the time I need replenished, they are normally on sale again :)  They are around 270 calories (or probably closer to 300 thanks to the FDA's 20% rule).  With the rice and depending on what else you add, you can easily keep this hearty meal under 500 calories.  Fortunately, salmon has the "good fats" too so you get your Omega-3's.

This is one of my favorite salads to whip up for an individual meal.

Salmon and Wild Rice Salad
Created by Me!
Yield:  1 serving
Ingredients:

• 5 oz. salmon fillet (I use No-Name brand.  These can be found in frozen section of grocery stores.)
• 3-4 cups of greens (Use any kind you prefer; spring mix, spinach, romaine, etc.)
• 1/4 cup of diced yellow onion
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
  
• Kalamata olives
• 1/8 cup of shredded cheese
• 2/3 cup of rice (Use any kind you prefer)
  

Instructions

1. If using packaged salmon, prepare as instructed on package.  If using fresh salmon, well hell, I've never made my own before so good luck :)
2. Place lettuce, veggies, olives and cheese into individual salad bowl.
3. Heat up some rice (to your preference; minute rice, stovetop, microwave, etc...)
4. Add rice to your salad bowl.
5. Add salmon to your salad bowl.
6. Cut salmon into salad.  Mix and Enjoy!