Miso Baked Salmon

This is seriously the most delicious and EASY salmon recipe. Perfect for a weeknight recipe or for serving your dinner guests. It’s packed with flavor, but it is simple and QUICK to make. I paired this with some coconut (brown) rice and some roasted broccoli. I will definitely be making this dinner on repeat!

Ingredients:

(serves 2-4)

• 1 lb salmon fillet

• 2 tbsp white miso

• 1 tbsp mirin

• 1 tbsp liquid aminos (or soy sauce)

• 1/2 tsp sesame oil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

• In a bowl, whisk together white miso, mirin, liquid aminos, and sesame oil.

• Drizzle a little olive oil in a baking dish (or line a baking sheet with parchment paper) and place the salmon skin side down. Cover the salmon with the marinade and let it rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.

• Before placing the salmon in the oven, wipe away some excess marinade, and then bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of your salmon.

• Finally, turn the oven to broil and broil for about 2 minute or until there’s a nice little char on top.

Maple Dijon Salmon

This is one of the easiest weeknight dinners! The salty, sweet combination is the perfect pairing with salmon, which is a fatty (good fat) fish. Also, cooking the salmon at a lower temperature allows the fish to retain moisture and oils — keeping this delicious flavor in.

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

• 1 lb salmon

• 1 tbsp grainy mustard

• 1 tbsp dijon mustard

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• 1/2 tsp fresh thyme

• 1/2 lemon, sliced

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F

• Place the salmon in a baking dish. Season it with salt and pepper.

• Meanwhile, combine mustards, maple syrup, and thyme in a small bowl. Spread evenly on top of the salmon. Place lemon slices on top.

• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until salmon easily flakes. Serve with extra lemon wedges.

Grilled Salmon Tacos with Guacamole and Mango Salsa

I am obsessed with these tacos! They are bright and colorful and loaded with powerful Omega-3s. The smooth and creamy guacamole, charred salmon, and zesty mango salsa makes this a fun, festive, and delicious summer meal! Plus, it’s really easy and quick to prepare!

Ingredients:

(serves 4)

For the salmon

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless salmon (wild-caught preferred)

• 1 tbsp avocado oil, plus more for grill (optional)

• 1 ½ tsp ancho chili powder

• 1 ½  tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp salt 

• 1/2 tsp pepper

• 8 tortillas (I use Siete chickpea flour tortillas) 

For the guacamole:

• 3 ripe avocados

• Juice from one lime

• Salt to taste

For the mango salsa:

The guac and salsa!

• 2 ripe mangos, peeled, pitted, and diced

• ½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

• ¼ cup diced red onion

• 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

• Juice from one lime

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Preheat your grill to medium-high heat.

• While your grill heats up, whisk together avocado oil, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Rub the mixture all over the salmon.

• Brush some extra avocado oil on the grill grates and then grill the salmon for about 4-5 minutes per side.

• While the salmon is cooking (or beforehand), prepare your guacamole and salsa. For the guacamole, mash the avocado with lime juice and salt. For the mango salsa, combine all ingredients in a bowl. 

• When salmon is finished cooking, heat your tortillas on the grill grates.

• Assemble tacos with the guacamole, salmon, and salsa and enjoy!

* Helpful Tip for grilling salmon - https://www.foodiecrush.com/best-grilled-salmon/ 

Health Benefits of Salmon:

• Salmon is one of the best sources of Omega-3 fatty acids, which boosts brain function, reduces inflammation, and lowers blood pressure.

• Salmon is one of the best food sources for Vitamin D, which we need for absorbing calcium and phosphorus and keeping a strong immune system.

• It is a rich source of selenium, a trace mineral needed to protect bone health and for healthy thyroid function.

• The Omega-3s and antioxidants in salmon can help keep skin healthy and bright.

• Salmon is high in essential B-vitamins, which helps turn food ingested into energy, reduces inflammation, and helps our brain and nervous systems to function optimally. 

Sources and Additional Reading:

• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/307811#nutritional-breakdown

• https://draxe.com/nutrition/8-salmon-nutrition-facts-proven-health-benefits/

• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-benefits-of-salmon#section3

Asian Cucumber Salad

This refreshing salad has a bit of a kick from the ginger, but also some sweetness and acidity from the mirin and red wine vinegar. In my opinion, it pairs well with some miso ginger grilled salmon on a hot summer night! Cucumbers are composed of 95% water, making them an incredibly hydrating food to eat! Read more about the health benefits of cucumbers below.

Ingredients: (serves 2 as a side)

• 1 large cucumber

• 1 tsp finely grated ginger

• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil

• 1 tsp mirin

• Pinch of sea salt

• Pinch of red pepper flakes

served with grilled salmon and asparagus for a quick and delicious summer dinner

Directions:

• Thinly slice the cucumber, preferably using a mandolin. Set aside.

• In a medium sized bowl, combine the ginger, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and mirin.

• Add cucumber slices and toss well.

• Top with a pinch of sea salt and red pepper flakes

Health Benefits of Cucumbers:

• Cucumbers are 95% water, so they hydrate you and keep you feeling full and satiated - they also help to reduce bloating

• Because of their high water content, when applied to the skin, they can reduce swelling, irritation and inflammation

• They have compounds that support liver functioning to cleanse toxins from your blood stream and gut

• They are a highly alkalizing food, which helps balance the body’s pH levels, especially if your diet is comprised of many acidic foods

• Cucumbers have been used in traditional medicine to prevent and treat headaches because their high water and magnesium content helps balance fluids in the body

Sources and additional reading:

https://www.naturalfoodseries.com/13-benefits-cucumber/

https://www.livescience.com/51000-cucumber-nutrition.html

https://draxe.com/cucumber-nutrition/

Salmon with Miso Sauce

I always love ordering miso glazed salmon at restaurants and I’m consistently blown away by its depth of flavor. Like I mentioned before, cooking with miso seemed too foreign and overwhelming for me, but after reading all about how beneficial it is to introduce miso into our diets, I decided it was time to start cooking with it at home. Of course the first thing I wanted to make was salmon with miso, and ever since, it has been a favorite (quick and easy) weeknight dinner for me! I hope you love it as much as I do. P.S. the sauce is great not only for salmon, but to top other fish with or even simply as a dip for your crudite platter.

Served here with sweet potatoes, Swiss chard with zucchini and toasted almonds, and garnished with dill. It’s not my most beautiful and photographable dish, but it is delicious!

I was always super intimidated by this ingredient. I have no idea why, but it just sounded complicated. Really, it’s just another ingredient you can pick up from the store, and it will wow you with its delicious, umami flavor. Let’s not forget to mention its many powerful health benefits (which I will mention below). Miso is a paste made from fermented soybeans and has been an integral part of the Japanese diet for thousands of years. There are a few variations (red, white, yellow…), but my favorite is the white miso.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

• 20-24 ounces of salmon

• 1 tbsp avocado oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

For the miso sauce:

• 2 tbsp white miso

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp grated ginger

• 2 tbsp water

Directions:

• Preheat grill to about 400 degrees

• Season the salmon with salt, pepper, and avocado oil

• Brush grill grates with a bit of avocado oil (to prevent skin from sticking)

• Cook salmon, skin side down, for 10 minutes (or until desired doneness)

• Top with miso sauce and enjoy

* OR cook the salmon (bake or pan sear) to your preference, then top with miso sauce

Health Benefits of Miso

• Since miso is a fermented food, it restores beneficial bacteria (probiotics) in the intestines. This helps us better assimilate nutrients and aids in overall digestion.

• Miso contains antioxidant properties that reduce inflammation from free radicals and improve our immune systems.

• One antioxidant is the isoflavon Genistein, which has been shown to prevent cancers from growing and spreading.

• Miso is great source of iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, B vitamins (including B12)

• Miso is a complete protein (contains all essential amino acids)

Sources and Additional Reading:

https://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-benefits-and-uses-for-miso.html

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/natural-health/health-reason-miso-diet/

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5563/3-Secret-Healing-Benefits-of-Miso.html