Spicy Asian Salmon & Rice Salad

This recipe was inspired by a Summer Rice Salad recipe contest sponsored by the USA Rice Federation.  The winners haven't been announced yet, but I think our recipe is a definite contender.  We decided on an Asian theme and Sean really wanted to incorporate nuoc mam, a tasty and spicy Vietnamese sauce we usually eat with egg rolls.  The flavors of the salmon, green onion, and fresh basil really come together for a deliciously fresh rice salad.  The carrot gives it some crunch, as does the optional fried rice to sprinkle on top.  This is best served at room temperature, or slightly cooled.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 cups medium-grain rice, cooked and at room temperature (about 2 cups uncooked rice, cooked according to directions with at least 1 teaspoon salt)  To bring the rice to room temp faster, spread it out onto a large platter or in a bowl.  
1/2 cup nuoc mam, divided (recipe below)
1 lb boneless skinless salmon filet
2 green onions, minced (white and green parts)
2 carrots julienned (thinly sliced)
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, minced (save a few whole leaves for cooking the salmon)
oil for frying (optional- if you choose to do the fried rice topping) 
2 limes, juiced

For the nuoc mam:
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-4 Thai chili peppers, minced (more or less to taste, and you could use other types of hot peppers as well)
To make the sauce, heat the water in a small pot and add the sugar.  When fully dissolved, remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients.  Stir to combine and refrigerate until ready to use.  Makes about one cup.

Directions:
Marinate the salmon in a zip-lock bag with 1/4 cup of the nuoc mam for 10 minutes.  Preheat the broiler of your oven.  Place a few basil leaves onto a baking dish and place the salmon on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and broil for about 12 minutes or until fully cooked through.  Place it on a plate and let it cool slightly.  Squeeze the juice of one lime over the fish.  Next, flake the salmon into small bite sized pieces.

Pour the remaining 1/4 cup of nuoc mam and lime juice over the rice and stir to combine well.  This gives the rice a delicious tangy and sweet flavor.  Add the green onion, carrots, and basil to the rice and stir to combine.  Finally, mix in the salmon.  

Taste for more salt and pepper.  For the optional crispy rice topping- heat some vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a small pot.  Put a couple spoonfuls of plain cooked rice in the hot oil and break it up with a heat-proof spatula.  

When it starts to brown, remove onto a paper-towel lined plate.  Break into small pieces and serve on top of the rice salad.  (this is what looks like crumbled bacon in the photos!)

Serve at room temperature.  This is delicious and healthy- makes a great lunch or dinner!

Broiled Crispy Salmon with Beets and Kimchi Pancake

This recipe is a different take on salmon, and I found it in a Serious Eats column called "French in a Flash".  I was hunting for salmon recipes, and we had some golden beets that really needed to be used so it was the perfect opportunity to combine them in one dish.  I also had some leftover kimchi, after making a batch of kimchi-bacon pasta so we turned that into a side dish- a kimchi pancake.  It was a nice spicy complement to the rich savory salmon and sweet roasted beets.  The salmon is broiled on a bed of fresh thyme, which browns it nicely without over-cooking.  It is topped with toasted rosemary panko bread crumbs which brings some crunch and a great fresh herbal flavor.  This is a healthy and new way to try salmon without making it difficult.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 large beets (any color)

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

olive oil

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary 

1 1/2 lb boneless skinless salmon filet (four 6 oz portions) 

Kosher salt 

Freshly cracked black pepper

1 bunch of fresh thyme

 

For the Kimchi Pancake:

1 cup chopped kimchi

1 T sriracha or hot sauce (more or less to your taste and depending on how spicy the kimchi is)

1/2 small onion, diced

1/2 t sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup water

salt and pepper 

Peanut or vegetable oil for frying (about 3 tablespoons) 

 

Directions:

Heat a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Peel and slice the beets into wedges and boil them for 15-20 minutes or until just tender.   Drain and set aside. 

In a non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and add the panko and rosemary.  Toast over medium-low until the panko is starting to turn golden brown.  Remove from heat and place the bread crumbs to the side.  You can use the same pan for the kimchi pancake.

While the beets are boiling, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Make four bundles of thyme and place one salmon filet on top of each bundle.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle the salt and pepper on top.  Once the beets are done boiling, drain and place them around the outside of the pan.  Drizzle them with olive oil as well.

 Turn the oven to broil.  Cook the salmon about 6 inches from the top of the heat source (second rack from the top) for 10-12 minutes or until done.  Top with the rosemary panko bread crumbs and serve. 

For the kimchi pancake:
Combine all ingredients except oil into a bowl and stir well.  Heat the oil in the non-stick skillet to medium-high heat.  Pour in the kimchi batter and spread it out into one large even pancake.  Let it cook for about 7 minutes OR until the bottom is golden brown and then carefully flip it to the other side.  We used tongs and a spatula to get it flipped without breaking.  Cook the other side until crispy and brown and then remove the pancake to a paper towel covered plate. Cut into slices and serve with along side the salmon.

Crispy Salmon Cakes with Broccoli Slaw

These crispy salmon cakes are a great way to transform salmon into something new without losing the great flavor.  The salmon is ground and mixed with veggies and seasonings, and then coated in panko bread crumbs before shallow fried in peanut oil.  The fresh ginger and garlic add some extra zest to the cakes, and they go great with the tangy and creamy broccoli dill slaw on the side.  This definitely struck me as more of a summer dish, and we can't wait to try it out with other types of fish later this year.  You could even use these as a cheaper but equally tasty substitute for crab cakes.

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs boneless skinless salmon filet (we got ours with the skin on and then I carefully cut it off before using the fish)

1/2 red or orange bell pepper, finely diced

1/4 large red onion, finely diced

2 T minced chives or green onion

1/2 lemon, juiced

3 Tcup mayonnaise

3 T cup non-fat yogurt

1 egg

1 T ginger garlic paste (recipe below)

1/2 t coriander

1/2 t cumin

1 t salt

dash (or more) cayenne pepper

1 t fish sauce

1 t soy sauce
2 cups (approx) panko bread crumbs
1 cup peanut oil

For the Slaw: (adapted from Aarti's recipe)

1 bag of broccoli slaw mix (in the produce section with the regular bags of slaw)

1 medium shallot, minced

2 T mayonnaise

1/4 cup non-fat yogurt

1 T fresh lemon juice

2 T fresh cilantro, chopped

1 T fresh dill, chopped

1 T ginger garlic paste (recipe below)

1/4 t salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 T sunflower seeds

handful of dried cranberries (optional)

Ginger Garlic Paste:
Combine 6 garlic cloves with a three inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced, into a small food processor.  Add 2 T olive oil and blend until a paste has formed.  Use for seasoning this recipe and save the remaining in the fridge for future recipes.

Directions:

Make the slaw first so the flavors have time to combine together.  You could even do it the day before if you have time.  In a bowl combine the mayo, lemon juice, cilantro, dill, ginger garlic paste, salt, and pepper.  Then mix it with the bag of slaw.  Before serving, add the sunflower seeds and cranberries, if using.

For the salmon cakes, cut your filet into a few smaller pieces and place them in a large food processor.  Pulse on and off for about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides as necessary.  The salmon should be well blended but not completely smooth.

In a bowl, combine the onion, chives, bell pepper, ginger garlic paste, and lemon juice, and mix in salmon.

In a small bowl, combine the egg, mayo, yogurt, spices, fish sauce and soy sauce.  Pour into the salmon mixture and blend until combined. 

Before forming the cakes, I recommend chilling in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.  The mixture will be pretty wet so it was a little hard to keep them together to get into the pan.   Form the patties with your hands, using about half a cup for each one.  Coat them in the panko bread crumbs.  Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and add 1/4 cup peanut oil.  (You will need to add a bit more in between batches).  Fry the cakes for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until they are brown and crispy.  Drain on paper towels before serving.

We served the cakes over rice, with the slaw on the side.  I wasn't sure how these would turn out since I made the recipe up but they were seriously delicious.  Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside with lots of flavor coming from all of the spices and aromatics.  We'll definitely be making them again!