Asian Quinoa Salad topped with Baked Salmon

I was passing Chinatown on my way home from work and started craving dim sum. While I have plenty of experience eating Asian cuisine, I basically have no experience cooking it. And I'm not delusional enough to believe that I can make dim sum (nor do I have the inclination to do so). Still, something basic should be possible and fulfill those weird cravings for soy sauce.

After comparing many recipes, one can appreciate that with a few staple ingredients you can make quite a variety of things. Good basics include: soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil, garlic, ginger and hot sauce (like Siracha). Then throw in some fish and vegetables and you have a meal.

The other benefit of Asian fusion is that it tends to have a lot less butter and red meat than my usual fare. I figure that as summer nears the decreased cholesterol will probably help balance all of the barbecues I plan to attend...

Anyway, I'm hungry so let's cook some Asian salmon with a side of quinoa salad.

Start by marinating the salmon. Score the salmon fillets and place into a resealable plastic bag. Mix together olive oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil and pepper. Pour mixture over salmon and refrigerate.

In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa, water and salt. Boil for 5 minutes then reduce temperature and simmer 10-15 minutes until all the water is absorbed.

While the quinoa cooks, dice up cabbage, cucumber and red pepper. Layer in a glass bowl and add the edamame.

In a small bowl (or glass measuring cup), mix together the dressing: soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, green onions, cilantro, ginger, siracha, salt, and pepper

After the quinoa is slightly cool. add to the vegetables and top with dressing. Toss gently.

Preheat the oven and remove salmon from fridge. Place skin-side down in a glass bakign dish. Cover with marinade and bake.

Make a bed of quinoa salad and top with salmon fillet.

Enjoy!

Asian Salmon

By Lynseey on allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 2 pounds salmon filets, with skin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• ground pepper

Instructions

1. Make several shallow cuts in the salmon fillet. Place gently into a sealable plastic bag.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together olive oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil and ground pepper. Pour marinade over salmon fillets. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Arrange fillets, skin side down, in a shallow glass baking dish, cover with marinade. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve over quinoa salad or steamed rice.

Asian Quinoa Salad

Adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup red cabbage, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup edamame, shelled and cooked
• 1 English cucumber, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons green onions, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon siracha
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan combine water, quinoa and salt. Boil for 5 minutes, then simmer an additional 10-15 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
2. Chop all vegetables and add to a large glass bowl.
3. In a small bowl combine dressing ingredients: soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, green onions, cilantro, ginger, siracha, salt, and pepper.
4. Add warm quinoa to the vegetables and pour in dressing. Toss gently until mixed. Serve.