Asian Salmon with Fried (Brown) Rice

Asian Cuisine is probably my favorite. I love the culture and the history behind the food. They are masters of flavors, truly genius people, who passed down recipes from centuries ago. And religion plays a big part in how they eat. For the Daoists, Yin and Yang balance in all food is very important. The 5 Tastes are also important--sweet, sour, spicy, bitter, salty. Go here for more details.
So, I wanted to make salmon, for some reason I was craving it, even though it isn't my favorite fish in the sea. But I guess my body needed some Omega-3s. Those are the healthy fats your body needs. They are found in avocados, dark chocolate, fatty fish, some nuts and nut oils. If you are feeling down, you should add more of these to your diet, because it reduces depression.
So all of you people who think food is just something that doesn't matter, or doesn't affect you, think again. What you eat now will directly affect your body in the near future. It's not just eating healthy that's important, it is knowing WHY you need to eat healthy that makes a difference. If you are interested in being healthy and learning new things about food and the way it affects your body, check out My Food Pyramid.

I decided to treat Jen (I make my friend's lunches $6 each) with a delicious meal. She very much enjoyed it too! Excellent!

Asian Salmon

2 salmon filets

1/4 c low sodium soy sauce

2T rice wine vinegar

1.5 T miso paste (optional)

drizzle sesame oil

grated ginger (or very finely chopped)

1 clove minced garlic

chopped green onion sprinkle of brown sugar

1. Mix all ingredients, except salmon, in a bowl. Place salmon in a large plastic bag (or two small separate) and pour marinade over top. Make sure all of the salmon is covered with marinade. Set salmon in a small bowl so it doesn't leak and put in fridge for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat broiler to 400 degrees. Place a piece of foil on a baking sheet. Take out salmon with tongs, and shake off excess sauce. Place on foil. With a fork or spoon, or even the end of the tongs, take out the garlic, ginger, and green onions from the marinade and place on top of the salmon. (just try not to get too much of the sauce with it). Place fish in oven for about 20-30 minutes. 

3. Every 5 minutes, spoon some of the marinade over the top of the fish. The fish will be done when it is firm like a pound cake and the outside is crispy.

Veggie Fried Brown Rice

3-4 c precooked (day old, optional) brown rice, you want it to be a little dry so it doesn't turn out mushy like mine did

frozen mixed veggies

broccoli (cut small)

green onions

1 egg

soy sauce

ginger, optional

garlic, optional

1 tsp sugar

2T soy sauce

drizzle sesame oil

any other green veggie you want

1. Because I have only made fried rice once in my life, and it was this time, and I slightly failed at it, I will give you a BASIC fried rice recipe that will satisfy all of your needs. All you need to do is add the veggies (like broccoli) to the pan and cook a bit before you add the egg. You may also add the ginger and/or garlic when the veggies have cooked for 2-3minutes. You want the vegetables to be slightly cooked, but still crunchy throughout. Push veggies to the side and scramble the egg in the bottom of the pan. Add the rice, sugar, soy, sesame, green onions. Stir and cook for a few more minutes. But if you can't figure it out go here.

Enjoy!

What you've always wanted: The Perfect Risotto!

My new comfort food is anything Carbs. Actually, I think it has always been my comfort food, but I am getting the chance to indulge it more now that I am exercising more.
It all starts with Arborio Rice, which can be expensive, but WELL worth it (mostly cause it expands to three times greater than how it starts!)

This is what it looks like before it is finished cooking.

You might want to do a couple taste tests to see if it is cooked through. All of the liquid should be absorbed and it should look like a thick, semi-globby paste, with rice.

Perfect Mushroom Risotto

about 6-8 mushrooms (I used babybella) chopped

3 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock

1 c arborio rice

oregano, thyme, salt, pepper

half an onion

butter, olive oil

parmesan

1. In a small saucepan, heat the stock until just warm, not boiling. In another saucepan, chop onion and sauté in butter and olive oil. Add mushrooms just as onions start to soften. Add about 1 tsp of oregano and 1/2 tsp of ground thyme.

2. Add arborio rice and toast for about 2 minutes.

3. Using a ladle, put about half a cup of the stock in the rice pot. Stir every few seconds. This pot should be at about medium heat--enough to where the rice is cooking, but not enough to where the mixture is sticking to the bottom of the pan or that it is violently bubbling. This step requires patience and lots of stirring. I've found that if you want really creamy risotto without the cream, you must stir.

4. After the stock is mostly absorbed into the rice, keep adding, in the same increments, until you've used all the stock and the rice is fully cooked. If rice is not cooked through, heat up more stock and add it to the rice. Cut off the heat and add a small handful of parmesan cheese.

Serve on its own, topped with chicken, or as a side.

Enjoy!

Rosemary Garlic Smashed Potatoes

As of the last day or two, the current weather, rain, has me feeling a tad down (that paired with other events).

Although, I love looking out one of my kitchen windows to see the luscious green foliage enjoying the summer showers. What a comforting sight to see foliage! What a change from the city where I once lived!

To further comfort myself, I decided to indulge in a trip to Harry's Farmer's Market where I continued to buy food I don't need. I found the cutest potatoes there (I know they are always waiting for me when I arrive). If you don't have these tri-color potatoes, you could just use the tiny red potatoes, which I think might be called summer potatoes? Not sure, but I continued to make a lovely side dish.

Okay, maybe they aren't the most glamorous of side dishes, but if you pile the finished ones in a small lightly-colored bowl, a Martha effect ensues. It is a Good Thing.

Smashed Potatoes

small bag of small potatoes (about 15-20)

sprig of fresh rosemary

2 cloves minched, smashed garlic

2 T butter

2 T olive oil

salt, pepper

1. Boil potatoes until a sharp knife sticks into and comes out of the largest potato fairly easily. Drain.

2. In a large skillet over a medium-low flame, melt butter and oil and add garlic. Cook garlic just a minute, do not let brown.

3. Add in drained potatoes. With a large spoon (I used a soup ladle), lightly press down on the potatoes until they give way slightly. This should form a smashed potato; the skin should be broken in a couple places.

4. Brown each potato on both sides and turn off heat. Toss in finely chopped rosemary. Serve hot.

Enjoy!