Green Onion-Soy Salmon with Veggie Fried Rice

That's right, an Asian recipe has spilled over from February! But this dinner features delicious Salmon prepared with green onions, soy, and other Asian flavors paired with freshly-made veggie fried rice. Did I just type the word "fry"? I did, but no worries, it is not truly fried and the oil content stays quite low. Think of a rice stir fry rather than true frying.

With vegetables and starch both covered by the fried rice, I did not serve a separate veggie with this meal. But feeling a little short on vitamins? Stir fry some broccoli or snap peas in a bit of garlic and soy sauce for a tasty vegetable addition to this meal. Just throw those on with about 5-7 minutes to go and your entire meal will easily finish on time.

Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Green Onion-Soy Salmon
Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 tsp peeled and diced ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp peanut oil
3/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp dark sesame oil
1 lb Salmon fillet

Preheat your oven to 375.

Mix the ginger, salt, and peanut oil in a small bowl. Combine the onions, soy sauce, and sesame oil in another.

Coat a glass pan with cooking spray. Rub the ginger/salt/peanut oil mixture on both sides of the salmon fillet and place it in the glass dish. Pour the soy sauce mixture over the Salmon. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until Salmon is cooked to your desired amount.

Extra step: If you want to make your Salmon extra beautiful for a fancy presentation, before putting any sauce on it cut it into 3 long, equally sized strips. Use a toothpick to pin the 3 ends together and braid your Salmon. Use a toothpick to secure the opposite end. Then proceed with dressing and baking your Salmon.

Veggie Fried Rice
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
2 tbsp rice wine
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp dark sesame oil
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1.5 tsp peanut oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1.5 cups chopped green onion
1.5 cups peas (frozen or fresh)
5 cups cooked long-grain rice (chilled)

First, cook your rice and then chill it if you have not done so. Run cold water over it after cooking it and "wash" it off with your fingers to get rid of the waxy coating. This will keep the rice from clumping together and provide a better texture for your fried rice.

Combine the rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, and black pepper in a bowl. Heat the peanut oil in a wok or large pan over medium high heat. When it's hot add the beaten eggs and scramble them for about 30 seconds. They will continue to cook as you add the rest of the ingredients. Toss in the green onions and peas. Stir fry for about 3 minutes or until they are well heated and just starting to cook. Sit for another minute. Add the rice and pour the sauce you had previously mixed on top. Toss well and continue to stir to make sure sauce and vegetables are mixed evenly throughout rice. Stir fry for another 2-3 minutes or until rice is well heated in the mixture. Remove from heat and eat immediately.

Hint: Want to make the fried rice into a full meal? Add shrimp, chicken, or tofu. Stir fry them first, right after adding peanut oil, and then when they are 80% cooked drop in the eggs and proceed with the rest of the recipe.