Salmon Bowl.
This salmon bowl is a great high-protein, gut-boosting weeknight dinner. The salmon, with its ginger and miso marinade, aids digestion, whilst the brown rice and vegetables are full of fibre. Adding probiotics in the form of miso paste & live kimchi, and well as prebiotics from the edamame and asparagus, makes this a well-rounded, gut-healthy dinner. Note: the kimchi must be a ‘live’ variety (like this one) to ensure it give the health benefits we are after, and mustn’t be heated, otherwise you kill off the good bacteria.
This is part of the Gut Health series, in collaboration with Personal Trainer and Women’s Health Expert, Nancy Best (Founder of Ladies Who Crunch).
Equipment.
sharp knife & chopping board
large frying/sauté pan
oven-proof dish with lid (which can also be used on the hob)
whisk
rice cooker/saucepan with lid
zester/fine grater
slotted spatula/fish slice
Ingredients.
2 pieces salmon, if you don’t intend to eat the skin, remove it before marinating
200g brown rice, cooked as per packet instructions
160g frozen edamame beans
Approx. 8 asparagus spears, cut into thirds
2-4 tbsp kimchi
1 tbsp sesame seeds, to serve (optional)
Salmon Marinade:
1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
1 tbsp miso paste, any variety
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 red chilli, optional, deseed it for more flavour with less heat
Method.
1. Whisk together the marinade ingredients in the oven-proof dish and place the salmon pieces into the marinade, turning it over a few times to ensure they’re fully coated
2. Put the lid on and leave to marinade for minimum 15mins, or up to 48hrs in the fridge. The longer the marinating time, the more flavourful the salmon becomes – a great one to prep a day or two before cooking
3. Preheat the oven to 200c. If the salmon has been marinating in the fridge, then take it out about 30mins before you want to cook, to bring it back to room temperature, and to ensure the dish doesn’t crack when it goes from the cold fridge to the hot oven
4. Put the brown rice on to cook. Follow the packet instructions
5. Baste the salmon one last time and leave it skin-down in the marinade (if you’ve left the skin on). Put the lid back on and place in the oven for 5 mins
6. After 5 mins, remove the lid and cook for another 5 mins
7. After 10mins total cooking time, check the salmon is cooked. Lift the pieces gently out of the marinade with a spatula and onto a plate to rest
8. Place the pan with the remaining marinade on the hob with a splash of water to create a sauce, and simmer on a low heat stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn’t burn
9. Meanwhile, put the large frying/sauté pan on a very high heat, and add the asparagus, a splash of oil and a pinch of salt
10. After 2 mins, or once the asparagus has a little colour on it, add the frozen edamame beans and a splash of water to steam-fry the vegetables all together. Simmer rapidly and add more water if the pan dries out before the vegetables are cooked (around 5mins)
11. Once the vegetables are cooked, assemble the dish: Place the rice in the bottom of the bowl and add the vegetable and the salmon on top. Pour over the sticky sauce and add a tablespoon of kimchi. Finish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds (optional)
