Teriyaki Salmon + Veggies

The PNW is known for great, fresh salmon and they are right! It is too bad that salmon is one of my least favorite options. Growing up I loved it so much – my grandad used to make this amazing smoked salmon on the grill on a weekly basis and I still remember always asking for it. But as I grew up my taste buds changed or maybe I just had bad salmon and wanted my granddad’s – unclear what the reason is, but salmon is so convenient up here and is so great for you I knew I needed to find a simple, tasty recipe that I would enjoy! While this recipe is pretty easy – it does require some multitasking in the kitchen when you’re at the stove. If you’re like me, I never read a recipe in its entirety, but I recommend giving this one a read through so you can have everything mise en place and ready to go for the quick back and forth when finishing off the vegetables and salmon! If you aren’t a multitasking master, make the vegetables first before the salmon – this will ensure the salmon is at its peak!

2 Salmon Filets
1 Zucchini, Sliced
1 Yellow Squash, Sliced
8oz White Mushrooms, Quartered
2 Carrots, Diced
4 Garlic Clove, Sliced
3 Green Onions, Chopped in to 1″ Pieces
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Cup Jasmine Rice, Uncooked

For the Sauce:

1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
1/2 Tbsp Minced Ginger
2 Tbsp Miso Paste
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil

Serves: 2-3
Prep Time: 30+ Minutes
Cook Time: 40
Total Time: 70+ Minutes

To Make:

First start by making the sauce – add all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Transfer the sauce to a shallow bowl and add the salmon filets (skin side up) to marinade. Let the salmon marinate for at least 30 minutes.
While the salmon is marinating, prep all your vegetables and set them aside until ready to cook.
Next let’s make the rice – in a pot, add the rice and 2 cups of water and cook for ~20 minutes on low-medium heat until the rice is fully cooked. When the rice is finished, remove from heat, fluff, cover and set aside.
While the rice cooks, heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add in 1 tbsp oil. Once hot add in the carrots, zucchini, squash, and mushrooms and cook for 10-12 minutes until they begin to soften and release moisture.
Add in the garlic and stir until fragrant – about 2-3 minutes.
Now time to start cooking the salmon – let the vegetables continue to cook, you want to get out as much moisture as possible. (at this point the rice will be done, but you will be finishing the vegetables and cooking the salmon at the same time – if multitasking in the kitchen isn’t for you, finish the vegetables first before moving on to the salmon, just move the salmon to a plate so you can use the marinade for the vegetables).
Heat another pan over medium heat and add in the remaining oil. Once hot, add the salmon (skin side down) and cook for 5-6 minutes. *Do not add the marinade to the salmon pan – we are going to use it on the vegetables.
Take the leftover sauce marinade and add it to the vegetables and also add in the green onions – continue cooking for another 8-10 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
Moving back to the salmon pan, flip the salmon and cook for another 5 minutes.
While the salmon continues to cook – transfer the vegetables to a bowl but leave the sauce (cover the vegetables so they stay warm).
Keep the heat on medium, and continue cooking the sauce so it fully thickens. Once the sauce is thick, turn off and remove from the heat and transfer the sauce to a small bowl.
Flip the salmon once more back to skin side down, and cook for another 5 minutes. *if your salmon filets are skinny and narrow, the cooking time will vary – you just want to make sure they are cooked all the way through, they will start to flake when they are ready to go!
Now that the rice, vegetables, salmon and thickened sauce are complete it is time to serve.
Split the rice between two plate, top with the vegetables mixture and add 1 salmon filet to each plate. For final touches, drizzle over the sauce and serve!