Yesterday I took a sick day. I slept till 3, cleaned up the kitchen, ran errands and shopped for dinner. I felt like a housewife. I really did get my masters in the MRS. Kidding. But no really there were girls at Longwood who said things like this and even more at JMU who would tell me on frequent weekend visits that they didn’t come to college to meet friends, they came to meet their bridesmaids. Lame. Seriously awful. Anyways, when she walked in the door at 5:30 carrying a 2008 Cabernet and wearing the biggest smile I’ve ever seen I knew last night would be perfect. I had a real hum dinger on the menu. Asian glazed salmon, sautéed baby bok choy and stir fried vegetables. I don’t think her and I have ever shared such a quiet meal. We were too busy licking our plates clean to share witty quips and anecdotes about our days. Not only was it a. healthy, b. delicious, but also c. extremely easy. She was already on to baking me lemon cupcakes by 7:15. I yelled out the answers to Cash Cab then shoved my face with 2 of them while snuggling and watching SVU. Domestic bliss.
Asian Glazed Salmon
1 lb Alaskan wild caught sockeye
1 lemon
1 red pepper
1 package white button mushrooms
1/2 lb snow peas
1 yellow onion
For the glaze:
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
Juice zest of 1 orange
2 garlic cloves*
1 inch piece ginger root*
Combine all ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl, until the sugar has melted. Heat up in a small saucepan until it thickens. I like to bake my salmon in aluminum foil boats, but you could use just a cookie sheet or any oven safe pan, it really doesn’t matter. I find that the boats hold the glaze better. Prep the fish by seasoning it in salt/pepper/lemon juice. Once the glaze has thickened spoon it over the fish. Bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes or until the fish flakes easily. Serve alongside sautéed baby bok choy (recipe follows) stir fried veggies (we used a red pepper, mushrooms, yellow onion, and snow peas). Sautée them for about 10 minutes in olive oil, garlic, ginger, and about a tbsp of soy sauce)
Sauteed baby bok choy. Recipe adapted from here
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 garlic cloves
1 inch piece ginger root
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
4 bunches of baby bok choy, with the ends trimmed
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
In a large sauté pan with a lid, heat oil over medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer. Add garlic, ginger and red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Add bok choy and stir carefully to cover with oil, then cook for approximately 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, and vinegar, then cover pan and cook for approximately 2 minutes more, until steam begins to escape from beneath the lid of the pan. Uncover and continue to cook until liquid is close to evaporated and stalks are soft to the touch, approximately 3 minutes more.
*for all of the ginger and garlic I grated it using my microplane to ensure maximized flavor and minimal grit. I wanted it to incorporate in all of the dish without biting into little pieces of garlic or ginger.
