Looking for a versatile dish that is easy, healthy, and you can whip up in less than 20 minutes? Then look no further. If you are looking for complicated, time consuming recipes then stop reading this immediately. My rapid Asian style salmon recipe is a simple dump and go dish for busy people on the go who are looking for easy dishes to make for themselves and their families. This salmon recipe is a staple in my household as we make enough salmon for a few days then pair it with five easy-rapid fire veggies so we never get tired of eating the salmon. Like most of us, getting healthier is a top priority for the new year. If you are trying to lose weight or get healthier you should find healthy recipes to work on incorporating into your diet. You can't exercise away a bad diet. Meaning if you want to lose weight you need to focus, in part, on incorporating more lean proteins and vegetables into your diet. Diet and exercise are both important. Diet plays a much bigger role than exercise. Check out the recipe below and all the key evidence behind salmon and the following side dishes.
Ingredients (serves 8)
Salmon (2-2.5 lbs.)
Dill weed powder (1 tablespoon) or fresh
Ginger paste (1 tablespoon) or powder
Garlic paste (1 tablespoon) or powder
Low sodium soy sauce, light (3/4 cup)
Hoisin sauce (1/2 cup)
Olive oil (3 tablespoons)
Instructions for the salmon
Remove salmon skin, wash, cut into small portions (see picture). When you buy salmon ask for them to remove the skin if possible.
Put salmon in a baking sheet then add olive oil, soy sauce, hoisin and ensure salmon pie are coated well with the sauce.
In a separate container mix the garlic and ginger paste with about 2 tablespoons of the soy/hoisin sauce (see video) then brush gently on the top of the salmon pieces.
Sprinkle dry dill on top of the salmon pieces.
Place in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1-12 minutes depending on your oven and your preference of how much you like your salmon cooked.
Once cooked serve salmon with one of the 5 rapid veggie dishes and make sure to add the juices from the salmon for best outcome.
"Eating healthy can taste amazing and it doesn't have to be complicated or expensive." -Dr. Damien Hansra MD
Instructions for rapid side veggies
1. Salmon and cucumber salad (extra 1-2 minutes)
Simply peel, slice, and dice cucumber. Add a little chopped spinach or any other salad greens. The juices from the salmon flavor the cucumber.
2. Salmon and sweet potato (extra 5 minutes)
Wash and poke holes in the sweet potatoes with a fork about 5-6 times in different locations. Microwave 1 sweet potato for 5 minutes. 4 sweet potatoes takes about 15 minutes. You know it's ready when fork tender = the fork can pierce the potato effortlessly. Slice the sweet potatoes however you want. The juices from the salmon flavor the sweet potatoes. Enjoy this sweet and salty combo!
3. Cold salmon salad (extra 1 minute)
My favorite is making a cold salad the next day and adding a little ginger dressing (see video). Just dump the salmon on a bed of your favorite greens and add a little bit of the salmon juices and add a little ginger dressing.
4. Salmon and cauliflower rice (1 minute)
Just heat pre-packed cauliflower rice and dump it in with the salmon. The juices from the salmon flavor the cauliflower rice. You can use 50% rice and 50% cauliflower rice if you still crave a little rice.
5. Salmon with brown rice & mushrooms (extra 10 minutes)
Wash and slice slice, or buy pre-sliced shitake mushrooms (or any of your favorite mushrooms) and put on a baking sheet for 350 degrees for about 10 minutes until the mushrooms start to sweat and gain a little color. You don't need oil or anything. Then heat a prepacked rice and heat up for 60-90 seconds. Simply dump the salmon in with the rice and mushrooms. The juices from the salmon flavors the rice and mushrooms.
What's the bottom line?
"Examine your diet. Replace unhealthy meals (such as fast food) with healthy, protein & nutrient rich, functional foods to improve your overall health." - Dr Damien Hansra MD
Numerous studies have shown that salmon is #hearthealthy primarily owing to high content of the omega 3 fatty acids (1,2). The omega 3 fatty acids concerned primarily with #cardiovascular #health are the marine derived Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (1). Omega 3 fatty acid consumption has been linked to improved lipid profiles (1,2), resting heart rate (2), blood pressure (1,2), lower inflammation (1,2), and improved vascular function (1,2). Omega 3 fatty acids also help with various #inflammatory conditions such as #ulcerativecolitis, #Crohn's disease, #Rheumatoid arthritis, systemic #lupus erythematosus, #septicemia, #septic shock and #cancer (1,3-7).
Farm raised vs wild caught salmon?
Both farmed salmon and wild caught salmon are good for your health but there are a few noteworthy differences (8). There are two main polyunsaturated fats in salmon: omega 3 fatty acids and omega 6 fatty acids (8,9). The balance between omega 3 and 6 fatty acids needs to be just right to obtain the health benefits (8,9,10). If there is too much omega 6 fatty acids then this could offset the benefits of omega 3s (8-10). Wild salmon has a more favorable of Omega 3/Omega 6 fatty acids than farm raised salmon but they are still both good for your health (8-11). Farmed salmon has more potentially harmful contaminants than wild salmon such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) but many argue that the benefits of consuming omega 3s from salmon outweigh the potential health risks of contaminants (8-13). My take is always to consume everything in moderation. Also, if possible purchase wild salmon over farmed salmon.
#Cucumber is a high water, low calorie vegetable. It has potential #antidiabetic, lipid lowering, antioxidant activity, skin health properties (14). Cucumber has a cleansing action within the body by removing accumulated pockets of old waste materials and chemical toxins (14).
Sweet potatoes are #nutrient rich with health promoting compounds such as beta-carotene, anthocyanins, and phenolic acids (15-17). Sweet potatoes have various health benefits such as anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, and anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant properties (15-17).
#Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable that is a #nutrient dense food and it contains significant amounts of carotenoids, #vitamins C, E, K, folate, and minerals that nourish your body (18). Also, cauliflower is a good source of #fiber (18-20) which has been shown to reduce the risk of #cardiovasculardisease and #obesity (20). Furthermore cauliflower consumption is associated with reduced risk of certain #cancers (21,22).
#Shitake mushrooms have been shown to improve #immunity in clinical studies (23). Also Shitake mushrooms are high in fiber, have antitumor, and lipid lowering activity (24-29).
The rapid salmon recipe and its accompanying easy veggie side dishes are simply examples of a larger concept of replacing unhealthy foods with healthy protein and nutrient rich, functional foods to improve your overall health. Also eating healthy can be easy and uncomplicated. Explore other ways to do this, other recipes, and wellness advice to improve your health without radically changing your lifestyle.
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References:
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