I strive to cook in a healthy way the majority of the time, but sometimes homemade pizza nights, Salt & Straw Ice Cream (now that they have a Venice location!), Bay Cities Italian Deli sandwiches, and the kettle corn from my local farmer’s market get in the way. Life is all about a balance, right? After a month of birthday celebrations, Valentine’s Day treats, and weekend getaways full of food adventures, I am ready to get back in the swing of healthy eatin’! That’s where this recipe comes in. This meal is packed with healthful, colorful ingredients, and some very bold flavors. I can’t wait for you guys to try it!
I always have a bag of frozen shelled edamame in my freezer, and I’ve been looking for ways to incorporate these protein-packed beans into my meals, besides sprinkling them on top of salads. If you’ve been keeping up with my blog, you may recall my pea pesto crostini post – the edamame mash in this recipe is very similar to the pea pesto, but with an Asian inspired twist. This edamame mash combines fresh mint and chives, ginger, lemon juice, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, and a little garlic to create the most delicious mash of all mashes – you are going to want to eat it with every meal! In this recipe, I serve the edamame mash on top of a bed of brown rice with a baked salmon fillet. Sometimes I add some roasted broccoli to the bowl, or swap out the brown rice for quinoa, depending on what I have in my kitchen. Feel free to add your favorite garnishes and ingredients to recipe, as the edamame mash goes well with various cooked whole grains and lean proteins.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 and 1/4 Cups uncooked brown rice. I used Trader Joe’s Organic California Sprouted Rice (any whole grain you have on hand works – quinoa, wild rice, farro,etc.)
4 Salmon Filets
Olive Oil
Salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Edamame Mash: (You are going to want to put this on everything! This recipe was slightly adapted from the amazing Sara Forte of The Sprouted Kitchen)
12 Ounces of shelled edamame (I buy frozen shelled edamame)
Large handful of fresh chives, roughly chopped
Large handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Teaspoon crushed garlic
Diced fresh ginger
Juice of 1 lemon
Optional : Avocado to make it creamier
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425*. Cook rice according to package instructions, and while the rice is cooking, prepare the shelled edamame according to package instructions – which will likely have you bring several cups of water to a boil, add the edamame, cook for about 5 minutes, and drain. Once you’ve cooked the shelled edamame, pulse it in a food processor or blender with the rest of the mash ingredients until everything is well incorporated, but still slightly chunky.
Place the four salmon fillets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, skin side down. Drizzle with olive oil, a pinch of salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Bake in your preheated 425* oven for about 15 minutes until the salmon flakes easily, perhaps a bit more or less depending on the thickness of your fillets. If you prefer to use an instant read thermometer, the USDA recommends a minimum internal temperature of 145°F, which should be measured at the thickest part of the fillet. Once all components of the dish are cooked, serve in large bowls with a bed of your cooked brown rice, several scoops of the mash, and with the baked salmon fillet on top. Squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice on top of the salmon, and garnish with your favorite ingredients. I garnished the bowls in these photos with fresh radishes and micro greens. Serve immediately.
What ingredients will you try this with? Let me know in the comments!
