Asian Salmon with Bok Choy Stir Fry

Searching for new ways to make salmon, this recipe is for you. An asian twist on the salmon. Very easy to make yet tastes so delicious.

Ingredients:
handful of roasted peanuts, roughly chopped (optional)

for salmon:
2 6-8 oz salmon fillets (I used salmon fillets without skin, I usually find salmon smelly with skin)
3/4 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons good oilve oil
3/4 teaspoon soy sauce
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

for stri fry:
1 pound bok choy - trim the ends. Trim off the ends of the bok choy and chop, keeping the white parts separate from the greens.
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup water
1 inch fresh ginger root, finely minced or grated
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

Method:
Whisk all the ingredients under "for salmon" except salmon (dijon mustard acts as emulsifier). Coat the salmon with the mixture and keep them aside.

In a pan on medium high heat, add vegetable oil, sesame oil. Add white parts of bok choy and saute for 3 minutes. Add the greens and saute for another couple of minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the rest of ingredients under "stir fry". Add this sauce to the bok choy and stir until the water content is evaporated.

Cook the salmon in a pan on medium heat until just cooked (this will take couple of minutes on each side). We don't need to add oil to the pan as there is oil in the marinade. Also try to coat the fish with all the marinade before you add it to the pan. Serve salmon with bok choy stir fry topped with roasted peanuts.

Tips and More:

• Spinach is also a best option for this recipe instead of bok choy. In fact, any greens like chard, kale etc. should work.
• Don't overcook salmon. It will be dry. Turn of the heat when you still see a thin pink line in the middle. Salmon continues to cook by the time you eat. By doing this, you will have a tender moist juicy fish.

Red Curry Shrimp

We Indians eat curries with roti or rice very often. I thought why not try curry from other cuisines. My very first thought was thai curry. There are many variations to it and the recipe I tried is red curry with shrimp and of course with lots of veggies.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound shrimp - peeled and deveined
1/2 cup peas
3 carrots diced
2 celery stalks diced (optional)
1 small onion diced
2 table spoons thai red curry paste
2 tablespoons oil (peanut, sesame, canola)
dill or basil for garnish (optional)

Method:
Heat a pan on medium high and add oil to the pan. When the oil is hot, add the vegetables and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add red curry paste (I bought it from a thai grocery store) and saute for another minute until fragrant. Add shrimp to the pan and cook until the shrimp is cooked through, it will take 4-5 minutes. Garnish with basil or dill and serve with white rice or brown rice. Is that quick or what.

Tips and More:

• You can go little or over the board with veggies. Well you got to eat your vegetables.
• I personally don't like coconut milk in curries, but many people love it. Actually, thai curries traditionally have coconut milk as their base to the curries. So, add 1/2 - 1 cup coconut milk, store bought (you can make it yourself if you have all the time in the world) and add it to the pan after you saute the red curry paste for a minute. Let the milk come to a boil and then add the shrimp.
• You can also make chicken version with the same recipe. Add green and red bell peppers for additional flavor.
• Curry paste usually has all the elements but check on the seasoning at the end.

Thai Fried Rice

You can't make a meal quicker than a thai fired rice. If you are planning for a take out tonight, try this recipe and you won't be disappointed. I tried 10 times to perfect this recipe and finally here it is. This recipe serves 2.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked white rice (I used the left over rice from previous day)
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup chopped onion pieces
2 carrots diced
8 thai basil leaves
1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon sambal or chili garlic paste (optional or adjust to your spice level)
2 eggs (I used only 1 yolk, 2 egg whites)
3 scallions- both greens and white parts chopped
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/4 cup frozen peas
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
couple of pinches salt

Method:
In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sambal, sesame oil, chicken stock, scallions, turmeric and keep it aside. Heat a pan on high heat, and add peanut oil. When the oil is hot, add onion, carrots and salt. Stir for 2 minutes, add ginger, garlic, turmeric and stir for another 30 seconds. Add eggs to the pan wait until the eggs are settled. Break the eggs into a crumble, add rice, basil and peas to the pan. Stir just until every thing in the pan is mixed well. Add the prepared sauce to the rice and stir well for 1 minute.

Tips and More:

• Add mushrooms, beans, bokchoy, tomatoes, celery, sprouts for more veggies.
• Avoid egg for vegetarian version, add chicken for thai chicken fried rice. If you are adding chicken, add it after you added ginger and garlic to the pan. You can also use vegetable stock or water instead of chicken stock.
• You can add cilantro at the end for extra flavor.
• Don't add too much chicken stock. It will make the rice soupy.
• Use low sodium soy sauce and chicken stock in order to control the amount of sodium in-take.
• Peanut oil has a high smoking point and hence is used in most of the asian recipes. If you don't have peanut oil at hand, use canola or vegetable or any other oil you regularly use.