Salmon stars in fried rice and vegetable dish
It’s Lent. Which means many are going to be eating a lot of fish. Consider this quick and easy stir fry.
Simple and satisfying, this colorful rice dish stars salmon, a heart-healthy fish. It includes lots of fresh, crunchy veggies to make it more healthful.
One reason this dish works so well, besides being dairy- and gluten-free, is because it’s customizable: If you don’t like salmon, substitute 1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp. The same with the veggies — use whatever’s languishing in your crisper — and garlic, which some (me) can’t get enough of and others steer clear of to avoid heartburn and bad breath.
Don’t worry about using dayold rice. It actually crisps up better than freshly made rice because the dry grains remain separate and absorb more seasoning. I made the dish with brown rice since it’s more nutritious, and removed the skin from the fish.
Salmon Fried Rice INGREDIENTS
1 pound skinless salmon, cut into bite-sized chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil, divided
2 large eggs, whisked
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion 2 medium carrots, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into small pieces
1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups cold cooked white or brown rice
Toasted sesame seeds or Everything Bagel seasoning, for garnish Handful of chopped cilantro, for garnish
Pickled ginger, for serving Gluten-free soy sauce or tamari, for serving
DIRECTIONS
If salmon is refrigerated, remove it from fridge 15 minutes prior to cooking. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or deep saute pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add cubed salmon and let it brown on opposite sides until opaque or flaky, 4-5 minutes.
Don’t overcrowd the pan; you may need to cook fish in batches. When salmon is done, transfer to a plate. Remove pan from heat and wipe out with a paper towel, removing any burnt bits. Place the pan back over mediumhigh heat and add 2 tablespoons of remaining oil. When fish is hot, stir in eggs. When eggs are finished cooking, about 1 minute, transfer to a plate. Keeping the pan over medium or medium-high heat, add green onion, carrots, snow peas and red pepper, and cook for about 1 minute, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add garlic and stir-fry another 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Add 1 tablespoon of oil to pan and then the cooked rice, stirring constantly to combine the veggies and garlic with the rice. When rice is hot, add eggs back to pan and break them up with a
Leftover rice paired with cooked salmon and chopped veggies means a healthful dinner in a flash. spatula to combine with the rice. with toasted sesame seeds and Remove the pan from heat, and chopped cilantro. Serve with pickled gently fold in the salmon. ginger and tamari or soy sauce. Transfer fried rice to a platter Serves 3 to 4. or individual plates and garnish — Adapted from “For the Love of Seafood: 100 Flawless, Flavorful Recipes That Anyone Can Cook” by Karista Bennett (Countryman Press, $35)