Maple Sesame Salmon

I have been holding off on posting this recipe since Monday because I honestly couldn't think of anything to write. I'll blame my writers block on all of the end of the school year craziness! What I can say, is that this is an incredibly simple way to prepare salmon. I've made Asian glazed salmon recipes in the past but I loved the addition of the maple syrup in this marinade, it adds a little sweetness and browns nicely under the broiler. I served the salmon with a little sauteed boy choy and black rice and it was the perfect healthy weeknight meal.

Maple Sesame Salmon

Serves 2
Prep/Cook Time: 25 minutes

2 salmon fillets
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp Sriracha sauce
sesame seeds


Preheat the broiler. 

In a small bowl, combine the garlic through Sriracha sauce. Place the salmon in a ziplock bag and pour the marinade over the salmon. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Line the inside of a small baking dish with foil and coat with cooking spray. Place the salmon in the pan and pour half of the marinade over the fish. Broil for 5 minutes and then baste with more of the marinade. Broil another 5 minutes or until cooked. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving. 

Szechuan Noodle Salad

I made dinner for my brother this week and he requested that I make my moms Szechuan Noodle Salad. This was a recipe that my mom made quite frequently because it was always a huge hit in our house. The recipe calls for minimal ingredients and can be made ahead of time, plus it's served cold making for perfect lunch leftovers.

The original recipe uses ramen noodles which are not exactly healthy. My mom recently made the dish with whole wheat pasta so I decided to give it a shot and I thought it turned out great. Even my brother, who commented to my mom that he hoped I didn't change it to make it healthier, loved it.

Szechuan Noodle Salad

Serves 4-6
Prep Time: 40 minutes

1/2 box of whole wheat pasta (or 2-3 pkgs ramen noodles, chicken flavor)
5 T. vegetable oil
5 T. honey
2 T. sesame oil
2 T. rice vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. grated ginger root
3 c. chicken, cut into strips
bottled teriyaki sauce
2 carrots, shredded
1 c. red cabbage, shredded
4 green onions, sliced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 c. dry roasted peanuts
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Marinate chicken strips in teriyaki for at least 30 minutes. Saute the chicken over medium heat in pan coated with PAM.

Cook noodles. Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine oil, honey, sesame oil, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Drain noodles; rinse with cold water.

In large bowl, combine noodles, chicken, and vegetables. Pour dressing over salad (start with half the dressing and add more if needed); toss to mix. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Asian Chicken Salad

I love Corner Bakery's Asian Wanton Salad. I have been wanting to recreate it for a while now but just haven't gotten around to it. Now that I am done with student teaching and have a little more time on my hands I decided it would be a good week to make my own version of the salad. I didn't have a recipe, I just went off the ingredients listed on Corner Bakery's website and tweaked it to suit my taste.  Normally I would make my own dressing but I found a light dressing on sale that sounded good and went with that for convenience sake. I thought the salad turned out great plus it was incredibly easy to throw together and made a ton so I will be able to eat it for lunch all week.

Asian Chicken Salad
print recipe

Serves 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes

rotisserie chicken, meat removed from the bone and cut into strips
8 oz. mixed greens
1 head of napa cabbage, chopped
1 red pepper, cut into small strips
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup shelled edamame
1 cup cherry tomatoes (I omitted this)
1 cup chopped cucumber (I omitted this)
Kens Light Asian Sesame with Ginger and Soy dressing
crispy rice noodles for garnish

In a large bowl combine chicken through cucumber. Drizzle with Kens Light salad dressing and toss to combine. Garnish with crispy rice noodles.

Asian Potsticker Soup

This past weekend Brady's family was in town. We had a great weekend. We went to Table 52 and it was honestly just as amazing the second time around. Their food is so great and the restaurant is beautiful. We also went to De Cero, a Mexican restaurant in the West Loop that has fun a la carte taco's and great margarita's. To top off the weekend we went to the David Gray concert at the Chicago Theater- it was AMAZING and a dream come true for me. I loved every minute of it.

The downside to the weekend was my wallet was stolen (big sob). Cash, gift cards, credit cards, the nice wallet I got for Christmas, all gone. Very depressing and a huge pain to deal with. I am not sure who stole it, probably the guy that kept bumping into me at the bar, but I really hope he had fun wracking up $200 at 7 Eleven and is enjoying my new Coach wallet.

After the busy weekend and the upsetting wallet situation I decided I needed something nourishing and warm for dinner this week. I found a recipe for Asian Potsticker Soup in Brady's Trader Joe's Cookbook (it's still at my place so I figure why not use it). I had all of the ingredients so no grocery shopping this week. I thought it was really good. Super simple and perfect for a night when you want to throw everything in a pot, let it simmer for a few minutes and have a nice warm and comforting meal.

Asian Potsticker Soup
** from The I Heart Trader Joe's Cookbook
print recipe

Serves 4
Prep/Cook Time: 20 minutes

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 T. rice vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 (16 oz) package frozen chicken or vegetable potstickers (about 12)
1 (20 oz) bag stir-fry vegetables
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons sesame oil
dash of crushed red pepper flakes

In a medium saucepan, combine broth, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic. Bring to a boil. Add the potstickers and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 4 minutes. Add stir-fry vegetables and simmer until vegetables are tender and potstickers are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Garnish with green onions and a drizzle of sesame oil. Sprinkle a few crushed red pepper flakes on top.