400g broccoli, cut into small florets
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp olive oil
4 salmon fillets, skinned (total about 600-700g)
For the dressing:
2 spring onions, finely chopped
2 1/2 cm ginger, finely grated
1 tbsp fish sauce
4 tbsp oil
2 limes, zest and juice
30g coriander, finely chopped
55g peanuts, roughly chopped.
Optional: 1 red chilli, finely sliced.
To serve: White basmati rice to soak up all the lovely flavours of the dressing.
Pre-heat the oven to 180 C (fan)/ 200 C/ gas 6. Soak the broccoli in boiling water for 10 minutes. Wash some rice and put it on to cook.
In a large bowl, mix the oils with the grated garlic then drain the broccoli well and toss it with the garlicky oil. Spread the florets out on a large roasting tray with the salmon fillets nestled among them. (rubbing the underside of the salmon with a little oil will help prevent sticking.) Cover the tray tightly with foil and put it in the oven for approximately 20 minutes. (20 minutes works for my oven but they’re all different.)
While it’s cooking throw all the other ingredients into the same bowl you just used to toss the broccoli. (Feel free to use a new bowl but I like to save on washing up.) Taste and adjust the levels of fish sauce and lime to your liking.
Remove the tray from the oven and check the salmon is cooked. It should flake apart easily. If the inside isn’t as pale as the outside then it’s under-cooked. If the fish is solid and the flakes don’t peel easily apart then you’ve overcooked it (better luck next time, it will still taste great.)
I like to spread the food on a platter before drizzling it with the dressing, but if your roasting tray is less ugly and huge than mine you might bring it straight to the table.
Cook’s tip 1: If you own a microplane grater you will have the garlic, ginger and lime zest taken care of in two minutes flat. I recently bought a good one and there’s no looking back.
Cook’s tip 2: Fish sauce smells awful but trust me, it tastes good in this dish. It will stink out your fridge unless you cover the top with clingfilm before putting on the lid.
This colourful salmon recipe has everything going for it- it’s easy, healthy and delicious. If you love the fresh and zingy flavours of Southeast Asia you’re going to love this dish.
I’ve adapted this recipe from one by Rukmini Iyer. Her wonderful cookbook The Roasting Tin is a word of mouth hit among time-pressed food lovers, and I’m sure I’ll be featuring her recipes again. Click here to buy her book.
The main reason salmon is so good for you is that it’s full of omega 3. What few people realise is that too much omega 6 will undo the benefits of consuming omega 3. We need to consume these oils in a healthy balance and few of us who eat a Western diet are doing so. That’s why I swapped the vegetable oil in Rukmini’s original recipe for olive oil – most vegetable oils contain sunflower oil, which is very high in omega 6. I’ve written in more detail about this topic here.
This recipe also contains a lot of anti-oxidant ingredients. The process of oxidation in the human body produces unstable chemicals called free radicals, which damage cell membranes and other structures. Antioxidants are compounds in foods that scavenge and neutralise these free radicals. Broccoli, ginger, garlic and coriander are all powerful antioxidants, so tuck in and enjoy!
If the only Indian food you’ve ever eaten comes from Indian restaurants, this recipe may come as a revelation. It doesn’t have that layer of grease which take-away meals so often have, instead it tastes wholesome, fresh and tangy. Turmeric is so healthy that it’s sometimes used as a medicine, and sweet potatoes are a great source of potassium and magnesium.
This seasonal salad will taste great all round. Sweet and crunchy, it is the perfect accompaniment for crispy tray baked chicken in a tahini sauce.
Cook up something healthy from store cupboard ingredients with this tasty vegetarian recipe.
They say that korma is the curry for people who hate curries – it’s rich and sweet and delicious, but of course it’s loaded with fat. Try cooking this version, made with coconut and mint, and you’ll never look back.
