Salmon Soba Noodle Buddha Bowls with Ginger Sesame Dressing #FishFridayFoodies

Pan-fried salmon soba noodle Buddha bowls with ginger sesame dressing are easy, tasty and healthy too. They can be made ahead of time and chilled, if you like cold salmon like we do, or assembled when you are ready to eat with warm salmon on top.  Either way, you are going to love the flavors of this dish!

Years ago my father was living in Southeast Asia. Every time I went to visit him, I flew on the Japanese national carrier, JAL. Their menu never seemed to vary, at least in Economy. You had the choice of a Western meal, invariably a small hockey puck-sized filet mignon steak, overcooked, grey and flavorless. Or the Japanese meal, a small bowl of delicately flavored miso soup with slivers of seaweed and cold soba noodles with a delightfully salty savory dipping sauce. There were other parts to the meal to accompany the noodles, but those were the highlight for me. A revelation of tender chewiness unlike any noodle I had met before. And their dipping sauce was heaven. I guess you know which meal I would choose.

Ever since, I’ve been a fan of soba noodles. And, frankly, Japanese food in general. When was the last time you’ve ever heard that airplane food was a positive convincer for a whole country’s cuisine? I owe JAL a debt of gratitude.

You might think the star of this recipe is the salmon, sitting there on center stage on top of the Buddha bowl. And it is lovely, especially seasoned with the shichimi togarashi. But I’ve got to tell you that what makes this dish special is the homemade ginger sesame dressing. It’s so easy to make – and it keeps well in the refrigerator. It’s also what adds the most flavor to this cold soba noodle salad.

You’ll have ginger sesame dressing leftovers with this recipe so try it on a fresh baby spinach salad with oranges and maybe some toasted almonds. Another of our favorites.

Salmon Soba Noodle Buddha Bowls with Ginger Sesame Dressing

Ingredients
For the ginger sesame dressing:
1/2 cup or 120ml extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup or 60ml apple cider vinegar
2 in or 5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce (I like Kikkoman’s.)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon tahini paste
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

For 2 salmon soba noodle bowls:
2 salmon fillets, skin on (about 4 3/4 oz or 135g each)
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Shichimi togarashi – Read more about it here.
7 oz or 200g soba (buckwheat) noodles
7 oz or 200g snow peas (mangetout)
1 medium carrot, grated
3-4 small crunchy radishes, sliced
1/2 cup or 120ml ginger sesame dressing, plus a couple of tablespoons
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
Small bunch green onions, chopped

Method
First, make the ginger sesame dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a blender or in an appropriate vessel with a hand blender. Process until smooth and emulsified.

Refrigerate the dressing as you prepare the rest of the ingredients. It will keep well in the refrigerator for at least two weeks.

Season the salmon fillets by sprinkling salt, black pepper and shichimi togarashi on both sides. Cook them skin side down in a hot pan just until you see the color lighten inside the skin. Remove the salmon from the pan and place on a plate skin side up. Use a thin blade to gently remove the skin and put it back in the pan.

Cook till crispy. Set aside to drain on a paper towel.

Season the skinless side with the salt, pepper and shichimi togarashi. Return the salmon fillets to the hot pan and cook to your desired doneness. I know some people like salmon a bit rare inside, but we like ours cooked through. (Unless we are eating sushi or sashimi, in which case, we love it complete raw. It’s all or nothing with us.)

Meanwhile, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Once it comes to a boil, add in the soba noodles a few at a time and give them a bit of a stir so they don’t stick together.

Bring water back up to a boil and then immediate reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for about 6-7 minutes for thin noodles, 7-8 minutes for thicker ones, or according to the package instructions.

In the last 2 minutes of cooking time, add in the snow peas.

Fill a large bowl with cold water and add some ice cubes.

Drain the noodles and snow peas in a colander and rinse with cool water, washing them till the water runs clear.

Soba noodles are quite starchy and washing them is essential so do not skip this step. Now put them in the ice water until completely chilled. Drain well in a colander until dry.

Pick the snow peas out of the chilled soba noodles and set aside.

Pour the dressing over the noodles and toss them gently to coat. Add the sesame seeds and toss again to distribute them well. You can cover and refrigerate the noodles now and assemble your salmon soba noodle bowls later, if need be.

To assemble the noodle bowls, start with the dressed noodles, then top with the snow peas, grated carrots and sliced radishes. Add in the salmon. Drizzle on a little more of the dressing and sprinkle the bowl with the green onions. Don’t forget to add the crispy salmon skin! This is our favorite part anytime we cook salmon.

Enjoy!

This month my Fish Friday Foodie group is sharing Buddha bowls for your dining pleasure. Fresh and healthy Buddha bowls are apparently all the rage right now, with their starches or grains, protein and fresh vegetables. Many thanks to our host Sue from Palatable Pastime for pushing me to make my very first Buddha bowl! Check out the other seafood Buddha bowls right here.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Spicy Salmon Shrimp Burgers #FishFridayFoodies

Spicy salmon shrimp burgers are just about all seafood, with very little filler. These orange-hued burgers are bright and flavorful! Add a little spicy pink sauce for extra oomph. 

It’s a funny thing but I know from experience that unappetizing grey shrimp turn a lovely orange color when cooked, but it still amazes me when it happens. What looks like magic, turns out to be science. It’s a little more complicated that this but, simply put, shrimp have carotenoid pigments in their shells and flesh which are released by heat. In fact, they are also released by stomach acid and fat inside of the flamingos that eat them, which is why those birds are various shades of pink in the wild. If you see bright pink flamingos, like in some zoos, someone is probably feeding them a carotenoid-enriched diet. Salmon farmers do the same to create the orange flesh that is naturally found in wild salmon. The great news is that carotenoids offer a lot of health benefits so it's all good.

Isn’t food a kick? I am also amazed by how much I still have to learn about the world around me, even about ingredients I’ve been eating for years.

This month Fish Friday Foodies is being hosted by the very talented Heather of All Roads Lead to the Kitchen. She challenged us to create burgers, proper solid "meaty" patties, with the seafood of our choice. My younger daughter is here with us for a long visit and she voted for salmon burgers. I was all for that since salmon has natural oils that would keep a burger from drying out, but I wanted to boost the flavor with the addition of some shrimp.

I’m telling you, these were wonderful. Moist, tender, almost all salmon and shrimp with just one slice of bread and some seasonings. The secret is to process one quarter of your salmon and shrimp till you make a paste. That paste is the “glue” that holds the patties together so you don't need an egg or other binders.

When I was growing up my stepmother used to make something she called salsa rosada or pink sauce for us to dip hardboiled quails’ eggs in. She considered that beach picnic food. Why? I have no idea, but I loved it. Basically salsa rosada is mayo and ketchup with some hot sauce. It goes well with quails’ eggs, boiled shrimp and, of course, spicy salmon shrimp burgers.

Ingredients
For four spicy salmon shrimp burgers:
1 lb or 450g salmon fillet – weight after skinned and bones removed
9 3/4 oz or 275g shrimp – weight after peeling and cleaning
1 slice fresh whole wheat sandwich bread
1/2 medium onion, chopped (about 60g)
1 small red chili pepper, chopped
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Fine sea salt
Black pepper
3-4 green onion tops, minced

For the salsa rosada or spicy mayo
4 tablespoons good quality mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon hot sauce – or more to your taste

To cook and assemble the burgers:
1 tablespoon canola or other light oil for pan-frying
Lettuce leaves
Tomatoes slices
Onion slices
4 hamburger buns
Salsa rosada

Method
Lay your salmon and shrimp out on a cutting board and season them with salt and a few good grinds of fresh black pepper.

Put the slice of bread into your food processor and process until it is large fluffy crumbs.

Add in the onion, chili pepper, mustard powder, cayenne and a few good grinds of fresh black pepper.

Pulse until all is well combined.

Cut salmon into two equal pieces. Cut 1/4 of the salmon in small pieces. Cut 1/4 of the shrimp into small pieces.

Add the salmon and shrimp pieces into the food processor. Pulse until you have a thick paste. Tip the mixture from the food processor out into a bowl.

Cut the balance of your salmon and shrimp into small cubes.

Add them to the paste bowl along with the green onions.

Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Cover a plate or platter with cling film. Form four patties by shaping them with wet hands and place them on the covered plate. The cling film makes it easy to remove the patties from the plate because you can lift one side and tip the patty into your hand. My mix weighed almost 800g or 1lb 12oz so each patty was just shy of 200g or 7oz.

Drizzle the oil into your non-stick skillet and cook the patties over a medium hight heat for about seven minutes on one side.

Turn and cook on the other side for another seven minutes or until they are cooked through.

Serve on toasted buns with salsa rosada, lettuce, tomato and onion. The radishes are just for nibbling.

Enjoy!

Don't you want to see what everyone else has made today? I do!

An InLinkz Link-up

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Cajun Spiced Salmon #FishFridayFoodies

Cajun Spiced Salmon is easy to make and even easier to eat. Serve it as part of a plated dinner or atop a salad.

Both my mother and my mother-in-law are good cooks although both claim not to enjoy it. What even does that mean? What’s not to like? Anyway, my mother-in-law makes a lovely salmon dish where she covers a whole side of salmon with various spices and herbs and then cooks it in the oven under the broiler – or grill for my British readers – until it’s just done enough. The spicy herb-encrusted top gets a little bit crunchy and golden while the salmon beneath is tender and perfectly moist still.

I was chatting with her the other day and she remarked that someone had given her some homemade seafood gumbo. She wanted to share it with friends but it was only enough for everyone to have a small bowl as a starter. She was looking for advice about what would go with the gumbo for her main dish. I suggested that she make her salmon dish but with Cajun spices instead of her usual ones. As I hung up the call on Skype, it occurred to me that I had solved my own problem too.

We probably eat fresh salmon at least once a week, simply pan-fried with salt and pepper and no other adornments. It’s one of our favorites. This month our Fish Friday Foodies host, Caroline of Caroline’s Cooking wants us to put a little spice in our lives so just salt and pepper wouldn’t cut it.  So I changed out my usual spices for Cajun ones and carried on, just as I had advised my mother-in-law to do.

Ingredients
1 salmon fillet per person (About 5 2/3- 7 oz or 160-200g each)
Favorite Cajun spice mix
Olive oil for pan

To serve:
1/2 lemon
Few sprigs parsley

Method
Rinse off your salmon steaks and pat them dry with paper towels. Lay them skin side down on a plate and sprinkle them well with your favorite Cajun spice mix. Since we’re putting it in kind of thick, you’d be better to use one with more spice and less salt.

Heat a skillet big enough for all of your salmon steaks to fit without being crowded over a medium high flame.

Drizzle in a little olive oil then add the salmon steak seasoned side down. Sprinkle a little of the seasoning on the skin side.

As salmon cooks, the color changes, starting near the heat source, from bright orange to a pale peach. Cook uncovered until you see the color change on the salmon reach midway up the steaks. Depending on the thickness of the salmon steaks, this could take from 3-5 minutes.

You can't really see it in this photo but you will in person, I promise.

Turn the salmon steaks over and cook with the skin side down until the skin is crispy and the sides are completely peach colored and opaque, perhaps another 2-3 minutes.

Remove the salmon steaks from the pan and allow to rest for five minutes before serving.

Slice your lemons and roughly chop a couple of sprigs of parsley. Scatter them over and around the salmon steaks.

Enjoy!

An InLinkz Link-up

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Asparagus Salmon Fried Rice #BloggerCLUE

Crunchy asparagus just barely tossed in the hot pan with garlic and onions and chilies keep the fresh taste of spring, complemented by the tender poached salmon in this delightful, and delightfully easy, fried rice.

I’ve been making fried rice for a very, very long time. In fact, it’s such a common occurrence that I’ve never even considered posting a recipe on here. Fried rice has the advantage of being quick and easy, with the fabulous capacity to turn leftovers into something new and special. I never measure or quantify. It all just goes in. Roast chicken, grilled steak, boiled shrimp, pan-fried pork chops and myriad vegetables, sure. They’ve all become fried rice at my hands. But in all my years of making this dish, I have never once thought to use salmon. And that is why I love taking part in Blogger C.L.U.E. each month.

Blogger C.L.U.E. is a fun challenge where each participating blogger is given an assignment, another blog to poke around in and find recipes that fit our “clue” or theme of the month. I’ve been taking part for several months now and each time, I learn something new and my world opens just that much wider with possibilities.

This month my assigned blog is Lemon & Anchovies and I was hunting through Jean’s beautiful pages for spring vegetable recipes. And you know what I found! What is more quintessentially springy than asparagus? I am showing all of my 52 years now (I’m among friends, right?) but I remember a time when the only asparagus I’d ever eaten came from a can. Even as I got older and learned of fresh asparagus, the season was so short that folks waited all year for the first spears to appear and they were something special. When my husband and I first met, he had three things he would not eat: beets, olives and asparagus. Turns out he had never had a fresh asparagus either! He is now a fan of both olives and asparagus – Never mind about the beets. One has to choose one’s battles. – and he loved this fried rice, even taking the leftovers for two days running for his lunch.

I made very few changes to Jean’s recipe only doubling most of the ingredients so we’d have leftovers and putting fresh chilies instead of sauce but I’d like to encourage you to head over to her blog to read the post where I found this recipe. Her stunning photographs and glorious description of a daytrip to the coast will put you right there with her and give you pleasant dreams of days on the beach. And while you are there, have a poke about yourself. Jean cooks beautiful food and loves to travel. Her lovely crab, asparagus and avocado omelet post will also treat you photos from a trip to Maui  and a bacon and leek quiche also means a gorgeous recap of her two weeks of summer on the south coast of France.   Amongst others. Seriously, do go see. If you are anything like me, you’ll get trip envy bad. And want to cook all the things.


Ingredients
1 1/4 lbs or 585g salmon fillets
250g asparagus
6 1/2 cups or about 900g cooked long grained Basmati rice, cooled (Day old from the refrigerator is best.)
3 eggs
2-3 shallots
4 cloves garlic
2­3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
3 red chili peppers
2-3 tablespoons light soy sauce 
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce, plus more for serving, if desired

For serving and garnish:
Lime wedges
Fresh chives

Method
Poach your salmon in a medium-sized covered saucepan, in simmering water that comes just half way up the fillets, turning the fish halfway through. You want the fish just barely cooked through so, depending on the thickness of your fillets, about 10-15 minutes ought to do it. Take it off the heat but leave the salmon in the poaching liquid until you are ready to use it.

Cut the hard ends off of your asparagus and pop them into a glass with some cool water, just as you would cut flowers.

Beat your eggs and drizzle a little olive oil into a non-stick skillet. Pour the eggs in and cook over a low heat, turning once when almost cooked through.

When the omelet is cool enough to handle, roll it up and slice it thinly. Set aside.

Slice your shallots finely, mince your garlic and red chilies. Cut your asparagus into shorter lengths.

In a pan or wok that is big enough to hold all of your ingredients eventually, drizzle in the oils and add in the shallots and chilies. Cook for just a minute or two.

Add in the asparagus and cook, stirring frequently, for just a few more minutes. You want the asparagus to stay nice and crunchy.

Add in the garlic and cook for about a minute, making sure not to let the garlic color.

Add in the cold rice and stir well. Drizzle on the soy sauces and stir again, so that the soy is well mixed with all the rice.

It will take a few minutes to get all of that rice hot, so take the time now to use a fork to break the salmon into fairly large pieces. Remember that it will fall apart a bit more as you stir.

Add in the salmon and fold it into the hot rice.

Now add the egg ribbons and do the same, cooking just until the salmon and egg are both hot.

Garnish with chopped green onion and serve with lime and extra soy sauce, if desired.

Enjoy!

Here’s a list of this month’s Hunt for Spring Vegetables Blogger C.L.U.E. participants. I’ll be updating the list with their chosen recipes as the day progresses.

• Asian Fried Quinoa by Kate from Kate's Kitchen
• Asparagus and Prosciutto Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette by Heather from girlichef
• Asparagus Quiche by Alice from A Mama, Baby and Shar-pei in the Kitchen
• Asparagus Salmon Fried Rice by Stacy from Food Lust People Love
• Blue Cheese and Bacon Potato Salad by Christiane from Taking on Magazines
• Blue Cheese Potato Salad by Lea Ann from Cooking on the Ranch
• Broccoli and Cheese Muffins by Kelli from Kelli's Kitchen
• Broccoli Cheddar Soup by Azmina from Lawyer Loves Lunch
• Caesar Salad with Grilled Romaine by Jean from Lemons and Anchovies
• Cheese Soufflé with Garden Salad by Debra from Eliot's Eats
• Chicken Tikka Salad by Ramona from Curry and Comfort
• Chocolate Strawberry Pound Cake by Kim from Liv Life
• Cowboy Vegetable Scramble by Kathy from A Spoonful of Thyme
• Creamy Asparagus Soup by Anna from Anna Dishes
• Fresh Basil Pesto by Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva
• Halibut and Spinach en Papillote by Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Honey Balsamic Glazed Carrots by Rebekah from Making Miracles
• Lemon Bars by Anna from Anna Dishes
• Maple Soy Glazed Spring Carrots by Lora from Cake Duchess
• Peppercress and Basil Pesto by Lisa from Authentic Suburban Gourmet
• Raspberry and Rhubarb Rustic Tarts by Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Spring Green Risotto by Lauren from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Fresh Salmon Carpaccio

This lovely party platter of thinly sliced fresh salmon is something between ceviche and sashimi. The salmon is well dressed with lemon and fennel and shallots but still rather “uncooked” compared to full-on ceviche. The taste is fresh and light, perfect for a holiday buffet or dinner party starter.

It's all about balance.
This week my Sunday Supper group is anticipating the richness of the upcoming holiday season and bringing you some lighter dishes to offset the excess. Our host today is the lovely Kathia from Basic N Delicious. I adore smoked salmon so it’s a special treat during the holidays, but I know the salt content is ridiculously high. This fresh salmon carpaccio is a much healthier option and with the added bright flavors of fennel and shallot, I promise, you won’t miss the salt at all.

Ingredients
For the carpaccio:
About 1 1/2 lbs or 700g very fresh salmon, already skinned (The fish guy can do this for you.)
2 lemons (7 oz or 200g)
3 shallots (about 2 1/2 oz or 70g)
1 small bulb fennel with fronds (almost 4 oz or 110g)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 cup or 30ml extra-virgin olive oil

To serve:
1 tablespoon capers, drained and dried
Reserved fronds from fennel bulb
Optional: brown or soda bread

Adapted from this recipe on BBC Good Food.

Method
Cut your salmon into three or four pieces and wrap it very tightly in cling film. Freeze for at least an hour to make slicing thinly easier. A very sharp knife is a must so this is a great time to sharpen yours.

While the salmon gets slightly frozen, we can make the dressing.

Cut the root end and the hard tops off the fennel bulb and discard them but keep the green fronds for decorating the salmon later, if desired. Slice the fennel bulb as thinly as possible.

Peel then do likewise with the shallots.

Zest and juice your lemons into a medium sized mixing bowl, discarding any seeds. Add in the salt, sugar and olive oil, then whisk to combine.

Marinate the sliced fennel and shallots in the dressing until the salmon is ready for slicing.

Add a little dressing with fennel and shallots into the bottom of a deep bowl.

Remove one piece of salmon at a time from the freezer so the others don’t thaw out while you slice.

Slice your salmon thinly and lay the pieces on top of the dressing.

Keep slicing and layering with a few drizzles of dressing, fennel and shallots until all of the salmon is sliced. Pour any remaining dressing over the top.

Cover the bowl with cling film and chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours.

After a few hours.

To serve, lay the salmon slices with fennel and shallots out in a single layer on a large platter. Scatter the salmon with the reserved chopped fennel fronds and capers.

The original recipe says to serve with brown or soda bread but I must confess that we sat outside and just ate it straight off the platter with small forks. It was superb.

Enjoy!

Are you looking for some healthy recipes to balance out your holiday excesses? Check out all the great drinks, dishes and desserts we have for you this week!

Drinks

• Lightened Up Eggnog by The Redhead Baker
• Low Calorie Pumpkin Pie Malted Milkshake by Kudos Kitchen by Renee

Appetizers or starters

• Carciofi alla Trapanese by Manu's Menu
• Fresh Salmon Carpaccio by Food Lust People Love
• Gruyere Cheese Puffs by Sustainable Dad
• Lightened Up Cornbread Stuffing by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Lighten-up Sausage Rolls by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Pesto Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Spicy Eggplant Dip by Cooking Chat

Main Dishes

• Grandma's Mac n' Cheese by What Smells So Good?
• Holiday Beef Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes and Corn by Family Foodie
• Lean Mean Cheeseburger Soup by The Foodie Army Wife
• Lightened-Up Fettuccine Alfredo by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Mini Mushroom Shepherd’s Pies by Killer Bunnies, Inc
• Slow Cooker Roasted Butternut Squash & Chicken Sausage Soup by Hot Momma's Kitchen Chaos
• Turkey Roulade with Mushroom Stuffing and Blueberry Thyme Gravy by Food Done Light

Side Dishes

• Almond-Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Broccoli by The Texan New Yorker
• Butternut Squash Orzo Pasta by Life Tastes Good
• Cranberry Orange Glazed Green Beans  by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Farro Stuffing with Cranberries and Walnuts by The Dinner-Mom
• Greek Village Salad - Horiatki Salata by Peaceful Cookin
• Green Beans with Rosemary Garlic Butter by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Healthier Potluck Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad by The Weekend Gourmet
• Hearts of Palm, Artichoke, Avocado and Butter Lettuce Salad by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Honey Ginger Glazed Carrots by Ruffles & Truffles
• Leaner Green Beans by Noshing With The Nolands
• Lentil & Mushroom Stuffing by Foxes Love Lemons
• Mediterranean Lentil Stuffed Delicata Squash by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
• Quick and Easy Sweet Potatoes by The Educators' Spin On It
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts by Brunch with Joy
• Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Mash by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Roasted Parsnip and Apple Soup by Curious Cuisiniere
• Shrimp Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette by eating in instead
• Spiced Tri-Colored Carrot Salad by Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Tangy, Spiced Red Cabbage by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Desserts

• Cinnamon Roll Granola Bars by Pies and Plots
• Healthy Brownie Recipe | Applesauce Brownies by The Perfect Brownie
• Individual Cheesecakes by Nosh My Way
• Light and Luscious Chocolate Cheesecake by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Lightened Oat Flax Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Blondie #GlutenFree by Sue's Nutrition Buzz
• Peanut Butter Coconut Mini Bars by Basic N Delicious
• Pumpkin Pie Pudding by The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch
• Skinny Ninja Cheesecake by NinjaBaker.com
• Sweet Apple Bites by Mama's Blissful Bites
• The Blondie Recipe by Wallflour Girl