Sesame Ginger Veggie Quinoa with Salmon

Name: Sesame Ginger Veggie Quinoa with Salmon
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients: 2 tsp (10 mL) sesame seeds; 2 tsp (10 mL) butter; 1 onion chopped; 2 stalks celery diagonally sliced; 2 carrots diagonally sliced; 2 cloves garlic minced; 1 tbsp (15 mL) minced fresh gingerroot; Pinch hot pepper flakes; 1 cup (250 mL) quinoa rinsed and drained; 1/2 cup (125 mL) low-sodium vegetable broth or water; 2 cups (500 mL) milk; 2 tbsp (30 mL) reduced-sodium soy sauce divided; 2 tsp (10 mL) sesame oil divided; 4 pieces (each 4 oz/125 g) thin skinless salmon fillet; 1 cup (250 mL) frozen shelled edamame thawed

Our dietitians' favourite

In this recipe, the accent flavours of sesame, ginger and soy sauce soak right into the quinoa and vegetables. The salmon is cooking on the top of this mixture to give you a complete meal all in one pan, ready in just half an hour. This is sure to become a new weeknight go-to meal.

Prep: 15 min - 20 min
Cooking: 30 min

Yields 4 Servings

Ingredients

2 tsp (10 mL) sesame seeds
2 tsp (10 mL) butter
1 onion chopped
2 stalks celery diagonally sliced
2 carrots diagonally sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp (15 mL) minced fresh gingerroot
Pinch hot pepper flakes
1 cup (250 mL) quinoa rinsed and drained
1/2 cup (125 mL) low-sodium vegetable broth or water
2 cups (500 mL) milk
2 tbsp (30 mL) reduced-sodium soy sauce divided
2 tsp (10 mL) sesame oil divided
4 pieces (each 4 oz/125 g) thin skinless salmon fillet
1 cup (250 mL) frozen shelled edamame thawed

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Preparation

In a large, deep skillet, toast sesame seeds over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately transfer to a bowl; set aside.

Return skillet to medium heat; add butter and swirl to coat. Sauté onion, celery and carrots for 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic, ginger and hot pepper flakes; sauté for 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir in quinoa.

Stir in broth, then stir in milk. Stir in 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the soy sauce and 1 tsp (5 mL) of the sesame oil; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring once, for 7 minutes until quinoa is slightly tender.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine remaining soy sauce and sesame oil. Pat salmon fillets dry and brush both sides with soy sauce mixture.

Stir edamame and any remaining soy sauce mixture into quinoa. Nestle salmon fillets in quinoa, spacing evenly around the pan. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until white juices just start to show on salmon and salmon is just opaque. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Spoon portions onto plates and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Tips

Thin salmon fillets, about 1/2 to 3/4-inch (1 to 2 cm) thick, work best for this recipe. If using frozen fillets, let them thaw, then let stand on a paper towel-lined plate to drain well while you prepare the rest of the ingredients for this recipe to prevent excess liquid from cooking into the quinoa. Pat dry as directed.

When buying reduced-sodium soy sauce, it’s worth it for flavour and quality to seed out naturally brewed soy sauce. Check the label and choose one that contains less than 600 mg sodium per tablespoon (15 mL).