While we are not vegetarians, we both realize the benefits of a plant-based diet, and we try to eat vegetarian several nights a week. Sometimes we do that instinctively without thinking about it.
That said, we still enjoy all variety of meats, poultry, and
fish/seafood on occasion. When I say “all variety,” I’m not exaggerating. We
eat it all — from mountain oysters to liver to tripe. We generally don’t say no…
we will try anything at least once! I might turn down Japanese blowfish for
fear of my life, though.
Even when we are eating meat or fish, we love to have good veggies on the side… or, in today’s case, beneath. Seared salmon or Arctic char over stir-fried vegetables is a great way to get your veggies with a nice dose of protein. This could easily be done with tofu, too.
One thing I love about a good stir fry is the amount of color it
can bring to your plate. And, as we all know, a beautiful plate is very
appealing to the senses.
~ David
Seared Salmon on Stir-Fried Veggies
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 4 small or 2 regular carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal
- 1 yellow bell pepper, trimmed and sliced into strips
- a 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and coarsely grated
- 3 stalks celery, sliced on the diagonal
- 1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets
- 2 baby bok choy, sliced — stalks and leaves separated
- 4 ounces shiitake mushroom caps, sliced
- 1/2 cup cilantro or mint leaves, plus extra for garnish
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 8 pieces skinless Arctic char or salmon fillet, 2 ounces each
- salt and pepper
- togarashi
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or nonstick skillet. Sauté the onion, carrot, bell pepper, and half the ginger until vegetables are beginning to soften. Add the celery, broccoli, bok choy stalks, and mushrooms. Stir fry for 3 minutes — the broccoli florets should be turning bright green. Add the bok choy leaves, cilantro or mint, and remaining ginger. Give it a good stir, cook for 30 seconds and remove from the heat.
- Mix soy, vinegar, oyster sauce, and sugar. Set aside.
- Season the fish with salt, pepper and togarishi. Add the remaining tablespoon oil to a nonstick skillet over high heat. Sear the fish, skinned side up, for 2 minutes, or until golden. Flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes until cooked through (timing will depend on thickness of the fillets).
- While the fish is cooking, reheat the vegetables on high and add the sauce, stirring well. Divide veggies among 4 warmed bowls and, when fish is done, add it on top of the vegetables. Garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds.
- Serves 4.
© 2024 Copyright Cocoa & Lavender
Fran @ G'day Souffle'
May 23, 2020 at 7:07 amThis certainly is a colorful dish, David! I will also eat just about anything, but for some reason, my taste buds will not tolerate any kind of melon- including watermelon. I have never heard of togarishi before, but this spice blend really looks interesting!
Cocoa & Lavender
May 24, 2020 at 7:18 amI have a few friends who are allergic to melons, cantaloupe in specific. Perhaps your aversion is your body telling you something. Togarashi (Sorry — I had misspelled it in the first go-around — thanks for catching it!) is an amazing blend of citrus and chile. Perfect for finishing!
John / Kitchen Riffs
May 23, 2020 at 7:48 amThis is the way we eat a lot, too. Love colors and love simple preparations, so this recipe is speaking to me. We like meat and fish a lot, but much of the time we eat a plant-based diet — simply because we really like it. And we just can’t eat the quantities of meat or fish that we used to (well, I suppose we can, but there’s that weight thing that seems to arrive with age), so this is the perfect quantity of salmon. And it’s wild salmon season! So this dish is perfectly timed. Thanks.
Cocoa & Lavender
May 24, 2020 at 7:21 amI love it when the stars align, John. I created this post so long ago and I had no idea it would end up in wild salmon season. Pure dumb luck! We, too are eating much more of a plant based diet— and when we do eat fish, chicken, pork, or beef, we have reduced the amount per person by half. Butter, on the other hand, is a place where we need some work!
Gerlinde
May 23, 2020 at 8:50 amI love your vegetable medley with an Asian twist and will make it for sure, even though my husband doesn’t like vegetables. That leaves me more for lunch the next day.
Cocoa & Lavender
May 24, 2020 at 7:22 amThat must be hard, Gerlinde — vegetables are so important in a diet. I hope you are able to sneak him some now and then when he isn’t looking!
2pots2cook
May 23, 2020 at 9:29 amAlways in for vegetables and fish. I even make more than necessary so I could pack for work next day now when most of us are back to offices. Also it is so rich with astaxanthin which is so important to take before another extremely hot summer …. Thank you so much David !
Cocoa & Lavender
May 24, 2020 at 7:24 amDavorka, even though we are still working from home, we make extra to have for lunch at our desks. The veggies really reheat well, with or without the fish.
Christina Conte
May 23, 2020 at 10:48 amLooks beautiful, David! I agree, sometimes our meals are vegetarian, but I just don’t even think of them that way. I have fallen in love with bok choy recently and can’t get enough (in fact, having some for lunch today!) My mother has planted seeds and plants wherever she could, so we’ll see what transpires in the next few weeks! Homegrown are the best, so fingers crossed!
Cocoa & Lavender
May 24, 2020 at 7:25 amIt would be amazing to have homegrown veggies but, here in the desert, it is hard and takes is much water. We get by with our farmers market and homegrown herbs! Good luck with the garden!
Eha
May 23, 2020 at 5:45 pmLove your dish ! You knew I would !! I could never be a vegetarian but simply cannot understand their being the ‘bad boys’of the daily menu – the part you ‘have to have’ but may not want ! I dunno . . . I brought up two children and do not remember either ever saying ‘Mom. I don’t like this’ !! Love salmon . . .make so many stirfries every week . . . love oyster sauce but also ‘plat around’ with ketjap manis, hoi sin and fish sauce . . . I know you know where I go for some of the suggestions . . .
Cocoa & Lavender
May 24, 2020 at 7:26 amAll the same sauces we use, Eha, except hoisin — it has garlic and I wish I could eat it. Working on a homemade hoisin sauce recipe… stay tuned.
Valentina
May 23, 2020 at 8:48 pmWe eat the same way, and lately even more plant based because my 14-yr-old son recently declared himself vegetarian. This dish looks fabulous — and it’s so pretty and healthy! I really like that photo grid with all of the ingredients on the sushi mats. Very cool! Hope you and Mark are well! 🙂 ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
May 24, 2020 at 7:28 amWow… vegetarian AND gluten free? That is a tall order. Tease heart in the fact that he will be going to college, soon! 😉 This dish is actually perfect for you – he can have the veggies alone (or topped with tofu) while the rest of you can have them topped with salmon…
Chef Mimi
May 24, 2020 at 6:02 amVery nice. Yeah, no blowfish for me either. Stir frying is the best way to prepare a lovely mixture os veggies such as these, plus you can make extra and reheat later. I am not a vegetarian, but I tend to prefer the side dishes more than the meat entree at meals, especially thanksgiving! And I can cook a damn good turkey!
Cocoa & Lavender
May 24, 2020 at 7:29 amIsn’t that funny, Mimi? The side dishes for big meals are often my favorite, too. I am not a fan of turkey (I believe I have admitted that here before…) so the sides need to be really good!
Ron
May 24, 2020 at 7:14 amVeggies are important and what a fine way to get your veggies. All solid ingredients and all that would sit wonderfully in my tummy. My doctor always says that a colorful plate is a healthy plate.
I’m with you I’ll try any food once, but maybe not the fugu either…
Cocoa & Lavender
May 24, 2020 at 7:31 amAdmittedly, Ron, there are a few things other than fugu I will forgo… and it usually is because it is dangerous if we aren’t careful. However, I want to try as many cool things as I can — even bugs! Mark’s mother said the same thing as your doctor… multiple colors make for a healthy meal. So one day, I served her a plate of gumdrops… we laughed for hours!
Raymund
May 25, 2020 at 12:27 amThis looks amazing, it looks similar to the Filipino Chopseuy topped with Salmon.
At home we are the same, we love vegetables but we are not vegetarians. Cooking it right like this, you wont even realize you are not eating meat.
Cocoa & Lavender
May 25, 2020 at 4:21 amThanks so much, Raymund. I’ll have to check out Filipino Chopsuey!
The-FoodTrotter
May 25, 2020 at 7:35 amIt looks very light and tasty! I should try since I gain 10 kg during the lockdown ^^
Have a nice day
TheFood-Trotter
Cocoa & Lavender
May 30, 2020 at 8:48 amRomain — I have started calling OVOID-19 because that it the shape I will be when I have gained the requisite 19 pounds! Glad you like the recipe.
Inger @ Art of Natural Living
May 25, 2020 at 8:27 amYes, a nutrition wonderland! And speaking of “eat everything” I finally cooked my pigs head Saturday. The ears had been taken off so I think it wasn’t the full experience. I’ll probably write about it, but also probably won’t do it again (though I’m somewhat tempted to try if I can get a head with ears).
Cocoa & Lavender
May 30, 2020 at 8:49 amWell, I am completely impressed. Inger. What was it like? Can’t wait to read about it!
Inger @ Art of Natural Living
June 14, 2020 at 8:30 amIt was, ultimately, underwhelming. Not a whole lot of meat and a fair amount of work. So I didn’t get the head again with this year’s pig. Was fun to take whole to a (social distanced) party though 🙂
John
May 25, 2020 at 3:38 pmGrowing up in a strict “meat and veg” household shaped my carnivorous nature, but it hasn’t defined what I cook now. As with many of us, a vegetable-based meal happens unintentionally a couple of times a week. Especially in the warmer months. A fish dish, like your colourful creation, occurs usually once a week. I also like a simple lunch of tinned sardines or haddock in tomato on toast!
A big YES to the togarashi. Love that stuff. We drove to the city yesterday and I couldn’t help but go to my favourite Chinatown supermarket. They have every togarashi blend under the sun!
Cocoa & Lavender
May 30, 2020 at 8:51 amI never think of it, but I am so lucky my mother was a full-on cook. She never made anything ethnic (save Italian) but the diversity of what showed up on our plates was amazing.
Yes. togarashi is amazing. Need to try other blends.
Priya
May 26, 2020 at 8:18 amThis dish looks great David. It is a great step to include more and more veggies in your diet. Even though we are vegetarians, We still feel that We are not eating enough vegetables. We do prefer stir-fry vegetables a lot. They are great immunity booster you know.
Cocoa & Lavender
May 30, 2020 at 8:52 amPriya — this is such the perfect dish for vegetarians. Just use tofu or the veggies by themselves. Immune boosters are so important now…
Sammie
May 26, 2020 at 8:23 amWhat a hearty dish! This is like my comfort food! Loads of wholesome vegetables with a thick slab of delicious salmon! Could eat this any day of the week really!
Cocoa & Lavender
May 30, 2020 at 8:52 amYou will be seeing lots of salmon coming up, Sammie — we love it, too, and it is readily available fresh.
All That I'm Eating
May 27, 2020 at 5:32 amWhat a huge assortment of veg David! Love the sound of this and the veg and the salmon work so well together visually it would be very difficult not to stick a fork in!
Cocoa & Lavender
May 30, 2020 at 8:53 amSomeone called it a Jenga Tower of salmon — what a fun way to make you WANT to dog in! Who wins at this game? The diner!
sherry
May 27, 2020 at 5:50 amthat salmon looks delightful david. and all those lovely veggies. i can feel it doing me good…
Cocoa & Lavender
May 30, 2020 at 8:54 amWe all need lots of good veg now, Sherry.
Marcelle
May 27, 2020 at 11:04 amThis is a gorgeous, healthy meal David. I have salmon in my fridge too that I just got from the store yesterday. I’ll have to see what veggies I have on hand to make a version of this one day this week! I consider myself adventurous with food, but I’m afraid I couldn’t do Rocky Mountain oysters and I can’t take the weird texture of tripe 🙂 I’ll pass on the Blowfish too, but bring on a good plate of liver and onions smothered in brown gravy. I love that LOL Have a wonderful week!! xoxo
Cocoa & Lavender
May 30, 2020 at 8:54 amThat is the great thing about stir fry, Marcelle — whatever you have in the fridge is exactly what you need for the dish!
Jeff the Chef
May 29, 2020 at 7:26 pmWhat a wonderful dish! Like you, I love vegetables. I love meat, too, but I could easily live with lighter amounts of meat and plenty of vegetables.
Cocoa & Lavender
May 30, 2020 at 8:55 amOh, heck, Jeff — I love it all! But I really need lots of good veggies every day!
Andrea@thekitchenlioness
May 29, 2020 at 10:39 pmDear David, what a very pretty dish to serve – love the combination of tons of veggies and a good salmon, healthy and delicious and light. And, of course, your presentation is picture perfect. And I love all your very colorful veggie pics!
Well done, my friend, well done!
Ich hoffe, euch beiden geht es gut! Passt auf euch auf!
Liebe Grüße und ein schönes Wochenende!
Andrea
Cocoa & Lavender
June 3, 2020 at 12:42 pmThanks, dear Andrea. Having fun with the veggies!
Allen gut hier… danke sehr.
Cocoa & Lavender
May 30, 2020 at 8:57 amThanks, dear Andrea. Having fun with the veggies!
Allen gut hier… danke sehr.
Susan Manfull
June 2, 2020 at 3:37 pmI learned about a new spice mixture! I will look for togarashi! The meal looks wonderful….isn’t salmon a terrific fish? So versatile. I look forward to your upcoming salmon recipes. Cheers!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 3, 2020 at 12:42 pmIt is absolutely wonderful for finishing dishes, Susan! I am sure you can find it at that wonderful little Asian market on Woodbury Avenue.
Kelly | Foodtasia
June 19, 2020 at 12:20 pmLooks fantastic, David! Veggies are so much more flavorful and colorful than plain carbs. When I get a dish of really good veggies, I’m a happy camper. These are fabulous!
Cocoa & Lavender
June 26, 2020 at 11:45 amThanks, Kelly – with teh lack of movement we are getting these days, fewer carbs are a great idea for us, too. That said, I can’t wait for pasta tonight! 🙂