Miso Orange Salmon with Coconut Mango Rice and Pickled Cucumbers

Miso Orange Salmon with Coconut Mango Rice and Pickled Cucumbers is salmon filets marinated in a miso-orange marinade and broiled until nice and caramelized.  Serve it with creamy, coconut mango rice with citrus and ginger, and quick pickled cucumbers for a flavorful, healthy meal!

I make salmon a lot…like weekly.  If a week goes by that I don’t have any, I’m craving it.  I love it because it’s meaty and satisfying, and it can handle the boldest of flavors.  Most of the time I make my Spice Rubbed Salmon, or I make it with a homemade teriyaki sauce or some type of miso paste mixture.  It’s something everybody here likes, so I love finding new ways to change it up.

This Miso Orange Salmon isn’t a big change from the way I normally prepare it, but I saw a slightly different marinade in the March issue of Shape magazine with quick pickled cucumbers, and I was all over it.  If you’re not familiar with miso paste, its a soy bean paste, which you can find in the refrigerated area of the natural foods section in many supermarkets.  I used a hawaiian white miso, which is milder, while still adding a nice, salty umami flavor to your dish. 🙂

The marinade has so many delicious Asian flavors going on — the miso, mirin (Japanese rice cooking wine), soy sauce, brown sugar, and ginger.  It’s similar to teriyaki, but the miso paste pumps up the flavor even more.  What made this marinade even better was fresh Cara Cara orange juice and zest.  Citrus tang always makes everything better. 🙂  You can marinate this for up to 3 hours or overnight for maximum flavor, but I didn’t plan ahead and only had 20 minutes of marinating time.  This fish was nice and flavorful in just that amount of time, too.

Creamy Coconut Rice all the time, and I knew it would be delicious here.  This time I used brown rice for more nutrition, and I upped the ante with fresh ginger, orange and lime juice and zest, freshly chopped cilantro, and mango.  I topped it off with toasted coconut and scallions, which isn’t an option, it’s a must!  The scallions add freshness and the coconut adds a toasty crunch that puts this rice over the top.  I was only sorry that I didn’t double the recipe, because it was gone in a flash and I wanted more.

I’ve never pickled anything, and I thought this was the place to try it.  I mean, if I can’t get thinly sliced cucumbers right, I probably shouldn’t go any further. 😉    The pickling was so easy, and it added a nice fresh touch to the plate.  This dish has plenty of Asian flair, which is such a nice change of pace from the meals in my regular rotation.  In fact, I think it’s found a place in my regular rotation. 🙂

Miso Orange Salmon with Coconut Mango Rice and Pickled Cucumbers

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

45 mins

 

Miso Orange Salmon with Coconut Mango Rice and Pickled Cucumbers is salmon filets marinated in a miso-orange marinade and broiled until nice and caramelized. Serve it with creamy, coconut mango rice with citrus and ginger, and quick pickled cucumbers for a flavorful, healthy meal!

Serves: 2-4 servings salmon, 4 servings rice and cucumbers

Ingredients

For the salmon:

• (2) salmon filets (about ¾ lb.)
• ¼ cup mirin
• 2 tablespoons white miso paste*
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh, grated ginger*
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the rice:

• 1 cup long grain brown rice
• 1¼ cup full fat coconut milk
• 1¼ cup water
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• ½ teaspoon lime zest
• ½ teaspoon orange zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
• ½ cup fresh mango chunks
• scallions and toasted coconut flakes, for garnish*

For the cucumbers:

• 1 medium cucumber, partially peeled*, and sliced about ⅛" thick
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon agave syrup
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions

Prepare the salmon:

1. Place the salmon in an 8x8" glass baking dish or a zip top bag. Place the mirin, miso paste, orange juice, zest, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and black pepper in a small bowl and whisk until incorporated. Pour over the salmon, turning to coat both sides. Cover or seal, and marinate in the refrigerator for up to 3 hours or overnight.* When ready to cook, preheat the broiler. Place the salmon on a rimmed baking sheet and pour over enough sauce to cover. Broil on the middle rack of the oven for 4-5 minutes, depending on thickness, until caramelized and the fat has rendered.

Prepare the rice:

1. Place the coconut milk and water in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the rice and salt, and return to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and cover, simmering the rice for 40-45 minutes, or according to package instructions. Once the rice has absorbed the liquid, remove from heat and let stand covered 10 minutes to steam. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Add the ginger, lime juice and zest, orange juice and zest, cilantro, mango, and salt to taste, and combine gently using your fork.

Prepare the cucumbers:

1. Combine the cucumber slices with the salt in a small bowl. In another small bowl, combine the rice vinegar and agave syrup. Pour the mixture over the cucumbers, cover, and place in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Notes

Total time above includes marinating the salmon for 3 hours. You can also marinate it overnight. I only marinated the salmon for 20 minutes and it still had a delicious flavor.

*Miso paste is a soy bean paste that can be found in the refrigerated area of the natural food sections at most supermarkets.

*Freeze your fresh ginger and use a microplane to grate it peel and all to get the quickest grated ginger!

*For toasted coconut flakes, heat coconut flakes in a skillet over medium low heat until golden and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. For You can also buy pre-toasted coconut flakes at Trader Joe's for a time saver.

*For toasted sesame seeds, heat the sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium low heat until golden and fragrant, 3-5 minutes.

Salmon and cucumber recipe adapted from Shape Magazine's Broiled Miso with Spago Cucumber Salad, March 2014.

Coconut Mango Rice recipe by Flavor the Moments.

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